Alcohol

Learn about the guidelines and risks relating to alcohol and boating.

How alcohol affects you on the water 

Alcohol, even in small amounts, affects coordination and judgment. It can also exaggerate confidence levels. 

a model of a yacht upside down in a bottle containing light brown liquid

Alcohol can impair your: 

  • ability to react 

  • ability to perform simple tasks 

  • judgement 

  • sense of direction. 

These effects put you and others at risk. Alcohol also increases the chance of you ending up in the water by accident. 

Alcohol-related risks escalate the moment you end up in water

Alcohol-related risks include:

  • disorientation
  • difficulty staying afloat
  • lower blood flow to the brain and muscles, contributing to heat and fluid loss
  • reduced awareness of hypothermia
  • suppressed airway protection reflexes, increasing the chance of inhaling water.

Safer when sober

Operating a boat is as complicated as driving a car and a boating crash can be as lethal as a road crash. Many people who would never drive drunk think it is safe to operate a boat after drinking. It is not.

Avoid alcohol

Check out the Safer Boating Forum’s Position Statement on alcohol use while boating.

NZSBF Drugs and Alcohol Position Statement
PDF: 656kB, 2 pages
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Safer boating and alcohol do not mix. Conditions can change quickly on the water. Everyone on board needs to stay alert and aware.

Parents supervising children need to be particularly alert while on the water.

 

Do not urinate overboard

In recent years, several experienced mariners have fallen overboard and drowned after urinating over the side, especially at night.

Alcohol related case studies

If you are intoxicated by alcohol and it exposes anyone to unnecessary risk, you have broken the law.

Learn about the consequences of mixing alcohol and boating through the case studies below.

an old powerboat that has no crew that has beached on a stony beach

Boaties out of depth with alcohol

A man who had been drinking all day on a fishing trip drowned after the boat ran out of fuel and he tried to swim ashore.
an empty steel dingy with a paddle onboard parked on a back yard lawn

Alcohol contributes to drowning

A fisherman drowned after falling out of a dinghy about 100 metres from shore

two jetskis that are parked on separate trailers outside a warehouse

Jet ski (personal watercraft or PWC) kills joyriding teenager

A group of partying teenagers took to the water on PWCs (jet skis), and one of them died.

a sea kayak with some equipment onboard stored in a kayaking club house

Fatal capsize on fishing trip

One man died, and his companion swam to safety after a kayak took on water and capsized.
an old powerboat that has no crew that has beached on a stony beach

Boaties out of depth with alcohol

A man who had been drinking all day on a fishing trip drowned after the boat ran out of fuel and he tried to swim ashore.
an empty steel dingy with a paddle onboard parked on a back yard lawn

Alcohol contributes to drowning

A fisherman drowned after falling out of a dinghy about 100 metres from shore

two jetskis that are parked on separate trailers outside a warehouse

Jet ski (personal watercraft or PWC) kills joyriding teenager

A group of partying teenagers took to the water on PWCs (jet skis), and one of them died.

a sea kayak with some equipment onboard stored in a kayaking club house

Fatal capsize on fishing trip

One man died, and his companion swam to safety after a kayak took on water and capsized.
a fiberglass dingy with equipment onboard stored in a lockup

An evening of fishing and drinking alcohol in a small fibreglass dinghy ended with one man drowning.

Horseplay ends in drowning

Skipper responsibilities

You can be prosecuted under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 for operating a boat in a way that causes unnecessary danger.

As skipper, you are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of everyone on board your boat. A responsible skipper will never operate under the influence of alcohol or allow an intoxicated person to operate the boat.

There is no such thing as being “off the clock” on a boat. Skippers must always be capable of performing any tasks required of them. This is especially important on the water, where an emergency can arise at any time.

It doesn’t take much

Alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and its effects are usually apparent within minutes. Even moderate drinking can seriously impair your ability to operate a boat safely.

If you drink alcohol faster than your body can process, your blood alcohol level will rise. Alcohol is burned off at a fairly constant rate of about one standard drink per hour. Any amount of alcohol may be dangerous, and the higher your blood alcohol level, the greater the danger.

Alcohol affects people differently. Reactions vary depending on:

  • the type of alcohol you consume
  • your body weight
  • how much food you have eaten
  • any medication you are taking
  • stress
  • fatigue.

Whatever the activity, alcohol affects balance, vision, coordination, and judgement. On the water, the wind, sun, noise, motion, and vibration can magnify these effects and speed up impairment. A momentary lapse that might pass unnoticed on shore can have serious consequences on the water.

Alcohol will:

  • give you a false sense of your situation, causing you to attempt tasks beyond your abilities
  • decrease your coordination and ability to perform simple tasks, such as putting on a lifejacket
  • increase your sense of disorientation
  • make it harder for you to stay afloat in the water
  • lower blood flow to your brain and muscles, contributing to muscle, heat, and fluid loss
  • reduce your ability to hold your breath
  • suppress your airway protection reflexes and make it easier for you to inhale water
  • reduce your awareness of the onset of hypothermia.