Yacht limping to safer waters

The stricken 'Xiphos'.

A New Caledonian man's yacht is "limping" toward Queen Charlotte Sound after a rough night at sea.

Rescue Coordination Centre spokesman Steve Corbett told NZPA that Daniel Le Meur's yacht Xiphos was accompanied overnight by fishing boat Mako after rough seas meant it could not be towed.

He was now making his way to safer waters despite having no motor and a damaged sail.

"This morning conditions were too rough to try and attach a tow rope so what they decided to do was get the yacht to head towards Queen Charlotte Sound for a bit of shelter," Mr Corbett said.

"So that's what he's doing at the moment, making his way the best he can to Queen Charlotte Sound."

The Mako, whose services were would be paid for by Mr Le Meur's insurer, had returned to work.

"They've gone back to work and he's limping back."

Mr Le Meur yesterday afternoon set off an emergency beacon after refusing to be rescued earlier in the day.

The 54-year-old from Noumea set off the beacon on his yacht Xiphos about 40km from D'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds about 3pm.

However he did not want to be rescued from his boat.

Previously rescued from his boat on Monday, Mr Le Meur returned to his sloop, possibly to avoid salvage operators moving in.

Today's operations have nothing to do with the RCC and it is hoped costs spent in rescue call-outs could be recouped from insurers.

"It's frustrating that its taken up a lot of time and resources but I guess at the end of the day our job is to protect human life and we are glad he's okay," Mr Corbett said.

"These are one-off cases -- there are thousands of trips every year and some of them get into trouble. They are very isolated. At the end of the day there's nothing we can do. We offer the best advice but they are quite within their rights to reboard and in this case he had a lot of valuables and possessions on board so you can understand why he would want to get them back."

Mr Corbett said it was too early to estimate the cost of rescue related operations.

Once the Xiphos reached safer waters it would be towed to Picton, possibly for repairs.

The saga began when Mr Le Meur and his 19-year-old daughter Morgane were rescued from the Xiphos on Monday after the vessel's engine seized up and its sails were ripped by rough weather off the Taranaki coast.

An attempt by the Coastguard to tow the $300,000 boat back to shore about 2.30am yesterday failed after the tow rope broke in heavy seas.

Mr Le Meur refused to leave the boat, but the beacon triggered a helicopter callout and the diversion of a cargo ship before the Frenchman could make radio contact to reiterate he wanted assistance rather than a rescue.

A spokeswoman for Coastguard New Zealand said it was unusual for a rescued person to put themselves at risk again but that would not prevent them helping again if needed.

"If Coastguard is called to assist again Coastguard will certainly be there," the spokeswoman told National Radio.

- NZPA