Family of those missing from the fishing boat Easy Rider yesterday visited the spot where the vessel sank last week.
Travelling on a private vessel, the family members also made a shoreline check of the Smoky Beach area in northwestStewart Island yesterday afternoon, Bluff fishermen's radio operator Meri Leask said.
Rewai Karetai (47), Paul Fowler-Karetai (40), David George Fowler (50) and Odin Karetai (7) are still missing after the boat capsized about midnight on Wednesday.
The bodies of Boe Taikawa Gillies (28), John Henry Karetai (58), Peter Glen Pekamu-Bloxham (53), and Shane Ronald Topi (29) were recovered last week.
The two groups of family members were dropped off at different spots of coastline and walked towards each, eventually meeting up.
The visit to the area would have given family members some "peace of mind" andenabled them to do what anyone would have wanted to do under the circumstances, Ms Leask said. The vessel returned to Bluff about 5pm yesterday.
Police yesterday suspended the search pending new information, with a naval dive team and HMNZS Resolution both leaving Bluff. Invercargill police said search authorities would consider matters today.
Easy Rider skipper Rewai Karetai had been looking forward to the fishing trip that would ultimately cost him his life.
King's Fishmarket managing director Greg King told the Otago Daily Times he dropped bait off to Mr Karetai on Wednesday morning, hours before Easy Rider left Bluff.
"He was looking forward to heading out on his next trip."
The 11m Easy Rider capsized with nine people on board in rough waters of Foveaux Strait.
Sole survivor Dallas Reedy (44) was found on Thursday night, after clinging to a petrol can.
Mr King said he was unaware Easy Rider was taking mutton-birders to the islands, as he was getting bait and ice ready for a fishing trip.
The Invercargill-based company regularly bought blue cod from Mr Karetai, which was sold as far afield as Auckland.
"In the last 18 months, I had got to know him, but my family had dealt with Karetais for a couple of generations."
Mr King said he had a good business relationship with Mr Karetai, who was "getting his business up and running" after getting the boat last year.
"It took a while before he found a boat he felt comfortable with, and had been landing fish in for us since Christmas, and he was just starting to hit his straps with his boat."
He "was totally gutted" on hearing the news the boat had capsized, with Mr Karetai and his crew "both very cool guys".
Since Thursday, police, SAR staff, navy personnel, Riverton and Bluff coastguards and members of the local commercial fishing fleet have searched the area where Easy Rider was found 2km off the northwestern tip of Stewart Island.
On Saturday, the navy dive squad assisted by police carried out an extensive search of the vessel but found no sign of the missing people.
