The widow of Easy Rider skipper Rewai Karetai has been charged with three offences under the Health and Safety in Employment Act and two under the Maritime Transport Act relating to the vessel, which sank in Foveaux Strait in March with a loss of eight lives.

The charges faced by Gloria Davis are:

- that, being a director of AZ1 Enterprises Ltd, acquiesced or participated in the failure of the employer company to ensure that no action or inaction of any employee while at work harmed any other person on board the Easy Rider;

- acquiesced or participated in the failure of the company to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees while at work on board the Easy Rider;

- and acquiesced or participated in the failure of the company as principal, to take all practicable steps to ensure that no contractor or subcontractor was harmed while doing work on board the Easy Rider that he was engaged to do.

This charge is laid as an alternative charge.

She is also charged under the Maritime Transport Act with operating the Easy Rider knowing that a current maritime document, namely a master holding a skippers' certificate, was required before it could be lawfully operated and knowing that the appropriate skippers' certificate was not held, and that she caused or permitted the Easy Rider to be operated in a manner that caused unnecessary danger or risk to the persons on board.

AZ1 Enterprises Ltd is facing five charges - four under the Health and Safety in Employment Act relating to the Bluff-based Easy Rider and one under the Maritime Transport Act.

The charges are that on or about March 15:

- it failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that no contractor or subcontractor was harmed while doing work on board The Easy Rider that he was engaged to do;

- failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that no action or inaction of any employee while at work harmed any other person on board The Easy Rider;

- failed as an employer to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees while at work on board the Easy Rider;

- operated The Easy Rider knowing that a current maritime document namely a master holding a current skippers certificate was required before it could be lawfully operated and knowing that the appropriate skippers certificate was not held;

 - it caused or permitted the ship The Easy Rider to be operated in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk to the persons on board.

Davis is listed by the New Zealand Companies Office as the sole director of AZ1 Enterprises Ltd.

Both she and the company were remanded by the registrar to October 23.

Nine people were on board the Easy Rider when it sank: skipper William Rewai Desmond Karetai, 47, Shane Ronald Topi, 29, Peter Glen Pekamu- Bloxham, 53, Boe Taikawa Gillies, 28, John Henry Karetai, 58, Paul Jason Fowler-Karetai, 40, Odin Nirvana Karetai, 6, and David George Fowler, 50.

The only survivor was Dallas Reedy.

- © Fairfax NZ News