Boat owners on the North-West Coast are being reminded to stay boat-safe with the start of daylight savings.
Volunteer Marine Rescue Tasmania president John Sullivan says Tasmania has the highest boat ownership rate in the country and the number of drownings in Tasmania each year has increased by 22 per cent over the past 10 years.
40 per cent of those occurred in open water.
Mr Sullivan says boat owners should ensure boats are serviced by qualified professionals, have the correct safety equipment on board and ensure everyone on board knows how to use it, wear personal flotation devices, check the weather forecast before going out, and tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back.
Volunteer Marine Rescue Tasmania has units around the state, including Wynyard and Ulverstone on the North-West Coast.
