Fishing vessel runs aground: Inner Harbour channel needs surveying, HBRC says

The commercial fishing vessel Sidina was refloated on Monday evening after running aground at the entrance of Napier’s Inner Harbour.

A commercial fishing vessel was refloated as the tide came in after running aground at the entrance of Napier’s inner harbour on Monday.

Westshore resident Jessica Vandy said she could see and hear the vessel “revving its engine” for two hours and suspected it was stuck on a sandbank near Perfume Point.

A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) social media post said the Hawke’s Bay harbourmaster’s office was advised that the fishing vessel Sidina had run aground at the entrance early in the evening.

The commercial fishing vessel Sidina was refloated on Monday evening after running aground at the entrance to Napier’s inner harbour.

The fishing vessel was eventually refloated about 7.35pm, once tidal conditions allowed, and made its way to berth.

“The skipper on board has indicated that the vessel has not sustained any structural damage and there is also no visible sign of pollution from the vessel.”

Other vessels were prohibited from entering or leaving the inner harbour until the refloating took place.

“A survey will need to be undertaken to confirm the depths at the critical points within the channel,” the HBRC social media post said.

Coastguard Hawke’s Bay skipper Henry van Tuel said he was contacted by the harbourmaster and made aware that the vessel had run aground.

“I could see that it was going to be a 1.7 metre tide, so it was a big tide and I was comfortable that they would refloat as the tide came in.”

Residents could see and hear the vessel revving its engine.

He said the vessel was not on the rocks and was in the middle of the channel.

“As you go out of the inner harbour, the seabed rises a little bit, it is two or three metres in some spots and some of these fishing boats are quite big, so have a lot of boat under the water.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.