Questions for Russian sailor after second rescue in week

Maritime rescue authorities want to have a few words with a Russian sailor who has had to be rescued off the New Zealand coast twice in a week.

Russian-born Christchurch skipper Gennady Shcherbanovsky and his sloop Justasteel were towed into Lyttelton Harbour on Tuesday night after Canterbury Coastguard volunteers answered a mayday call about 9am.

The coastguard rescue vessel and its crew of seven reached Justasteel about 50km off the Canterbury coast just before midday and managed to get a rope aboard. The boats arrived at Lyttelton about 7.30pm after a gruelling tow into swells of 3m to 5m and winds gusting around 48 knots.

Just a week earlier, on February 21, Mr Shcherbanovsky was towed into Wellington Harbour by the police launch Lady Elizabeth III after blowing his mainsail and being unable to make headway into a 30 knot northwesterly.

In the mayday received by Maritime New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday, Mr Shcherbanovsky reported that his engine had failed.

Both Canterbury Coastguard and Maritime NZ said yesterday that language difficulties had caused problems in communicating with Mr Shcherbanovsky. His sloop was reported initially with the name Estelle and rescuers were unable to find out if anyone else was aboard the craft.

Canterbury Coastguard rescue controller Jim Lilley said the Russian's lack of English had added to confusion in the rescue.

Coastguard volunteers had been disappointed and frustrated to learn that Mr Shcherbanovsky had sent another mayday so soon after getting into trouble off Wellington.

Maritime NZ spokesman Steve Corbett said the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Wellington made no distinction between mariners seeking rescue and would help people regardless of money, background or status.

But Mr Corbett said Maritime NZ would want to talk to Mr Shcherbanovsky. "Given there are two incidents, we'll certainly be interested in finding out more information and making sure that his vessel is safe and that his practices are safe."

- NZPA