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Safety Regulations

Boat World

Maritime NZ Certification

As the Pacific sailing season is approaching, Maritime NZ is reminding anyone intending to take a recreational craft overseas...
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Environmental Regulations

U-turn on fish sizes not enough for some

Advocacy groups are supporting the government's U-turn on minimum size limits for commercial fishers, but still want the gove...
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New Safety Technologies

Local Notice to Mariners: Imminent disestablishments of 3G Virtual Aids to Navigation

All mariners are advised that all 3G Virtual Aids to Navigation in Auckland are due for imminent disestablishme...
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Safety

Politicians divided over whether boating rules are fit for purpose

Two lawmakers have expressed different views on whether New Zealand's boating rules are fit for purpose, but the rules look u...
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Required Safety Gear

A national lifejacket law: why now is the time to act

Water Safety NZ and Coastguard say the law needs to go further if New Zealand wants to save lives
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Innovations in Boat Design

Rethinking the rescue boat: How next generation vessels could transform SAR

Mike Hammond says tomorrow’s rescue boats may look very different from the fleets we know today. Marine rescue boats have ...
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Invasive Species

Caulerpa invasion: ‘Government isn’t taking it as seriously as they need to’

In the more than four years since exotic caulerpa was first discovered in New Zealand waters, it has been a time of uncertain...
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Invasive Species

Yellow legged hornets Auckland: latest detections, public warnings, and next steps

Nine confirmed queens, two new nests, and a major ground response as Biosecurity New Zealand widens its search on the North S...
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Invasive Species

Aucklanders urged to stay alert for yellow-legged hornets

Biosecurity New Zealand ramps up surveillance as a new invasive threat emerges on the North Shore.
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Boating Safety Campaigns

Buoy-Boy makes waves for summer boating safety

Buoy-Boy brings boating safety to life, reminding Kiwis that most accidents happen close to shore.
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General Boating Safety

We All Play a Part: Water Safety New Zealand encourages collaboration and participation for Water Sa...

As summer begins, Water Safety Month calls Kiwis to action: stay vigilant and help prevent drownings.
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Fire Safety

FENZ grounds its watercraft following Maritime NZ compliance request, RNZ understands

Ngāruawāhia volunteer fire station has operated two jet skis as part of their rescue equipment since 2018. Huntly has had a b...
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New products and upgrades

Our Changing World: SAR4SaR – The folding, floating search and rescue device

Imagine you're on a boat lost at sea, too far from the coast for a VHF radio or mobile phone to work. Maybe you've got a p...
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Invasive Species

Hull checks to resume across Northland

Thousands of vessel hulls to be inspected as summer biosecurity campaign begins.
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Invasive Species

Whangapoua Harbour declared invasive Mediterranean fanworm free

After five years of sustained monitoring and community vigilance, Waikato Regional Council confirms the invasive Mediterranea...
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First Aid Onboard

Refresh your boat’s first aid kit

Don’t let ageing supplies compromise your safety at sea.
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Boat World

Dr Dave offshore medic course

Dr Dave (Dave Austen MD) is offering a two-day offshore medical course, November 15-16, at Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckla...
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Insurance Requirements

Fire risk on the rise: how battery systems are changing boat insurance

A spark that’s catching insurers’ attention If you’ve added a lithium battery bank, e-foil, or even an e-bike to your boat i...
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New Safety Technologies

SAR4SAR – a new eye in the sky for search and rescue

New Zealand scientists are developing low-cost radar reflectors for space-based detection of small craft in distress, aiming ...
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Anchoring & Mooring

Prepare for summer: clean your anchor locker and stop pests hitching a ride

A boatie’s pre-season guide to clean your anchor locker, choose the right hook, and keep sea pests off your gear.
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Man Overboard

Man dies after falling overboard near Auckland’s Outboard Boating Club

A man has died after falling from a boat near the Outboard Boating Club area of Tāmaki Drive, Parnell, on Sunday afternoon
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General Boating Safety

