WELCOME TO SKIPPERS MATE FROM PETER HACKETT
Our banner says it all!
This site is for "Mates Looking After Mates!" by offering products we know that are well tested and respected in the marketplace.
Why?
Because one day they may be needed to save your life and we want to make sure that happens.
Anytime you have the smallest question on your mind, please email or phone us.
We don't hid behind a username or web site!
Thank You
Peter Hackett
ACR RESQLINK PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACONS (PLBs) BONUS OFFER
SkippersMate recently made an rather large purchase of ACR ResQLink PLBs and by doing so, gained a great purchase price which is now reflected in your buying opportunity.
Also, SkippersMate has doubled some of the FREE rescue and survival gear being offered by ACR.
So what are you getting?
The choice of either a ResQLink or ResQLink+ PLB model
FREE FireFly Strobe
FREE First Aid and Survival Kit
2 x FREE Rescue Mirror & Whistle
2 x FREE Cree Lamp Headlamp Kits
A great Xmas present for any one on the water or walking the outback, you can be assured someone will come looking for you once activated.
REMEMBER - only activate when in Grave or Imminent Danger!
AUSTRALIAN CODED RESQLINK PLB BEACON SAVES TRAMPER IN NEW ZEALAND
"ResQLink PLB a small and effective device I could not imagine ever going trekking again without" - Survivor Story
This is a real story as to how the personal locator beacon works around the world saving lives everyday.
The example in this story is how and Australian coded beacon purchased in Australia was activated by a group of Australian trampers in the Nelson lakes National Park on New Zealand's South Island.
From activation to the sighting of the Nelson Marlborough Helicopter it took just over an hour.
AMSA and RCCNZ Advise: Once you have set off the PLB, leave it on and stay in one place if at all possible. Wait and be patient. As soon as AMSA or RCCNZ receive the alert, they will launch a rescue, but it may take some time for rescuers either by sea or land to arrive.
Extract from the ACR Survivors Stories:
Name: Barry Ingham Product
Name: ACR ResQLink PLB
Date of Rescue: 01/23/2014
Saved By: Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter
Beacon Purchased From: Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Lives Saved: 1
We were a group of five on a ten day tramping trip in Nelson Lakes National Park, south of Nelson on New Zealand's South Island. On the first day of the trip one member developed a respiratory infection which became increasingly more severe as the afternoon progressed. He eventually could no longer carry a pack and was having increasing difficulty walking, even without his pack.
We camped the night in John Tait Hut in the Travers Valley. During the night his condition continued to deteriorate and he was having difficulty breathing.
Fortunately, another tramper in the hut was a Doctor and he assisted our friend during the night.
The next morning the Doctor advised us set off our emergency beacon and have our friend evacuated to hospital in Nelson as quickly as possible.
This we did and the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter arrived a little over an hour later.
My beacon was an ACR ResQLink PLB. Our friend was accompanied in the rescue helicopter by another member of our party and taken directly to Nelson Hospital where he was assessed and treated accordingly. The manner in which the rescue exercise was carried out was exemplary and it boosted my already high opinion of the way the Kiwis do things. I had asked the other member of our party who was accompanying our sick friend to call my wife in Brisbane, Australia and advise her of the circumstances, as she was the first point of contact on my beacon registration.
By the time he was able to make the call my wife had already been contacted twice by the Australian Search and Rescue Authorities (AMSA); once to confirm our location and a second time to explain the circumstances of the rescue and the person involved.
I cannot speak too highly of the professionalism and efficiency with which the whole rescue exercise was conducted by the New Zealand and Australian search and rescue authorities and the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter service. Their efforts were greatly appreciated and our sincere thanks go to all concerned.
To the Employees of ACR:
A sincere thank you for your efforts in developing and marketing your range of emergency contact devices. The ResQLink PLB is now such a small and effective device I could not imagine ever going trekking again without one. It is the sort of device we expect to carry around in our back packs for years and never use. However I am doubly reassured now of the value of having one. Again, many thanks.
