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The weather can make or break your time out on a boat and, as the Bank Holiday is traditionally a time when many people take to the sea, checking the forecast is vital. 65% of the accidents which the Maritime & Coastguard Agency deals with every year are related to water-based recreational and leisure activities. Last year more than 7,000 people were rescued at sea by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and 52% of those incidents involved leisure craft. And it is not just at sea where you have to take care - the coast itself can be a dangerous place. Every year the coastguard deals with around 13,000 incidents that happen around the coast of the UK. More than 4,000 of these incidents happen to people enjoying the beach and shoreline - inflatables alone cause more than 600 recorded incidents every year. So if you are planning to go to sea or to the seaside this weekend then make sure you check the weather forecasts before and during your trip. For general weather information visit the Met Office website at www.metoffice.gov.uk or call our Customer Centre on 0870 900 0100. For local marine weather information visit our Marinecall pages for contact numbers. For safety information visit Maritime & Coastguard Agency SeaSmart web site or the RNLI.
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