Executive summary
On Thursday 22 February 2007 at about 2200, the passenger vessel Cruise Cat collided with the outer starboard-hand light beacon at the entrance to the Waikato River at the northern end of Lake Taupo when returning from an evening dinner cruise with 90 passengers and 4 crew on board. After the skipper had checked the watertight integrity of the vessel and the passengers for injuries the Cruise Cat was returned to its berth at Taupo Marina where all the passengers were discharged without further incident.
One passenger suffered debris in the eye from the starboard-hand light beacon pile. Otherwise there were no injuries.
The vessel sustained minor paint damage to the hull rubbing strip at the bow, but the navigational light beacon snapped off at the lake bed and was completely destroyed.
Safety issues identified included:
• vessels not using all the available sea room to make a (stabilised) approach and entry to a confined channel
• the possible onset of fatigue for the relief skipper
Because of the safety actions taken by the Lake Taupo Harbourmaster and Maritime New Zealand no safety recommendations have been made.