As demonstrated, having a PLB, be it Australian or New Zealand coded, when activated, both countries' Rescue Coordination teams work as one in the interest of saving lives.
Always remember to register your beacon:
Australian Coded: Australian & New Zealand residents
New Zealand Coded: New Zealand Residents
NEW ZEALAND BEACON SAVES DAY IN SEARCH FOR BLENHEIM MAN IN CALIFORNIAN GOLD MINE
30 May 2014
An 85-year-old Blenheim man searching in California for a gold mine he first discovered as a boy has been rescued after activating his New Zealand-registered personal locator beacon when his vehicle became stuck in the mud.
Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) Senior Search and Rescue Officer Mike Roberts said the beacon’s signal was received at around 9.30am this morning (NZ time).
“Because the beacon was registered we were able to quickly confirm with the man’s emergency contact, his son, that he was in California, and contact the State’s Office of Emergency Services in the United States who confirmed they had also picked up the beacon and were coordinating a response,” Mr Roberts said.
“We were able to confirm that the man was fit and active with no known medical condition, and all of this was passed to the Californian OES. Their rescue personnel located the man 31km east of Paradise, California, around 2pm. He was uninjured but his vehicle was firmly stuck in mud. They assisted in freeing it and we understand his search for gold has resumed.”
The man’s family have been advised of the successful search.
Mr Roberts said the incident showed the benefit of carrying a registered beacon.
“No matter where you are in the world, when a New Zealand-coded beacon is activated the signal will be picked up by both the RCCNZ and the rescue coordination agency in the region where the beacon is. As in this case, we work with the other agency to assist in the response – and because the beacon was registered we were able to provide useful information about the man.”
It is a legal requirement to register 406 MHz distress beacons – registration is free online at:
beacons.org.nz
NEW MISSION CONTROL CENTRE IN CANBERRA TO MONITOR AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND RESCUE BEACONS
Trans-Tasman contract to provide major boost to NZ search and rescue capability.
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) have signed a contract that will provide a major boost to search and rescue (SAR) in the region.
The contract with McMurdo Group’s Techno-Sciences Inc. will improve the way emergency distress beacon signals are picked up and passed on to rescue authorities.
Two new satellite receiving stations will be built, one near Taupo and the other in Western Australia, along with a new mission control centre in Canberra, to pick up signals from medium-Earth orbit search and rescue (MEOSAR) satellites.
MEOSAR satellites (orbiting at around 20,000km above the Earth) are replacing the current low-Earth orbit (LEOSAR) satellites (orbiting between 800-1000km), which are being phased out over the next four years.
Existing beacons, of which there are 46,000 registered in New Zealand, will not be affected by the change.
Six satellite dishes will be built at New Zealand site, located mid-way between Taupo and Rotorua, with construction scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015. The receiving station is expected to be commissioned towards the end of 2016 and operational by 2017.
The New Zealand contract is made up of $7.2m for construction of the receiving station and $5.5m in operating costs over the next 11 years.
There are currently 16 MEOSAR satellites orbiting Earth, compared to five LEOSAR satellites, meaning beacon signals will be received more quickly and beacon locations identified with greater accuracy. This will further improve over the next five years as the number of MEOSAR satellites is expected to increase to more than 50, ensuring several satellites will be in view at all times from anywhere on Earth.
As with the LEOSAR system, beacon signals will pass through the MEOSAR satellites to the two ground stations, be processed through the Canberra mission control centre, and relayed to the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ), thus triggering SAR operations.
The RCCNZ, part of MNZ, responds to around 550 beacon alerts each year.
“The joint investment by New Zealand and Australia in the MEOSAR project is another example of the close cooperation between our two countries in what is a vital area of operations,” MNZ Director Keith Manch said.
“The change is necessary because without a medium earth orbiting receiving station New Zealand would effectively lose its ability to respond to distress beacons once the LEOSAR satellites are phased out. But the change brings with it significant improvements to search and rescue capability.”
AMSA Chief Executive Officer Mick Kinley said Australia and New Zealand’s ground stations would work cooperatively to achieve overlapping coverage of the two countries’ search and rescue regions.
