Northland Regional Council's Deputy Harbourmaster, Peter Thomas, says complaints about big wake are on the rise around Taitokerau. Larger recreational vessels are the main culprits, throwing up wash that keeps rolling through as a proper set of waves long after the boat itself has gone past.
Thomas says kayaks, paddleboards and small dinghies are copping the worst of it, getting swamped or capsized by wash a bigger boat wouldn't even register. People are getting knocked off their feet, thrown overboard, or hurt because they never saw the wave coming.
Wake rolling into a marina or anchorage sets moored boats rocking hard against their lines. That strains fittings, chafes through mooring gear, and puts load on the marina structures themselves. It's also chewing away at shorelines around popular anchorages and riverbanks over time, which is why NRC's put this out as a proper warning rather than a passing comment.
Keep a proper lookout, Thomas says, and slow down well before you reach an area where your wake's going to cause bother, not after you're already through it. Let your wake catch up to and pass your own boat rather than towing it along behind you, then hold a steady 5 knots until you're clear.
Learn more from Northland Regional Council.
