Weather may affect frigate sinking again

Tomorrow's weather will determine whether the sinking of retired frigate HMNZS Wellington will go ahead as planned.

Sinking was postponed today because of high winds off the south coast.

The frigate was originally scheduled to be sunk at 3pm today off Elsdon Point, between Houghton Bay and Island Bay.

A Wellington City Council spokeswoman said if there was any doubt over Sunday, a decision on whether the sinking would go ahead would be made late tonight.

The frigate would then be sunk on Monday, weather permitting.

The forecast for tomorrow includes gusty northwesterly winds.

Crowds of spectators are expected to cram Wellington's south coast to witness the event.

The 113m-long former warship was bought from the Government for $1 by a trust and will become a dive reef about 25m under the water once scuttled.

Organisers say the ship will sit upright on the ocean floor and will be an attraction for dive tourists and commercial operators.

Explosives will be used to sink the ship and it is expected to take about two minutes to go down.

Black smoke will be fired from the main turret and fireworks will go off just before the charges are fired.

Aucklander Jo Smith will push the button to sink the ship. She beat 90,000 other competitors to win the Telecom mobile contest for the honour.

- NZPA