Coastguard NZ Day Skipper cheat sheet

Minimum safety equipment for a recreational vessel in enclosed waters: lifejackets for every person, a bailer or bucket, oars or paddles, a painter, and a torch if operating at night.

Lifejacket types: foam-filled (inherently buoyant) or inflatable; inflatables must be worn, not stowed, and serviced annually; foam jackets must fit the wearer and be in good condition.

Port side is the left side when facing forward; starboard is the right side; bow is forward; stern is aft; beam is the maximum width; draft is the depth below the waterline.

Give-way rules under COLREGS: power-driven vessels give way to sail, except when the sailboat is overtaking; a vessel overtaking must keep clear; head-on power vessels both alter course to starboard.

Collision avoidance: two power vessels crossing, the one with the other on its starboard side gives way; if risk of collision exists, a substantial course or speed change must be made early.

Weather sources for NZ boaties: Metservice marine forecasts, Coastguard Nowcasting, VHF channel 21 weather broadcasts, and local harbourmaster notices; check before every trip.

Cold water immersion: water below 15°C causes rapid loss of manual dexterity and swim failure; wear a lifejacket and thermal layers; survival time is measured in minutes, not hours.

Fuel rule: plan to use no more than one-third of fuel outbound, one-third return, and keep one-third in reserve; calculate burn at cruising speed, not idle.

Local rules: harbourmasters set speed limits (commonly 5 knots within 200 m of shore or 50 m of another vessel, or as marked); check regional harbourmaster bylaws before launching.

Speed–distance–time formula: Speed (knots) = Distance (nautical miles) ÷ Time (hours); Distance = Speed × Time; Time = Distance ÷ Speed; 1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour.

Latitude and longitude: latitude is measured north or south of the equator (0°–90°); longitude is measured east or west of Greenwich (0°–180°); one minute of latitude equals one nautical mile.

Chart datum and soundings: depths on NZ charts are reduced to Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT); charted depth plus height of tide equals actual depth; always add a safety margin for swell and squat.

Tidal calculations: use the Rule of Twelfths for a rough height between high and low water (1/12, 2/12, 3/12, 3/12, 2/12, 1/12 of the range each hour); use tide tables and secondary port differences for accuracy.

Tidal stream: flood sets toward high water, ebb sets toward low water; spring tides occur near full and new moon and have the greatest range and strongest streams; neap tides near quarter moons have least range.

Bearing and heading: true bearing = magnetic bearing + variation (east variation add, west variation subtract); magnetic bearing = true bearing − variation; deviation is compass error specific to the vessel and heading.

Passage plan: identify departure and destination, calculate distance and time, note tidal gates, hazards, alternate ports, fuel, weather windows, and file a trip report with a responsible person.

Buoyage IALA Region A (used in NZ): port-hand marks are red cans, starboard-hand marks are green cones when entering harbour; safe water marks are red and white vertical stripes; isolated danger marks have two black spheres.

Safety briefing: crew must know lifejacket location and use, fire extinguisher location, VHF channel 16, man-overboard procedure, and abandon-ship procedure before departure.

VHF channel 16 is the international distress, safety, and calling channel; use it to establish contact, then move to a working channel such as 06, 08, or 72 for the conversation.

Distress call: MAYDAY, spoken three times, followed by vessel name and call sign, position, nature of distress, assistance required, number of persons on board, and any other useful information.

Urgency call: PAN PAN, spoken three times, for urgent situations that are not immediate danger to life or vessel; safety call: SÉCURITÉ, spoken three times, for navigational or weather warnings.

DSC (Digital Selective Calling) distress alert: lift the red cover, press and hold the distress button for 5 seconds; the alert transmits vessel identity and position automatically; follow with a voice MAYDAY on channel 16.

Radio licence: in NZ, a Maritime VHF Radio Operator Certificate is required to operate a VHF radio; the vessel station also requires a callsign; keep a listening watch on channel 16 when underway.

Radio procedure: listen before transmitting; press PTT, pause one second, speak clearly and slowly; use the phonetic alphabet and standard phrases (ROGER, OVER, OUT, SAY AGAIN); keep transmissions brief.

Channel 16 silence: do not transmit on channel 16 for routine calls longer than necessary; move to a working channel; channel 16 may be used for short calls only when not in distress.

Battery and antenna: VHF range is roughly line-of-sight; a masthead antenna gives greater range than a handheld; keep the radio charged and perform a radio check with Coastguard on channel 16 or a working channel.

Pre-departure checklist: weather forecast, lifejackets for all aboard, fuel and oil, battery charge, kill switch and lanyard, oars, bailer, anchor and warp, torch, first aid, and communication device.

Man-overboard (MOB) procedure: immediately shout 'Man overboard', throw a buoyant object, press MOB button on GPS if available, turn back on a reciprocal course, approach into wind and current, and recover the person on the leeward side.

Berthing and unberthing: approach slowly, into the wind or current, use spring lines to control the boat, and have fenders and mooring lines ready before arrival; never jump between boat and dock.

Anchoring: choose a sheltered spot with good holding, lower the anchor with sufficient scope (typically 3:1 to 5:1 chain-to-depth ratio), set the anchor by reversing slowly, and take transits to check for dragging.

Towing and being towed: use a bridle to distribute load, keep the towline clear of propellers, assign a lookout, and agree on communication signals before starting.

Heavy weather: reduce speed, secure loose gear, wear lifejackets, avoid beam seas, and consider altering course or returning to shelter; monitor VHF for weather updates.

Fire on board: stop engines, shut off fuel if safe, use the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire, keep the fire downwind, and call MAYDAY on VHF channel 16 if the fire cannot be controlled.

Capsize and swamping: stay with the boat if it provides flotation, account for all crew, activate EPIRB or call for help, and do not attempt to swim for shore unless the boat is sinking and shore is very close.