Six Months in a Leaky Boat

{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Six Months in a Leaky Boat

| cover = Six Months In A Leaky Boat.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Split Enz

| album = Time and Tide

| B-side = Fire Drill

| released = May 1982

| format =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop, rock

| length = 4:21
3:48 (edited version)
3:14 (US edited version)

| label = Mushroom Records

| writer = Tim Finn, Split Enz

| producer = Hugh Padgham, Split Enz

| prev_title = Dirty Creature

| prev_year = 1982

| next_title = Never Ceases to Amaze Me

| next_year = 1982

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|cSGpLto1yxU|"Six Months in a Leaky Boat"}}}}

}}

"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a song by New Zealand art rock group Split Enz. It was released in May 1982 as the second single from the group's eighth studio album, Time and Tide.

The song became a top-10 hit in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, going on to be voted the fifth-best New Zealand song ever in the 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association list.{{cite web |last=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |title=Split Enz |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/split-enz |website=New Zealand History |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=14 July 2021}} Its chart performance was less successful in the United Kingdom, owing to its release during the Falklands War. Despite being recorded prior to the outbreak of the conflict, some in Britain considered the song to be veiled criticism of the war with Argentina. The song was consequently removed from many radio playlists in the United Kingdom, including the BBC,{{cite news |title=Banning songs not a rare occurrence for the BBC |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/banning-songs-not-a-rare-occurrence-for-the-bbc/STUEWBVT3DXQGX5TVAYIEQX2YE/ |access-date=14 July 2021 |publisher=NZME Publishing Limited |date=2007}} since it was considered that references to leaky boats were inappropriate during the naval action in the war.Rees, Dafydd and Crampton, Luke. The Q Encyclopedia of Rock Stars, Dorling Kindersley 1999, p. 938

At the 1982 Countdown Music Awards, the song was nominated for Best Australian Single.{{Cite web | url = http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | title = Australian Music Awards | publisher = Ron Jeff | access-date = 16 December 2010 | archive-date = 30 June 2012 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120630220831/http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|url=http://1970scountdown.atspace.com/1987.html|title=Final episode of Countdown|website=1970scountdown|access-date=23 October 2020}}