Drama at sea has boat holed

Roger Moroney
WHAT was planned as a pleasant day's game fishing off Cape Kidnappers turned into a rescue drama on the high seas for Napier couple Steve and Michelle Danks and two mates yesterday.
"If Steve [Christensen] hadn't seen the log we would have probably gone down pretty quick," Mrs Danks said yesterday as the holed 11m boat Trident was edged to the Napier Sailing Club quayside just before 1pm.
Mr Christensen said the choppy sea conditions where they were motoring, about three nautical miles (5.5km) off Black Reef, meant there was a bit of noise as the wooden-hulled boat smacked down off waves.
But one thump was louder than the usual slapping.
All aboard heard it but did not immediately think too much of it.
Then Mr Christensen raised the alarm: "I looked up and saw the stump going past."
Boat owner Steve Danks went to check below and was stunned to see water pouring into the bilge.
The four had set off along with several other Hawke's Bay Sport Fishing Club boats about 8am as part of the week-long national fishing event, which began last Saturday.
They ran over the stump just after 9am - with Mrs Danks saying they were lucky to have been inside the cape rather than further out in more exposed conditions.
"Water started rushing in pretty quickly."
She said had Mr Christensen not seen the stump they would have likely continued motoring on, which would had forced water into the 20cm hole a lot faster.
They set the boat's pump going but it was clear it was not going to cope with the amount coming in.
They radioed their position and called for help.
"My heart was racing. The water was rising fast and I thought we were going to sink. We'd already cut the liferaft free and had our lifejackets on," Mrs Danks said.
She grabbed a few fishing plaques off the cabin walls and other "irreplaceables" and she and her husband consigned themselves to losing the boat they had had renovated three years ago and dropped a new motor into only two months ago.
"It was very emotional. I felt sick we were going to lose her."
Other sport fishing boat crews heard the calls and headed toward the Trident.
First on the scene was the Mattie Rose, which got alongside and took the crew off.
The Wahoo was not far behind, and skipper Wayne Bicknell was not going to see a good boat go down without a fight.
"We got there and I thought no, we can have a go at saving this."
Having donned a wetsuit, he grabbed a towel and dived into the water, swam under the Trident, and plugged the hole as best he could with it.
That gave the rescuers valuable time to get another pump aboard.
A short time later the Hawke's Bay Volunteer Coastguard's boat arrived with a larger pump. The Wahoo took the Trident in tow, with Mr Danks, Mr Bicknell and a member of the coastguard manning the pumps and baling.
The Mattie Rose took the other three crew to shore where they waited anxiously for the Trident's arrival.
Mrs Danks greeted Mr Bicknell with a hug and a simple but sincere "thankyou."
Her husband smiled, waved and simply said "everything's all right."
The Trident was taken to the coastguard moorings where pumps were kept going until high tide and a removal to the slipway where it could be examined and repaired.
Mrs Danks could not say enough about the other club boat crews and coastguard who raced to their aid in windswept, challenging conditions.
"We just can't thank everyone enough."
With a laugh, Mr Bicknell conceded that a few beers from Mr Danks may be in order.
Not for the rescue, but because he had spotted a marlin only minutes before the drama emerged.
"No fish today," he said.