Contractors today began dismantling the stricken fishing boat Kutere, after the owner ruled out refloating it as uneconomic.
Three fishermen, owner Les Horncastle, and father and son Mathew and Adin Fisher, survived a harrowing ordeal when the boat struck a sandbank off the Cobden beach in the dark early yesterday.
Cold and shaken, they scrambled ashore safely by lifeboat.
By late yesterday afternoon crowds had flocked to the beach to see the wreck for themselves, about 600m north of the Cobden tiphead and Grey River mouth.
The Nelson-based vessel was not attempting to cross the notorious Grey River bar at the time, but had been trawling just off Cobden.
It was revealed today the beach will be the boat's final resting place.
Five tonnes of fish and 2000 litres of fuel were unloaded from the hull late yesterday afternoon and after today's high tide, it will be cut up and
sections taken to higher ground.
Greymouth and Nelson fisherman Les Horncastle said that after a meeting with his insurance company it was decided to scrap the boat.
"It was just not economic to refloat it," Mr Horncastle said.
"It will be cut into sections and we will take out the engine and fuel tanks. We pumped 2000 litres of diesel from the boat yesterday.
"All the rigging is being cut off right now and the winch will come off as well to relieve some weight. The sections will be stacked up on the pad after the outgoing tide. It hurts, but at the end of the day no one lost their life, that's the main thing."
Heavy machinery was used to clear a path to the boat yesterday afternoon, just after the turn of the tide.
Police kept people at a safe distance as men hauled fish from the hold, and on to a waiting truck. Hundreds came throughout the afternoon, with a rush after school as children were brought down to the beach.
Trouble started about 1.43am when the vessel became stranded on the sandbar while being pounded by waves.
"I was down below sleeping at the time when the boat lurched and next minute I was hit by a wave," Mr Fisher said.
"I was yelling out for my son (Adin) but it just happened that he was up relieving himself up in the wheelhouse.
"We were sitting on the sandbar and the boat was leaning right over.
"I was getting hit by waves but we got the liferaft and got ashore.
"It was dark but the lights were still going on the old girl. "
-By Paul McBride
