operates. For an idea about how the
system plays out in real life, consider
one of its busiest squadrons, VMR
Hervey Bay.
VMRHB’s operations cover an area
of some 1575 square nautical miles,
taking in all of Hervey Bay, the Great
Sandy Strait and the western shores
of Fraser Island. When called upon
to assist in search and rescue, the
squadron has sent its vessels into the
Coral Sea beyond the island. There are
10,000 registered boats on the Fraser
Coast, making VMRHB’s workload the
highest of any regional squadron in
Queensland. Only the Moreton Bay and
Gold Coast zones are busier.
The squadron has 112 volunteer
members. They come from all walks
of life and bring a wide range of skills
and experience to the task of marine
rescue in all its forms. But, young or
old, they all have one thing in common:
a strong desire to make a difference by
serving the community of which they
are part. The value of the volunteers’
contribution to water safety cannot
be overstated. As Commodore John
Smith puts it, “Our greatest asset is our
people. Their mission is to save lives
on the water. Their generosity of spirit,
skill and courage are essential to that
mission.”
This dedication is reflected in their
performance. During 2017, these
volunteer men and women collectively
logged more than 28,000 hours of active
service – the equivalent of 3526 eight-
hour days or 3.3 years of unpaid work.
The squadron responded to more than
150 operational activations, including
nine groundings, six sinking or sunk
vessels, 10 search and rescue missions
and 27 medical evacuations. In all, 275
people were delivered from perils on
the water and returned to safety on the
shore.
VMRHB also provided safety support
to the community at a number of
aquatic events, including the Burrum
Windfest windsurfing competition,
the Fraser Coast Outrigger Trials, the
Regional Dragon Boat Regatta, the
Bay to Bay yacht race and the Offshore
Powerboat races.
The squadron does all this with a
fleet of vessels, each one suited to the
demands of any given operation. Theyinclude two eight-metre NoosaCats, a
7.6-metre Swift rigid hull inflatable boat
and a three-metre inflatable dubbed
‘Daffy Duck’. There are plans to upgrade
the fleet by the replacement of one of
the NoosaCats with a new purpose-
built 12-metre jet-powered catamaran
and, as soon as funding becomes
available, construction can begin. And
therein lies the rub.
As an independent not-for-
profit organisation, the VMR
receives very limited Government
assistance, depending almost
entirely on community support
through membership subscriptions,
sponsorships, donations and
fundraising events to cover equipment,
running costs and maintenance of
rescue vessels. As operations manager
Dave Marshman says, “It will take an
awful lot of sausage sizzles to get us that
new boat.”CLOCKWISE FROM MAIN Commodore John
Smith, vice-commodore Jill Barclay and
operations manager Dave Marshman with
one of the squadron’s Noosacat rescue
boats; Jill Barclay at her station in the
control room; Dave Marshman securing
a rescue boat at the VMR dock, Urangan
Harbour; Operator Des Janke at his station
in the radio room at VMRHB base; One of
the squadron’s off-duty Noosacats in the
boatshed at the VMR base.
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