New Zealand Bar Crossing - How to cross a bar safely in a trailer powerboat

How to cross the bar safely
Even for the most experienced boaties, bar crossings are a high-risk activity. This clip provides information on how to make safer bar crossings.
Bar crossings should always be approached with the right preparation and attitude of caution. Always make sure you head out with an experienced skipper prior to attempting to cross a bar for the first time.

Produced by Waikato Regional Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, with funding from ACC and Maritime NZ.

Bar crossings should always be approached with the right preparation and attitude of caution. Always make sure you head out with an experienced skipper prior to attempting to cross a bar for the first time.

There are location-specific bar crossing clips available for the following bars: Bowen Town, Maketu, Raglan, Tairua.

Produced by Waikato Regional Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, with funding from ACC and Maritime New Zealand.

[dotyman]

Thank you. You've saved someone's life today.

[christinafidance]

Thank you guys SO MUCH!!! I know this is a rather old video so my comment may go unread, but the information presented here is timeless and valuable.... ESPECIALLY for people like us from the US where pretty much anyone can operate a boat without any training, safety courses or license required!!! My husband and I are experienced boaters but on the relatively calm waters of the Chesapeake Bay. We recently purchased a new motor yacht and need to bring it home via the Atlantic Ocean and we have literally looked high and wide for information about navigating inlets safely. There are very few between us and our new boat that are jettied and we want to be as prepared as possible so this is great! Thank you!

[carlosalbertoandradesilva]

Believe me, your work is saving lives and boats, thanks!

[denislawrence]

Many thanks, for your informative video.
As a retired merchant seaman (Navigator) I have found this video extremely good.
I am based in Jersey (UK) and on my next visit to N.Z. I will, with more confidence by following your instructions be taking my N.Z. based brother out.
Again many thanks.

[robertfitzsimmons]

I’ve crossed the Columbia River bar hundreds of times. One of the worlds biggest, most dangerous crossings. Had the boat airborne once! River bars do not tolerate foolish decisions.

[johnswimcat]

I wasn't intending to watch this but I've had a bit to do with boats, mostly sailing, and this all makes perfect sense. Especially not to cross a bar at low tide and how to return on the back of a wave. As an ex surfer the swells made my mouth water!

[josephlai]

Thank you so much. I like to think that your video should be a required watching for all who is venturing out to sea for work or pleasure. Certainly an indispensible tool for teaching for sailing schools and associations world over.

[roger]

Following seas always freak me out more than heading into the seas. Great video!

[eaglesrock]

This is the best safety type video I've seen. I've watched the whole video and I don't own a boat or plan on getting one. Usually safety videos are 30 years old and have horrible actors playing out unrealistic scenarios.

[douglaspianta]

Thank you very much. Been trying to find an informative video on this and this is fantastic.

[shanevillis]

We had to do an assault beach landing onto Stockton beach one year when I was in the Army Reserves. Being the commander of the boat, I told the motorman, when we were actually coming into the beach, to sit on the back of the wave and ride it in to the beach. None of us had ever done a beach landing before. I just thought it was commonsense and safer that way. We didn't roll over unlike others,

[ItsRealReviews]

He made it look so easy but I am sure there is years of experience behind. Overall a very informative and good video.

[tylerjohn]

Great advice! Many people here in the USA would be alive if they took the time to learn things like this. Boating here is pretty much drunken free-for-all

[bwghall]

I found years ago that a round stern boat was a big help as the water tended to go around the stern where a flat stern gave the water something to push on turning the boat beam on to wave then capsizing. that's talking of a following wave as you head in, never tried it in choppy conditions on going out.

[husseinal-asadi]

This one of the most helpful boating videos I have watched, nice job!

[joelmarchello]

This was really good. Thanks for posting!

[jamesallan]

good. real good. As an RYA instructor, this is very thorough and useful info

[marklabuschagne]

commercial dive boat skipper from south africa, we launch from the beach all day long, very dangerous, no matter the tide, being doing it for 25 years, informative for beginners,

[dongaetano]

Excellent Video!! Thanks for posting. Could save some lives for sure.

[NicholasTomlinPlus]

It would be a good idea to not have the music running on the video to demonstrate engine sounds and revs so people can get an appreciation of the throttle control being used with the engine. Especially what happens when a wave is being approached and the throttle back on cresting, then power recovery for the next wave.