The rusted steel hull of a famous ketch will soon be shipped back to Belgium from Tauranga - 13 years after it was blown ashore in a storm and buried under eight metres of sand on Ripiro Beach near Dargaville.
It took four years and three attempts to salvage the 18-metre
yacht Askoy II, which has become a national icon in Belgium.
Askoy II was a luxury double-masted ketch when it was built in 1960.
It was first owned by sailor/architect Hugo van Kuyk and then by the Belgian superstar singer Jacques Brel from 1974-76.
New Plymouth solo yachtsman Lindsay Wright spotted Askoy II in Suva, bought her and was sailing her back to his hometown when the big storm struck off the Northland coast on July 7, 1994.
He recalled: "The waves knocked Askoy back towards the shore until finally one huge set swept through, smashed against her bow, and she was heading for the land at breakneck speed.
"Her big rudder couldn't get a grip in the aerated breakers beneath the stern and Askoy surrounded by a heaving, tumbling mass of water soared beachwards, tracking like a surfboat," Mr Wright said.
In Belgium, a Save Askoy Foundation was established and they raised money to complete the salvage just before Christmas.
A total of 116 tonnes of sand was removed from the boat's hull.
The 32-tonne hull - still in pretty good condition - arrived at Port of Tauranga's Sulphur Point Container Terminal yesterday by truck from Auckland.
The faded Askoy II will be loaded on to a container ship within the next month and will be shipped to Antwerp via Singapore - into the welcoming arms of the foundation members.
The Askoy II will be restored to its former glory under the guidance of the Belgian National Maritime Museum.
