WELLINGTON, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Maritime New Zealand (Maritime NZ) and MetService have expressed concerns that almost 30 percent of boats seldom or never check marine weather forecasts before going on the water, according to a statement of Maritime New Zealand on Tuesday.
"Checking the marine forecast is fundamental and simple," Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch told the public, "It doesn't take much time, and it's easy to do it before every trip."
Maritime NZ research shows that 29 percent of recreational boats do not always check the weather, Manch said, adding that they want all boats to take this basic safety step, which will help keep them, and their families and passengers, safe this summer.
MetService, New Zealand's official weather forecasts, provides excellent, free services about the highs and lows of marine weather, Manch said, adding that MetService marine forecasters published on Tuesday new, handy tips for recreational boats on their blog.
"It is useful information to help understand waves, sea state and wind speed," Manch said, adding that the new information follows a MetService survey of boats that found some were unsure what "swell" and "sea state" means for the sea conditions they might face.
Boats can get marine forecasts and updates on Very High Frequency (VHF) radio, online and from the MetService Marine app, which has already been used by 30,000 people every month, the statement said.
