Fishing boat to be cut up and flown out by helicopter

A wrecked, 97-tonne fishing boat will be cut into pieces and flown by helicopter from a remote coastal site in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

The San Cuvier ran aground in stormy seas near Opotiki in July and two crew members drowned.

The 18-metre fishing boat was swept high up the rocky coast and wedged in rocks. About 18,000 litres of liquids, including 11,000 litres of diesel, was removed and work to cut up the boat was expected to begin within a fortnight.

Eastern Bay of Plenty harbour master Brian Spake said a large heavy-lift helicopter would be used to remove some of the heavier parts but a smaller helicopter would be used to remove other parts as they were cut free.

The removal of the wreck was expected to take about three weeks.

Mr Spake said the salvage workers could not work at night and could only work on the wreck for a few hours each day when the tide was low.

"It is quite a hazardous site so there are lots of safety precautions.

"We want it out of there before Christmas and the holiday season," Mr Spake said.

The wreck was on a remote part of the coast which took two hours to walk to before tidal flows made the coast impassable.