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ALBUM- The salvage of the Seafarer - Carters Beach, Westport .March 1993.
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DescriptionOn Carters beach .March 1993.
The F.V. Sea Farer.
At 10pm or 2200hrs on March 23rd 1993 Ku the skipper steered the Sea Farer down the Buller towards the Tasman Sea and another tuna Fishing Trip. Young Matthew Austin was on board as a crew. As the vessel neared the Tiphead Ku switched on the Decca Auto Pilot and grabbed his phone. The auto pilot turned the Sea Farer to port seeking the previous heading programmed the previous trip into Westport.
Constable Fleming an Reynolds on the Carters Beach Tip watched in amazement as the Fishing vessel passed in front of them then launched itself through the Break until firmly aground.
At 2300hrs Sergeant Steve Mather and I arrived at the scene. I waded and swam to Sea Farer , avoiding the plume of water thrown skywards every time the prop became partly exposed in the trough between the breaker’s. The vessel was still full astern but not going any where. Ku and I entered the engine room and shut the engine down, The jabcoe pump was leaking badly from the sand taken through the cooling system.
At 00.21 the Police Sar activation was stood down. From then on I made myself unpopular as I rang various people.
By 0700 on the 24th March, I had 2 excavators on site. Alan Neilsen from Buller Excavators and I think Glen from Westport Contracting. Ropes ,blocks, strops and shackles, two F.V. The Pursuit and the Echo on standby to take the tow . High tide being approx 11.30. Charlie Edgerton skipper on dredge Kawateri if required etc etc. Harold’s chopper was on standby 15 minutes away. The team removed 4 tonne of ice and 500 gallons of fresh water. The Surf rescue team did a good job of taking the anchor out to sea from the Sea Farer. They also took the Hawser out to the Pursuit. Glenn and Alan did a good job of excavating a hole and turning the Seafarer around .
The first tow lasted 8 minutes before it broke. Reconnected with the Kawateri standing by to assist if required. I was winching the anchor chain when the snatch block broke a shackle and went through the starboard window ,but that was sufficient with the Pursuit and Echo to haul her through the break. I used the engines on the Sea Farer until clear then shut down and were towed to the Lagoon. Linda Todd from Talleys provided some comms and also found the owners name and subsequently the Insurance Assessor. Several Fishermen and other members of the public assisted with rope hawsers being flaked out etc. Robb Mulholland was always there to help as was Barry Wells, Shawn Walshe and others. Sadly Barry and Robb are not here to read this today.
The Sea Farer was then owned by Wanganui Development Board. It was 2 months before The insurers took over my rights as salvager to threaten to sue the owners that payment was finally made. The total cost was $17,000. Litigation was evident in this salvage, the towing costs was high but so is the risk to those doing so. No insurance coverage if you are involved.
Today if I was in the same situation after I finished my Incident reports etc etc and other misdemeanors the boat would still be on the beach. Back then in March 1993 we just got on the job and done it. Apart from the smashed window that TRT repaired and some antifoul removed the vessel was ok. You try to cover all possibilities but Murphy is always waiting for a slip up to get you. A bit of luck also helps. We got her off the beach in 12 hours , with half and hour to spare before the Top of the tide.
The Southern Ocean, The Mako, the Jan, the Arcadia, the Rita, the Astro Carina, the Sealord, the Compact, The SeaFarer, and other Sar operations like the Trogan 11 they all have stories along with the Hawea and several other incidents. Some are crazy and almost unbelievable, many others have never had the true story told and the subsequent inquiries never revealed what was the true or more probable facts. The Hawea was just that. As was the Compact and other’s. Long winded document but hope you all find a bit of history interesting.Date of PhotoMarch 1993Map[1] ContributorRon Pearson
The F.V. Sea Farer.
At 10pm or 2200hrs on March 23rd 1993 Ku the skipper steered the Sea Farer down the Buller towards the Tasman Sea and another tuna Fishing Trip. Young Matthew Austin was on board as a crew. As the vessel neared the Tiphead Ku switched on the Decca Auto Pilot and grabbed his phone. The auto pilot turned the Sea Farer to port seeking the previous heading programmed the previous trip into Westport.
Constable Fleming an Reynolds on the Carters Beach Tip watched in amazement as the Fishing vessel passed in front of them then launched itself through the Break until firmly aground.
At 2300hrs Sergeant Steve Mather and I arrived at the scene. I waded and swam to Sea Farer , avoiding the plume of water thrown skywards every time the prop became partly exposed in the trough between the breaker’s. The vessel was still full astern but not going any where. Ku and I entered the engine room and shut the engine down, The jabcoe pump was leaking badly from the sand taken through the cooling system.
At 00.21 the Police Sar activation was stood down. From then on I made myself unpopular as I rang various people.
