All New Zealand boats or vessels going overseas must be registered as a New Zealand ship with the Registrar of Ships at Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) and undergo a safety inspection prior to departure.
Pleasure craft can select whether to register in Part A or Part B of the register. You can find more information about this in the ship registration section of our website.
New Zealand recreational boats, yachts and pleasure craft going overseas must be inspected before they leave. This is commonly referred to as a Category 1 inspection. The main purpose of the safety inspection is to ensure those departing are as safe as possible, and that they can get help if anything goes seriously wrong.
The vessel must be out of the water for inspection. The design and construction must be suitable for the voyage, the safety and communication equipment is inspected, and the skipper and crew must be capable of undertaking the proposed voyage safely.
The safety requirements are published in the Yachting New Zealand "Rules and Safety Regulations" book or on the Yachting New Zealand website.
Yachting New Zealand [Yachting New Zealand]
The inspections are conducted by yachting safety inspectors. There is a nationwide network of inspectors who are always available for advice and assistance with any aspects of sailing or power vessel safety.
Yachting safety inspectors are appointed by Yachting New Zealand under delegation from the Director of Maritime New Zealand.
They can provide advice on the cheapest and easiest way to set up your boat’s safety equipment. By contacting an inspector as early as possible, many months before the planned departure date, many last minute problems can be avoided.
Yachting New Zealand and Maritime New Zealand appointed safety inspectors are directed by the Yacht Safety Inspectors' Manual.
Yacht Safety Inspectors' Manual [Yachting New Zealand]
Contact the MNZ recreational boating team by:
You can find a yachting inspector in your region on the:
