It is expected many people, both locals and tourists with their families, will head out on the Hastings River on the weekend.

Marine Rescue Port Macquarie spokesperson Geoff Shelton said they hope not to be called out for any jobs, wishful of a safe weekend on the water.

“We expect to see more people out on the water this weekend because the forecast is good for Saturday and Sunday,” he said.

“Personally I’m keen to get out, because there are plenty of fish out there so I’m assuming other locals will as well.

As far as tourists assume, they tend to tow their boat a long way and we are expecting a fairly busy weekend in terms of a lot of people being out on the water, and as always we are hopeful no one will get into trouble on the water.”

Mr Shelton said people are well educated these days and tend to do the right thing more often than not.

Commissioner Stacey Tannos said MRNSW volunteers would be on duty at MRNSW units along the coast and inland.

“Our members will be out patrolling popular waterways and constantly monitoring marine radio, ready to respond to emergencies on the water,” he said.

“Boaters can increase their chances of a trouble free voyage by taking four simple safety steps.”

Ensure your vessel is in good condition before setting out, make sure everyone on board is wearing a lifejacket, log on and off with Marine Rescue NSW, and learn various ways to call for help.

These include calling triple zero, using your marine radio and activating an EPIRB (radio distress beacon).