Coastguard Hawke's Bay

18/06/2026

Kia ora folks
Today we supported the TwoFold Bay Trust in the scuttling of TwoFold Bay just east of Pania Reef. It was an early start just before dawn when Pania, the Port pilot boat and the trawler Chips started the tow from the Napier Inner Harbour, Our role was to help provide a bit extra in terms of staying on track and keeping other boats clear.

After TwoFold Bay was in position held by two anchors we departed for a late breakfast. When we came back our role was to help take the four-scuttling crew off TwoFold Bay and to ihelp the videographer who was filming the action.

After TwoFold Bay was on the seabed two divers removed the cameras that were onboard videoing her last few moments. TwoFold Bay is now sitting in about 17 metres with a slight list to port. At low water there is approximately 10 meters clearance.

Her position is 39 26.791S, 176 56.974E, please respect the rāhui which is in place until Labour Weekend. This will allow her to settle on the seabed and for marine life to begin establishing.

Stay safe.

Henry, Coastguard Hawke's Bay

17/06/2026

Kia ora folks

A key message from our Harbourmaster in regard to the sinking of TwoFold Bay tomorrow, Thur 18 June.

Key points,
the sinking is weather dependent; at this stage it is all go.
there is a 100m exclusion zone around TwoFold Bay during the tow and sinking
following the sinking there will be a rāhui in place until Labour weekend. This is to allow time for her to settle and for fish life to start.
The tow will start at 7am.

People are invited to share in this exciting event, just please respect the exclusion zone and rāhui.

Stay safe.

Henry
Coastguard Hawke's Bay

⚠️ Public Notice | 100-metre exclusion zone around scuttle operation east of Pania Reef.

The Twofold Bay vessel will be towed from West Quay at 7am on 18 June to the final position which lies just east of Pania Reef to be scuttled at 1pm.

The vessels involved in the operation will be operating within a confined space during the transit through the Inner Harbour channel, all vessels not involved in the operation must keep clear in the interest of navigation safety. There will be a 100-metre exclusion zone around the vessel whilst underway and at the final position.

Vessels that are not a part of the operation are welcome to view the scuttling but must maintain a distance of at least 100 metres.

04/06/2026

Hi All

Please be aware there is a 12m log about 1m in diameter near Nth Pania. Take care when navigating in the area.

26/05/2026

Hi All

This event is coming to Hawkes Bay on the 6th of June at the Hawkes Bay Sports fishing club from 3-5pm. Details on how to register are in the post.

🎣 Heading out for bluefin tuna this season? Make sure you're set for success.

We’ve teamed up with New Zealand Sport Fishing Council Inc to bring you a series of pre-season seminars to help our fishing community stay safe, prepared, and ready to make the most of the season.

Here’s what’s on offer:
🐟 Tips on bar crossings and essential water safety
🐟 Expert advice on techniques, gear and prep from bluefin pros
🐟 A chance to connect with fellow fishos in a relaxed, supportive setting

📍 Find a seminar near you:
21 May – Burnsco Manukau, Auckland
26 May – Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club, Whitianga
27 May - Tairua Pauanui Sports Fishing Club
30 May - Whangamatā Ocean Sports Club
3 June - Titirangi RSA, Auckland
3 June - Nelson Marine Centre, Richmond
4 June - Christchurch (Ballingers) Hunting & Fishing
6 June - Hawke’s Bay Sports Fishing Club
16 June - Hunting & Fishing Queenstown
17 June - Waikato Sport Fishing Club, Hamilton
18 June - Wanganui-Manawatu Sea Fishing Club
23 June - New Plymouth Sportfishing & Underwater Club
25 July - Tatapouri Fishing Club, Gisborne

🎟️ Book your spot: https://collections.humanitix.com/southern-bluefin-tuna-pre-season-seminar-series

Let’s make this season a safe and successful one – together.

24/05/2026

Kia ora folks, our busy period continued with two of our skippers on Saturday getting an endorsement so that they can skipper Joe Hawke Rescue, congrats Jo and Jack. We have Joe Hawke Rescue so that we can maintain a rescue service while Celia Knowles is out of the water getting some new engines.

