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A farmer swam through cold seas to reclaim a navy boat off Great Barrier Island - 200km from where it went missing.
The valuable craft was lost from the new HMNZS Canterbury in the Bay of Plenty a week agao.
Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Barbara Cassin said today that a farmer swam out through the surf with a line, attached it to the 7.4 metre inflatable boat and towed it ashore with his tractor.
"We are over the moon and extremely appreciative. It must have been extremely cold in that water," Lt Cdr Cassin said.
She said the rigid hulled boat was badly damaged and would be surveyed when it was brought into the Devonport naval base in Auckland later this week with the help of the army.
A big sea off Tauranga wrenched the 7.4m rigid hulled inflatable boat from its berth as the new multi-role ship HMNZS Canterbury made its delivery voyage from Australia.
The boat was one of 14 bought by the navy for its fleet of seven new ships under the $500 million project protector scheme.
The boats were built in South Africa and fitted with their 300hp Yanmar diesel engines and Doen jet units in Australia.
Canterbury had two of the self-righting boats, hoisted into alcoves about five metres above the waterline on either side of the ship and used as quick release seaboats.
If they capsize the engine automatically turns off before water enters the intakes and causes engine failure.
They can carry eight people and have a top speed of more than 35 knots.
The navy said they had a range of 130 nautical miles (about 260km) at 20 knots (40km/h).
Their main function was to ferry boarding parties and for lifesaving but the navy said they were also a very effective way of transporting people and equipment into areas where the ship's two59-tonne landing craft and helicopters could not reach.
The boat was lost in large seas when the ship was hit beam-on by a big wave in 140km/h winds.
Last week Canterbury's skipper, Commander Tony Millar, said the loss of the boat was not unexpected. He said if the boat was made "absolutely secure" it could not be used.
- NZPA
