Rugby mates saved from sinking boat

A social trip to the Marlborough Sounds to watch the All Black test went horribly wrong for 11 Porirua men after their luxury launch hit rocks and sank.

The 16m Silver Spray, which had been cruising from Mana Island to Endeavour Inlet, struck rocks and foundered off Cape Koamaru at the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound on Saturday night.

The Silver Spray was built in 1936 and had been lovingly restored. Its owner was devastated by the loss.

One of the rescued men, Craig Morris, of Pukerua Bay, said the group of 11, mostly Paremata-Plimmerton Rugby Club players, had planned to go to Furneaux Lodge to watch the All Black-Italy test on television. They had also hoped to do some diving and fishing the next day.

Mr Morris, a friend of the rugby players, said it all happened very suddenly. "I heard a loud crunching noise when the boat hit the rocks and within 50 seconds we knew it was sinking. It was pretty scary."

He said everyone remained calm. Six of the men jumped into an inflatable dinghy on board and headed for nearby rocks, two - including himself - held on to the dinghy and swam, and three remained on the sinking boat.

After the launch sank, 800m offshore, the trio were left treading water for "a couple of minutes" before being rescued by a fishing vessel, the Predator. Police said they were not wearing life jackets.

Mr Morris said one of the men lost a front tooth, another suffered a gash to his head and others got "a few bangs and bruises".

The group in the dinghy and the three in Predator were then taken on board a catamaran, Te Tahi, crewed by a separate group of friends who had been alerted to the mayday call when they arrived at the lodge.

Marlborough Volunteer Coastguard spokesman Mike Oliver said Silver Spray skipper Brett Williams - an experienced boatie who had done the Sydney-Hobart yacht race - and one other man were taken to hospital in Blenheim, suffering shock and hypothermia. The rest went to the lodge.

The accident is being investigated by the Maritime Safety Authority.

Furneaux Lodge relief manager John Coulter said the men were in shock, but putting on a brave face.

"They were a bit overawed by their experience - one or two had never been on a boat before."

Marlborough harbourmaster Alex Van Wijngaarden said the vessel was 21m down, and was not a hazard to other boats. It was up to the owner (Mr Williams' father-in-law, John Gault) to salvage it.

- NZPA