“This offers a high degree of resilience in the event of a system outage that would be expensive for either country to achieve alone,” Mr Kinley said. “AMSA is pleased to continue this collaborative regional approach with New Zealand.”
New Zealand’s search and rescue region extends from just below the Equator to the South Pole, half way across the Tasman, and east to half way to South America.
Background:
The global search and rescue satellite system is managed by the International Cospas-Sarsat organisation.
A consortium of Russia, the United States, Canada and France formed the organisation in 1982. Since then 41 participants – including New Zealand – have joined to provide satellite tracking equipment.
Cospas-Sarsat sets standards for beacons, satellite equipment, and ground stations enabling a truly global approach to search and rescue.
The current global search and rescue satellite system makes use of two types of satellite - LEOSAR satellites and geostationary, or GEO, satellites, that are stationary above the equator. Because of New Zealand’s distance from the equator, the GEO satellites are low on the horizon, which can limit their line-of-sight visibility, particularly in mountainous terrain. That makes LEO satellites important, but these are limited in number and not always over New Zealand, so there can be delays between a beacon activation and its detection by a LEO satellite.
SKIPPERSMATE TOO CHEAP FOR NEW ZEALAND RETAILERS – WHERE IS THE JUSTICE!
I sell Personal Locator Beacons (PLB’s) from the SkippersMate website and keep my prices intentionally low – not just because I’m a good bloke or for altruistic reasons – but because I’m passionate about safety and want as many people as possible to enjoy the outdoors, whether on water or land, with the mantle of safety that a PLB provides.
It would be nice to think that our governments (Oz and Kiwi) provided these items of safety equipment “at cost” to all who needed them or that they were tax deductible for everyone who purchased them and not just those who need them to support their job roll or business.
But I’m just dreaming…………….
The reality is that I make money selling PLB’s. Oh, the shame of it! But I’m not greedy and I don’t put profit first and never will. I was shocked to discover the price that PLB’s were selling for in New Zealand and, having visited your wonderful country many times, I was fully aware of the challenging terrain and climate and the Kiwi penchant for spending time in “The Great Outdoors” doing stuff that sensible people wouldn’t even think of doing.
So I started actively promoting my New Zealand coded Ocean Signal PLB’s there and, even posting them by Express service, could land them into NZ for under $400. I always allowed 3-5 days for them to arrive but recent feedback from delighted customers has informed me that 48hrs transit time is not unusual.
This was a Win-Win situation for both seller and customer but in doing this I have seriously pissed off the NZ Agent by selling PLB’s to you at an affordable price. His second complaint, again, has been upheld by the manufacturer and stopped the Australian Agent who was initially very supportive of my venture and must now refuse to allow me to sell New Zealand-coded PLB’s into New Zealand therefore allowing the local agent and retailers to maintain their traditional profit margins.
However, all is not lost………….Australian-coded PLB’s are just as effective and cheaper. The only difference is that you register them with AMSA in Canberra and not the RCCNZ in Wellington. They work exactly the same, anywhere in the world and any stories you hear about them having to be NZ-coded to operate them if you live in New Zealand is just retailer rubbish.
Recent news from AMSA and the RCCNZ is that the RCC-Canberra will be the first response center to determine if it is either Australia or New Zealand location... Read about in the blog stories...
STEVE COLLINS HAD A PLAN FOR HIS RETIREMENT, TO BUY A BOAT AND SAIL TO NEW ZEALAND.
Spend a few minutes as a Skipper and just think about your crew while watching his story - beacon activated, lifejackets on.
Steve Collins had a plan for his retirement, to buy a boat and sail it to New Zealand. Not long after setting off things started to go wrong leading to a dramatic rescue off the Australian coast.
Steve came to visit the men and women at AMSA who coordinated his rescue and told us his story.
DOG OVERBOARD – BLUE HEELER PRESUMED DROWNED!
My wife recently finished reading the story of Sophie Tucker, a young Blue Heeler who fell unseen from her humans’ boat in the Whitsundays and was presumed lost – until she turned up on St Bees Island, Queensland a few months later.
