Stay Safe This Boating Season
Media release
9 January
2013
Stay Safe This Boating Season
With summer now in full swing, so too is boating season and hundreds of Aucklanders are enjoying time out on the harbour.
Auckland’s Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton is encouraging boaties to remember the essentials for a safe day on the water.
“Aucklanders love nothing more than a day out on the water,” says Andrew. “We want to make sure that they stay safe while out and about enjoying our magnificent harbours.”
The Harbourmaster has prepared a number of steps boaties can take to help ensure their trip is safe and successful:
• Make sure
that your vessel is capable of completing the intended
trip
• Ensure everyone has a correctly fitted
lifejacket
• Check the marine weather forecast before
and during your trip
• Don’t overload your
vessel
• Carry at least two means of communicating
distress with you
• Tell a responsible person ashore
where you are going, how many people you have on board, your
boat details and when you expect to return
• Avoid
alcohol or limit your intake – it impairs your judgment
and ability to survive in an emergency
• Don’t exceed
5 knots within 200m of the shore or within 50m of another
vessel or person in the water
“The harbours are definitely a focal point for people over summer. From day trips and early morning fishing expeditions to overnight breaks away, we want people to stay safe while enjoying their time on the water.”
Auckland’s stunning waterways are a highlight feature of the region and this summer play host to a number of events able to be enjoyed either from on the water or on-shore.
Upcoming events on Auckland’s harbours include:
• Auckland Anniversary Regatta on 28 January
2013
• 150th anniversary of the sinking of the Orpheus
on the Manukau Bar on 7 February 2013
For more information on boating etiquette, rules and safety, visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/harbourmaster.
ENDS