The coast guard says the family of four, whose boat got stuck on the coast of Kaikōura over the weekend, rescued themselves.
The boat with a family of four ran aground off the coast of Kaikōura on Sunday.
Photo: Canterbury Area
The 40-foot pleasure boat anchored on the north side of the peninsula to shelter from a southerly on Saturday night
Coastguard Southern Region manager Cheryl Moffat said the skipper noticed the anchor was dragging and started moving.
“They decided to lift the anchor to try and move it. Unfortunately, the smaller boat they had on the back, the tow rope in front of it, got caught around the propeller of the boat… They managed to put the anchor back down, but it still didn’t hold up and they floated on the rocks.”
The skipper then called for help — but before a Coast Guard crew could leave, the family met them ashore, Moffat said.
“My crew was getting themselves together to go out, and they managed to save themselves on their other small boat, so that was a great result.”
The family was unharmed, although the two children were a little shaken by the incident, she said.
The locals of Kaikōura yesterday helped tow the boat into sheltered waters about yards offshore and it is now on the beach.
Canterbury Regional Council spokesman Emma Parr said the boat had remained intact and contained 1,300 liters of diesel fuel.
“The forecast for the next few days is really favorable to have that ship removed without breaking down,” she said.
Photo: Canterbury Area
There was minimal damage to the reef from the impact.
A small amount of diesel shine can be seen in tidal movements. The fuel tanks were sealed and it will likely evaporate and spread quickly, Parr said.
Safe removal of the fuel tanks was expected today, and at low tide, around lunchtime, an attempted salvage of the boat would take place.
Kaikōura is a popular boating and fishing spot in Canterbury.
Moffat said the coastline has changed dramatically after the 2016 earthquake, when 120 kilometers of seafloor were pushed up almost six meters in places, and this could be dangerous.
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