Free bar crossing workshops in Maketu to improve shipowner safety

Harbor and river crossings are some of the most dangerous for Kiwi boats.

Coast Guard volunteers attend numerous incidents each year, including fatalities.

In conjunction with the New Zealand Sportfishing Council and local fishing and boating clubs, the organization aims to lower the rate with a national bar awareness workshop in Maketu at the end of the month.

The free bar awareness workshops are designed to give boaters the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to make good decisions about whether to cross the bar. The workshops cover critical topics including understanding bar hazards, assessing the effects of weather and tides, and implementing emergency measures if problems arise.

To further support boaters from various communities, there is also an educational video about the bars, with subtitles in seven languages: Te Reo Māori, Chinese, Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island Māori, Fijian and Thai.