A maritime rescue which required two helicopters at a cost of more than $20,000 was caused because three crew members ‘‘mutinied'' against their more experienced skipper.
Crew on Auckland's Westpac Rescue Helicopters were placed at risk during the callout because the yacht was further away than an emergency locator beacon initially showed.
The Northland Electricity rescue helicopter was needed to winch the group to safety from about 120km off the Kaipara coast after the Westpac machine reached its fuel limit and had to turn back.
Questions have been raised over the necessity of the rescue which has most likely ended a long friendship.
Nelson man Carl Horn told The New Zealand Herald he was helping his friend Bill Heritage relocate his 7.9m sloop Air Apparent from Auckland to Nelson, touring past Cape Reinga.
He was assisted by his friends John Lammin and Sharan Foga, who first met Mr Heritage shortly before the trip.
Mr Horn, an organiser for the National Distribution Union and friend of Mr Heritage for 26 years, said the group, all from Nelson, had been enjoying smooth sailing until the weather began closing in about midday on Monday.
By Tuesday afternoon, conditions had deteriorated and seas were rough, with the Coastguard reporting 3m swells and 20-knot winds.
Fatigued, seasick and becoming worried for their safety, the group began discussing their options.
‘‘Bill was of the opinion that we weren't in serious enough trouble to warrant a beacon [but] . . . I have great doubts that we would have survived Tuesday night,'' Mr Horn said.
The trio reluctantly went against the skipper's wishes and set off the emergency locator beacon at 3.22pm.
‘‘We mutinied, as he put it.''
Mr Heritage, a chartered accountant, was last night reluctant to say much about the incident but said his boat had been valued at $24,000 two years ago and he was looking into options for finding it at sea and retrieving it.
‘‘I feel that their actions caused the loss of the boat,'' he said.
Costs for the callout exceeded $20,000.
Northland Electricity rescue helicopter chief pilot said he believed it could have been avoided.
‘‘From my position, it didn't appear entirely necessary to evacuate the yacht. It would appear [that with] good seamanship the yacht could have easily ridden out the conditions at the time.''
Westpac's chief pilot Dave Walley said the group was using an old 121.5 megahertz emergency locator beacon, which are not recommended as they are being replaced by the more accurate 406 beacons.
Mr Horn said the group were ‘‘extremely distressed'' that Mr Heritage had to abandon his boat.
‘‘I would not be surprised if he never speaks to me again,'' Mr Horn said. -
