Millionaire banned from helm of luxury boat

By MATHEW DEARNALEY

Retired Auckland furniture innovator Ken Winter has been banned from skippering his 32m luxury motor yacht Pacific Mermaid after ploughing into a field of surf ski race contestants.

The Maritime Safety Authority has ruled that Danish-born Mr Winter be prevented from commanding the vessel until fulfilling conditions for the return of his commercial launchmaster certificate.

Mr Winter, with his wife Bente, founded the Danske Mobler furniture company in 1958.

His launchmaster certificate had already been suspended over another incident late in 2002, from which authority investigators found his lack of knowledge of a maritime collision-prevention rule led to a "close quarters" brush between Pacific Mermaid and another commercial vessel.

But authority deputy director Bruce Maroc said yesterday that this had simply prevented him from skippering the vessel with paying passengers on board, rather than for recreational purposes.

The authority's latest reprimand follows an investigation into a collision between Pacific Mermaid, which is also used for charters, and a competitor in the Nutralite surf ski race series in Waitemata Harbour on March 21 this year.

About 30 paddlers in bright orange vests were between Bean Rock lighthouse and St Heliers Bay on the second leg of the 7km Sunday morning race when Pacific Mermaid cut in, forcing four to alter course or slow down to avoid being hit.

One was unable to stop in time, and collided with the motor yacht, although a race organiser said yesterday that he understood there were no injuries.

Mr Winter told a safety authority investigator he believed he had the right of way because the surf skis were approaching his port side, and he thought vessels with greater ability to manoeuvre had to keep clear.

He said he was unaware of the collision, did not consider his actions had endangered anyone, and said that small vessels such as kayaks often deliberately came close to his stern to surf on his wake.

The safety authority noted in its report a requirement for power-driven vessels to keep out of the way of those under sail or oars, and ruled that Mr Winter had insufficient knowledge of the rule to operate Pacific Mermaid safely.