Local man on the hunt for the Spirit of Levin

Allan McComb watching old video footage of the Spirit of Levin rescue boat in action at Waitarere Beach.

An SOS has gone out to track down an old jet rescue boat used by Waitarere Surf Life Saving Club back in the 1970s.

Allan McComb has fond memories of the Spirit of Levin, a 2-tonne, fibreglass rescue jet boat built to be unsinkable that he drove and maintained while a member of the surf life saving club.

"I remember my first time behind the wheel. It was wild weather, the ocean was a mess so that got the adrenaline going and I had to hang on for grim death.

"I said afterwards I am never going to be able to drive the boat in those conditions but over time and with training I picked it up."

He was part of the crew at a surf lifesaving championship on the East Coast, which was still feeling the effects of Cyclone Alison.

"The waves were 22 feet high (6.7m) and at that height you burst through them, go through the guts. There was probably a touch of madness involved."

With just some old video footage that he has digitised, McComb would like to find out where the Spirit of Levin went, following its sale after five years' service, replaced by an IRB inflatable craft.

"The rumour is that it was over in the East Coast being used as a fishing boat. It might even be lying in a paddock somewhere."

McComb believes it was one of about nine built by Hamilton Jet in Christchurch, however the company was unable to provide much information for McComb who would like to put together a short documentary for YouTube under his Miley Movies channel.

However, the dream is to find the Spirit of Levin, or one of the other nine rescue boats of that era, restore it to its former glory and navigate it around the North Island to raise money for surf lifesaving and other charities.

If you have any information or photos of the Spirit of Levin, please contact Allan McComb on email at allanandwendy@hotmail.com.