Life-threatening emergencies
Marine Emergency Services
Immediate danger to life — person overboard, fire, flooding, serious injury or a vessel taking water. Maritime New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre tasks the closest rescue asset, whether that's a helicopter, Coastguard unit or nearby vessel.
- Call 111 and ask for Police, then say you are on the water.
- If you have VHF, broadcast MAYDAY on Channel 16.
- Give vessel name, position, number of people onboard and the nature of the emergency.
- Keep your BoardMyBoat check-in running — your live position stays visible to the captain, crew and your nominated emergency contact.
Nationwide, 24/7
Call 111 (emergency)Search, rescue and on-water assistance
Coastguard New Zealand
New Zealand's primary maritime search and rescue charity, crewed by volunteers out of units around the coast. Coastguard also runs trip reports and radio watch, so a charter that goes quiet is noticed rather than assumed fine.
- Non-life-threatening assistance: call *500 from a mobile.
- Urgent assistance by radio: Channel 16, or your local Coastguard channel.
- Lodge a trip report before departure and close it on return.
Coastal NZ · volunteer units
Call *500 (Coastguard)Breakdown recovery, no bill to the guest
Free towing
If a chartered vessel becomes disabled — engine failure, fouled prop, flat batteries — recovery to the nearest safe berth is arranged and paid for as part of the charter. Guests are never asked for a card at the towline.
- Make the vessel safe: anchor if you can, life jackets on, note your position.
- Contact the captain or operator through the BoardMyBoat relay, or call Coastguard on *500 if you are drifting into danger.
- Recovery is coordinated and settled by BoardMyBoat and the operator, not by you.
Included on every NZ charter
Fuel top-ups underway or at berth
Re-fuelling
Running low is a logistics problem, not an emergency. Fuel is arranged at the nearest marina fuel dock or by bowser delivery where the marina supports it, and charged transparently against the booking rather than settled at the pump.
- Message the operator through the relay with your position and remaining fuel.
- We confirm the nearest fuel dock and a berth window, or a delivery where available.
- Fuel used is itemised on your booking summary.
Marina fuel docks · NZ