A DISTRESSED boat has been found "firmly embedded" in a sandbar on the Central Coast on the long weekend.
It was one of multiple calls for help received by the local Marine Rescue NSW unit as authorities called for vigilance and caution this boating season.
A 30-foot motor cruiser vessel ran into a sandbar near Woy Woy in Brisbane Water on Sunday morning.
Four people were on board at the time for a day of cruising on the long weekend.
The Central Coast Marine Rescue NSW crew was alerted and responded in a rescue vessel, but quickly discovered the distressed boat was "firmly embedded" in the sand bar and was unable to be dislodged.
The team decided the motor cruiser passengers would need to wait it out until high tide, when the boat could more easily be removed from the sandbar.
Central Coast Marine Rescue NSW volunteers were called to other jobs across the long weekend, with engine and fuel troubles the main causes.
Unit commander Ian Morrow said they were the type of incidents that could be avoided if boaties followed easy safety checks before hitting the water.
"Always make sure you have enough fuel in the tank to get where you're going and make the return journey," he said.
He encouraged all boat owners to ensure the engine was regularly serviced.
The Labour Day long weekend marked the start of the state's boating season.
NSW Maritime, Marine Rescue NSW, Marine Area Command police and Surf Life Saving NSW are on high alert and have pleaded with the public to make good decisions.
The top three offences detected by NSW Maritime in the Hunter in the past five years were for licenses or registrations, lifejacket non-compliance and improper or no safety equipment.
Police warned they would be patrolling waterways - including dams and rivers - this public holiday, conducting compliance checks and drug and alcohol testing.
The boating season got off to a tragic start further south, with a 25-year-old man killed in a water skiing incident.
Emergency services were called to a boat ramp on the Hawkesbury River at Lower Portland at about 7.25am on Sunday.
Police were told a water-skiier had been hurt after hitting the water at speed while being towed by a boat.
He was brought to shore by paramedics but sadly could not be saved, and died at the scene.
