Learn About Coastguard Nelson
All around the Nelson region, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year Coastguard Nelson is there for our communities as the charity saving lives at sea.
What Do We Do?
It's simple really, Coastguard Nelson is dedicated to "Saving Lives At Sea". Our highly-trained volunteers are on call, ready to respond to a situation of distress on the water at a moment’s notice, 24/7 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
Coastguard Nelson looks out for the safety of every person in the wider Tasman Bay area, from the northern tip of D'Urville Island, to Farewell Spit, and beyond.
At sea anything can go wrong in a very short period of time and often when weather conditions begin to deteriorate rapidly. The nature of rescues varies greatly – over the past 12 months Nelson Volunteer Coastguard has been called out for the following types of events:
- Flare sightings
- Vessels overturned & people in the water
- Fire at sea
- Urgent medical emergencies
- Breakdowns of many different kinds (please do check the state of your engine starting battery and also your starter motor). Mostly, breakdowns result in a tow back to port
- Assisting the New Zealand Police and other emergency services.
It's good to know that when you need us – We'll be there.
Hohapata – Sealord Rescue
Naiad 11.3m
Max speed: 40 knots
Fuel capacity: 900 litres
Twin Yanmar 440hp engines
Cruise speed: 28 knots
Range at cruise speed: 200 miles
Twin Hamilton HTX30 jet units
With AVX electronic “Mouseboat” controls. This allows volunteers to manoeuvre the boat with great precision when coming alongside another vessel or rescuing off the rocks.
Electronics
Furuno PC based system using Time Zero software, and FLIR infrared camera.
Assists with searching in the darkness by providing thermal imaging. This is crucial for finding people in the water at night.
Dedicated Triage Bay
Enabling volunteers to administer first aid in a safe contained environment.
Salvage Pump
Removes water from sinking vessels.
Observation Platforms
Allowing crew better visibility when searching.
Volunteer crew
Up to 8 crew Enabling a fully crewed vessel while also having trainees on board.
Covering a huge area
Coastguard Nelson's operational area is one of the largest in New Zealand, twice the size of Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. It stretches from 50 nautical miles offshore out from Kahurangi Point on the West Coast, to Stephens Island in the east, and in big emergencies, it can extend to Taranaki in the north, through Cook Strait and down to Cape Campbell on the South Island’s East Coast.
Our 100% volunteer-staffed coastguard is a community organisation that only receives a very small amount of government funding to do our work safeguarding the coast around Nelson and Tasman. We are reliant on local people as volunteers and as financial supporters to help us continue our mission of saving lives at sea. We need your support.