Her story of survival is nothing short of miraculous. Most dogs would not have survived even the initial dunking in the treacherous waters between Keswick and St Bees islands. How long do you think your dog would survive in the ocean – especially in colder climates – if he or she wasn’t wearing a lifejacket?
Most dogs can swim OK but in rough seas they may soon become overwhelmed by panic, exhaustion and cold and drown quite quickly. Even if you see them go overboard, unless you keep them in your sight at all times, you might not be able to find them in the waves when you return to the spot they went in.
Please; if you value your companion, put them in a properly fitted lifejacket made for tough conditions. If the worst happens, they will be buoyant and visible and stand a far better chance of recovery than otherwise. The RUFFWEAR lifejacket that SkippersMate promotes is strong and durable with a handy lifting handle on the top to help scoop your little mate out of the water.
We first discovered RUFFWEAR in Scotland when we met Flossie, a big bouncy Springer Spaniel who was kayaking down the Caledonian Canal with her Mum Fiona. Springers are known for their love of the water and Flossie was no exception. She loved wearing her RUFFWEAR lifejacket which was also highly recommended by Mum Fiona, a vet from New Zealand.
The photos show Jack Russell terrier “Holly Wood” modelling the small size RUFFWEAR lifejacket in yellow.
Recommended Book: “Sophie: Dog Overboard” by Emma Pearse.
NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON WINDSURFER FEELING SAFER
Story from a Happy Customer
I recently sold a Personal Locator Beacon to a windsurfer in Wellington - New Zealand for around $NZ330.00 through www.skippersmate.com.au
He had been deliberating about buying one for a while because of the cost of them within New Zealand and had been using a combination of mobile phone and a VHF radio as his safety plan. The radio wasn’t the best idea because it chewed through a lot of battery power and the signal wasn’t always strong.
Whilst many people enjoying water sports rely on using their mobile phone if they find themselves in trouble, it isn’t the best fall-back position to call for help. Even if you’re getting a strong signal, glare on the screen from the water and sun, noise from both the water and wind can make communication difficult.
With a PLB, strapped to yourself and not your vessel, you can call for help with a simple two-stage manoeuvre – flip the antenna and then push the distress button to activate - and once set off, the signal continues to be sent up to overhead satellites for 24 hours or until rescue is achieved.
Registering your PLB isn’t the drama it’s often made out to be. If you buy a KTi brand NZ-coded PLB from www.skippersmate.com.au then you register it on-line with the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) in Wellington. If you buy an ACR or RescueMe PLB coded for Australia then you register it with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra – who are happy to accept your NZ contact details.
So wherever you are in the world (the Mediterranean or the South Pacific) setting off your PLB initiates the same rescue response and process and helps keep you safer.
BOATING ALCOHOL FATIGUE
Boaters Fatigue
There is nothing in this world more enjoyable than a cold beer on a hot day with the fish biting whilst messing about in boats.
After a day out on the water in the sun, wind and glare, combined with the motion of the boat, it’s easy to suffer from what’s known as “boater fatigue” – a well-documented phenomenon where your judgement becomes impaired and your reaction time slower. Your safety can be compromised in this state and you, your crew and passengers are more at risk of accidents and drowning.
Signs of Boater Fatigue:-
- General feeling of weariness with tired, often bloodshot, eyes
- Yawning
- Poor concentration
- Feeling intoxicated – even if you haven’t been drinking alcohol.
- Not thinking clearly
- Slower reaction time
Throw alcohol into this mix and you could have greater potential for risk without even realising it. Alcohol exaggerates the effect of boater fatigue and whilst the condition is difficult to avoid completely, acknowledging the symptoms, drinking plenty of water, giving your self bigger safety margins and reducing or, better still, avoiding alcohol consumption helps.
If you feel the symptoms or see the signs in others, take the above safety measures and avoid further risk – slow down, drop anchor for a while, go ashore or let someone else take the helm.
