Boating trip plan in Queensland: your routine before leaving shore
Updated 11 min read
The short answer
A boating trip plan is a short note of where you're going, who's on board and when you'll be back, left with someone who'll act if you don't return. In Queensland the routine around it comes from the BoatSafe Workbook and Maritime Safety Queensland's boating checklist: write the plan, tell someone, log on with your local volunteer marine rescue group, check the weather and the boat, then brief your passengers on the safety gear. Telling every passenger where the safety gear is kept is a legal duty. Here's each part, with the checklist at the end.
A trip plan lists where you're going, who's aboard and when you'll be back
Even a short run up the river deserves a plan, according to the BoatSafe Workbook, and you should know where you're heading and the route out and home. The Workbook's voyage plan asks you to note:
- your destination - the time you expect to get back - each person aboard, with a contact number for them - your fuel load - the safety gear you're carrying - your launch point - what the boat looks like - the rego numbers for your boat, car and trailer - the instruction to call the police if you're overdue
That last line matters most. It turns the note into a plan someone can act on. The description and rego numbers help searchers find your boat, and your car and trailer at the water's edge. Once you've written it, stick to it. The Workbook says you must follow the voyage plan, and if your plans change, let rescue authorities know.
Leave the plan with someone ashore and report back when you're home
Give your plan to a person who'll notice when you're late and knows who to call. The Workbook's advice is to let someone know your plans in plenty of detail, keep them up to date if things change, and report back when you return to shore. Its own example is low-tech: a note on the fridge with your destination, expected time of return and emergency contact numbers like Water Police.
Pick someone who'll be home and switched on at your return time. A responsible family member, friend or neighbour works, the Workbook says, if you aren't using a marine rescue group.
Agree on one thing before you go: how long past your return time they'll wait before ringing the police. If you're running late but safe, call or radio them. A missed check-in with no word from you is exactly what the plan exists to catch. If anyone is in danger, they shouldn't wait. Call triple zero (000).
Log on with your local volunteer marine rescue group, then log off
Logging on means telling your local volunteer marine rescue group, usually by marine radio, that you're heading out, and logging off means telling them you're back. Maritime Safety Queensland's boating checklist lists both steps, and points to its marine radios page for each group's details.
The Workbook explains why it's worth doing. The group keeps a radio watch and will set search and rescue in action if you fail to sign off at your stated time. It says Queensland boats are strongly encouraged to log on and off with their local station and update changes to location and intentions. MSQ adds that you should radio the group with any change of location or dangers you spot.
For boats going beyond smooth waters, the Workbook says to log in with your destination, times and the people on board. A log-on also proves your radio works before you need it. The one rule that can't slip: if you logged on, log off. Forget, and you may start a search for a boat that's already on its trailer.
Check the weather when you plan, before you leave and while you're out
The Queensland Government's boating safety page says to check the forecast when planning a trip, before you leave and while you're on the water, because Queensland's weather is changeable and unpredictable. One look the night before doesn't cover a day on the water.
On the Sunshine Coast, the Bureau of Meteorology publishes the Sunshine Coast Waters Forecast, covering Double Island Point to Cape Moreton. Once you're out, MSQ's checklist says to listen to weather broadcasts. Local volunteer marine organisations broadcast weather on VHF channel 67, the Queensland Government page says.
MSQ also asks you to work out the tides and estimate your travel times before you go, then calculate the water and fuel you'll need plus a reserve. For how big that fuel reserve should be, see the 1/3 rule in our Queensland boating rules guide. Write the fuel figure into your trip plan so the person ashore knows how long you could stay out.
Check the boat before you start the engine
Start with your nose. The Workbook says to check for petrol and LPG smells before you touch any switch or start the engine, and fix the fault before you go out if you smell either. Then work through the boat.
Inspect the bilge and find out why if there's more water than usual. Check engine oil and coolant, and make sure the battery terminals are tight and the batteries charged. If the engine isn't running properly, don't go out until the problem is found and fixed. According to the Workbook, the major causes of breakdown at sea are fuel problems, mechanical failure and battery failure. Those are exactly what this walk-around targets.
Test the lights even on a daytime trip, since you could be delayed. Turn the radio on and make sure it works. Check the fire extinguisher is serviced, the anchor is rigged and ready, and there's enough food and fresh water with some spare. Pack one lifejacket for each person aboard, and don't overload the boat. Last of all, the Workbook's own reminder: don't forget the bung.
Brief every passenger on where the safety gear is: it's a legal requirement
Telling everyone on board where the safety gear is kept isn't optional in Queensland. Section 16 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016 says a boat only counts as equipped with its safety equipment if the owner or master gives each person on board information about where it's kept. You can tell them, show them or use a printed sign.
Lifejackets have an extra rule. Under section 24, each one has to be clearly visible, or stowed somewhere readily accessible and marked by a clearly visible sign with a white background and the word "lifejackets" in red letters.
The Workbook goes further under the general safety obligation. If your passengers have never been on a boat, it's your job to show them where the gear is and how to put on a lifejacket, and an operator can be prosecuted if someone drowns for not knowing. MSQ's checklist says to instruct all passengers on safety requirements and how to use the gear. Agree on a simple emergency plan, too, so everyone knows what to do. For which lifejackets to carry, see our life jacket rules guide.
If something goes wrong, use your radio or call 000
In an emergency, call triple zero (000) or send a mayday on your marine radio. The Workbook says mayday is only for grave and imminent danger where you need help straight away, such as a boat that's sinking or on fire, and it's sent on distress frequencies including VHF channel 16 and 27.88 MHz. Channel 16 is for emergencies and first calls, never routine chat.
