Jetski boosts water safety

A new jetski will be helping to keep Nelsonians safe on the water this summer.

The jetski is “more nimble” than the existing harbourmaster boat, Haumoana, and doesn’t have its limitations of needing two crew members, or being unable to get into shallow areas.

“We get lots of small jobs around the harbour, so it really frees one of us up,” says Nelson harbourmaster Stuart Whitehouse.

“When we're on the water, we see a change of behaviour, so it's always good to have that presence.”

The jetski is already being put to good use.

Late last year it was used to help a man out of the water after his boat capsized, and on one of its first patrols, Stuart came across two young boys on kayaks who were being carried away from Haulashore Island by the outgoing tide.

“The more time we spend on the water when incidents do happen… the better the outcome,” he says.

“We’ve seen that time and time again.”

The craft didn’t cost ratepayers and was bought for about $25,000 using funds received after the harbourmaster was involved in a past transfer of an offshore oil and gas rig.

Though the jetski has been named Jet1, Stuart says there’s no plan of getting a Jet2.

Like all users of small watercraft under 6 metres, others jetski users this summer should be wearing a lifejacket and have two waterproof forms of communication on their person.

Before getting on the water, residents should also check the weather, tides, and shipping information which can all be found on the Nelson City Council website on the Harbours webpage under the Environment heading.

“It's quite classic in Tasman Bay… from being a flat, calm environment in the morning, it goes to being pretty hazardous for small craft,” Stuart says.

“Watch out for that and plan your trip. Not just the start, but what time you're planning on coming back.”

He was “always open” for people to call the harbourmaster office to discuss their trip and the sea conditions.

Stuart adds that there has been a trend over the last couple of years with people on paddleboards being caught out by the wind at Tāhunanui Beach.

“If there's anything with an S in the forecast, any southerly, then just be aware. Stay really close to shore, and don't venture out too far.”

Stuarts urges boaties to look out for each other as well, especially after a recent incident where someone set off two smoke flares and no one came to help.

“If you notice something out the ordinary, check in with each other while you're out there,” he says.

“The best help you'll have is your neighbour.”

If you needed aid and didn’t have any way of communicating, waving both arms above your head was an internationally recognised distress signal.

If you were in “grave and imminent danger” call police on 111.

Deputy harbourmaster Peter Carmichael says that because a rescue operation can involve more than a dozen respondents, several boats, and sometimes even a helicopter, it’s essential for people to carry the two methods of communication to avoid false alarms.

“It's an expensive exercise for us to respond to a potential emergency…

“We're happy to go, we will always go. But people need to remember that if they were to be able to communicate appropriately by having those right tools on board, they would probably save a lot of heartache.”