Tidelines:Hoax calls worry police

The police maritime unit is concerned at the waste of time, effort and money caused by hoax distress calls.

Officer-in-charge Sergeant Martin Paget says a search this week after a report that a boat had broken down and was drifting off Great Barrier involved two aircraft and volunteer coastguard patrols as well as his staff.

"The alert cost thousands of dollars and severely depleted available resources should a genuine emergency have arisen," he says.

The unit is still seeking the owner of a fully rigged Laser found by the Navy under sail off Devonport with no one aboard. Inquiries about the mini Marie Celeste should be made to the unit on (09) 357 3470.

PWC review

The US House of representatives is hearing representations from recreational users about the ban on use of personal watercraft in national parks. The American Watercraft Association says the bans are improper and Department of the Interior has asked the National Parks Service to review them.

Inland rescue

The United Kingdom Royal National Lifeboat Institution has opened its first base away from the coast. The Enniskillen lifeboat station is the 40th RNLI station in Ireland and is part of a pilot scheme to extend lifesaving skills to large expanses of inland water. Locations being investigated on the British mainland include the Lake District and the Suffolk Broads.

Another row

Chay Blyth's extreme sport organisation Challenge Business has added a new ocean-rowing event to its portfolio, the Ocean Fours Rowing Challenge 2003. The boat used will follow the same concept as the two-man design used for the inaugural Atlantic Challenge won convincingly by Kiwis Rob Hamill and the late Phil Stubbs four years ago. Hamill is preparing to defend his title with Steve Westlake as his partner. The race starts on October 7.

Water-Watch

The Richmond Yacht Club's shorthanded race is the only scheduled activity on the Waitemata Harbour this weekend.

Organisations planning activity on the Waitemata and Manukau harbours should register with Enviroline on 0800 80 60 40.