A Castlepoint local said the boaties were rescued by nearby surfers, who pulled the trio to shore about 10.30am.
Life Flight Crewman Dave Greenberg said two of the occupants, both women, were unhurt, but a 61-year-old Masterton man received a small head wound.
He was flown to Wairarapa hospital to be assessed and treated. His condition was not known yesterday.
Earlier the Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to assist two Wellington-based deerstalkers, hunting near Cape Palliser in Aorangi Forest Park.
The two men had wandered too far into steep, unfamiliar terrain and become stuck.
The pair alerted nearby beachgoers by blowing on a whistle, firing some shots from their hunting rifles and waving around a big, bright orange sheet for attention.
"When we approached the area we spotted two men on top of a narrow peak about 3km east of the lighthouse and our pilot was able to touch one skid to the ground allowing our paramedic to get to them".
The men were assessed before the helicopter returned to the peak to collect them. They were returned to their vehicle to make their own way home.
Mr Greenberg said the pair were "geographically challenged".
"They got themselves stuck on a hill, but they were fine...and they did the right thing, because if they'd kept on going they probably would have gotten themselves into a bit of strife," he said.
Mr Greenberg said, in different circumstances, the rescues certainly could have ended up with very different results.
"In the case of the hunters, they were lucky that they were somewhere they could attract attention, and we had a really good result," he said.
"And certainly, if the people in the boat had ended up in the water where there weren't people around to help them, there definitely could have been a worse outcome."
