Instant fines for careless sailors

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Auckland boaties risk instant fines of up to $200 for breaking the rules after a spate of boat crashes on the Waitemata Harbour.

Auckland Harbourmaster James McPetrie and patrol boat crews have received approval from the Auckland Regional Council to add breaches of collision-prevention rules to the list of offences that can incur infringement notices and instant fines.

The Maritime Safety Authority received reports of 20 "close quarters" incidents in the harbour and Hauraki Gulf in the year to June.

During the America's Cup regatta in February, the authority investigated four collisions and two close-quarters incidents involving commercial vessels and private boats.

Mr McPetrie said power to give instant fines was "a cautionary tap on the shoulder" to remind boaties to stick to the rules.

They would be issued for offences such as not giving way to other vessels, having incorrect lighting on vessels, or not displaying correct flags or symbols.

Instant fines enabled offences to be dealt with swiftly and efficiently and also saved the ARC the $5000 cost of bringing a prosecution.

Mr McPetrie said Auckland boaties' behaviour was improving year by year through education, but some were still cutting corners either through ignorance or being lax.

"And that's where collisions occur and people get hurt."

The ARC was giving $100,000 this year to water safety agencies to give boaties the message.

The head of the Auckland police maritime unit, Senior Sergeant Martin Paget, said instant fines would be a useful deterrent for people who made safety decisions based on economics.

The police did not have power to issue instant fines, and would continue to prosecute offenders in serious cases of negligence, generally, where people were hurt or killed.

Police prosecuted offences under the Maritime Transport Act, which had stiffer penalties than instant fines.

One of the America's Cup crashes was between the tourist commercial charter vessel Triptych, with 64 passengers and seven crew on board, and the 12m private launch Barossa, with 10 people on board.

Three people on the Barossa's flying bridge were thrown into the water by the impact.

No one was hurt in the February 18 incident, which occurred north of the Rangitoto Channel in a sea churned up by the spectator fleet returning from watching the third America's Cup race.

The Barossa suffered hull damage costing $50,000 to repair and the 21.3m Triptych needed repairs costing about $20,000.

A Maritime Safety Authority report into the crash censured Barossa's skipper for not complying with collision-prevention regulations.

Triptych's skipper was Manukau City councillor Barry Keon, who took the big trimaran to Mururoa Atoll in 1995 as part of the nuclear protest fleet.

Mr Keon said his vessel was under sail and locked on to its course.

He had no time to take evasive action when the Barossa broached on a wave in front of his vessel.