Recreational boaties are being urged to stay off the water around the Bay of Plenty as they risk spreading oily water from their boats to uncontaminated sites.

Maritime New Zealand is advising all boaties who find oil on their vessels to take the boat and trailer to a self service car wash, which is designed to cope with oil and other pollutants.

Recreational boaties are being urged to keep off Bay of Plenty waters for fear of taking oily water into non-contaminated areas. Photo: Maritime New Zealand

Navigation warnings remain in place as 58 of the 88 containers lost from Rena since the ship ran aground on Astrolabe Reef on October 5 remain unaccounted for.

MNZ says 15 containers have been recovered with operations underway to remove another seven that have washed ashore.

Eight others have been identified as sunk in waters up to 60 metres deep within a kilometre of Rena and four of the containers whose location has been identified remain joined, as two sets of two containers.

MNZ is urging people not to touch the containers or consume any of the goods that have come free from the containers as they may be contaminated and are still the property of the owners.

Extreme caution should also be exercised in all waters of the Bay of Plenty region as shipping containers and debris from Rena may be present throughout these waters.

Vessel skippers who come across containers or container debris in the water should report this via maritime radio or the 0800 OIL SPILL number, including the position, drift direction, size, colour and condition of the container and any other relevant information. Skippers should not attempt to tow or move containers.