An inexperienced young sailor who went missing with his yacht north of Gisborne has been found alive near Cape Runaway off the East Cape.
Maritime New Zealand spokesman Vince Cholewa said Mr DeWet appeared to be unharmed and his yacht Luna seemed to be undamaged. He was continuing to sail.
``We still can't talk to him because he's got no comms which has been the whole problem,'' Mr Cholewa said.
``He's had no working comms since Friday last week.''
The worst of the bad weather conditions were now behind Mr DeWet.
He was expected to reach Whakatane by tomorrow morning, and police, the Coastguard, Maritime New Zealand and the Rescue Co-ordination Centre planned to ``talk'' to Mr DeWet about abandoning the journey to Auckland.
Mr DeWet purchased the boat six weeks ago and did it up, according to former employer Kevin Blair.
Mr Blair, a dairy farmer in Tutira in the Hawke's Bay, said Mr DeWet worked for him for a year to learn about New Zealand farming before finishing up in late August to undertake the sailing trip.
``He wanted to have an adventure. So he'd bought a yacht on Trade Me, locally and we suggested he needed to join the sailing club, and Coastguard and get some experience.''
Mr Blair said sailing lessons with a friend fell through but the friend checked out the boat and made some minor adjustments and recommendations to Mr DeWet.
``Another friend was moored in the yacht club there and had taken him a couple of books over about sailing and reading maps and a candle in case the battery failed.
``And everybody suggested he shouldn't go anywhere until the summer or until he'd gained some more experience. But at 20 he was ready for a big adventure. As you are at that age he was `10-foot tall and bullet proof'.''
