Winds beat bid to refloat fishing boat

By TONY GEE

High winds last night forced the postponement of an attempt to refloat the 16m fishing boat Viking 2, trapped on rocks just inside the entrance to Mangonui Harbour in the Far North.

More than 1000 litres of diesel fuel have been removed from the Tauranga vessel, which has a damaged hull.

The Northland Regional Council maritime operations manager, Joe Waipouri, last night said the council's oil spill response team had pumped all Viking 2's diesel fuel into drums and brought them ashore over rocky outcrops.

Crushed planks on the boat's hull were shored up with plywood patches as 30-knot westerly and northwesterly winds whipped up seas.

Viking 2 broke its moorings during a storm on Sunday.

It drifted down the harbour before hitting rocks and taking on a list.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/marine