A new mobile phone application designed by British Columbia search and rescue crews will help boaters stay safe on the water this summer. Developed by Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR), the free Safe Boating App has a range of resources to help boaters with voyage planning, weather, communication, and emergencies.
"This is a really handy app for the thousands of recreational boaters in B.C., and its safety information could potentially save lives," said RCM-SAR president Jim Lee. "It consolidates a lot of information that all boaters should have into a simple one-stop phone application."
The RCM-SAR Safe Boating App includes voyage planning resources; tide, current, wind and weather information; emergency procedures and distress signal information; emergency radio communication procedures including sample recordings; VHF marine radio channel listings for Canada - Pacific; contact information for non-emergency vessel assistance; safety equipment and navigation light requirements; equipment checklists; basic maritime collision regulations; hazard to shipping and tsunami debris reporting using the phone's GPS and camera, and a conversion calculator for fueling
"This app was developed by Adam Hyde, a crew member at our West Vancouver Station who has a passion for boating safety," said Lee. "We're excited to share it with the boating community, and we look forward to people using it on board and ashore."
The RCM-SAR Safe Boating App is available on iPhones through the iTunes store.
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue has more than 1,000 volunteers serving 46 communities in British Columbia. It is part of the west coast marine rescue system, providing 24/7 emergency coverage and promoting safe boating.