Police launch comes to yacht's rescue

Three yachtsmen, including one who had been seasick for five days, were rescued from stormy Cook Strait yesterday.

The Wellington police launch Lady Elizabeth III battled heavy seas and strong winds through the night, meeting the historic ketch Rainbow and taking it in tow.

Sergeant Cam Trenwith of the wharf police said the three men - skipper Colin Quincey, from Christchurch, Frank Walker, from Thames, and Dick McBurney, from Raumati - left Auckland on January 4.

They were heading for Picton, but engine trouble forced them to seek help. Police and Maritime Operations were alerted about 1 am.

The 9m ketch, built in Britain in 1891, was 6km southeast of Baring Head, near the entrance to Wellington Harbour, with winds gusting more than 90 km/h and swells of up to 3m in Cook Strait.

Although the Lady Liz did not encounter any problems getting to the Rainbow, strong winds reduced progress under tow to a crawl.

Getting the boat moored at Wellington's Chaffers Marina proved impossible because of the wind, and about 10 am the boat was freed from its tow to search for a calm spot to anchor.

A central police communications centre spokesman said yesterday that he understood the badly seasick Rainbow crewman had been ill for about five days.

The Rainbow was also low on fuel, despite being given diesel by a fishing boat along the way.

Mr Quincey said as his boat was towed into Wellington: "It's really bouncy out there ... It wasn't a distress, but an engine problem. There was no other way out of it."

While saying the crew had felt in control at all times, he was full of praise for the tow of almost eight hours by Wellington wharf police.

"These guys did an excellent job ... It was a long night. It's not easy towing a boat."

In a progress report on the international BT Global Challenge yacht race, boats were warned of winds up to 100 km/h in the strait.

- NZPA

Herald Online Marine News