Safe operational plans for hovercraft - light craft
They are required to have a Safe Operational Plan (SOP) under Maritime Rules Part 40F.
What you need to do before you begin operating
How to develop a Safe Operational Plan and get it approved.
Step 1: Contact a light craft Authorised Person (AP) for an initial inspection and audit, and approval of your Safe Operational Plan. The AP will also fill out an Application for MNZ Number form. You will be invoiced by the AP for this work.
Step 2: Fill out and submit the Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Approval Application Form
As part of this form, you also need to include:
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a completed and signed fit and proper person form
You can learn more about the fit and proper person application process and its relevance to maritime documents here
- a copy of your Ministry of Justice criminal record check from the Ministry of Justice, which must be less than 90 days old at the time you apply.
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Your inspection checklist from your AP
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Your SOP.
Also fill out this form:
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to renew an existing certificate of compliance
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if you have added or removed a boat(s) from your operation or made changes to the boats in your operation or
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to advise Maritime NZ if you are no longer operating.
Step 3: You need to receive a Certificate of Compliance from Maritime NZ before you begin operating. This will usually have an expiry date of two years from the date of its issue.
Maintaining compliance
Under Maritime Rules Part 40F, a light craft AP will need to carry out an inspection and audit for you every year. You will need to contact an AP each time to request this to be carried out.
The inspection and audit held around the middle of your Certificate of Compliance period is called a periodic – mid-term inspection and audit. Periodic – mid-term inspections and audits are free of charge to you, as the cost of these is recovered through the Maritime Levy and Maritime NZ will pay the AP for these.
However, the AP will invoice you for any follow-up work, if this is needed. Follow-up work in this context means:
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the AP makes another physical in-person visit, or
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remote monitoring of any corrective actions requested by the AP at the first visit - where you have not carried these out in the way that the AP requested. This kind of remote monitoring requires greater work for the AP to check the suitability of the corrective actions, than if you had completed any required corrective actions in the way requested by the AP.
The year after your periodic – mid-term inspection and audit, you will be due to have another inspection and audit called the periodic – Certificate of Compliance renewal inspection and audit. It has this name as it takes place immediately prior to applying to renew your Certificate of Compliance. You need to apply to renew your Certificate of Compliance before it expires. The AP will invoice you for the periodic – Certificate of Compliance renewal inspection and audit.