ABOUT 150 ships have been wrecked on the 100km-long Ripiro Beach on the Kaipara's west coast but today, for the first time, one of the shipwrecks will be salvaged.
The Askoy II was tossed on to the sand about 2km south of Baylys Beach on the night of July 7, 1994,
as it battled a huge storm.
The solo yachtsman at the helm when the historic Belgian-built boat hit the beach, Lindsay Wright, credits the vessel's solid, steel construction for saving his life.
Yesterday Mr Wright was one of about 150 people who watched what was left of the Askoy II emerge from the sand that has gripped it tight for the past 13 years.
It was an emotional day for Mr Wright, who had not stopped thinking about his "dream boat" since that fateful night off the stormy west coast.
He's delighted he won't be "the last owner who took her to her grave" and that the Askoy II will be fully restored.
The 18-metre ketch is an icon in Belgium, having been owned by superstar singer and actor Jacques Brel, who was the French-speaking equivalent of Elvis Presley at the height of his fame, and another well known Belgian, Hugo Van Kuyk.
And it's thanks to the efforts of two Belgian brothers, Staf and Peter Wittevrongel, that the Askoy II is finally emerging from the sand.
Staf Wittevrongel, who made new sails for the ketch when Brel owned it, was also on hand yesterday to see the efforts of the foundation he helped set up - Save The Askoy Foundation - come to fruition.
Mr Wittevrongel said the entire operation to recover the Askoy II and ship it to Belgium for restoration would likely cost more than US$1 million, but it was money well spent on preserving an important part of Belgian maritime history.
"The idea came together three years ago when we came here to have a look at her. We went home and started the foundation and with the help of people like Noel Hilliam it's now a reality," he said.
A team of heavy diggers on Monday and yesterday moved hundreds of tonnes of sand from around the wreck so steel cables could be attached. Two efforts yesterday to pull the Askoy II from the sand failed, but Mr Hilliam was confident the ketch would be freed today.
A massive sand wall was built around the freshly dug hole late yesterday afternoon to protect the site from again being covered by the tide.
Mr Hilliam said there were 110 recorded wrecks along the 100km Ripiro Beach, but his own research had uncovered at least another 40, with the oldest dating back to about 1532.
Yesterday the historian was in his element as he oversaw the operation to extract the Askoy II from the sand that had held it for 13 years.
"This is really exciting for me. There's been a lot of planning and frustration along the way to get to this point," Mr Hilliam said.
"There's been a lot of boats that have ended up on this beach, so it's nice to finally get one back from the beach."
• Keep reading the Northern Advocate for more on the Askoy II, its colourful history and the recovery effort.
ABOUT 150 ships have been wrecked on the 100km-long Ripiro Beach on the Kaipara's west coast but today, for the first time, one of the shipwrecks will be salvaged.
The Askoy II was tossed on to the sand about 2km south of Baylys Beach on the night of July 7, 1994,
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