Port boating tragedy only 'matter of time'

It's only a matter of time before there is a tragic incident involving a small craft and a large vessel at the entrance to the Port of Napier.
That's the message being given to Hawke's Bay kayakers who have been told to "light up and stay clear" after a string of recent incidents where ships entering the Port of Napier have had potentially tragic close encounters with small craft.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council harbour master Captain Charlie Rycroft said the main problems happened around dusk and darkness, with a growing number of recreational kayakers and small boat users heading for open waters to fish.
 "They are nearly invisible to shipping and have been told to move out of the channel by Port of Napier pilots on many occasions.
"Large ships are too large and heavy to stop or steer quickly out of the way. It has been falling to the pilot boat to quickly take action and get people out of the way - they don't want to be attending to a fatality."
The affordability and transportation ease of kayaks has seen a huge surge in their popularity. Hawke's Bay Coastguard president Dick Hilton said it was "an additional hazard we did not have five years ago.
"They take risks and they don't realise the danger they are in."
 Mr Rycroft said more kayaks and small craft were edging into the pilotage area and shipping channels leading into the port.
 He said the real danger came at darkness as few kayakers bothered to carry lights.
Bylaws state small craft must not impede shipping in the pilotage area, which includes the port and the shipping approaches to the port.
Small craft must keep more than 500m ahead of and 100m away from either side of any ship, when moving within the pilotage area and, at night, correct navigation lights must be switched on between sunset and sunrise. Errant kayakers and boaties reported to the harbour master by the pilots can be fined $200.
Hawke's Bay Canoe Club sea kayaking specialist Warren Hales said it came down to using common sense and he called for casual kayakers to fit some form of strobe light to their craft if they intended going out in poor light.
"Just be sensible and stay away from the ships - you can see them coming so get well out of the way."
Mr Rycroft added high-visibility lifejackets, paddles and bright flags to the recommendation.
"They may just save your life - small craft come off a very distant second best when run over by a ship."
* Mr Rycroft said the Navigation Safety Bylaws set the rules for small craft to keep clear of shipping in the area and anyone unsure of the rules could contact him through the Hawke's Bay Regional Council for a free copy.