Paul and Janie Annear set off on a fishing trip yesterday morning before their boat, The Hulk, broke down.
The pair used a radio to contact and request assistance from Coastguard Dunedin.
Coastguard Dunedin skipper John Campbell said the breakdown was caused by a "mechanical issue".
"We got the call and they were not far off the head. By the time we got there they were about five nautical miles off the head — so they were drifting north quite quickly."
The couple spent several hours at sea before rescuers found them and towed them back to shore.
Mr Campbell explained the pair "hadn’t even got the rod in the water before they broke down".
Fortunately, the pair had a coastguard membership which meant the rescue was made free of charge.
"It’s otherwise about $300 an hour to come and get somebody."
He encouraged those who often take a boat out to consider the membership, describing it as a "carefree way of going out to sea and being safe".
