Tauranga boaties are being encouraged to keep dry today and check their moorings as westerly gales howl through the city.

MetService reports strong winds between 20 and 48km/h in Tauranga from 12am to 10am with gusts of up to 48km/h expected from midday to 8pm.

Tauranga Bridge Marina staff check boat moorings during strong winds in September 2013.

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard operations manager, Simon Barker, says no reports of boats in distress have come through so far, but this does not mean boaties should test the conditions.

'I think there are few people out at the moment sensibly. I think anybody that has been out has come back in,” says Simon.

Coastguard broadcast the weather four times a day direct from MetService, along with Bay of Plenty weather warnings on standard radio frequencies.

The strongest winds are currently being recorded in Pilot Bay where it is 39knots, gusting up to 44knots. The Port of Tauranga crane three is showing 37, gusting to 40knots. At A-beacon, one of the monitored bouys towards Mayor Island, winds have eased slightly to 31 and 35knots.

Simon is advising boaties to keep an eye on the weather forecast before making any decision, especially when venturing out in smaller boats.

Tauranga Bridge Marina administrator Anna Barnes says staff are finding a lot of boats, in and out during the fine weather, are not tied up as securely as at other times of the year.

'The weekend ahead is fine, but a deep low pressure system is approaching New Zealand from the north that promises to bring east backing to northerly winds on Monday and Tuesday next week,” says Anna.

'Please make sure that your vessel is secured adequatelyfor these conditions.”

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