First Safer Boating Week gets the message across

First Safer Boating Week gets the message across

Real-life survival stories during New Zealand’s first ever Safer Boating Week highlight the genuine value of safety messages, Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch says.

Safer Boating Week has run since 17 October to coincide with the lead-up to Labour Weekend, the traditional start to the recreational boating season.

As chair of the National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum, Maritime NZ has coordinated a range of activities highlighting three key messages: prep your boat, check your gear, know the rules.

Forum members recommend boaties wear lifejackets at all times when on boats under six metres, and have two reliable ways of calling for help that will work when wet.

Two incidents this week show the benefits of wearing lifejackets and being prepared:

• On Monday morning a dinghy rolled while crossing the Whakatane bar. The middle-aged man aboard was wearing a lifejacket and was brought ashore in another boat, wet but unharmed.
• On Wednesday, a kayaker was rescued after he capsized and spent an hour in the water in Pukerua Bay north of Wellington. The man was wearing a lifejacket and was able to call for help because his cellphone was wrapped in plastic and in the pocket of his lifejacket.

“These two incidents could have ended tragically if the people involved had not been prepared,” Mr Manch said. “We want all boaties to be equipped with the correct knowledge and gear when they head out on Labour Weekend and throughout the summer.”

Mr Manch said the week had been a success, with its mix of light-hearted promotional activities and practical advice and support for boaties.

“We’ve had statues from around the country sporting lifejackets, some lively photo competition entries and water safety leaders jumping into the Wellington Harbour on a fairly wintry day.

“But we’ve also seen lifejacket buoyancy testing units in action and Maritime NZ maritime officers teaming up with harbourmasters and Police to take safety messages to the boat ramps.

“Overall, the key aim of Safer Boating Week was to get people thinking and talking about what they need to do to stay safe on the water and we have certainly seen this over the past week.”

This weekend, the new Auckland Navigation Safety Bylaw comes into force, requiring everyone in boats under 6m to wear lifejackets at all times, unless expressly told they can take them off by the skipper who has determined there would be no reduction in safety. Similar bylaws are in place in other parts of the country, including Wellington.

Mr Manch said the new bylaw put the onus on the skipper to take responsibility for the safety of all on board. Maritime NZ will report to the Minister of Transport in the first quarter of next year on options for ensuring consistency of lifejacket wearing across the country.

“If you are the skipper, it is your responsibility to bring everyone on board home safely. This means following the four key safety rules – wear your lifejacket and make sure your passengers wear theirs, take two forms of reliable communication that will work when wet, check the marine weather forecast and avoid alcohol.

“We hope everyone has a happy and safe Labour Weekend and enjoys a great summer of boating.”

Safer Boating Week by the numbers:

20 forum member groups (including organisations and government departments) involved

11 statues in lifejackets ( Queenstown, William Rees; Nelson, Seafarer’s Memorial; Wellington, Solace of the Wind; Wellington, John Plimmer; Napier, A Wave in Time; Napier, the Spirit of Napier; Napier, Pania of the Reef; Hamilton, Captain Hamilton; Hamilton, Riff Raff; Opunake, Peter Snell; Auckland, Sir Dove-Myer Robinson)

10 daily Survitec lifejackets given away (seven for the photo competition plus three more for photo booth winners)

10 water safety leaders making a splash

5 key safety messages: (wear your lifejacket or PFD; be a responsible skipper; take two waterproof ways to call for help; check the marine weather forecast; avoid alcohol)

5 regional councils with bylaws requiring people on vessels under six metres to wear a lifejacket at all times when underway (Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Southland, Canterbury and Queenstown)

5 regional councils require lifejackets to be worn in certain conditions (Northland, Auckland from Labour Weekend, Gisborne, Wellington, West Coast)

3 key themes (prep your boat, check your gear, know the rules)

3 photo booths in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown

Two-for-one courses on offer from Coastguard Boating Education - book one course, get one free (offer open until Sunday)

Hundreds of spot prizes including Safer Boating Week chocolate from Whittaker’s, prize packs from Zoggs NZ, Vision Protect packs from Nanoguard NZ, digital subscriptions to the Fishing News

Thousands of free safe boating packs and other rewards given away to boaties

Ten thousand-plus people reached on the Safer Boating Week NZ Facebook page

930,000 people who go boating each year

The National Pleasure Boat Safety Forum was established in 2000 to coordinate and implement recreational boating safety initiatives. It is made up of government agencies and local government, water safety and recreational boating organisations, and the marine industry. The Forum's work is aimed at reducing boating injuries and fatalities and improving boat safety behaviour. Members include ACC, Coastguard, Coastguard Boating Education, Maritime NZ, NZ Marine Industry, regional harbourmasters, Surf Lifesaving NZ, Waikato Regional Council and Water Safety NZ

ENDS

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