About Us

For nearly 30 years, the volunteers of Ulladulla Coastal Patrol have watched over the seas near their home on the picturesque south coast of NSW.

 

Their vigilance and concern for others, has often saved lives. What started as a handful of local people sharing a healthy love and respect for the ocean, has evolved into a dedicated group of citizens trained in marine safety.

 

To meet the challenge of Safety of Life at Sea, the maxim of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, the Ulladulla division nurtures strong local roots which make it a vital part of the seagoing community.

 

The members give freely of their time, energy - and often their personal finances – to maintain a modern, well-equipped marine search and rescue facility.

 

This life-saving service comes at a price: the volunteers must also work to raise the monies which allow them to function. The division relies almost entirely on locally-raised funds to survive and provides its services entirely free of charge.

 

As well as maintaining a 24-hours-a-day radio watch, and with lifeboat crews on permanent standby, the members are also active at various community events.

 

They are prominent at the famous monthly harbour-side markets and the annual Blessing of the Fleet Festival.

 

All this helps sustain the local economy, maintain the division’s profile and support the vital fund-raising effort.

 

Members maintain a continuous watch on all marine radio emergency frequencies to identify  and assist any mariner in distress; lifeboat crews are on standby to launch a rescue operation in any conditions.

 

All members work rosters that often mean unsocial hours in sometimes trying physical and emotional conditions.

 

They must all acquire an obligatory marine radio qualification in their own time and at their own expense.