Wanaka police are confident they will catch a group of vandals who damaged a docked boat - then left behind photographic evidence of their actions.
Minaret Station's 65-tonne pusher boat, used to propel its barge, was damaged on Thursday night as it sat dry-docked for refurbishment at Waterfall Creek on the shore of Lake Wanaka.
Constable Martin Barham said a group of people lit a fire next to the boat, before pulling down a high fence to gain entry to the vessel and climbing on board. At least $1000 worth of damage was caused to light fittings and fresh paintwork.
The areas affected will need stripping and recoating. The offenders had then climbed to the top of the boat's bridge, which Const Barham estimated to be up to 12m above the ground, where they drank alcohol and left empty bottles.
A digital camera found by police near the site of the fire contained images of the offenders drinking on the boat, Const Barham said.
''They photographed themselves red-handed,'' he said.
The people involved had been identified from the photographs and were believed to be visitors to Wanaka.
Const Barham expected to be able to trace the offenders and charges of unlawfully being on property and wilful damage were likely to be laid, he said.
