HMNZS Wellington provided support to the skipper of a yacht adrift off Kaikoura's South Bay after its rigging and engine failed. Photo / NZDF
The Royal New Zealand Navy had a reason to show their heroic side when a yacht struck troubled waters.
They swooped in to save the boat in Kaikoura yesterday.
The Navy's offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington was giving members of Coastguard Kaikoura and their families a tour when Kaikoura police requested assistance.
A yacht had ran adrift off Kaikoura's South Bay after its rigging and engine failed.
Wellington's commanding officer Matt Kaio said they were at anchor close to the yacht.
"We lost no time in coming to her aid. The boat was drifting towards the rocks, the skipper had no means to seek help as his cellphone battery was flat, he had run out of fuel and the engine had broken down."
Wellington sent two of its engineers to repair the yacht's engine and provided 20 litres of diesel to enable the skipper to proceed. A support boat then towed the vessel to the northern side of the peninsula, so that the skipper could safely fix his rigging protected from the weather before resuming his trip.
The yacht's skipper told crew from Wellington that he was on his way to Reefton.
The HMNZS Wellington was in Kaikoura for a one-day goodwill visit aimed at showing continued support for the earthquake-stricken seaside town.
About 30 crewmembers from Wellington and 10 New Zealand Army soldiers visited three primary schools to play sports with the students and hosted a sausage sizzle for them on Thursday. The sailors then visited the township to engage with the local community.
Wellington arrived in Kaikoura on November 16, two days after the earthquake struck North Canterbury, to support the New Zealand Defence Force's disaster relief operation.
A Littoral Warfare Unit embarked on the ship surveyed approaches for landing crafts and anchorage positions, paving the way for Canterbury to bring aid supplies to the coastal town.
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