More than love vital to save Te Aroha

Tex McGoram lost everything when the 106-year-old schooner sank in the Hatea River, but he hopes someone will come to the boat's rescue and restore it. Photo / John Stone

Two Whangarei mariners who lost everything when the 106-year-old boat they were living on sank want someone to take over their ambitious restoration project before a piece of Northland's maritime history is gone forever.

Tex McGoram and Yolande Oversier bought the dilapidated 25m SV Te Aroha seven years ago and were living on board, moored in Whangarei Harbour near Port Rd. They were slowly doing up the schooner, which Mr McGoram said was the last of its kind in New Zealand.

But one January night this year, it sank after springing a leak, and pumps that had previously kept rogue water at bay couldn't keep up.

Mr McGoram and Ms Oversier lost almost all their belongings, and the vessel is sitting on mudflats near Port Nikau.

"We put a lot of money and effort into the restoration and we battled all day to save her," said Mr McGoram. "We got off at midnight with basically just the oily clothes on our back."

He said the schooner was now in desperate need of a wealthy backer willing to help restore it to its former glory. He had a couple of interested buyers, but mainly wanted to see the boat go to a good home.

"She's a lovely old girl. It's like losing a member of the family, it's so sad ... But for a vessel this size, you would need a big budget."

He said most of the boat's framing, built from a single kauri tree, was in reasonable condition though there was extensive rot on many planks below deck.

Built in 1909 at Totara North, the Te Aroha was originally a trading vessel and has made more than 10,000 Cook Strait crossings. Mr McGoram and Ms Oversier planned to move on from their failed project and were looking at getting work as crew on yachts sailing internationally.

If abandoned, the SV Te Aroha would be the second historic vessel to be destroyed recently. The MV Tuhoe, built in 1919, became stranded on the Waimakariri River bar, just north of Christchurch, near the end of September.

Efforts to refloat the wooden vessel failed. It had recently undergone a $200,000 restoration. The mast, wheelhouse and other memorabilia are being recovered in its deconstruction, which could take weeks. Mr McGoram said more should be done to preserve the country's maritime history.

"There's funding for historic buildings or houses but absolutely nothing for boats."