Recreational boat owners' advisory

Small boat owners operating out of Tauranga are being warned that the fuel oil that has escaped from the container ship Rena may stick to boat hulls and gear and will need to be cleaned off in a controlled environment.

Local skippers are being asked to avoid the area around the grounded ship, but if they do find oil on their boats, they are advised to take the boat and trailer to a self service car wash. Such car washes are designed to cope with oil and other pollutants.

Alternatively, owners can use a de-greaser or detergent to wash their boats, provided the run off cannot reach streams and watercourses or drains that take storm water off footpaths and roads.

Boat owners are reminded that an exclusion zone prohibits all vessels from approaching closer than one kilometre around the stranded vessel, and boaties are also urged to stay well away from any vessel involved in the oil spill response.