Check your safety gear before next season

Because when things go wrong, you won’t have time to second-guess your kit.
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Invasive Species

Sea spurge found at Kapowairua (Spirits Bay)

A new sea spurge infestation has been found at Kapowairua (Spirits Bay) – the first discovery of the unwanted beach weed east...
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AC38

Panerai’s Luna Rossa watches are for sailors, with a watch LOVE or deep pockets (actually, both)

They’re bold, beautiful, and built with America’s Cup pedigree. I sail too — just not in the sort of circles where your wrist...
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Automation & Autonomous Boats

Eyes wide open

Nautitech and SEA.AI partner to bring machine vision to bluewater catamarans
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New Caledonia Grouprama

Radio silence: Communication questions raised in Rushour rescue

When the multihull Rushour capsized during the 2025 Groupama Race off New Caledonia, its crew were eventually rescued safely...
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Incidents on the water

Porco Rosso: Midnight MOB in the 2024 Rolex Sydney to Hobart

During the 2024 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Porco Rosso—a well-campaigned offshore yacht with a winning pedigree—faced...
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Race and Regatta Safety Measures

The night that changed everything: Flying Fish Arctos and the 2024 Sydney to Hobart tragedy

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has long been a proving ground for offshore sailors — 628 nautical miles of fickle wind, sudd...
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Race and Regatta Safety Measures

Toughest night in years: The 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race’s devastating first 24 hours

What began as another glittering Boxing Day start from Sydney Harbour soon turned into one of the most dramatic and tragic op...
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Race and Regatta Safety Measures

CYCA releases independent safety review after tragic 2024 Sydney Hobart

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has released the findings of an independent review into the three serious inciden...
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International Boating Laws

Beyond the horizon: What the Greta Thunberg yacht interception reveals about sailing into conflict z...

Greta Thunberg claims she was "kidnapped" in international waters while aboard a yacht bound for Gaza. Israel says the vessel...
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Marine Safety Equipment

Survitec validates high-viscosity fluorine-free foam concentrates

Survitec validates performance of high-viscosity flourine-free foam concentrates as the industry prepares to transition
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Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)

Respected, not conquered: Fishing New Zealand’s Wild West Coast

If you think fishing the West Coast is all about trophy catches and postcard views, think again. While the fishery off New Ze...
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General Boating Safety

Man Overboard: Drill like it’s real—because one day it will be

It’s the realisation every skipper dreads: “Man overboard.” Before panic sets in, it's time to use all the training you've ta...
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Boating Safety Campaigns

Southern Bluefin Tuna pre-season 2025 seminar series

Knowledge, preparation, and safety – before the bite begins.
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General Boating Safety

Emerging NZ boating safety concerns

New Zealander's love affair with boating continues strongly, albeit with the latest IPSOS Boating Monitor figures telling us ...
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Invasive Species

Exotic caulerpa – stop the spread in the Hauraki Gulf

Help stop the spread of exotic caulerpa in the Hauraki Gulf and immediate surrounds.
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A map showing the areas of newly-discovered exotic Caulerpa off Urupukapuka, Motukiekie and Moturua Islands. They are indicated with the small orange lines. An existing Biosecurity New Zealand ‘Controlled Area Notice’ is the larger shaded yellow area. Photo credit: Northland Regional Council
Boater Involvement in Conservation

$6.2M Northland exotic Caulerpa funding welcomed but we all need to do more to safeguard NZ waters

New Zealand’s coastal waters face an escalating threat from exotic caulerpa, an invasive seaweed now confirmed at Waiheke Isl...
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Boat Brief

Check for marine pests 

Marine biosecurity teams are reminding boaties and all marine users to make sure they are across marine pest risks and rules ...
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Race and Regatta Safety Measures

Rough seas, hard lessons: The safety debate after the 2024 Sydney to Hobart tragedy

Were the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race’s safety protocols and the balance between adventure and responsibility in competitive s...
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