Coastguard crews from Whangaroa were unable to help so Mr Reynolds said a local volunteer crew from Mangonui banded together and headed out to rescue the sailor aboard his yacht, Cosmos Explorer.
The Mangonui crew aboard the 8.5m rigid hull vessel, Lilly Walker, included skipper Hamish Wilton, Simon Allan, Ben Nunn, Grant Webster and Mr Reynolds.
Mr Reynolds, a former fisherman off the Isles of Scilly near England, joined the rescue crew and said it was the roughest seas he had ever experienced.
"These guys put their lives on the line to rescue someone else. It was atrocious conditions although the wind did drop when he was being towed back in."
Visibility due to rain and swell was reduced to about 500 metres.
"It was impossible to see where he was so we got those in communication with him to [tell him to] let a flare off."
The flare was spotted and the team was able to reach the man, who was using a navigational system better used in cars, not for navigating the Tasman Sea.
The yachtie tried to follow the rescue vessel, who guided him passed two reefs, but needed to be towed when the wind dropped off.
He anchored in Mangonui Harbour about 9.30pm and yesterday morning docked when Customs officials could clear the vessel.
Mr Reynolds said the rescue team operated on a few donations but kept the boat fuelled and maintained thanks to the small group involved. The vessel had originally been used by the coastguard on Kawau Island, near Auckland.
"They certainly showed they had the ability to carry out a rescue in rough conditions," Mr Reynold said.