Mon dieu! French warship spotted off the New Zealand coast in Hauraki Gulf by volunteer coastguard

Pictured is the French frigate Prairial, the sister ship and same Floréal-class warship as the Vendémiaire, which was sighted in New Zealand waters. Photo / Getty Images

A volunteer coastguard crew was shocked to discover a French warship lurking in the Hauraki Gulf mist while searching for a stricken yachtie.

Kawau Volunteer Coastguard was called out to assist in the search and rescue of the yacht that had lost navigation and electronics amid a gale warning, with winds of 30 knots and heavy rain off Kawau Island last week.

During the evening the 42ft yacht’s suspected position moved between Cape Rodney and Little Barrier, and then further south from Thames to possibly Colville, the coastguard explained in a Facebook post today.

“Certainly the weather had found us - a huge vigorous wave over the roof, sending water squirting out all our cabin roof vents and other orifices,” the crew said. “The poor boat got a good soaking!”

The coastguard said searching for the yacht was a little like “the good old game of Battleships. What was where and how to find them?”

“We went on, no sign of the yacht, with the heavy weather continuing. Eventually, we spotted a mast light in the distance ahead of us, and then our AIS (Automatic Identification system) showed a French warship lurking!”

The coastguard had stumbled upon the French frigate Vendémiaire.

“We asked them nicely, and happily they spotted the yacht on their radar giving us a compass bearing agreeing with the light we had just found,” the coastguard said.

“Once near the yacht, which was motor sailing and appeared to be a whole lot more stable than us, we became a ‘pilot vehicle’, except for the difficulty in trying to go the same speed as the yacht, 4–6 knots, in rough seas from the side/quarter. We steadily zigzagged our way into the North Channel, finally getting into shelter a couple of hours later.”

The coastguard said all were well “except for some soaked, tired and hungry crew”.

“Great that the game of battleships can now be played with some clever technology and good international relationships!”

It remains unclear exactly what the Vendémiaire, which is known to patrol France’s Pacific territories, was doing in New Zealand waters. The Herald is seeking comment from the New Zealand Defence Force and French embassy.