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Careful out there ...

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=140052
Printed Date: 30 Jan 2026 at 11:10am


Topic: Careful out there ...
Posted By: Phantom Menace
Subject: Careful out there ...
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2025 at 1:55pm
Careful out there folks. 

The owner of this Riviera sedan launch (no name visible) scared the living daylights out of me on Sunday. I was more scared than anything I've felt in 30+ years of mucking round on, in and under the sea.

We were anchored fishing 65m to the west of South Island (small clump of rocks by Rakino).  The anchor was a lot closer to the island. 

I saw a large bow wave heading directly toward us from the south and it was not slowing down! Kept an eye on it to see if it was going to change course or slow down at all and it got to the point where I dropped my rod on the deck (with an under-sized snapper) and RAN to the helm thinking I was going to need to take evasive action. The only option I had was to fire the engines up, go hard astern and let anchor rode out at the same time.

Luckily just as I had my hand on the keys and was dropping anchor rode he slowed down and turned to starboard so that he passed between my bow and the island. I jumped up, poked my head out the hatch and shouted at him to slow down further (along with hand gestures).

We happened upon the boat again (45 minutes later) in Woody Bay, Rakino so I pulled alongside for a chat. No swearing or abuse on my part - just strongly telling him what he did wrong (pointing out all the maritime rules he broke). Strangely his wife/partner said I was ruining their day with friends and that I should go have a nice day elsewhere.  Don't think she appreciated it when I pointed out that I HAD been having a very nice day until they had scared me more more than I've ever been scared on the ocean before.

The phone screenshot shows approx where I was anchored. He came from the south and passed just to the east of the red porthand marker before going between me and the little island.









Replies:
Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2025 at 3:57pm
And some wonder why some of us are calling for licensing.

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"Times up"


Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2025 at 7:55pm
Thanks for letting us know Phantom. Good on you for confronting them. You know the rules of the sea no doubt about that.

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Best gurnard fisherman in my street


Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2025 at 8:41pm
That's not good. I don't think licensing will help unless there is enforcement and who is going to enforce it?


Posted By: Keith C
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2025 at 11:51pm
Report the incident to the harbour master, Tony, as he is unlikely to take it seriously and the next innocent punter may not be so lucky.


Posted By: Kevin.S
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 8:20am
Originally posted by MB MB wrote:

That's not good. I don't think licensing will help unless there is enforcement and who is going to enforce it?

We make people have a license to drive on the roads and look how well that has worked in reducing stupid behavior and accidents, and that is actively patrolled by the police.


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 10:37am
Should be registered like jet skis.easy for a trailer boat just use trailer rego.
Only a matter of time before something tragic happens.Have enough issues with muppets at ramp.

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"Times up"


Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 10:57am
Boats have run over other boats already.

Last year I responded to a Mayday Relay. A yacht had run over a 6m trailer boat off Army Bay - all 5 people on the anchored trailer boat were in the water. (apparently the WHOLE CREW of the yacht were below deck ... they were under sail)

I was in my own boat at the time and was stood down just before I got there as Hibiscus Rescue and Northshore Rescue got there before me. Luckily no one was seriously injured. The Harbour Master had a barge in the area putting in the pontoons off Stanmore, Manly etc.(they put them in for the kids every summer) so they came over and used the crane to lift the boat up so that Coastguard could tow it back to the beach.


Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 11:00am
Originally posted by Keith C Keith C wrote:

Report the incident to the harbour master, Tony, as he is unlikely to take it seriously and the next innocent punter may not be so lucky.

Yeah, I thought about that Keith. The Riviera has no name, no AIS etc. so there's really no way of identifying who the owner is.

The only thing I have is the picture I posted above and it's my word against his.  (If anyone can identify the model of Riviera I would be interested).


Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 3:13pm
I've been told it's a Riviera 6000 Sport & the name is likely on the locker door on the swim deck which is open and can't be seen.

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Best gurnard fisherman in my street


Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 5:31pm
LOLThanks Smudge ...

This one looks very much like it ... (to the point I think it's the same boat boat obviously have no proof).

https://rmarine.nz/preowned/riviera-6000-sport-yacht-8/" rel="nofollow - https://rmarine.nz/preowned/riviera-6000-sport-yacht-8/


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2025 at 6:25pm
So Maritime/Auckland council rules arent enforced?? Legal requirement for name to be displayed in 90mm letters

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"Times up"


Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2025 at 9:59am
Yeah, there are quite a few boats around with no names. Pretty much every regional council (or Auckland Council as we have a unitary authority here) has a bylaw saying boat names are mandatory over a certain length/size (6m) etc. and in some places they have mandatory registration. E.g. Nelson:  https://www.nelson.govt.nz/6environment/harbour/recreational-boating/vessel-registration" rel="nofollow - https://www.nelson.govt.nz/6environment/harbour/recreational-boating/vessel-registration

I've seen several unnamed vessels when being tasked for tows / jumpstarts etc. (and when out on the water generally).

The reality is that there are only a handful of Harbour Master boats around so there's close to zero enforcement.  


Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2025 at 2:59pm
Originally posted by Phantom Menace Phantom Menace wrote:

LOLThanks Smudge ...

This one looks very much like it ... (to the point I think it's the same boat boat obviously have no proof).

https://rmarine.nz/preowned/riviera-6000-sport-yacht-8/" rel="nofollow - https://rmarine.nz/preowned/riviera-6000-sport-yacht-8/

The only thing it's missing is a collision avoidance system


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Best gurnard fisherman in my street


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2025 at 7:21pm
Got my coastguard renewal notice Friday. $150.

Still worth it.

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"Times up"


Posted By: Phantom Menace
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2025 at 3:12pm
Originally posted by Pcj Pcj wrote:

Got my coastguard renewal notice Friday. $150.

Still worth it.

Yep, it's cheap for what you may need at some stage.

On Friday we got paged to go find a 17 ft boat with mechanical issues and tow them back to the Gulf Harbour ramp. Total time from being paged to having the vessel back at the ramp was 3 hours at least.  We had to go find them as they were being blown fairly quickly north of Tiri and then the tow back was limited to around 7 knots because of the sea state. They were not members and had agreed to pay the $280 per hour fee.



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