Travellers to the South Pacific will be only too well aware that voyaging in paradise carries a number of risks, not the least of which has been the absence of a dedicated Search & Rescue organisation in the region.
Well, all that is about to change. As from July this year, Fiji Coast Guard will be providing a safety net for those lucky enought to be travelling to, through or around Fiji.
Based at Port Denarau and with additional Rescue Bases at all Ports of Entry and strategically located throughout the Fiji Islands, Fiji Coast Guard will provide visiting vessels with:
- 24 x 7 monitoring of emergency marine radio frequencies on VHF, MF and HF bands
- Vessel Logging & Tracking
- Search & Rescue
- Breakdown assistance
- Diver emergency response
- Medevac
- Hourly weather reports and navigation warnings
- Radio checks
- Vessel safety checks
As a volunteer-staffed, non-profit organisation that receives no Government funding, Fiji Coast Guard asks that visting yachts become Service Members for the duration of their stay in Fiji by completing the application form at www.fijicoastguard.com or by contacting them on VHF 16/67/73 on arrival in Fiji.
Graeme [ Fiji Coast Guard ] 07-Mar-2009