A poorly maintained vessel became a semi-submerged navigational hazard when it sank on its mooring at One Tree Point on Christmas Eve.
A poorly maintained vessel became a semi-submerged navigational hazard when it sank on its mooring at One Tree Point on Christmas Eve.
Many ageing vessels, not properly maintained by a succession of owners, are prone to sinking and becoming navigational hazards, says Northland’s harbourmaster.
Jim Lyle said his office deals with up to 40 such incidents a year.
The boats involved are typically 30 to 40 years old andoften made of environmentally hazardous materials such as fibreglass, which means each one must be raised and either refloated or hauled out of the water.
One such vessel sank on its mooring at One Tree Point on Christmas Eve.
With bad weather and all the boatyards closed, Lyle said divers were unavailable, so all that could be done was to mark the submerged hazard with a danger alert buoy device and a boom until the wreck could be removed this week.
Bad weather that marred the start of the holiday season meant a quieter time on the water with fewer patrols than intended. However, staff reported “generally pretty good” behaviour from boaties, Lyle said.
There were many people in vessels 6 metres or less who needed to wear lifejackets, not just carry them, he said. Statistics showed those people were most vulnerable to drowning.
Despite high winds and big swells, some boaties still ventured out, including two catamarans that overturned in separate incidents, Lyle said.
The first made headlines because of a dog, Rimu, lost overboard and later found safe, probably thanks to his lifejacket.
Lyle claimed the incident was because of “poor navigation”.
“It was at Elizabeth Reef - well charted and clearly visible, and they ran right into it,” he said.
The boat remains upside down on Sandy Bay Beach. Lyle has contacted the owner and insurer to arrange removal, which is a priority.
The wreckage of the catamaran in the surf at Sandy Bay on the Tutukākā Coast. Photo / Rowan Freeman - Life in Style Photography
“It’s important to remove it soon as it’s a hazard at a popular surfing beach,” he said.
The other catamaran, a larger vessel, nearly sank after hitting a rock - again likely due to poor navigation, Lyle said. It had since been hauled out.
Small vessels obstructing large ships — a breach of navigation safety bylaws — is also becoming common, Lyle said.
“We’ve had problems in Whangārei with small boats blocking the main shipping channel. Ships can’t easily go around due to shallow waters, forcing crews to either stop or risk grounding — or worse, hitting the smaller boat.”
On the afternoon of December 27, the concrete ship MV Aotearoa Chief encountered a small pleasure craft anchored mid-channel in Shell Cut.
Despite five warning blasts, the smaller vessel, named Le Bateau, failed to move out of the way.
On Boxing Day, the large concrete carting ship MV Aotearoa Chief had to take difficult evasive action to avoid hitting a small pleasure craft anchored in Whangārei's main shipping channel.
The Aotearoa Chief, constrained by its deep hull, slowed to minimum steerage speed and altered course to starboard. Photos show the small craft passing close down the port side.
Lyle is trying to track down Le Bateau’s owner and has asked anyone with information to call the 24/7 maritime hotline on 0800 504 639.
“People [in smaller boats] don’t realise ships can’t easily go around them. Large vessels look slow, but their speed is deceptive,” he said.
“For crews on the [ship’s] bridge, it’s quite scary. We’ve done quite a bit of publicity around it, trying to get people to understand that, if a ship’s going up the main channel, move out the way.
“Nobody minds them fishing in the channel if nothing is happening, but you’ve got to keep a lookout.
Lyle said he’d seen people in the Bay of Islands so focused on fishing that they miss seeing a 300m ship bearing down on them.
As part of its awareness campaign, the harbourmaster’s office has posted a video to the Northland Regional Council’s Facebook featuring a North Tugz marine pilot speaking about the issue.
Lyle’s report wasn’t all doom and gloom. He said that as the weather improved, more boats were arriving in Northland, including some impressive international superyachts visible from numerous tourist vantage spots.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent reporting on the courts in Gisborne and on the East Coast.