By 0700 on the 24th March, I had 2 excavators on site. Alan Neilsen from Buller Excavators and I think Glen from Westport Contracting. Ropes ,blocks, strops and shackles, two F.V. The Pursuit and the Echo on standby to take the tow . High tide being approx 11.30. Charlie Edgerton skipper on dredge Kawateri if required etc etc. Harold’s chopper was on standby 15 minutes away. The team removed 4 tonne of ice and 500 gallons of fresh water. The Surf rescue team did a good job of taking the anchor out to sea from the Sea Farer. They also took the Hawser out to the Pursuit. Glenn and Alan did a good job of excavating a hole and turning the Seafarer around .
The first tow lasted 8 minutes before it broke. Reconnected with the Kawateri standing by to assist if required. I was winching the anchor chain when the snatch block broke a shackle and went through the starboard window ,but that was sufficient with the Pursuit and Echo to haul her through the break. I used the engines on the Sea Farer until clear then shut down and were towed to the Lagoon. Linda Todd from Talleys provided some comms and also found the owners name and subsequently the Insurance Assessor. Several Fishermen and other members of the public assisted with rope hawsers being flaked out etc. Robb Mulholland was always there to help as was Barry Wells, Shawn Walshe and others. Sadly Barry and Robb are not here to read this today.
The Sea Farer was then owned by Wanganui Development Board. It was 2 months before The insurers took over my rights as salvager to threaten to sue the owners that payment was finally made. The total cost was $17,000. Litigation was evident in this salvage, the towing costs was high but so is the risk to those doing so. No insurance coverage if you are involved.
Today if I was in the same situation after I finished my Incident reports etc etc and other misdemeanors the boat would still be on the beach. Back then in March 1993 we just got on the job and done it. Apart from the smashed window that TRT repaired and some antifoul removed the vessel was ok. You try to cover all possibilities but Murphy is always waiting for a slip up to get you. A bit of luck also helps. We got her off the beach in 12 hours , with half and hour to spare before the Top of the tide.
The Southern Ocean, The Mako, the Jan, the Arcadia, the Rita, the Astro Carina, the Sealord, the Compact, The SeaFarer, and other Sar operations like the Trogan 11 they all have stories along with the Hawea and several other incidents. Some are crazy and almost unbelievable, many others have never had the true story told and the subsequent inquiries never revealed what was the true or more probable facts. The Hawea was just that. As was the Compact and other’s. Long winded document but hope you all find a bit of history interesting.Date of PhotoMarch 1993Map[1] ContributorRon Pearson
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)WestportCarters BeachPersonMatthew AustinShawn Walshe Barry Wells FlemingSteve MatherAlan NeilsenLinda ToddOrganisation (eg business)the SeafarerEventThe salvage of the Seafarer
Category Information
Category TagShipping
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Date Created9th June 2023CommentsBede Brown
Awesome read. i was the officer in charge of the Wpt Police station on the night and subsequent day of the the Jan incident. Whilst a Tv doco was done about it I was not consulted and it focused on the actual rescue of the person trapped in the hull. It was far from the full story. The true saga of events would make a great little book.
Arthur Bass
Bede Brown is that the one Hutley, sorry I can't recall his christian name was trapped in that Tim went in ?
Bede Brown
Arthur Bass yes. Your memory is better than mine CJ Coll was there as well and it was him that went down into the hull to ascertain that Mr Hutely was alive and how bad things were. He reported that there was a trawl net floating about making for a very dangerous situation. Plus Mr Hutley was diabetic and that two was a complication . These factors plus others like the slow loss of the trapped air making the wreck settle further in the water etc. End result Police Dive Squad called to give us options of professionals to get the guy out.
Flag Mckenzie
Bede Brown Jan on the beach at Ngakawau a couple of days after John Hutley was rescued.
Bede Brown
Flag Mckenzie Thanks Flag the Westport Police station end up with the Wheel from it it was damaged, one spoke was broken . My uncle the late Brian Ryan made a new one on his lathe. But I never got around to fixing it and in the end one of the other guys ended up with it and after thst I dont know what happened to it.
Flag Mckenzie
Bede Brown Graeme Wells and his father rebuilt the Jan and it went back fishing, not sure where it is now.
Kevin Smith
Bede Brown I was a crewman in the RNZAF Friendship that day. I saw parts of the rescue and we dropped smoke flares and a liferaft.
Ron Pearson
Bede Brown Re the Jan. The media frenzy. Gary Southon on the phones. "Gary..Do you want to know when they last sh..t. media clown. Well that would add to Human Interest factor. And another, Gary going next door to get a phone that was not tied up with media Wombles....,
Bede Brown
Ron Pearson yes Ron Gary was with me and it was crazy the bloody goons at the emergency centre under-the Beehive in Wellington wanting Sit Reps everythirty minutes. You couldn’t get any thing done. But sadly you need them to access assistance from Airforce, Police Dive squad etc so you have to humour them to get an end result.
