Got a dodgy lifejacket floating around?
On Monday, 9 December, the Coastguard will be at Motueka’s Bays Boating to help people evaluate the state of their lifejackets and find the perfect fit of any that need replacing, with a discount of $30 off new Hutchwilco stock.
The discount will carry on throughout the week at Bays Boating, located on King Edward Street.
Owner David Thorn says that they have partnered with the Coastguard for about eight years, and the annual Old4New promotion was a popular option.
He encourages people to bring in any questionable lifejackets during this time so that they can be recycled or disposed of, free of charge.
With the Tasman District Council’s Navigation Safety Bylaw 2024 coming into effect on 1 December, personal flotation devices must be worn by every person on a moving vessel that is 6m or less in length.
The bylaw also states that “while the vessel is not underway, sufficient personal flotation devices of an appropriate size to securely fit each person on board must remain in a readily accessible location”.
Nationally, more than 22,000 lifejackets have been traded in via the Old4New scheme in the last decade.
