It was the Canadian Search and Rescue crews who came up with the idea. Obviously they are trying to do themselves out of more rescues than they need – an iPhone App that they hope will keep down the number of sailors who get into trouble. The new iPhone App designed by British Columbia search and rescue crews will help sailors and other boaters stay safe on the water right through this summer.

Developed by Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR), the free Safe Boating App has a range of resources to help all boaters with voyage planning, weather, communication, and emergencies.

'This is a really handy App for the thousands of recreational sailors and boaters in B.C., and its safety information could potentially save lives,' said RCM-SAR president Jim Lee. 'It consolidates a lot of information that all boaters should have into a simple one-stop phone application.'
 

The RCM-SAR Safe Boating App includes:

* Voyage planning resources

* Tide, current, wind and weather information

* Emergency procedures and distress signal information

* Emergency radio communication procedures including sample recordings

* VHF marine radio channel listings for Canada – Pacific

* Contact information for non-emergency vessel assistance

* Safety equipment and navigation light requirements

* Equipment checklists

* Basic maritime collision regulations

* Hazard to shipping and tsunami debris reporting using the iPhone's GPS and camera

* Conversion calculator for fueling

'This App was developed by Adam Hyde, a crew member at our West Vancouver Station who has a passion for boating safety,' said Lee. 'We're excited to share it with the boating community, and we look forward to people using it on board and ashore.'

The RCM-SAR Safe Boating App is available through the iTunes store.

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue has more than 1,000 volunteers serving 46 communities in British Columbia. It is part of the west coast marine rescue system, providing 24/7 emergency coverage and promoting safe boating.