SkippersMate has recently started stocking and selling breathalysers. Consider taking one aboard if you know that you or your passengers will be drinking. Keeping under the legal limit not only helps you stay safer on the water but when you get back on land too. The same limits apply when skippering your boat as they do when driving your car. Lose your boat licence for being over the limit and you could also lose your driver’s licence.
The penalties are harsh so drink in moderation.
WHO IS AN INVIGILATOR?
Invigilators - Marine Radio Operators Certificates
An invigilator is a person who supervisors Marine Radio Operators examinations.
What is the role of the Invigilator?
The role of the invigilator is to ensure the proper delivery of the examination in accordance with the Invigilator Guidelines (refer Invigilator Guidelines). Their role does not include the marking of papers or providing advice to candidates about their performance. Therefore, invigilators do not have access to examination answers nor should they peruse or retain examination papers.
This approach minimises the possibility of misconduct by invigilators and is consistent with current practices of most educational institutions in regard to invigilators.
If the candidate requires feedback about their examination performance, he or she should contact the Office of Maritime Communications (OMC) on 1300365 262.
Who can be an Invigilator?
In its conduct of marine operator examinations, the OMC currently selects individual invigilators from nominations offered by organisations. Essentially, the nominees are persons of good character and standing in the community.
The nominee is not required hold formal qualifications. After verification the OMC approves the nominee to act as an invigilator for marine operator examinations.
While a person may apply as an independent invigilator the approval process is more stringently applied that when a candidate is nominated by an organisation. The OMC Manager will contact the applicant; and approval will be at the Manager's discretion.
What's my relationship between Examiner and Invigilator?
The Examiner (OMC Manager) is responsible for compilation and the standard of marine radio operator examinations. Examination questions are scrutinised by an independent person/people from the maritime community.
The Manager is also responsible for the setting up of the processes and procedures necessary to ensure the integrity of the examination service, and for the delivery of the examinations to the invigilators.
It is important that invigilators operate at ‘arms length’ from candidates contesting an examination. Fees paid by the candidates to contest an examination should be sent to the Office of Maritime Communications.
How Much Does It Cost For An Invigilator?
The role of an invigilator is voluntary and as such no remuneration is applicable. However an invigilator may arrange reimbursement for expenses incurred to perform the examination. Reimbursement should be discussed with the candidate prior to the examination being held.
An invigilator may make an agreement with a training provider for compensation for providing their services but an invigilator cannot charge candidates direct. This is to remove the possibility of perceived bias.
Arrangements between the invigilator and the organisation are a private matter between those parties.
Where Can I Find An Invigilator?
Click on this map and search for Australian Invigilators.
Information extract: Office of Maritime Communications
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY – IMMINENT DANGER
Hopefully, you will never have to make a call which starts with these three repeated words but it’s a call that every boatie should know how to make and rehearse regularly so you are prepared for any emergency.
To send a MayDay call if you are in grave or imminent danger, use marine radio VHF Channel 16 and follow this procedure.
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
* THIS IS (Name of vessel & call sign x 3)
* State vessel’s position in degrees and minutes of latitude & longitude or bearing & distance relative to a well-known geographical feature.
* State the nature of distress & the kind of assistance required.
* Any other information which may assist rescuers – number of persons on board, description of vessel, life raft, EPIRB.
Allow a short period for reply. If no answer, activate your EPIRB & repeat the distress call working through all the distress frequencies.
If contact is made, inform them that you have activated your EPIRB. Do NOT turn it off until told to do so by rescue authorities.
The same procedure applies if you are on land and have a communications radio or mobile phone with you. Try this before setting off your Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).
HEAD-BANGING MORNING TALK
I recently spent a head-banging morning talking to a New Zealand resident who had purchased an ACR, Australian-coded PLB from my store.
He initially contacted me by email saying that he was unable to register the beacon in NZ with RCC (Rescue Coordination Centre) in Wellington. They'd also told him that, as a NZ resident, he wouldn't be able to register it with AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) in Canberra either.
Without waiting for my response, he sent the beacon to the NZ ACR agent in Auckland for re-coding then tried to bully me into paying for this unnecessary cost .
