Maritime accidents and responsibilities on the water

If something goes wrong while you are out on the water there are several things you need to know:

• How to call for assistance and signal distress to those nearby;
• The master of any vessel (recreational or commercial) must report to the Harbourmaster as soon as practicable if: you have been involved in a collision, or been sunk, or involuntarily grounded or stranded (you can do so using the online form here);
• The condition of the vessel is affected by fire, defect or accident so that it becomes dangerous;
• The vessel gives rise to an obstruction; you damage any navigation aid or structure.
• You must also report any accident or incident to Maritime Radio on VHF 16 or RCCNZ on 0508 222 433 immediately, and to Maritime NZ on the forms available from their website(external link) within 24 hours.

Report an accident on the Maritime NZ website. Reporting of accidents allows for better targeting of resources to reduce the risk of further accidents.