Marine Companies Now Allowed On-water

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Thanks to some dedicated work by NZ Marine on behalf of the marine industry, Maritime NZ has approved further marine business activities under Covid-19 Level 3.

This follows the recent opening of restrictions on manufacturing, which has allowed the New Zealand boat builders to get back work.

Marine industry companies are permitted to sea-trial new and serviced boats/vessels, in an inner harbour sheltered water area, as part of their normal business practice, subject to the company having workplace plans in place to comply with the physical distancing and contactless customer requirements and other requirements of Covid 19 alert Level 3.

Many trailer boat manufacturers and dealers have had boats laying idle, and despite being fully rigged and ready to deliver to customers, they were not allowed on the water for testing.

“We had boats ready to deliver and we also sold some during Covid-19 Level 4 lockdown, so we can now finish rigging, do a pre-delivery sea trial and deliver to our customers”, says Craig Lewis, MD of Gulfland Marine, New Zealand’s largest Stabicraft and Mercury dealer.

He added they all deliveries are ‘contactless’, which is working very well, although not having a face to face experience with a client takes some getting used to.

Marine industry companies are permitted to motor/move a customer’s boat/vessel, in an inner harbour sheltered water area, to a local servicing area or haulout yard for marine companies to refit/service the boat/vessel, as part of their normal business practice, subject to the company having work place plans in place to comply with the physical distancing and contactless customer requirements and other requirements of Covid-19 Alert Level 3.

Carla Dukeson, director of Hibiscus Marine Coatings in Auckland’s Gulf Harbour says that lifting of restrictions has meant they are now able to have boats moved from marina berths to their paint shop.

“Until now we have been unable to get boats from their berth and into the travellift and then onshore to our painting facilities, so this a game-changer for us”, says Dukeson.

Companies in the business of selling their own stock boats or on behalf of vendor’s boats as part of their normal business practice may do so subject to the company having workplace plans in place to comply with the physical distancing and contactless customer requirements and other requirements of Covid-19 Alert Level 3. In doing so boat shops, display rooms and boat agency offices will need to remain closed to the public and customers.

Examples of rules relating to real estate agents for showing a limited number of customers houses, that vendors have agreed to be shown under Alert Level 3, can be applied to a boat broker opening a boat for a viewing by a customer – with the maximum of two people from the same bubble viewing a boat.

“ We look forward to marine industry companies being able to conduct your normal business under Alert Level 3 and in doing so complying with the rules to keep your workers and customers”, says Peter Busfield, NZ Marine Executive Director.

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