Several phone calls and emails between myself, the RCC and AMSA followed with the result that my understanding of the registration process was correct and the customer had been misled.
The facts regarding beacons, simply put, are:
If you buy an Australian-coded PLB or EPIRB, as a NZ resident, you can register it with AMSA in Australia but not with RCC in Wellington.
If you have a NZ-coded beacon, you can only register it with RCC in Wellington.
Whether you have a NZ-coded or Australian-coded beacon, there is no difference in rescue times as the local country authority is responsible for the SaR. All beacons operate on a global system around in the world.
I sell KTi NZ-coded PLB's and EPIRBs into New Zealand which are manufactured in Australia with no agent in NZ.
I also sell Australian-coded ACR and Ocean Signal PLB's into NZ which need to be registered with AMSA in Canberra. I have been blocked by local agents and dealers from selling you NZ-coded ones - presumably to protect their commercial interests.
My websites and all the information I send buyers via email after their purchase state all this but some choose not to read them then blame me for their misunderstanding.
I am proud that I'm at the vanguard of helping Kiwis access affordable beacons which, for so long, have been overpriced in New Zealand. And whilst there is a small degree of altruism on my part in giving Kiwis the same financial advantage as Aussies, I don't do it simply because I think you are wonderful people!
I also actively encourage you to register your beacon. This isn't mandatory for Au coded beacons, but it helps with rescue co-ordination if you find yourself in circumstances where you need to activate it.
SkippersMate and KTi are proud sponsors of the Aspiring Avalanche Dogs based in Wanaka. The four handlers are all equipped with KTi PLB's for added safety. We will be supplying them with a further PLB as a raffle prize next year so follow them on Facebook and buy your ticket to support a good cause.
KTi EPIRBs and PLBs No Longer Manufactured
We Do Have Some Great Alternatives To Offer
click on the image below for more information...
OCEAN SIGNAL RescueME PLB |
ACR ResQLink 400 |
ACR ResQLink View 425 |
ZOLEO Satellite Communicator |
SPOT Gen4 Tracker |
SPOT GenX 2 Way |
UPDATE 3RD FEBRUARY 2021 - KTi BUSINESS CLOSURE
The following statement was released from KTi as to their closure of the business and therefore the non production of their EPIRB and PLB product range...
Dear valued Customer,
Following a series of events the decision has been made to wind down the operations of Kinetic Technology International Pty. Ltd.
On behalf of the Directors and staff we would like to warmly thank our customers for their support over many years.
KTI will continue to provide support for warranty related issues for all KTI products sold and delivered prior to February 2021, The easiest way to reach us will be via e-mail: info@kti.com.au
Skippersmate Comment:
This news is devastating to both the Australia and New Zealand outdoor adventure marine and land sector - retailers and buyers.
KTi produced a very good economical safety search rescue device - A quote from a buyer back in 2015: "that the average working man could afford" and so it became widely popular in both countries.
We are still proud to be the first to retail them into Australia since November 2014 and have other retailers to follow.
The good news is.... the Safety Alert has not gone away forever!
The product design and future ownership rights have been taken over the world's first EPIRB manufacturer - Norwegian company - Jotron AS.
Jotron As have over 50 years of Maritime GMDSS business experience and have some great plans for product enhancements that will bring the Safety Alert PLB into the 21st century.
Watch This Space!
*******************************
On Friday 11th September, 2020, Kinetic Technology International Pty Ltd (KTi) advised Australian and New Zealand retailers the follow statement:
Dear valued customer,
KTI has experienced many challenges over recent months including extended lead time for some critical components, whilst experiencing unprecedented demand for our products during recent weeks.
As a result, we are now facing unavoidable interruption to our product supply moving into spring.
We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause whilst we work towards resumption of supply.
We Do Have Some Great Alternatives To Offer
click on the image below for more information...
OCEAN SIGNAL RescueME PLB |
ACR ResQLink 400 |
ACR ResQLink View 425 |
ZOLEO Satellite Communicator |
SPOT Gen4 Tracker |
SPOT GenX 2 Way |