SMALL BOAT SAFETY

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 17

SMALL BOAT SAFETY

Conference To Be Called (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Mar. 15. A conference on small boat safety in New Zealand would be held by the Marine Department on May 18 and 19 in Wellington, said the Secretary of Marine (Mr G. H. O’Halloran) in a letter received by the New Zealand Yachting Federation yesterday. The department was keen to have discussions with interested organisations on ways and means of dealing with the increasing problems being encountered with the operation of private pleasure craft, said Mr O’Halloran. Topics would include registration of pleasure craft, appointment of honorary launch wardens, educative measures, publications, safety material and its distribution. The federation had earlier discussed the question of yacht registration. General opinion was that registration was most needed for large and powered yachts capable of speeds of more than 10 knots. The president of the Wellington association, Mr R. Telford, said Wellington considered the national registration a considerable administrative problem. The hire association was having difficulty keeping up with charging owners of the many boats registered with it in Wellington alone, he said. The federation chairman (Mr G. McKenzie) said national registration would be in the hands of local associations as at present, with copies of registers also being held by the federation.