Lost ship rescued from beach
It has taken several heavy-duty moving trucks, five days and more than $1 million to remove a 153-year-old shipwreck from a West Auckland beach.
The Daring, a schooner uncovered by shifting sands at Muriwai Beach in May, was removed, fully intact, by the Daring Rescue Team this week.
Larry Paul, from the Classic Yacht Charitable Trust, said volunteers slept on the beach between tides as the ship was excavated over three days.
‘‘The Daring ... is the only kind probably in the world that is still fully intact.’’
A shoe, coins, a cup, clay pipes and multiple wine bottle caps dating back to the 19th century were found on the ship.
Paul, John Stewart and Baden Pascoe organised the self-funded project because they believed the vessel was worth saving for New Zealanders to enjoy, Paul said.
The wreck was partially buried and inside the Defence Force’s Kaipara air weapons range.
Paul said it took months of paperwork to get the right approvals to remove it.
On Monday, the removal from the sand began – artifacts were taken out of the vessel and strops were put in.
The next day, two big excavators on each side of the vessel wiggled it out to remove sand from inside it.
On Wednesday, the Daring was lifted from the sand and placed above the water level mark. ‘‘It was a huge challenge, mainly because we had to get it ready and work with the tide.
‘‘We had four hours to work on each day and some of the crew slept on the beach waiting for the tides.’’
On Thursday, the Daring was moved 40 kilometres across Muriwai Beach by a loader truck.
I Yesterday, the Daring was moved to a location in Hobsonville where it will remain until plans for its preservation and final destination are finalised.
Paul said the biggest challenge was securing the boat from scavengers. ‘‘We had to hire 24/7 security from September until today to make sure it stayed safe.’’
The 17-metre-long schooner was a twomasted ship carrying a cargo of grass seed when it was driven on to the beach near South Head on the Kaipara Harbour in 1865. It had been built two years earlier at Mangawai and was owned by an Onehunga man.