Shock Mitigation Directory

Maritime New Zealand Bar Crossing Guidance

25.07.2017

Maritime New Zealand have guidance information and resources for skippers and crew when crossing any bar or river entrance.

Extreme caution must be exercised when crossing bars. Conditions prevailing on a bar, or in river approaches, may cause sudden steep and often breaking seas. The national code of practice addresses concerns over fatalities, mainly to the crew of fishing vessels, on bar harbours.

After extensive consultation with all sectors of the maritime industry, a group made up of bar harbour harbourmasters, fishing industry representatives and Maritime New Zealand has developed the following code of practice for bar crossings.

The purpose of the ‘national code of practice’ is to provide clear guidelines to the skipper and crew of all vessels regarding safe and prudent practice when attempting to cross any bar or river entrance.

Cautions

Extreme caution must be exercised when crossing bars. Conditions prevailing on a bar or in river approaches may cause unusually sudden steep and often breaking seas. Conditions change quickly and unpredictably. The skipper's experience and the vessel type should be taken into account when a bar crossing is considered. However, no amount of experience or boat type makes crossing a bar SAFE when the conditions are marginal or adverse. No situation warrants taking the risk, so if in doubt “STAY OUT”.

Before leaving harbour, a skipper must assess conditions on the bar. Skippers must be aware that a rapid change in conditions might prevent a safe return to harbour. Craft unable to weather adverse seas outside the bar should not leave port. Those vessels leaving for longer trips should ensure they have adequate reserve fuel and provisions to enable the vessel to remain at sea and/or divert to another port should adverse bar conditions prevail on their return.

Ensure that your vessel has sufficient stability. All vessels must be in a stable condition. Skippers should be aware of all the factors that determine a vessel's stability including:

• The free surface effect of liquids and loose fish.
• Additional weights on deck, including portable ice slurry bins and fuel containers.
• The loss of stability that occurs if deck enclosures or bins suddenly fill with water.
• Modifications to a vessel may be detrimental to its stability.
• The vessel's statical stability should have been calculated after such alterations.
• The movement of weights within the vessel, including people.

Skippers should be aware that all bars have areas of broken water containing air, which can severely reduce the stability and handling of a vessel. In marginal conditions, night time crossings are more hazardous. Vessels attempting to cross a bar at or near low water are more likely to experience adverse conditions than at high water.

Prudent Practice

Maritime New Zealand - How to Cross the Bar VIDEO >

Maritime New Zealand - Commercial >

READ MORE∨

READ LESS ∧