WOF for boats and Registration

No escaping the news:

Two children drown when boat sinks on Manukau Harbour

Two adults die as aluminium dinghy sinks in Hauraki Gulf with 7 adults onboard.

And numerous others over the years.

So what to do about it?  Well a lot of these steps below may seem draconian but we make sure our roads are safe by enforcing registration and regular WOF, so that we know a majority of our vehicles are safe to be on that road AND the cars owners are aware of their responsibilities as car owners and drivers.

So why not boats?  Let's be clear, boating is a national pastime, as is the ability to go and fish our coastal waters.  Let's also be clear, like hazardous roading conditions, their are very hazardous boating conditions.  Unlike a car though, boats are at greater risk when the weather turns, and turn it does and usually very drastically.

So we need to make boat owners responsible for their craft.  We also have to take measures to ensure the safety of those onboard.  That means the boats owner or "Skipper" has to take full responsibility for all onboard, to the point that if something does happen that incurs injury or loss of life, that person/persons is made responsible through the court.  Yes through the court.

As a long time member of the Royal New Zealand Navy I have been involved in many search and rescues around the country where quite simply put, boaties were woefully under equipped and under prepared to deal with changing circumstances.  Many times too, we were looking for bodies.  Yet through all this there was no measure to regulate all boaties, especially recreational ones.  Sure vessels over a certain size and being used for commercial purposes have regulations but recreational boaties sneak under the radar.

So what to do?

Ok, for starters, all boats need to be registered regularly to confirm that they do indeed exist and do indeed get used.  But to be registered they must meet stringent WOF testing (maximum numbers of persons sticker, Lifejackets,  Emergency repair kits, Oars, and communications confirmation [cell phones ok])  Any small vessel should not be allowed to go on the water without that registration/WOF but that's not the end of it.  I'm not advocating that Registration/WOF be a money making endeavour, make it affordable for sure as we don't want the sea lanes, harbours and lakes being just the playground of the rich, we need to keep our lifestyle choice intact.

When a small vessel takes to the water at least one person on that boat needs to hold a Small Boats Skipper ticket.  As we license drivers on the road to drive to the rules, so we must license skippers or others with the tools to be able to deal with all the hazards of being on the water.  Boat handling skills is a must.

And by doing all this, we also need to Police it.  Coastguards and Fisheries inspectors I see as the front line of the waterborne force as they are already employed to look after our coastal areas and harbours.  But Police also have the powers if needed to not only police (Wellington/Auckland) but also to bring prosecutions referred from the other two sources.

It's now time something concrete is done.  The very recent instances of death from small dinghies is too much.  The owners of vessels, all vessels, need to be held accountable and if that means a death occurred as a result of an ill prepared boat then manslaughter charges need to be laid.  Yes, it happens on the road, it should happen on the water.