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Abandoned boats on moorings


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Apparently the Auckland Harbourmaster has increased mooring fees by $50 to cover the cost of dealing with abandoned vessels.

 

 

Auckland's ghost ships: Number of abandoned vessels surge - and boaties are footing the bill
 
Mooring fees have increased $50 to cover the costs or removing abandoned boats from Auckland's waters.
 
Hundreds of ghost ships litter Auckland's waters and require recovery, costing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 
Auckland Harbourmaster Andrew Hayton said when he started in the role over eight years ago they were plucking
 
 
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There's no way I'd pay to read anything in the Herald.

 

There was an international article in the Herald the other day. I googled the teaser paragraph and the exact same article came up free on another news website (might have been NY times). I was quite surprised they are just middlemen for some of there content which they clip the ticket for, but is available for free anyway.

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Seems on the nose that responsible boat owners are penalised for the lack of ability of Councils staff to maintain an accurate database of its mooring holders and boats occupying moorings in terms of the permits it issues and charges for. Surely a requirement that all moored boats need annual proof of insurance would sort this as a condition of the permit - as happens with marinas. Keep boat standards up and maintain an annual link with mooring holders aside from an annual invoice.

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How is forcing insurance going to reduce abandoned boats, more likely to increase numbers abandoned.

If you cant afford to or don't want to maintain a boat your going to be hardly inclined to try get insurance for it.

 

I like the bond idea, but an amount sufficient to cover costs incurred might be a little bit high.

 

Bit like the Bio security charge in Northland, no benefit to boaties above that of the general population but boaties get the full costs because the council can target them easily.

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Agree. If you want to rent (i.e. occupy) a house you invariably have to pay a bond. The same principle applies to occupying a piece of the harbour. I am all for appropriate measures to force abandoned, derelict boats off moorings and marinas so as to release the much needed space for others to use. Question is how much should a bond be?

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Always thought that a vessel on a mooring in Auckland boundaries had to at a level of sea worthiness?

 

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projects-policies-reports-bylaws/bylaws/Documents/navsafetybylawcontrols2014.pdf

 

Page 10

 

Seaworthiness in relation to any vessel means being, in the opinion of the Harbourmaster in a fit condition of readiness to safely undertake a voyage within its designed capabilities.

 

page 14

 

15 Vessels to be seaworthy (1) The person in charge of a vessel anchored or moored in any navigable waters must keep the vessel in a seaworthy condition at all times, unless the Harbourmaster has given prior written approval for it to be anchored or moored in a condition which is not seaworthy. (2) Except in an emergency or following an accident or incident, a person must not operate a vessel that is unseaworthy, except to comply with the directions of the Harbourmaster to move that vessel to an alternative location. (3) In an emergency or following an accident or incident that renders the vessel unseaworthy, the person in charge of the vessel must not move the vessel except: (a) to clear a main navigation channel, or to prevent further damage, or to position the vessel in a safe mooring or anchorage; or (B) in accordance with directions from the Harbourmaster, enforcement officer or honorary enforcement officer. (4) If a vessel is not seaworthy or has the potential to cause a hazard to navigation, the Harbourmaster may give a direction to the person in charge of the vessel to move the vessel to an alternative location or remove it from navigable waters within a reasonable time. (5) If the person in charge of the vessel fails to comply with the direction of the Harbourmaster or if the owner or person in charge of the vessel cannot be located, the Harbourmaster may move that vessel to a position where it is no longer a hazard or remove it from the water and dispose of it.

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Another worthless bylaw that is never enforced.

Hows this for stupidity.

Friend has his vessel at home for long period while rejuvenating it,so to stop randoms using his mooring and creating havoc,he took the bouy off and let it sink.pays the fee no problem.But along comes some official and said he needs to reinstate the bouy as mooring is non compliant.Tried to explain why but no,do it or get a fine.

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