Tauranga Coastguard manager Simon Barker is advising boaties to be more familiar with the harbour before venturing out onto it. This message comes after a boatie phoned emergency services for help because he got lost on water near Matua at the weekend.

Tauranga Coastguard was called to help find a man believed lost in the harbour.

He says the man in the 12 foot boat anchored near Matua when it got dark on Saturday night and then he phoned 111 for help.

Simon says reports from police indicated the man had run aground between Sulphur Point and Mauao.

When they eventually located the boatie, they realised the report was incorrect and the man simply had no idea where he was.

'It's a bit strange. You shouldn't really get lost in that part of Tauranga harbour,” says Simon.

'People need to ensure they know the area they are boating in, especially if they are going to be out after dark.”

The man did not have a VHF radio and only had the use of a mobile phone.

Coastguard also responded to an incident on Sunday night when a small aluminium boat overturned, leaving its occupant wet.

The boat began taking on water near the Maori warrior statue, near Mauao, and began sinking at about 7pm.

Members of the public helped tow the boat to Pilot Bay, where the man waited for the tide to go out so he could turn it upright.

On Friday night, TECT Rescue helped tow a vessel back from Mayor Island after it experienced overheating problems.

Coastguard expects to deal with various boating incidents as the warmer months approach. Simon says boaties will still be getting used to their systems at this stage.