To make the assessment a bit more of a challenge we also carried out an assist from just north of Pania Reef. Using a rescue vessel with twin outboards instead of our usual inboard diesel jets was interesting!

Before we pull Celia Knowles out of the water, we will take the opportunity to undertake two vessel training.

Stay safe.

Henry
Coastguard Hawke's Bay.

23/05/2026

Kia ora boaties in Hawke Bay,

Just a quick heads up, there is a set of buoys attached to a coil of line just east of The Boil, Pania Reef. The line is going to be used to anchor Two Fold Bay when she is sunk to create a new artificial reef, hopefully mid-June. The actual location is

39° 26.815’S, 176° 56.978’E

I have attached some photos of the buoys and a chartlet.

Please take care if you are boating in the area especially at night.

Stay safe.

Henry
Coastguard Hawke's Bay

22/05/2026

Kia ora folks, today was a big day for Coastguard Hawke's Bay as we carried out 4 assists. Fortunately, the weather was in our favour with light winds and virtually flat seas.

The day started early with a page at 0523, a powerboat with 4 persons onboard had an engine fire and although the crew had managed to put the fire out, they were now stranded about 17 nautical miles (31km) east of Napier. We had them safely back into Napier by 0840.

The next tasking came just after lunch at 1256, a vessel with 6 persons onboard had mechanical issues and required assistance in returning to Napier. When we rendezvoused, with them they were 22 nautical miles (40 km) east of Napier. Due to the distance offshore we required Maritime approval. While we were enroute our Comms Team in Auckland took care of the approval paperwork, we received approval literally 15 minutes before we crossed the '12 miles limit, thanks Wendy. On this occasion the 12 miles is measured from Cape Kidnappers.

While we were travelling back to Napier with the vessel in tow, we received a further 2 calls for assistance, fortunately both vessels were much closer to Napier. After dropping this assist off at 5pm it was straight back out to collect the next assist, they were only about 200m off the Inner Harbour entrance and then back out for the final assist, they had broken down just off the main Port. We finally finished about 6pm.

Stay safe.

Henry
Coastguard Hawke's Bay

20/05/2026

Kia ora local boaties, our local Harbourmaster is running another free boating education course, check out the details here.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D5A8CF5YQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Stay safe.

Henry
Coastguard Hawke's Bay

🌊 Harbourmaster Day Skipper Course ⛵

Ready to take the helm with confidence? Our Day Skipper Course is coming up on Saturday 23 May, and it’s the perfect step for anyone looking to build real-world boating skills.

Whether you’re keen to skipper your own vessel or simply want to deepen your knowledge on the water, this hands-on course covers everything you need. From navigation and safety to decision-making and boat handling.

✅ Learn practical, on-the-water skills
✅ Build confidence for real conditions
✅ Ideal for both aspiring skippers and keen crew
✅ Supportive, experienced instructors

By the end of the day, you’ll feel more capable, more confident, and ready to take the next step in your boating journey.

🧮 Limited spaces available – don’t miss out!
📅 Saturday 23 May | 8.30am-4.30pm
📩 Get in touch to secure your spot

Send an email to [email protected] with your name, address, phone number, and date of birth.

Tag a mate who'll be out on the water with you👇

17/05/2026

Good article in the paper today highlighting the refurbishment work we are about to commence with on our vessel, Celia Knowles.

We would also like to recognise the great support we received in the re-roofing project. Bay Roofing arranged for Stratco, ProTrade Scaffolding and Konnect Fastening Systems to help with the project. All of the companies donated material and labour so the re-roof cost us nothing. Thanks folks it was a big help in keeping us on the water.

Rescue unit faces a bill of $500k-plus as it replaces a boat engine and the HQ roof.

14/05/2026

Kia ora folks
Yesterday we supported Wildbase Recovery with the release of the last of three juvenile albatross which had taken a bit of a battering during the recent wild weather. This albatross took a bit longer to recover than the other two.

As you can see, she had plenty to say on release and unbelievably within a minute or so after release a juvenile black back gull turned up, fortunately it was a case of being nosey rather than attack. We always check before release that there are no gulls in the area.

Then after a couple of short flights, it was time to leave.

Stay safe.

Henry
Coastguard Hawke's Bay