Derelict boats causing issues for Waikato harbourmaster

Waikato authorities are spending tens of thousands of dollars each year recovering sunken and grounded boats around the region.

Waikato regional harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck sent out an appeal to boaties this week to keep up with their maintenance.

“Please manage your boat properly to avoid it turning into a crisis and a costly burden on ratepayers.”

The authority referenced a 36-foot boat taken ashore by contractors last month at Waiomu in the Coromandel for demolition and disposal, as an example.

The vessel was in poor condition and unable to be repaired. The Waikato Regional Council had to ensure there was no oil spilt and then manage the salvage situation.

“This is a big problem for us in the Waikato just as it is for regional councils across Aotearoa,” Bredenbeck said.

“It’s unwanted work for the council due to the owners of the vessels not having the funds or capacity to manage their own vessels.”

On average, Waikato Regional Council’s Maritime Services team had to recover four vessels each year which had either sunk on their mooring, or the mooring had failed and the vessel had grounded or sunk.

The cost to ratepayers of dealing with each vessel varied from $5000 up to $50,000, Bredenbeck said.

“There are unfortunately dozens of very old vessels across our harbours which are not being maintained and reaching a point where they are irreparable.”

Boating bylaws required all vessels to be seaworthy at all times when on the water.

Most problem vessels were among the approximately 850 ‘zoned moorings’ in the Waikato region.

Bredenbeck said maritime services staff did regular patrols, looking for vulnerabilities in the mooring lines.

“When we spot an issue with a vessel, we try to locate the owner and highlight the risk to them with the aim of getting the owner themself to remedy the situation.”

Weather could be a problematic factor and might result in a vessel breaking vulnerable moorings.

During Cyclone Gabrielle, for example, six vessels in the Waikato came away from their moorings and were either grounded or sank.

“We may find ourselves having to pump the fuel tanks to remove contaminants from the vessels and stop them entering the water. Once that is managed, we move on to considering the navigation safety issues. Is the vessel going to be a hazard for other vessels?”

“We do try to recover the costs from the owner for the work where we can.”

Bredenbeck said a warrant of fitness or safety inspection would be a useful tool in helping to manage vessels, although a bigger priority was the licensing of skippers.

“We advocate strongly for skipper licensing, which would ensure that vessel owners would be aware of the rules and their obligations around boating safety – but this would require change at central government level.

“The simple fact is that people need to maintain their boats. This includes having the proper equipment, such as an automatic bilge pump, checking their vessels regularly and paying close attention to how their vessel is connected to its mooring.

“After a heavy weather event, go check on your boat and make sure everything is in order.”

For people with old boats on moorings, it was important for owners to make an honest assessment of their situation, he said.

“If your boat has had its day, consider getting rid of the vessel and selling the mooring. It will save you a lot of potential trouble and cost, and free up the mooring for someone else.”

Maritime services were available to give advice and put owners in touch with professionals who can help.

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