Norway: Following fatal accidents – stricter rules for boat hire companies?

​In Norway, seven foreign fishing tourists have lost their lives within the space of a few months. The authorities are now looking into whether the regulations governing the hire of recreational boats need to be tightened.

Three people died after a boat capsized off Smøla in May; four more foreign fishing tourists were involved in an accident off Averøy last Friday, one of whom was recovered dead and three of whom are presumed dead: In the wake of the boating accidents off the Norwegian coast, boat hire in Norway is under scrutiny. The government has tasked the Norwegian Maritime Authority (Sjøfartsdirektoratet) and the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) with assessing current regulations and proposing possible tightening of the rules.

Two accidents within four months

During the night of 11 May, a 19-foot open plastic boat capsized to the west of the island of Smøla. The three foreign fishing tourists on board lost their lives, as reported by the official accident statistics from the Maritime Authority reports. Last Friday (18 September), four foreign fishing tourists set out from Averøy in an open motorboat around six metres long to go fishing. They did not return. The boat was later found in the waters between Grip and Smøla. One man was recovered dead; three others remain missing. The police and the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board are investigating the case.

Both incidents are fuelling a debate that has been ongoing in Norway for years: holidaymakers hire small motorboats to go fishing along the long, often exposed coastline. They are often less familiar with the waters, the rapid changes in weather and the characteristics of the hired boat than local skippers.

Several accidents involving hire boats

The recent incidents are not the sole cause of the debate. According to the Norwegian Maritime Authority, a total of 15 foreign fishing tourists lost their lives in eleven accidents involving hired leisure boats between 2017 and 2025. The authority has since analysed the cases separately. Its Analysis of accidents involving fishing guests lists small open boats, a lack of local knowledge, rapidly changing weather and inadequate safety equipment as recurring risk factors.

In the Averøy case, the cause and sequence of events remain unclear. However, the cluster of serious incidents involving hire boats is striking. In a report on future boat registration, the Norwegian Government explicitly identifies this group as a key area for action.

What applies to landlords today

In Norway, there are as yet no specific regulations governing recreational boats that are hired out to tourists without a skipper. However, under product safety legislation, the rental company is responsible for ensuring that “the service does not pose a risk to health”. This includes appropriate safety measures as well as information enabling customers to assess risks and make safe decisions. The authority refers to the brochure for further details “Safe at Sea in Norway”. Among other things, it contains a checklist for handing over the boat and safety information. Whether such information is sufficient is now part of the debate. The question is not only whether guests receive a briefing, but also how binding it must be and how its quality is monitored.

Possible new minimum standards

It remains to be seen what specific rules might look like. However, a report by the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board (Statens havarikommisjon) on a capsizing incident involving three German tourists off Kråkenes in May 2025 provides an important insight. The authority recommends a separate set of regulations for boat hire companies, maritime supervision by the Sjøfartsdirektoratet, and mandatory systems for Tracking and Alerting.

In the case under investigation, the victims were unable to make an emergency call. In the authorities’ assessment, an emergency transmitter – such as an EPIRB on board or a personal PLB – would have significantly increased the chances of a quicker location. A tracking system on board the boat could also alert the charter company if a vessel has been stationary for an unusually long time or has strayed from the agreed area. Such technology is no substitute for a thorough handover or sound judgement regarding weather conditions. However, it can save time if a boat capsizes or the crew fall overboard. For trips far from sheltered waters, it is therefore also worth taking a look at Emergency transmitters and their alerting channels.

Responsibilities of charter guests

For charter guests, their own preparation remains crucial. A a well-maintained life jacket is just as much a part of it as checking the weather forecast. In total, the Maritime Authority recorded 17 fatalities in recreational boating accidents in the first half of 2026, 11 of which involved no documented use of buoyancy aids. Even those wearing an automatic lifejacket should be aware of its fit, maintenance schedule and buoyancy. BOOTE has A comparison of 24 automatic vests tested. The following are also useful for day-to-day practice on board: Four emergency checklists from BOOTE.

Anyone hiring a motorboat in Norway should clarify the following points with the hire company before setting sail:

• Is the boat suitable for the planned route, the number of people on board and the expected weather conditions?
• Is there a documented briefing on operation, patrol boundaries, weather-related cancellations and emergency procedures?
• What life-saving equipment, communication devices and signalling devices are on board?
• What weather restrictions does the landlord impose, and who decides whether to call off the event if the weather takes a turn for the worse?

The authorities are now examining whether the landlord’s responsibilities should be translated into verifiable minimum standards. It remains to be seen whether Norway will ultimately introduce mandatory tracking, emergency transmitters, compulsory briefings, clearer requirements regarding boat types, or a combination of these measures.