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MARITIME NEW ZEALAND FERRY IN FURTHER STRIFE The troubled inter-island ferry Aratere resumed her passenger sailings on November 14, two weeks after engine problems forced cancellations. Maritime New Zealand ordered the sailings to be cancelled on November 1 after the ferry developed engine problems during a crossing from Picton, then broke down again while undergoing trials. She resumed carrying freight on November 4. Meanwhile, Interislander and Port Marlborough are at loggerheads over who is to blame for the Aratere catapulting a hefty bollard off Picton Wharf on November 28. The incident happened when high winds battered the ferry, causing her to drift from the wharf where she was berthed. The bollard ripped out from the wharf and smashed into the Aratere's side before settling on the Picton seabed. It resulted in the cancellation of more sailings. Interislander and the port company disagree over who is to blame for the incident. FISHERMAN WORKED OUTSIDE HIS LIMITS Commercial fisherman Max Wyatt has been convicted and fined after being caught working illegally outside safe operating limits. Wyatt pleaded guilty in the Whangarei District Court on September 19 to a charge under section 68 of the Maritime Transport Act and was fined $5000, plus court costs. Wyatt's vessel, the Happy VI, was photographed in February during a Royal New Zealand Air Force surveillance flight coordinated by Maritime New Zealand. He was fishing 17.5 miles outside the limits prescribed by his vessel's safe ship management certificate. Maritime NZ's acting manager maritime investigations, Paul Fantham, said Wyatt did not heed an earlier warning. "This is about operating within the assigned safe limits of the vessel. These are specified on each vessel's SSM certificate and give the maximum distance for operations from shore," said Fantham. AUTHORITY CHANGING ITS CHARGES Maritime New Zealand is changing the way it charges for some of its activities. The main areas affected are: • applications for exemptions from the Maritime Rules • applications for safe ship management and safe operational plan certificates, and • follow-up inspections of SOLAS and non-SOLAS domestic vessels. In recent years, Maritime NZ has relied on the marine safety charge, levied mainly on larger ship operators, to pay for most of its activities. Fees have been charged for some activities, including vessel registration, seafarer certificates and some maritime documents such as tonnage certificates. More recently, it has also started charging for its SSM audits. The Value for Money Review in 2010 found Maritime NZ had not been charging for some services for which fees were specified in the regulations. A review of funding begun in 2010 confirmed the authority should be charging for these services and set out the levels at which fees should be charged. Initial safety inspection visits to a vessel will remain free, as will liaison and education visits and telephone information and advice from maritime safety inspectors. From February 1, however, according to regulatory requirements, charges will be made for: 1 Applications for exemptions from the Maritime Rules. The fee will be $343, which contributes to the cost of basic processing and consideration of the application. A further fee may be charged if an exemption is approved but requires more technical and management input. Please note: While all applications will generally be charged for, all or part of the fee may be waived by the Director Maritime Safety if Maritime NZ considers an issue has arisen because of problems with the Maritime Rules. Maritime NZ will also look at where it is possible to use general exemptions, which will not be charged for. 2 Safe hip management certificates: Maritime NZ has not charged for SSM certificates in the past, although SSM companies may have passed their costs on to owners. From February 1, Maritime NZ will charge $201 on application to help pay for basic processing and consideration. 3 Safe operational plan certificates: Maritime NZ has not previously charged for SOP certificates. From February 1 the charge will be $166 on application for diving, fishing, jet boating and rafting SOPs, or hourly rates as set out below for other SOP certificates such as hovercraft and safety case. 4 Follow-up inspections of SOLAS and non-SOLAS domestic vessels. If a vessel is detained or repeat visits are needed to sign off defects and faults after an initial inspection, the costs of these visits will be charged for according to the rates set out below. These will include travel time, costs and the hours of work required in each case. The current hourly charge-out rates, including GST, are $63.38 for administrative staff, $103.25 for technical staff, and $144.13 for scientific and management staff. The current hourly charge-out rates were set more than 10 years ago and do not fully recover Maritime NZ's costs. These rates are expected to rise over the next few years. See www.maritimenz.govt.nz/fees or email feechanges@ maritimenz.govt.nz. ISSUE 17 JUNE 2010 No anchor watch results in deaths Are you ready? Be prepared for an emergency January/February 2012 Professional Skipper 67 rifting while rew slept What's the outlook? Keep an eye on the weather 18 ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2010 s & updates TIN itchboard ational safety and ol and manage ined at an appropriate ention of owners f this maintenance, to ensure the enance for TY BULLETIN FREE QUARTERLYPUBLICATION SUBSCRIBE NOW! REAL STORIES from in and around our shores To subscribe toLOOKOUT! in print or online, email publications@maritimenz.govt.nz, phone 0508 22 55 22 or visit www.maritimenz.govt.nz/lookout V P.S84VI S 4