Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio Association Inc
The Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio Association is an Incorporated Society that provides dedicated marine communication services across Tasman Bay, Golden Bay, Cook Strait, and the Marlborough Sounds region of New Zealand.
Our mission is to promote safety at sea through reliable VHF communication and to provide assistance to the boating community throughout central New Zealand.
The Association operates and maintains a network of privately owned VHF repeater channels, which are available exclusively to members—except in emergencies. If you would like to become a member, we warmly invite you to get in touch.
Our repeater network provides coverage across most sea areas of central New Zealand, roughly bounded by:
- Kahurangi Point
- Cape Farewell
- Cape Egmont
- Cape Palliser
- Cape Campbell, and south along the coast to Clarence.
Position Reports and Trip Reports
The Marlborough-Nelson Radio Executive has reviewed the services provided to members—particularly how a vessel’s intentions and current location are logged. This review considered member needs, operational capacity, and matters of liability, as well as the ability of radio operators to follow up when situations arise.
Marlborough-Nelson Radio accepts two types of reports from vessels. They are Position Reports and Trip Reports.
Become a Member
To join Marlborough-Nelson Marine Radio and gain the use of our privately owned channels (01, 04, 05, 60, 63, 65 and 66) please either complete an online application or contact our office by
Membership fees are kept as low as possible to encourage everyone to join - to 31 July 2025 a recreational membership is $96 (incl gst) and a commercial membership is $207.58 (incl gst). Recreational members with more than one vessel pay $71 (incl gst) for each of their additional vessels, and commercial members with more than one vessel pay $188.60 (incl gst) for each of their additional vessels.
Vessel Call Signs
Call signs are a unique identifier for your vessel and are an important consideration for your safety. If you don't know your current call sign then please contact Coastguard Boating Education. They will help you to update your existing call sign or if required provide you with a new one.
Trip Reports (TR)
When placing a Trip Report (TR), please have the following information ready:
- Vessel name
- Call sign
- Departure point
- Destination
- Number of persons on board (POB)
- Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
