Jetskis used by holidaymakers have attracted the most complaints on Northland waters during the festive season.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Jetskis used by holidaymakers have attracted the most complaints on Northland waters during the festive season.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Speeding jetskis are attracting the most complaints on Northland waters and the region's harbourmaster is warning that such behaviour has the potential to cause serious injuries.
Northland Regional Council (NRC) staff have since Christmas Day identified seven jetski riders who could be issued with infringement notices and harbourmaster Jim Lylesaid most of those related to speeding close to other vessels or people.
"Jetskis cause the most callouts and have the potential to cause serious injuries due to the speed they travel in. If people on jetskis want to race around, they should go out in the open waters more than 200 metres offshore, away from other people," he said.
An operation that overlapped with the No Excuses on-water compliance campaign over the recent holiday period identified seven people, Lyle said, who could face formal infringement notices.
The maximum fine for speeding is $200, but it's the potential danger to others that has Lyle particularly concerned.
The maximum allowable speed for jetskis is 5 knots when they are within 50 metres of another vessel, craft or person, 200m of the shoreline and vessel/craft flying the white and blue dive flag, when someone is sitting with their legs/arms hanging over the edge of the boat, and inshore of yellow buoys marking the 5 knot area.
No Excuses is a massive team effort that sees 18 harbourmasters from across New Zealand joining forces with Maritime NZ staff to check boaties' compliance with the boating safety code and local bylaws, including lifejacket wearing and safe speed.
The campaign is conducted on five random days in each region from October 10, 2020, until March 31, 2021. Ten days have been completed so far across the regions.
During the 2019-20 No Excuses campaign, NRC staff interacted with 366 vessels.
Of those, only 55 per cent of boaties had two ways to call for help. On the flip side, 93 per cent always carried enough lifejackets for everyone on board.
Lyle said NRC staff logged 200 interactions with boaties between Christmas Day and yesterday, covering the east coast between Mangawhai and Ahipara.
"We mainly focused on education and most responded well to the advice. Majority of the people are self-taught while a few have done courses in Coastguard or a skipper's course."
Apart from speeding, he said, not displaying dive flags was another issue of concern.
All vessels must display a dive flag whenever there are divers in the water. The skipper must ensure the vessel is within 200 metres of the diver.
Divers should stay within 200 metres of the vessel showing the flag and vessels shall observe the 5 knot speed limit around dive flags.
The flag must be no smaller than 600mm x 600mm and must be easily identified by another vessel at a distance of 200 metres or more.
Northland deputy harbour master Laurence Walkinshaw, NRC maritime officer Daniel Branley, and Maritime NZ's Paul Buisson during the No Excuses campaign.
Photo / Karina Cooper
NRC had someone check the ramps for compliance as well as to impart safety messages in the Far North while patrol vessels were doing the rounds up and down the coast.
"There are no cruise ships at the moment so we can do more patrols. Generally, the behaviour out there has been good considering the volume of boats out there.
"There's been some areas with reports of really bad behaviour like jetskis racing swimmers. Whilst what we observe is generally good, few people totally ignore or don't know the rules," Lyle said.
He reminded boaties the safety campaign would continue until water activities died down and for them to ensure rules were followed at all times.
