KEY POINTS:
It takes less than a minute to spy three boating offenders in the Waitemata Harbour.
Immediately upon emerging from the Harbourmaster's Dock at Mechanics Bay on a Sunday morning patrol, maritime officer Mick Courtnell sees a trio of speedboats seemingly desperate to escape Auckland city. He points his 200-horsepower patrol boat towards North Head.
The first speeding boat ploughs through the harbour with a large bow wave, at more than 25 knots. Its driver is at first oblivious to the harbourmaster's siren and gesticulations. Like many boaties caught that day, the culprit protests innocence.
"They have no excuse to be speeding in the upper harbour," says Mr Courtnell. "It's clearly advertised in the paper, on radio, and at boat ramps."
The driver has broken three bylaws - exceeding five knots within 200m of shore, exceeding 12 knots in the upper harbour (below the harbour bridge to North Head), and exceeding 12 knots within 200m of Defence premises.
Mr Courtnell waives the potential $600 of fines and instead delivers a stern warning.
Speeding is the most common offence in Auckland waters. Another boat flies by and Courtnell tries to signal to them 12 knots on his hands.
"I wish the speed limit was one knot, then I could just signal that with my one finger."
Despite some frustrations with cowboy boaties, Mr Courtnell is chatty and amicable. The harbourmaster's office is trying to establish itself as a friendly educator, not a punitive force.
With 10,000 recreational vessels in the waters, a day in the life of the Auckland harbourmaster crew is rarely quiet.
A team of seven provide coverage of the Auckland region around the clock, seven days a week. The region spans Mangawhai in the north to Kaiaua in the south, including Little and Great Barrier Islands, and on the west coast from Kaipara Harbour to Karioitahi beach in the south.
Within this area the team is responsible for navigational safety, oil pollution response and enforcement of bylaws and rules for commercial and recreation vessels. Patrols run on Saturdays and Sundays in summer, and on Sundays in winter.
The harbourmaster and his officers all come from maritime backgrounds. Mr Courtnell came to New Zealand from the Commando Unit of the British Army eight years ago.
He says the difference in the boating culture in New Zealand is marked. The sheer number of boat owners, and their pride in their sport can make for difficult regulation of crowded waters.
The complaints by speeding boaties who have been caught - "I'm ex-Navy", "I am running late", "How should I know that?" - are all defensive. It seems the bigger the boat, the bigger the hubris.
The driver of a luxury launch does not even flinch when Mr Courtnell signals he is too close to a fishing vessel. Mr Courtnell considers humiliating him on VHF radio, but settles for a letter on his offence.
"Some modern boats are like mini-palaces, with air-conditioning and flash navigation. People forget they are on a boat and stare out the front inanely.
"We had a boat actually run straight into Rangitoto Island last year because they were inside their boat and just forgot to use their eyes."
Mr Courtnell says there is little value in spot fining. He recalls a father who was fishing with his wife and three children, who when asked, presented the harbourmaster with the same life jacket five times.
Mr Courtnell told him he would avoid a fine if he produced a receipt for four life jackets by the end of the week. "It was a much better use of his money."
Boaties forgetting to use life jackets are becoming rarer, thanks to a large advertising campaign by Maritime New Zealand and Search and Rescue.
All in a weekend
* 12 hours patrolling
* 32 boats stopped and spoken to
* 12 speeding
* 6 with not enough lifejackets
* 3 illegally anchored
