About 100 fishermen, recreational boaters and others worried about the planned closure of the Canadian Coast Guard base on Vancouver's waterfront packed a meeting at the Jericho Sailing Centre to voice their concerns.

Federal NDP Department of Fisheries and Oceans critic Fin Donnelly, New Democrat defence critic Jack Harris and several other officials — including a former coast guard captain — promised to take the questions back to Ottawa, in hopes of reversing closure of the base at the mouth of False Creek.

The federal government says coast guard vessels from Sea Island, near the airport, can handle calls in English Bay, Howe Sound and Burrard Inlet, but critics argue that speedy response from the much-nearer Kitsilano base is the key to saving lives.

Retired Captain Mike Kelly said 37 years working for the Canadian Coast Guard proved to him how important it is to keep bases open.

"The coast guard is disaster driven. Bases don't fall out of the sky because they have got too much money. They only fall out of the sky because somebody paid for it in blood, and it is always blood on the deck before anything gets done. We must not pay that price again."

Boater Coree Tull told the meeting counting on the response from the base in Richmond could put lives at risk.

"Lives potentially could be lost. That's the real issue here, is that it is clear that they have a purpose and that there is a demand for the Kitsilano coast guard so it seems bizarre that it would be cut when they are continuing to save lives weekend after weekend."

Vancouver Lifeguard Association spokesman Jeff Takagi says a huge increase in marine sports means stand-up paddlers, kayakers, sailers, long distance swimmers and triathletes are competing with power boats and personal watercraft for space in the most congested marine area in Canada.

During the course of the meeting one of the coast guard's ships sailed past the hall and kayakers unhappy with the federal budget cuts also formed a small flotilla in English Bay.