Thread: Navigation safety protocols and Standard Operating Procedures

What to do and what Not to do.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/...l-deficiencies

I have never heard the rule that the kayaker should be on the true right of the river. You pass on the right. the boat should give way to kayaker or row boat slowing to 5 knots. The kayaker was a dick not wearing buoyancy aid and no PLB. Why the DOC boat had no PLB I have no idea. The DOC boat skipper is totally to blame as far as I can see. What if the yaker was not in his yak and simply swimming because he had capsized, they would have mowed him down and probably carried on as the first they knew was the bang. I guess the skipper had at least a maritime NZ restricted limits license which should be revoked as there was so many failings on his part. Just my thoughts but he got away very lightly

Absolutely agree. The findings really are a condemnation of DoC and the skipper and crewman amongst other things. Disgraceful.

There may be different bylaws on the Whanganui river. Keep right is the general rule, so if heading downstream the boat or kayak should be on the true right, and on the true left if heading upstream. I don't know about the jet boat giving way to the kayak. Power gives way to sail (except in the Raglan harbour entrance, a bylaw because of the risk to boats from having to give way to windsurfers) but I don't recall anything about manually powered vs motor powered.

Nav laws dictate true right and left in channels but also not to exceed 5knots within 30m of another vessel. This law is being constantly broken on NZ waterways.

No special bylaws on the Whanganui according to this from an article from May of this year..."Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall wants a navigation bylaw covering the Whanganui River and says it a "perversity" the region's busiest river doesn't have one."

The DOC website is a bit confusing...I think they are assuming that kayakers are always heading downstream.

"Stay on the true right whenever possible. The true right is the right hand side when facing downstream.

Be aware of jet boats and know what to do. This is essential for a safe trip.

When a jet boat approaches:
Move to the right hand side of the river, unless you’re already close to the other side. If you’re close to the left, stick to the left – don’t paddle across the path of the approaching boat"

The DOC website also says
"Crafts travelling up river must give way to crafts travelling down the river. However, jet boats in rapids cannot slow down or stop."

This I have heard before, and makes sense as vessels heading upstream usually have more control than those heading downstream.

Maybe; but when I did my masters the 5 knot rule was universal. I may be out of date now but the enquiry findings seem to support that that law still applies.

Originally Posted by Woody

Maybe; but when I did my masters the 5 knot rule was universal. I may be out of date now but the enquiry findings seem to support that that law still applies.

The 5 knot rule still applies (though its within 50m, not 30).

What I was pointing out was the DOC info contradicts itself in some situations, saying stay on the true right, then saying move to the right hand side (which is the true left if heading upstream).

Yes. Also the jet boat failed to regulate his speed to the visibility conditions. There are simply no excuses for what happened.

Doesn't it seem odd the kayaker as quoted in the article that the kayaker paddled towards the jet boat in some kind of belief 'they' were bringing him a life jacket? Really? And power gives way to sail - well not in a few situations - the most obvious is the Picton ferry in the Sounds and Wgton Harbour to name a few. Not often am individual in a Govt dept gets a fine but for once it happened. Pity this didn't apply to Cave Creek, The CTV building (Chch quake), Pike etc etc.

I always adopt the international policy on the water that "might is right" and steer clear of anything bigger. No point being legally correct if you go under a vessel and through the prop.
Pretty weird he thought someone was bringing him a life jacket. Was he in a hired kayak and thought it was the hirer company bring it to him. Lucky for him he survived it.