Tall ship hits rock in Bay of Islands

The tall ship R Tucker Thompson returns to Russell wharf after hitting a rock in the Bay of Islands on Wednesday evening. Photo / Steven Western

Lost paint and an embarrassed skipper were the only damage when a tall ship got stuck on a rock in the Bay of Islands with 40 passengers on board.

The R Tucker Thompson, an 18-metre, steel-hulled sailing ship, was returning from an afternoon sailing excursion when it scraped Hermione Rock, roughly midway between Waitangi and Kororareka Pt, and became stuck about 5.30pm on Wednesday.

The skipper notified Russell Radio, a maritime radio service, and initially expected to have to wait until the rising tide freed the vessel. High tide on Wednesday was at 8pm. However the ship was freed within about 20 minutes and continued its journey to Russell.

Jane Hindle, chairwoman of the R Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust, said a diver went down to check the hull that evening and found some paint had been scraped off. An embarrassed skipper was the only other damage.

The vessel was freed using a "slide on, slide off" technique in which the passengers are asked to move from one end of the ship to the other.

The rock is well charted but Ms Hindle said the skipper misjudged the distance to shore and hence the position of the rock. It was not the first time a boat had "kissed" the rock and it wouldn't be the last.

The ship was able to resume sailing yesterday and will compete in the annual Tall Ships race off Russell on January 7.

The R Tucker Thompson was built in the style of a gaff-rigged North American Halibut schooner and launched in 1985. It is owned by a trust which funds youth sail training trips by taking tourists on excursions in summer.