A rise in the number of jobs facing Marine Rescue in recent weeks has prompted a warning for skippers to take more care - particularly if they are new to the pastime.
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The spike in call-outs to crews from Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens has ranged from boats that had run out of fuel to vessels stuck on rocks or sinking.
At Lake Macquarie alone, Marine Rescue has been called to 109 jobs since the beginning of 2021 - a tally the crew's commander Malcolm Druce estimates is about 10 to 15 per cent up on the same period in a typical year.
Across those incidents, he said, there have been about 230 people aboard vessels.
Eleven yachts have run aground in the Swansea Channel area, boats have become stranded after breaking down and the Lake Macquarie crew also recently rescued two fishos - who were not wearing life jackets - after their small boat was swamped and sinking near Moon Island.
There have also been several notable recent jobs at Port Stephens - including a case where three people were rescued earlier this month after a boat washed onto rocks and became stuck at Boondelbah Island.
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"The total for Marine Rescue for NSW is 917 incidents, which says that Lake Macquarie has done about 12-13 per cent of all of the incidents in NSW since the start of the year," Mr Druce said.
"There have been some rookie errors in there by some new boat owners - they've bought a boat, they've headed out and they haven't checked how long the fuel has been in the tank, they haven't had the motor serviced, they haven't checked the battery - they've left all their electrics on all day and wonder why they can't start their motor in the evening."
Mr Druce said there appeared to be more inexperienced skippers on the water - particularly jet ski users - who have bought a watercraft since the COVID-19 pandemic began. He said his crew was called to help 28 vessels in the four days heading into Australia Day.
"I view a first-time boat licence as a licence to learn - not a free pass to be an expert," he said.
"It's worthwhile checking what the Bureau of Meteorology says, even give us a ring up at the radio base and ask what the forecast is looking like, what's the bar like, what's it likely to be later in the afternoon. It's understandable that you get a good day and a bit of enthusiasm and the family says 'let's hit the water', but you really do need to think about how long you're going to be out there, where you're going to be, understand what's likely to happen with the weather and I think there is also an element of understanding the waterway you're on - different depths in different areas, different hazards."
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