Classic launch drifts on to rocks in Northland

A Whangarei family's dream boat lies dashed on the rocks.

The Alcyone, a 44 foot classic kauri hull launch, was blown loose from its mooring in stormy conditions on Tuesday evening and washed up onto the rocks at the southern end of Ohawini Bay, near Oakura.

The Alcyone's owners, Geoff and Debbie Rafferty of Whangarei, were alerted to their vessel's plight on Tuesday night and rushed out in the dark to save what personal items they could.

Yesterday morning the Raffertys were out wading in the water again, salvaging the rest of their equipment.

"We've opened her up and taken all our living stuff that's on there," Mr Rafferty said.

The family were helped by locals and a group of young men from Rawhiti on their way home from Regent Training Centre in Whangarei.

"They were awesome and they need a big thank you," he said.

With the boat partially submerged under water, the full extent of the damage to the Alcyone is unknown but Mr Rafferty said he intended to bring the boat ashore today.

"It's not going to re-float where it is, it's going to have to be lifted and repaired," he said.

The family were planning to use air-bags to lift the boat off the sandbar where it had come to rest.

The Alcyone is a kauri-plank Family lose dream boat

launch, built in 1951 in Auckland.

The Raffertys have owned it for six years and use it for recreational fishing.

While he was upset about the damage, Mr Rafferty was hopeful the boat could be repaired.

"She's very strong," he said, "she's actually taken quite a beating."

Ohawini Bay resident Dennis Harrison said he looked out of his window at about 5:20pm on Tuesday evening, half an hour before the sun went down, and saw the strong northerly wind blow the boat onto the rocks.

"It was fair blowing out here," he said.

Mr Harrison said the bottom planks of the stern had dropped down, the rudder had been lost and the props had been bent.

The fuel tanks had been almost empty so only a little diesel had been spilt, he said.

Mr Harrison said that, if the Raffertys were planning to use a crane to lift the boat out they would need to be extra careful that the crane did not become bogged down in the sand. Only a couple of weeks ago residents had had to dig a four-wheel-drive vehicle out from the beach.