Carry a phone, but don't make it your only link. The Workbook calls mobiles a backup only. They get no distress priority, can drop out of range, go flat or get wet, and only reach the one number you dial. Rescuers also can't use a radio direction finder to trace a mobile call. A radio lets every station nearby hear you at once.
Your trip plan is the safety net if you can't call at all. The person holding it knows where to send help, what your boat looks like and who's aboard. For the full list of required gear, check Maritime Safety Queensland's guidance for your boat and the waters you'll use.
Where trip planning is taught: the BoatSafe course
Trip planning is part of the BoatSafe syllabus, alongside safety equipment, weather and tides, and emergencies. You'll cover it in our Boat Licence course, with online theory before a practical day on sheltered Sunshine Coast water. There's more on what the course covers in how to get a boat licence in Queensland.
Courses run at Golden Beach in Caloundra on the Pumicestone Passage, Maroochydore on the Maroochy River, and Noosaville on the Noosa River. If you also want to ride a jet ski, the Boat & Jet Ski Combo covers both licence courses. Check the course dates for your nearest venue.
Training delivered by Australian Boating College, RTO #3399.
Queensland pre-departure checklist (BoatSafe Workbook, MSQ boating checklist and Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016)
Scroll sideways to see every column
| Step | What to do | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Write the trip plan | Destination, return time, people aboard with phone numbers, fuel, safety gear, boat description, boat, car and trailer rego, and when to ring the police | BoatSafe Workbook 2.1 |
| Tell someone | Leave the plan with a person ashore, update them if plans change, report back when you're home | BoatSafe Workbook 2.1, MSQ checklist |
| Check the weather and tides | Forecast when planning, before leaving and while out; work out tides and travel times | Queensland Government boating safety page, MSQ checklist |
| Fuel and water | Enough for the trip plus a reserve | MSQ checklist, BoatSafe Workbook 2.5 |
| Check the boat | Fuel and gas smells, bilge, engine, batteries, lights, radio, extinguisher, anchor, bung | BoatSafe Workbook 2.2, MSQ checklist |
| Check the safety gear | Right gear for your waters, in good condition and in date, one lifejacket per person | MSQ checklist, BoatSafe Workbook 2.2 |
| Brief passengers | Tell each person where the safety gear is kept and show first-timers how to put on a lifejacket | Regulation sections 16 and 24, BoatSafe Workbook 1.11, MSQ checklist |
| Log on | Log on with your local volunteer marine rescue group and radio any change of plan | MSQ checklist, BoatSafe Workbook 6.2 |
| Log off | Log off with the same group when you're back | MSQ checklist, BoatSafe Workbook 2.1 |
Common questions
What should I check before going out on a boat?
Check the forecast, then the boat. Sniff for petrol or gas before starting anything, look in the bilge, check the engine, battery, lights and radio, and fit the bung. Make sure the safety gear suits your waters and is in date, with a lifejacket for everyone. Leave a trip plan with someone ashore, log on with your local marine rescue group, and show your passengers where the safety gear is kept.
Who should I tell before I go boating?
Tell someone ashore who'll notice if you're late, and log on with your local volunteer marine rescue group. The BoatSafe Workbook suggests a responsible family member, friend or neighbour, and gives the example of a note on the fridge with your destination, return time and emergency numbers. Keep them updated if plans change, report back when you're home, and agree when they should ring the police.
How do I log on with marine rescue in Queensland?
Log on with your local marine rescue group before you head out. Tell them where you're going, who's on board and when you expect to be back. Maritime Safety Queensland's marine radios page lists the groups' details. Radio them again if your plans or location change, and log off with the same group when you return so they know you're safe.
What happens if I forget to log off?
The group may treat you as overdue. The BoatSafe Workbook says volunteer marine rescue groups keep a radio watch and set search and rescue in action if you fail to sign off at your stated time. That can send crews looking for a boat that's already home. Log off as soon as you're back, and if you're running late, radio the group with your new return time.
Do I have to show passengers where the life jackets are?
Yes. Section 16 of Queensland's marine safety regulation says a boat only counts as carrying its safety equipment if each person on board is told where it's kept, by telling them, showing them or a printed sign. Lifejackets must also be clearly visible, or stowed somewhere easy to reach under a white sign with the word lifejackets in red letters.
Is a mobile phone enough to take boating?
Take one as a backup, not your main link. The BoatSafe Workbook says mobile phones get no distress priority, can be out of range, run flat or get wet, and only reach the number you dial. Rescuers can't trace a mobile call with a radio direction finder. A marine radio reaches every station listening, and it's how you log on and off with your local marine rescue group.
Where do I get the marine weather forecast for the Sunshine Coast?
The Bureau of Meteorology publishes the Sunshine Coast Waters Forecast, which covers Double Island Point to Cape Moreton. The Queensland Government's advice is to look at the forecast at three points: while planning, just before heading out, and during the trip. On the water, local volunteer marine organisations broadcast weather on VHF channel 67, so keep your radio on and listen in.
Sources
- Boating checklist (Maritime Safety Queensland) (accessed )
- BoatSafe Workbook, 6th edition (Department of Transport and Main Roads) (accessed )
- Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016 (Queensland Legislation) (accessed )
- Boating safety (Queensland Government) (accessed )
- Sunshine Coast Waters Forecast (Bureau of Meteorology) (accessed )
Rules can change. This guide was last reviewed on ; check the official source before you rely on a specific figure.
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