But like your story its really about local people and resources that actually got the job done. Try to do it the same today and some bloody goon from Worksafe or some CEO in an ivory tower would put a stop to it.
Darren McManaway
What a fantastic post - thank you!!
Vanessa Brace
Well written Ron the good old days if only you could do that now days
Chris Windley
Great read, thanks for sharing.
Jack Devine
Long gone now
May be an image of boat
Shawry Shaw
Jack Devine yep i took bits of her to chch scrap yard. I have her starboard nav light in my bar lol.
Greg Sole
Jack Devine what about the Port light’ Shawry?
Shawry Shaw
Greg Sole it had already been flogged lol
Wendy Intemann Smith
Great read Ron.
Rex Thomas
Remember it well left port half an hour earlier
Wayne Nicholson
Is the "Mako" mentioned the same one that went aground south of Motunau back in the 80's ?
John Brady
Interesting short story
Kate MacRae
Bede Brown why don't you write the book Bede. Plenty of people would be interested.
Flag Mckenzie
I was on the Echo with Bill Barnsdale aka tossy that day. Big effort by all involved to get her off the beach.
Mary Prendergast
Thank you for sharing.
John Jacobs
Interesting read, no doubt that Skipper lost his job.
Emma Elson
Awesome
Maureen McCrimmon
Thanks for sharing, clearly a massive effort to get her clear.
Bob Laing
Good read. Thanks for the post
Andy Veal
Awesome post!! I also agree that a book should be written about the Jan rescue.
Geoff Anders
Was this the Seafarer ex Timaru?
Bede Brown
Does anyone know if the man rescued that was clinging to the outside of the hull of the Jan, is still with us, and where he is these days. As a point of interest if my memory serves me correct once winched up into the helicopter he was landed at the Mokihinui reserve outside the Pub and taken and put into a lukewarm bath inside the hotel on Medical advice. That was when CJ Coll rang me and said he claimed he was talking to and tapping on the hull to his mate who was alive and trapped inside the hull.
That completely changed the ball game a major spanner in the works. But Coasters being Coasters sorted it out to a successful outcome.
Ron Pearson
Bede Brown Reg is still fishing at times. He lives in Nelson. I remember him giving me a bit of stick. You lot were searching the dam beaches. Only dead people are there. I, Reg Stephens seen the chopper but we were about 3 mile off shore. Having said that the Chopper pilot was not to keen flying off shore with no back up. We searched maybe 1 mile out to Kahuranghi Point . All the wreckage of wheel house was south of Granity. We missed the hull. Chris Coll was in a Cessna with Reg's girlfriend and discovered hull north of Mokihinui River. Then it started.
Val Shaw
Great read Rjon.
Spr SimRacer
Great story
Spr SimRacer
My story of the Owenga 8 capsizing on the bar isn’t anywhere near as glorious as this story, and a whole heap of sadness in it also. That’s a day I’ll never forget
Jack Devine
Spr SimRacer same.. that one came away quickly, i was driving down the coast road. Wind was ferocious
Spr SimRacer
Jack Devine I was standing at the Westport tip head, I had to try hug the lighthouse so I didn’t get swept off my feet. When the wind drives the rain so hard it hurts your skin. R.I.P
Rosemary Neame
We were just talking about the Jan the other day. Just wondering why the police were down the tip head Carter's side at night when the other boat ran aground?
Tony Roberts
Is this the same vessel.
Jack Devine
Tony Roberts no. The one on the beach was built in the 40s. One of the first welded
Tony Roberts
Jack Devine when was this vessel built?
Awesome read. i was the officer in charge of the Wpt Police station on the night and subsequent day of the the Jan incident. Whilst a Tv doco was done about it I was not consulted and it focused on the actual rescue of the person trapped in the hull. It was far from the full story. The true saga of events would make a great little book.
Arthur Bass
Bede Brown is that the one Hutley, sorry I can't recall his christian name was trapped in that Tim went in ?
Bede Brown
Arthur Bass yes. Your memory is better than mine CJ Coll was there as well and it was him that went down into the hull to ascertain that Mr Hutely was alive and how bad things were. He reported that there was a trawl net floating about making for a very dangerous situation. Plus Mr Hutley was diabetic and that two was a complication . These factors plus others like the slow loss of the trapped air making the wreck settle further in the water etc. End result Police Dive Squad called to give us options of professionals to get the guy out.
Flag Mckenzie
Bede Brown Jan on the beach at Ngakawau a couple of days after John Hutley was rescued.
