The belongings of a family that moved to Brisbane to escape quake-battered Christchurch were on the stricken ship.

Large fractures in the hull of the stricken cargo ship Rena are getting worse, increasing the chances the ship will break up after aerial footage showed the hull of the vessel grounded on Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga has cracked open.

Face masks could be issued to those living near beach areas affected by oil leaking from the MV Rena, which has lost up to 70 containers overnight. The ship's captain has been charged over the incident and granted bail after a court appearance..

A RNZAF Orion has failed to find any sign of six young people missing in a small craft in the Pacific.

Maritime New Zealand has launched an inquiry into the Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands vessel Excitor III after several passengers were injured, including one woman who had to spend 12 weeks in a body brace.

Eight people hurt in a collision between two boats in the Marlborough Sounds yesterday have been discharged from hospital.

Education not legislation is the answer to improve safety on the water, Maritime NZ safety inspector Jim Lilley says.

Navy divers with sonar equipment will join police tomorrow in the search for a teenage boy presumed dead after a jetski accident near Rotorua.

The dangers on the water are the same as on the roads, so boaties should be licensed just like drivers, says the Pauanui-Tairua harbourmaster.

The mother of a 13-year-old injured when a jetski rammed his boat has defended letting him and his mate, 11, go on the water alone.