Bribie Island boaties still need plenty of help

THE massive Moreton Bay is where the Bribie Island Volunteer Marine Rescue spends most of its time, with plenty of work to do to help those in need.

THE GANG: Nathan Gundry (L), Bob Skinner and Allan Tranter at the controls of the new vessel. Peter McNamara. Picture: Peter McNamara

THE massive Moreton Bay is where the Bribie Island Volunteer Marine Rescue spends most of its time.

Aside from a stretch of Bribie Island near Mission Point, the marine rescue's Commodore, Nathan Gundry, said they were usually at work in and around Moreton Bay or off Cape Moreton.

His team had been kept at-sea with 195 assists last year - an increase of about 15% on the previous year.

Only two of those were urgent assists - mayday calls in Moreton Bay - the rest made up in large by call-outs for breakdowns and to retrieve boats that had broken their moorings in storms and strong winds.

"There's more and more boats going out on the water," Mr Gundry said.

"The majority of our work is general tow assists."

Thirty-five assists in two weeks over Christmas was another example of how busy the Moreton Bay was becoming.

Off Cape Moreton was where the bigger vessels required assistance, with the Volunteer Marine Rescue team assisting vessels up to 60-feet long.

STACKING UP: How the river mouths compare on the Coast. Picture: Centro Art

With a lack of treacherous bars to navigate, Mr Gundry said the main threat was weather, with many failing to check on conditions before heading out and often being caught up in storms that develop usually from around midday on, while large swells could often sweep through the Bay.

Having completed 163 assists in 2015 and 195 last year, Mr Gundry said they were averaging 170-180 assists a year of late and he urged those headed out on the water to log on and off with their radios with VMR or the Coast Guard to ensure they could be found if disaster struck.