Safer Boating Week: Saxxy to Coastguard

Coastguard Trip 'Radio' Report.

New Zealand’s water safety statistics are a chilling read.

But boaties are a difficult group to engage with. They’re unwilling to take advice from non-boaties. And how do you even talk to them when they’re not on the land?

Maritime NZ needed to deliver the three rules of the ocean in a way that boaties couldn’t switch off, dismiss or ignore - to carry two ways to call for help, always wear a life jacket and check the marine weather forecast.

The idea was to take over a channel that boaties are permanently tuned into - VHF Channel 16.

Channel 16 is the main (emergency) channel for marine radio, the home of distress and urgency calls. It’s also where every boatie registers their journey with the Coastguard. It’s only accessible to boats, and it’s always on.

There’s only one rule. You can’t advertise on it.

In a world first, on the launch day of Safer Boating Week 2024, we responsibly inserted our safety messages into Coastguard trip reports from boaties venturing out.

Skipper’s Script -

"Coastguard radio, Coastguard radio, Coastguard radio.
This is (name of boat and VHF call sign).
We’d like to lodge a trip report.
We are leaving from (insert location), heading for (insert destination). ETA (insert time).

We have (amount of passengers) on board.
We’ve checked the marine forecast. We have two waterproof comms and everyone’s wearing lifejackets.
Over"

Our voice over artists? A team of skippers who were always on the water.
Our sound engineers? The Coastguard.
Our special effects? The sound of the ocean and boat engines.
Our listener base? Every boatie on the big blue.

Every time our skippers set sail or returned home, they slipped the three water safety messages into their trip report.

And every boatie baiting their rod or pulling in the anchor was reminded of the best way to come home safe.

Over 110,800 boaties reached, with $0 spent on the radio campaign.

That's massive! Over.