Boatie worries Whanganui slipway too silted up for Coastguard to launch

Bruce Edwards' boat got stuck in the mud after he launched it at Whanganui's Wharf St slipway on August 23. Photo/ supplied

A boatie who tried to launch in Whanganui ended up grounded and waiting for high tide.

Bruce Edwards said he tried launching 90 minutes after low tide on August 23.

His 5m boat got stuck, and he had to wait for high tide. Others with larger boats couldn't launch at all for about three hours, and he said there was a queue at the popular Wharf St slipway.

He's concerned the Coastguard Wanganui boat wouldn't have been able to launch either, if there had been an emergency.

"This is a safety issue for the port if the Coast Guard cannot launch. The port company needs to start dredging again," he said.

The needed dredging began on Monday, Coastguard Wanganui president Garry Hawkins said. The council had been notified but was waiting until silt from a fresh storm had moved through.

The Coastguard boat needs about 600mm of water to get out, and cannot do so at very low tides. When it cannot launch at Wharf St it is towed to Putiki Slipway, adding 20 to 30 minutes to rescue times.

Mr Hawkins said silting at the slipway was an ongoing issue and was really a Whanganui District Council issue.

The probability of emergencies happening at the lowest of tides was not huge, he said.

"I don't really want to comment on it too much."