You may wonder why at age 75 Noel Haszard just can't keep off the water. But there's a logical explanation. He caught the boating bug early.

'My father took me fishing when I was five. And his father took him before him too,” says Noel, who has been on the water for the last 70 years.

'My grandfather used to be an engineer surveyor in Waihi but he had a little bivvy out here [Tanners Point] – oh, it must just after the start of this century, the early-1900s. So my father used to come out here as a kid, and later on he had holidays here,” says Noel, who lives at Tanners Point.

'My dad took me fishing and all of us boys have been keen on the water over the years. We were brought up in boats – all sorts of boats. But in the early days it was an old clinker we had.”

Now Noel's clocked up his 21st year with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council – including 19 spent as a volunteer safer boating advisor, educating boaties from Omokoroa to Waihi Beach on how to be safe on the water.

So how did this start?

Noel had lived in Waihi for 50 years working as an electrician before moving to Tanners Point with wife Maureen about 22 years ago.

'When I first got here [Tanners Point] there was chap called Tim Suckling, who was a launch warden – that's what they called a harbour warden in those days. And he said: ‘Do you want to give me hand?”.

'I ended up starting in an education role. And it still is I suppose, come to think of it.”

When Noel first started helping out it was from his own vessel and using his own petrol.

'Back then we used to fly a harbour master flag when we were patrolling. These days we are paired up with others, work from dedicated patrol vessels and are really well trained and equipped. We do a much better job as a result.

'Our area ranges from Omokoroa right up to the top of Athenree – and about 12 miles out to sea. But we don't go out to sea very often.”

Noel says today's boaties are far more safety-conscious than they were two decades ago.

'There was a scant regard for lifejackets back in those days,” says Noel, who reckons the common attitude was ‘she'll be right mate'.

'Whereas now we take boating safety quite seriously. For example, last year when I was doing my patrols lifejacket compliance was nearly 100 per cent.”

'It doesn't mean to all were wearing them – but they had them in the vessels. I didn't ever think we would win that battle but we are. There is an increasing number wearing them too.”

Noel, who has also been part of Waihi Beach Volunteer Coastguard for the last 16 years, says people's attitudes have changed too.

'The change is for the better. We [harbour patrollers] used to be looked upon as the enemy, but now people are pleased to see us on the water doing our job.

'What it boils down to is education. All the signs, channel markers and communications the council has organised to help educate folk about how to be safe on the water appears to be sinking in. There has been a remarkable turnaround.”

And is there a standout fact people don't realise about being safe on the water? 'I think the thing is thing can go wrong so quickly,” says Noel.

'For example, a wave on the entrance of Tauranga Harbour can swamp your boat and put water into the front of your boat within three or four seconds.

'But in the harbour the key is to keep your lookout – and even the wake from a large boat will tip a little dinghy over.”

And there's many sea kayakers around too these days that boaties need to be aware of. 'Kayaks are very vulnerable in the water.”

Noel is still on the patrol roster - and with summer approaching a busy season is ahead – educating boaties to keep safe.

'Things will start warming up a few weeks before Christmas – and go right to Easter.”

And it still stuns Noel how many people go boating these days. 'We've noticed a lot of families go boating these days.” Compared to 20 years ago just being dad going out to catch a feed. 'Now, it's family affair.”

If you are a qualified skipper or experienced boatie and want more information on what a harbour warden or safer boating advisor does and how to become one, call Daniel Rapson at BOPRC on 0800 884 880.