New departure rules for those planning an overseas voyage

If you're a New Zealand yacht or boat owner planning to sail overseas, a new certification process is now in place. As of 1 July 2024 the administration and assessment for the Category 1 (Cat 1) survey has been taken over by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ). This change introduces new assessment steps, limited inspection locations, and strict application timeframes. With processing queues and only three approved assessment sites—Auckland, Kerikeri, and Nelson—it's crucial to start the application process at least 3 to 6 months in advance to avoid delays. Below, we outline the key requirements, potential challenges, and what you need to do to ensure a smooth departure.

New process: International Voyage Certificate (IVC) – Maritime New Zealand (MNZ)

Most if not all recreational yachties/boaties in New Zealand will be familiar with the requirement to have a Cat 1 survey undertaken before the vessel is permitted to leave New Zealand waters (along with registration under Part A or B on the New Zealand Register of Ships where the vessel is New Zealand owned).

The requirement for a Cat 1 survey is derived from section 21 of the Maritime Transport Act which in a tiny nutshell requires a skipper (master) of a recreational vessel (pleasure craft) departing on an overseas voyage to demonstrate to MNZ amongst other things that the vessel (and safety equipment) is adequate for the particular voyage and is appropriately crewed with suitably skilled individuals.  

The responsibility for conducting Cat 1 surveys previously rested with Yachting New Zealand under delegation from MNZ, however as of 1 July 2024 MNZ has taken over the administration and delivery of the Cat 1 survey (and certification) requirements. MNZ appears to have released its guidance for the new application process in December 2024.

The process is as follows:

• Skipper/Master makes an application for an IVC including all relevant documentation i.e. voyage plan, crew certificates: Application for issue or re-issue of a certificate of international voyage;
• Included in the application should be the Pre-departure crew drill list (this can be provided at a later date to cover for any crew changes, but obviously as far in advance of departure as possible in the circumstances)( Pre-departure drill checklist);
• Payment of application fee (currently fixed at $490 inclusive of GST and includes a single onsite visit);
• MNZ Vessel Adequacy Assessor will review the application and make contact with the applicant;
• MNZ Assessor will undertake an out-of-water assessment to inspect the hull etc. along with an onboard inspection. The onboard inspection is likely to include consideration of the vessel's logs and any documentation supporting the completion of the drills in the pre-departure list;
• If the vessel and crew pass the MNZ assessments then an IVC will be issued.

Some important points to note are:

• ‍How long will this take?: It isn't entirely clear from the MNZ website, although they do recommend that you apply between 3 to 6 months in advance of your proposed trip. As applications will be placed in a processing line it will be important for you to keep in touch with your allocated Assessor in order to line up haul-out dates;‍
• Validity: IVC is only valid for 60 days but can be extended by 30 days via a replacement certificate. Sufficient explanation will need to be provided as to why you're unable to depart within the 60-day timeframe;‍
• Material changes: If there are any material changes to the boat, crew, or equipment then a fresh application (and out-of-water/onboard assessments) will be required (and likely a new application fee);‍
• MNZ Vessel Adequacy Assessor: it appears that currently no third-party assessments will be accepted and we assume that MNZ will either utilise their existing staff to undertake assessments or allow authorised/approved MNZ surveyors to undertake the same;‍
• Assessment Locations: at this stage MNZ requires vessels to be assessed in either Auckland, Kerikeri, or Nelson. This is likely to cause some frustration/pain/annoyance for those who are outside of these centres, but these are the only options currently.

Whilst clients often expressed frustration at the requirement for a Cat 1 survey and the sometimes impractical hoops they needed to jump through, the overarching intention with regards to the safety of a vessel/crew for a voyage is of paramount importance.

Whether the new process introduces greater efficiencies and a more practical outlook from MNZ when undertaking its assessments is yet to be seen and I suspect there is likely to be a 'bedding in' period while everyone gets to grips with things.

Considering that there are only 3 locations for assessments to take place it seems reasonably likely that there will be increased pressure on haul-out facilities thus creating a bottleneck although this could encourage additional facilities (if growth demands it)….only time will tell. The key takeaway is to get started on the IVC application sooner rather than later.

This article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice, but rather to highlight some elements of the new process that you'll need to comply with if you're planning on heading offshore to a foreign destination with your NZ-owned yacht/boat.

Foreign-owned/flagged vessels go through a slightly different process (really just ensuring that the vessel complies with the laws of the flag regarding safety/vessel/completing a Notification of Departure Form and no breach of the TIE for the most part).

If you're considering an overseas trip and need a bit more information on the process feel free to contact us and we'll be more than happy to assist.

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