A third crane is being brought in to try and lift the remains of the Kestrel hull from the seabed after it sunk at its Wynyard Wharf berth last month.

Kestrel Preservation Society chairman Mike Alston today said it was hoped to raise what remained of the historic ferry later this afternoon.

If all went to plan, the hull would be pumped out and floated to the Titan slipway at high tide after midnight.

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Salvage operation to raise historic Kestrel begins at Wynyard wharf
Historic Auckland ferry the Kestrel sinks

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Mr Alston said work to lift the crippled vessel started yesterday but salvors found they could not do it with two cranes.

A third crane was brought on to the downtown Auckland wharf today.

Mr Alston said they were confident they could lift it with three machines.

But they would still have to wait another day before inspections could take place to find out the fate of the vessel.

"In the light of day some inspections will be done and we'll find out if what we have is basis for restoration or if it needs to be demolished," he said.

The 110-year-old ferry sank suddenly on March 8 at its berth in Wynyard Quarter.