Bede Brown
Flag Mckenzie Thanks Flag the Westport Police station end up with the Wheel from it it was damaged, one spoke was broken . My uncle the late Brian Ryan made a new one on his lathe. But I never got around to fixing it and in the end one of the other guys ended up with it and after thst I dont know what happened to it.
Flag Mckenzie
Bede Brown Graeme Wells and his father rebuilt the Jan and it went back fishing, not sure where it is now.
Kevin Smith
Bede Brown I was a crewman in the RNZAF Friendship that day. I saw parts of the rescue and we dropped smoke flares and a liferaft.
Ron Pearson
Bede Brown Re the Jan. The media frenzy. Gary Southon on the phones. "Gary..Do you want to know when they last sh..t. media clown. Well that would add to Human Interest factor. And another, Gary going next door to get a phone that was not tied up with media Wombles....,
Bede Brown
Ron Pearson yes Ron Gary was with me and it was crazy the bloody goons at the emergency centre under-the Beehive in Wellington wanting Sit Reps everythirty minutes. You couldn’t get any thing done. But sadly you need them to access assistance from Airforce, Police Dive squad etc so you have to humour them to get an end result.
But like your story its really about local people and resources that actually got the job done. Try to do it the same today and some bloody goon from Worksafe or some CEO in an ivory tower would put a stop to it.
Darren McManaway
What a fantastic post - thank you!!
Vanessa Brace
Well written Ron the good old days if only you could do that now days
Chris Windley
Great read, thanks for sharing.
Jack Devine
Long gone now
May be an image of boat
Shawry Shaw
Jack Devine yep i took bits of her to chch scrap yard. I have her starboard nav light in my bar lol.
Greg Sole
Jack Devine what about the Port light’ Shawry?
Shawry Shaw
Greg Sole it had already been flogged lol
Wendy Intemann Smith
Great read Ron.
Rex Thomas
Remember it well left port half an hour earlier
Wayne Nicholson
Is the "Mako" mentioned the same one that went aground south of Motunau back in the 80's ?
John Brady
Interesting short story
Kate MacRae
Bede Brown why don't you write the book Bede. Plenty of people would be interested.
Flag Mckenzie
I was on the Echo with Bill Barnsdale aka tossy that day. Big effort by all involved to get her off the beach.
Mary Prendergast
Thank you for sharing.
John Jacobs
Interesting read, no doubt that Skipper lost his job.
Emma Elson
Awesome
Maureen McCrimmon
Thanks for sharing, clearly a massive effort to get her clear.
Bob Laing
Good read. Thanks for the post
Andy Veal
Awesome post!! I also agree that a book should be written about the Jan rescue.
Geoff Anders
Was this the Seafarer ex Timaru?
Bede Brown
Does anyone know if the man rescued that was clinging to the outside of the hull of the Jan, is still with us, and where he is these days. As a point of interest if my memory serves me correct once winched up into the helicopter he was landed at the Mokihinui reserve outside the Pub and taken and put into a lukewarm bath inside the hotel on Medical advice. That was when CJ Coll rang me and said he claimed he was talking to and tapping on the hull to his mate who was alive and trapped inside the hull.
That completely changed the ball game a major spanner in the works. But Coasters being Coasters sorted it out to a successful outcome.
Ron Pearson
Bede Brown Reg is still fishing at times. He lives in Nelson. I remember him giving me a bit of stick. You lot were searching the dam beaches. Only dead people are there. I, Reg Stephens seen the chopper but we were about 3 mile off shore. Having said that the Chopper pilot was not to keen flying off shore with no back up. We searched maybe 1 mile out to Kahuranghi Point . All the wreckage of wheel house was south of Granity. We missed the hull. Chris Coll was in a Cessna with Reg's girlfriend and discovered hull north of Mokihinui River. Then it started.
Val Shaw
Great read Rjon.
Spr SimRacer
Great story
Spr SimRacer
My story of the Owenga 8 capsizing on the bar isn’t anywhere near as glorious as this story, and a whole heap of sadness in it also. That’s a day I’ll never forget
Jack Devine
Spr SimRacer same.. that one came away quickly, i was driving down the coast road. Wind was ferocious
Spr SimRacer
Jack Devine I was standing at the Westport tip head, I had to try hug the lighthouse so I didn’t get swept off my feet. When the wind drives the rain so hard it hurts your skin. R.I.P
Rosemary Neame
We were just talking about the Jan the other day. Just wondering why the police were down the tip head Carter's side at night when the other boat ran aground?
Tony Roberts
Is this the same vessel.
Jack Devine
Tony Roberts no. The one on the beach was built in the 40s. One of the first welded
Tony Roberts
Jack Devine when was this vessel built?
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West Coast New Zealand History (16th Jun 2023). ALBUM- The salvage of the Seafarer - Carters Beach, Westport .March 1993.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 31st Mar 2026 16:24, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/32410