An emotional skipper has dropped plans to salvage his abandoned yacht and says he now wants his mutinous crew to pay him its $24,000 value.
Nelson accountant Bill Heritage said he was forced to abandon his 7.9m sloop Air Apparent about 90 nautical miles west of the Kaipara Harbour on Wednesday when his inexperienced crew ignored his orders and set off the yacht's emergency locator beacon.
All four were air-lifted off the yacht by the Northland Emergency Services Trust helicopter and flown back to Auckland. Mr Heritage could not stay on board alone because it was too dangerous.
The Compass 790 yacht was left floating and a navigation warning was issued to shipping by Maritime New Zealand.
Mr Heritage told NZPA today his insurance would not cover his loss and it was too costly for him to salvage the yacht he had owned for 15 years.
``It is not economic,'' he said.
He said he was not keen on talking publicly.
``I have lost my yacht which is very emotional and I would rather deal with it privately than in the public domain.''
Mr Heritage would not comment on the decision by his crew Carl Horn, John Lammin and Sharan Foga, to set off the yacht's emergency beacon when he had ordered them not to.
``The whole circumstances surrounding the setting off the beacon and rescue are something that has been a lot harder to cope with than I would have thought,'' Mr Heritage said.
``It was a good design, small cruising yacht and I enjoyed it immensely.''
He said the insurance would not cover its salvage.
``I am facing an uninsured loss.''
Mr Heritage would not talk further but Mr Horn said he when he returned to Nelson after the rescue Mr Heritage had told him he wanted the crew to pay for the yacht.
That would not happen, said Mr Horn, who had been friend of Mr Heritage for 27 years. He said the argument would probably end up in court.
