Tui fire: Community gathers for blessing, marine centre plans in limbo

The wreckage of the Tui on June 4 shows just how much needed to be cleared. Photo / TriOceans

The owners of the historic vessel destroyed in a fire say their dreams to bring marine education north haven’t died.

Cat and Thibaud Guerin acquired Kelly Tarlton’s former vessel, The Tui, with an aim to turn it into a marine education centre in Waitangi.

But a fire about 4am last Wednesday resulted in the historic vessel being demolished instead.

Cat said the plan to restore the ship was a “long hard-fought dream” that spanned over 11 years.

They had been granted funding by Foundation North to bring their vision to life.

Cat said she didn’t know what would happen to the funding, but the “dream hasn’t died”.

“This is something that was very important to us. TriOceans is one part of that, the Tui was also a huge part of that.

“What we wanted to achieve is still very much a need.”

She said currently the loss of the Tui was “raw” and there were questions around how they would manage financially.

The site where the Tui sat is now clear after days of hard work. Photo / TriOceans

It was a total loss for the pair, who were not covered by insurance for the fire, which an investigator said was likely caused by an electrical fault.

They’d had a “long battle” to get the vessel insured because it had been purchased in a state of disrepair, Cat said.

They were in the process of putting construction insurance in place and obtaining all the consents.

They were due to get the paperwork on the morning of the fire, Cat said.

The couple were grateful for the support of friends, family and the wider community who came together after Wednesday.

Thibaud and Cat Guerin had plans to turn the boat into a marine education centre. They are pictured at the fire scene on June 4. Photo / Jenny Ling

“We felt very wrapped in love by everyone, which was important.”

A blessing was performed on Saturday morning to bid farewell and acknowledge the history of the Tui.

Cat said the blessing ceremony was the first time she and Thibaud could express how they were feeling after a focus on cleaning in the preceding days.

About 5am, more than 50 people gathered to walk from Te Tii Marae to the site of the fire as a karakia was sung.

A moment of silence was observed while looking at the now-empty beach, before a rāhui was placed on the harbour.

The rāhui spans the Waitangi inlet and waterfront for two weeks and will be reviewed at Matariki.

Cat and Thibaud Guerin and Fiona Tarlton, whose father once owned the vessel, were welcomed on to the marae where, they spoke of their connection to the vessel and marae.

It also offered the opportunity for others to share their memories of the vessel, Cat said.

“We saw ourselves as custodians of the future and tried to save her.

“We didn’t ever see it as [if] we were the owners.”

Pieces of the ship had been salvaged, and some people had asked to take some.

But the pair wanted to “respect history” and ensure intention went into what happened.

“We want to take a minute and make sure we do something for the community,” Cat said.

Bay Bush Action will be at the site of the fire next to Te Tii Marae on Sunday from 9am.

The public has been invited to help remove nails from the sand and tidy the surrounding area.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.