Liam Clayton/Gisborne Herald
The San Rosa was a former fishing trawler that ran into trouble off the coast of Tokomaru Bay in April. It washed up on Tikitiki beach six days later and has remained there ever since.
New information has emerged about the ordeal suffered by the crew of a shipwreck the day it ran into trouble in rough seas off the east coast.
On April 9, the former fishing trawler San Rosa sent out a mayday about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Tokomaru Bay while battling a four-meter swell.
The three crew members were rescued by helicopter along with their dog, but the San Rosa remained afloat during ex-tropical Cyclone Fili.
Six days later, it washed ashore on a remote stretch of beach near Tikitiki.
READ MORE:
† The search network for the owner of San Rosa grows as the history of the boat emerges
† Abandoned boat washes ashore after six days of drifting and surviving ex-cyclone Fili
† Coast Guard Nelson wins international yacht rescue award
Nearly three months later, Gisborne County Council harbor master Peter Buell has been unable to contact the owners, who remain responsible for the removal.
He tries to recoup the costs by selling the boat to a third party.
Now, information obtained under the Official Information Act shows that the crew had balked in the midst of their boating nightmare.
Liam Clayton/Gisborne Herald
Gisborne District Council harbor master Peter Buell, left, and Regional Commander Phil Nickerson inspect the damage to the San Rosa.
According to communication logs between Maritime New Zealand and the ship, the San Rosa sent out a distress signal at 6:25 a.m. on April 9, announcing that they were out of power.
About half an hour after the call, a person on board told the Maritime Operations Center that he was inexperienced and that the wind was picking up, but could not explain the speed and direction.
The boat was drifting at this point and the crew had requested a tow.
Local Democracy Reporting understands that San Rosa was bought in Tauranga four days earlier and was on its way to the Marlborough area.
It had been two days on the road when things got tough.
According to Maritime New Zealand’s communications trail, it was not possible to enlist the help of the previous owner for the rescue, as the person was “confused” after the sale.
With that in mind, the skipper was willing to pay for someone to save San Rosa and was informed by the Maritime Operations Center that towing or helping repair the boat would be a commercial arrangement that they would have to pay for.
They were also told they could be removed from the ship if they felt unsafe, but had to leave the boat.
At 09:25 the sea became increasingly rough and a crew member was injured after being hit in the face by a swinging rope. Waiting for a tow was still the plan.
At 11 a.m., that changed when the crew became concerned that the boat was going to roll.
The dinghy was being prepared, a sail was raised to try to swing the boat around and the anchor was cut for fear it would tear from the back of the boat.
At 12.45pm the crew requested immediate evacuation and shortly thereafter a helicopter took them away and returned them to dry land at Gisborne.
While the rescue made headlines at the time, the fallout has taken on a drama of its own.
Although a salvage mission seemed possible at the time, contacting the owners proved a seemingly impossible task for Harbor Master Buell. Repeated phone calls and messages have come up empty and newspaper advertisements have proved unsuccessful.
In May, a public notice was mentioned in The Gisborne Herald and Nelson Mail warned the owners that the boat had to be removed from the waters off the east coast before the end of the week or the council would take matters into their own hands.
Failure to act as required could result in a fine of up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $10,000 under the Maritime Transport Act 1994, it said.
Liam Clayton/Gisborne Herald
Built in the 1950s, San Rosa was originally used as a fishing trawler by Sanford Ltd. It had left Tauranga for two days before it got into trouble.
But the San Rosa has remained grounded, slowly eroding as more go missing from opportunistic members of the public.
When he first inspected the boat on May 3, Buell said there was minor damage and the boat’s engine compartment was still fairly dry.
The ship as a whole didn’t look “bad,” he said.
Buell said last week that two groups were interested in the ship and had been given time to see if they could come up with a workable plan for its removal.
It was unlikely the owner would come forward at this point, he said.
The San Rosa is an 18m wooden boat built in 1955 for the fishing company Sanford Ltd.
The cost of the rescue for Maritime NZ came from Search and Rescue Services Ltd and Coastguard NZ, but the regulator declined to disclose how much it came about over concerns it could harm the commercial position of both parties.