A safe harbour is everyone's responsibility
Nelson Harbour is a working waterway: a place where commercial shipping, recreational boating, paddleboarding, and sailing all share the same stretch of water. That mix is one of the things that makes our harbour special. But it also means we all need to look out for one another.
Recently, the Nelson Harbourmaster has observed a worrying increase in breaches of exclusion zones while commercial vessels are moving through the cut and dredged channel with tug assistance. Small recreational fishing boats, paddleboarders, and sailors have all been entering these restricted areas during active ship movements, and this is creating real and serious risks to life.
Why this matters
Vessels under pilotage (large commercial ships being guided through the harbour) have extremely limited ability to manoeuvre or take avoiding action. When smaller craft enter the channel during a ship movement, the consequences can be catastrophic, not just for the recreational user, but for the tugs and pilots working hard to guide these vessels safely through our constrained waterways.
What are exclusion zones and why do we have them?
Exclusion zones are designated areas of the harbour where recreational and non-commercial vessels must not enter during commercial shipping movements. They exist for good reason:
- To give commercial vessels with limited manoeuvrability a clear, safe corridor to operate in
- To give tugs the space they need for controlled movements during berthing and unberthing
- To reduce the risk of collisions and dangerous wake effects on smaller craft
- To keep port operations running safely and efficiently in our tight waterway.
These zones are not bureaucratic red tape. They are the boundary between a safe day on the water and a tragedy.
Your legal obligation
Under the Nelson City Council Navigational Safety Bylaw, all harbour users, recreational and commercial alike, must keep clear of shipping exclusion zones. This is not optional.
The Nelson Harbourmaster's team will be actively monitoring compliance and, where necessary, will follow up breaches through infringement and prosecution processes. We would much rather see everyone staying safe and avoiding this outcome, but we will act where we need to.
Before you head out: A quick safety checklist
Simple steps to stay safe:
- Check harbour shipping movements before you launch. Visit the Nelson City Council website for the current schedule
- Use the live webcam feeds to see what is happening in and around the channel in real time
- Stay well clear of marked exclusion zones and the main channel whenever vessel movements are underway
- Keep your situational awareness up at all times, as conditions and vessel movements can change quickly
- Navigate with caution near the cut and dredged channel, even when no movements are scheduled
- If in doubt, stay out and wait until movements are complete before entering the channel area.
You can check live shipping movements and webcam feeds at:
nelson.govt.nz/6environment/harbour/weather-shipping-schedule-and-webcams
A word of thanks
The vast majority of Nelson's harbour community does the right thing, and that makes a real difference. A safe harbour depends on all of us looking out for each other, whether you are a commercial skipper, a fishing enthusiast, a paddleboarder, or a weekend sailor.
Stay safe out there,
Nelson Harbourmaster
Nelson City Council
