Water safety Te haumaru ā-wai

To stay safe on the water, you must:

• carry a suitable lifejacket for every person on board your vessel
• wear a lifejacket at all times on boats 6m or smaller, unless the skipper says it is safe to remove it
• wear a lifejacket on all vessels during times of increased risk.

To ensure safety and compliance on the water, skippers must:

• be over the age of 15 if operating a vessel capable of speeds over 10 knots
• take responsibility for the safety of everyone on board — know your boat’s limits and avoid overloading with people or equipment
• check tides and weather forecasts before heading out — if in doubt, do not go out, and listen for regular updates while on the water
• carry all necessary equipment for the intended voyage — including safety gear, clothing, food and water, all stowed correctly
• make a trip report with a shore-based contact, including your intended passage and expected return time
• ensure everyone on board knows what safety equipment is on board, where it is stowed, and how to use it - including 2 forms of communication
• know the rules of the road at sea and follow local bylaws
• avoid or limit alcohol intake while on board
• always keep a good lookout
• report any oil or fuel spills
• report all maritime incidents or accidents to the Harbourmaster and Maritime New Zealand.

The person in charge of a vessel must:

• ensure there is 2 independent forms of communication at any time with a land-based person from any area where the vessel is intended to be operated
• be capable of communicating using a VHF radio within the vicinity of a harbour entrance bar (for example west of South Headlight on both the Kaipara and Manukau harbours)
• ensure communication equipment is present, if you can’t contact someone onshore to say you’re in trouble, nobody can rescue you - some examples include:
• a kayaker paddling near the shore may use their voice and a mobile phone in a floating dry case
• 2 people in a dinghy may each use a cell phone, provided there is good mobile coverage and the phones are in waterproof cases
• a powerboat fishing near the entrance of the Manukau Harbour must have a VHF radio and may use a mobile phone.

The speed of all vessels must be no more than 5 knots when the vessel is within:

• 50m of any other vessel
• 50m of any person in the water
• 200m of the shore
• any structure or vessel flying a dive flag.

Speed-restricted areas

A permanent speed restriction applies in the following areas:

• Bon Accord Harbour (Kawau Island) — 5 knots
• Waitematā Harbour (Harbour Bridge to North Head) — 12 knots.

Other restricted areas

Learn more about other Auckland Harbour restricted areas.

Alcohol can affect your ability to react when something goes wrong on the water. Keep in mind that:

• the skipper in charge of a vessel must not be intoxicated
• drinking alcohol increases the likelihood of you ending up in the water by accident
• alcohol can change the way your body reacts when entering the water.

Be aware a ship’s blind spot can extend for hundreds of metres. Never anchor in a channel.

A moving prohibited zone is an area of navigable water around a large vessel. It extends 100m to each side or the width of the marked channel, whichever is the less. It continues at the width to 100m astern and 500m ahead or follows the line of the buoyed channel when changing course.

If the pilot vessel or patrol boat asks you to move from the shipping channels, you must move promptly.

Remember that large ships need plenty of room and will be travelling a lot faster than you think as they enter our harbours. This also means they cannot stop quickly.

Horn blasts indicate what a vessel is about to do.

One short blast means 'I am turning to starboard'

Two short blasts means 'I am turning to port'

Three short blasts means 'My engines are operating astern'. Understand that this does not necessarily signal your vessel is going backwards.

 Five or more short blasts means 'I do not understand your intentions'. Better known as 'what are you doing?'.