The Marlborough-Nelson Radio Executive has reviewed the services provided to members—particularly how a vessel’s intentions and current location are logged. This review considered member needs, operational capacity, and matters of liability, as well as the ability of radio operators to follow up when situations arise.
Marlborough-Nelson Radio accepts two types of reports from vessels. They are Position Reports and Trip Reports.
Position Reports
A Position Report allows a vessel to log its current location and optionally provide boating intentions. This offers peace of mind for the skipper and their contacts, serving as a record of the vessel’s whereabouts at a specific point in time.
Important:
- Position Reports are not carried over to the next day’s operator.
- No follow-up will be conducted if further contact is not made.
- Emergency services will not be notified based on a Position Report alone.
Trip Reports
A Trip Report is a formal record of a vessel’s planned voyage from Point A to Point B, including an estimated time of arrival (ETA). The vessel must update, or cancel the Trip Report by the vessel's stated arrival time.
If a vessel fails to check in after lodging a Trip Report, and no contact is made within 30 minutes, authorities will be notified, and a search and rescue operation may be initiated.
Key points:
- Trip Reports must be concluded by 2200 (10:00pm) on the same day.
- Voyages continuing after 2200 should be logged with Maritime Radio on VHF Channel 16.
Marlborough-Nelson Radio strongly encourages all members to make use of Trip Reports and Position Reports as part of responsible and safe boating practice.
