Yacht skipper fined after container ship forced to change course in Tauranga Harbour

A container ship entering the Tauranga Harbour had to alter its course to avoid hitting a small yacht on June 5. Supplied / Chris Cousins

A yacht skipper who forced a container ship to change course in the Tauranga Harbour entrance has been fined by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Harbourmaster.

The incident happened on June 5 as the container ship was coming into the Port of Tauranga in the Matakana Island channel.

The ship tried repeatedly to alert the yacht with five short blasts of the horn, with no response or alteration of course from the yacht. The ship was forced to change its course.

Under the Regional Navigation Safety Bylaw, a skipper of any vessel under 500 gross tonnage within the Tauranga pilotage area cannot impede the navigation of any vessel over 500 gross tonnage.

Harbourmaster Jon Jon Peters said there was a moving prohibited zone in the channel to help protect smaller boats.

"This means skippers must not navigate 500 metres in front of and 50m either side of large ships," Peters said.

"We had a patrol boat in the area and the skipper of the yacht was spoken to after the incident."

Eyewitness Chris Cousins and his family were walking down the 4WD track of Mauao when they heard the ship sounding its horn.

"As we rounded the corner I could see a little white yacht sailing along in the channel at the same time as the container ship was entering the harbour," Cousins said.

"Then I saw the ship take a hard right turn heading towards Matakana Island to avoid hitting the yacht. The ship seemed to veer off its course at a funny angle.

"I thought: 'Crikey, someone's in all sorts of trouble' but I couldn't see anybody on the deck of the white yacht."

After the "close-call" the yacht sailed away and, after going around the yacht, the ship continued its entry.

"It's extremely lucky, hugely lucky in fact, that the ship was able to change direction in time ... I estimate the closest point between the two vessels before the ship veered off course was less than 100 metres."

Under maritime law, the skipper has been fined the maximum amount of $200.