Coastal towns across the North-from Amble and Seahouses to Whitby and Bridlington-will soon get clear ground rules when accidents involve jet skis and other powered leisure craft. A new government order will bring watercraft under the Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s remit and create a duty on users, owners and operators to report serious incidents, putting these craft on the same footing as ships for investigations. (gov.uk)

The Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) (Amendment) Order 2026 applies section 267 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 to watercraft and extends the UK’s accident reporting rules to them. It treats ‘master’ as including ‘any person using a watercraft’ for key reporting provisions-so a jet ski rider in a reportable accident has the same obligation to notify the MAIB as a ship’s master. The order also corrects minor drafting issues flagged by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

Day to day, enforcement won’t start from scratch. Marine Guidance Note 684 already sets out that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is the main statutory authority for dangerous use offences, and highlights the role of harbour masters and local police in UK waters. The new order simply aligns the accident investigation regime with that reality. (gov.uk)

Why it matters on Northern beaches is obvious to anyone who’s watched a blustery bank holiday. RNLI crews were launching to paddlesport incidents almost three times a day at the peak of last summer across the UK and Ireland, with many cases linked to offshore winds. ‘Around half of paddleboarding incidents were due to offshore winds,’ said RNLI water safety lead Sam Hughes. (rnli.org)

Local crews know the pattern well. At Druridge Bay on 9 August, Amble’s all‑weather lifeboat recovered two paddleboarders and a dog after winds blew them out to sea-one of several shouts that week off the Northumberland coast. Volunteers said they train for precisely these scenarios. (northumberlandgazette.co.uk)

Further down the Yorkshire coast, Flamborough RNLI launched to paddleboarders in difficulty by East Scar, underlining how mixed leisure use and gusty conditions can put people in trouble just a few hundred metres from shore. (thescarboroughnews.co.uk)

Harbour authorities are already using local rules to keep busy waters safe. Seahouses (North Sunderland) Harbour’s code bans the use of personal watercraft inside the harbour and caps speeds at three knots-showing how byelaws and harbour directions sit alongside national law. (nsh.org.uk)

For hire operators and clubs from Whitby to Tynemouth and Morecambe, the practical change is administrative as much as legal: build a clear MAIB reporting line into incident procedures, brief staff and members on when a report is required, and keep logs ready to share with investigators. Separately, the Department for Transport is moving to introduce personal locator beacon (PLB) registration requirements for watercraft, so owners should check their emergency beacons are correctly registered with His Majesty’s Coastguard before the summer rush. (gov.uk)

Not every craft is covered. The 2023 order defines ‘watercraft’ as powered, person‑carrying craft that aren’t already classed as ships-so jet skis, powered dinghies and e‑foils are in scope, while kayaks and paddleboards are not. That distinction matters for who must report to the MAIB when an accident happens. (rya.org.uk)

The Department for Transport has consulted on the change and says it removes any uncertainty over MAIB’s powers while placing a clear reporting duty on those who use, operate or own watercraft. The order takes effect in April 2026, giving Northern harbour masters, RNLI stations and beach businesses time to hard‑wire MAIB reporting into their safety plans ahead of peak season. (gov.uk)