Sunken drugs boat raised

A yacht that was at the centre of a major drug-smuggling operation was pulled from the bottom of Gisborne harbour yesterday.

Two holes were found in the hull of the Lonebird, which sank at its inner-harbour mooring in September 2000.

The yacht, formerly owned by convicted drug smuggler Sir Thomas Graham Fry - he added the "Sir" to his name by deed poll - has been contracted for removal by Australia's proceeds-of-crime unit, the Insolvency and Trustee Service.

Fry was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 25 years, for his role in bringing 500kg of cocaine into Australia in February 2000.

During his seven-month trial in Sydney in 2001, the court heard that Lonebird was thought to have been bought to transfer drugs from off the coast of New Zealand to Australia.

But it was not seaworthy enough and sank during a storm in September 2000 in unknown circumstances.

Months of legal battles over the ownership of the vessel were resolved only recently.

Tauranga company Bay Underwater Services began to free Lonebird from the bottom of the harbour on Tuesday.

The holes were discovered as divers and salvage staff worked through the night.

Bay Underwater Services director Rob Campbell said the holes were about 300mm in diameter. A porthole was also broken.

A quick repair job was done overnight to prevent more water flowing into the vessel as it was lifted.

Three pumps removed 4500 litres of water a minute from the vessel and by 7.30am yesterday, half of Lonebird had been raised out of the water.

Shortly after 8am, the weight came off the chains attached to a crane and the yacht appeared to be floating.

Repairs were to be made on Lonebird today before it is towed to Midway Beach and run aground at high tide.

The yacht will then be taken to a quarry and buried.

- NZPA