Ketch sinks in harbour
A much-loved postwar ketch that was restored and brought to New Zealand has sunk to the bottom of Wellington’s Clyde Quay marina.
Just the pole masts of the 37-foot (11.2-metre) ketch are visible above the water, as the owners plan its salvage.
The harbour has been beset by strong rain in recent days but it’s understood the sailboat sank on April 28.
The Aunt Emma – named after the original owner’s favourite aunt – was formerly owned by Nick Kraayvanger, who previously told The Dominion Post of bringing the ketch to New Zealand from Rhode Island, New England.
‘‘I had had an obsession with flush deck ketches after reading all about Irving Johnson’s ocean adventures in National Geographic as a 6-year-old boy,’’ Kraayvanger said in 2013.
He discovered the Aunt Emma on eBay in 2006. ‘‘I knew I wanted her, but she was too expensive.’’ When the price dropped to US$16,000 he bought the yacht, travelling with his wife and children to fetch it.
Aunt Emma was in a rough condition, and the family fixed it up before sailing around the east coast of the United States for a year. The ketch withstood an electrical fire and a hurricane during their journey, and underwent further repairs.
‘‘We travelled 2500 nautical miles and went to 80 ports that unforgettable year ... It made adventurers of all of us,’’ Kraayvanger previously said.
It’s understood the Aunt Emma was sold by the Kraayvanger family last year, and that Kraayvanger is upset by its sinking. Built in 1953, it was nearly 70 years old.
Wellington City Council media manager Richard MacLean said the ketch had quite a bit of fuel – likely diesel – on it, and there were concerns about it leaking into the harbour.
The ketch hadn’t been lifted out of the water because it took some time to devise a full crew for the process. A salvage crew, divers and a vessel strong enough to lift the boat would be needed, MacLean said.
Until the yacht was out of the water, the sinking’s cause would remain unknown.
Boatie Grant McNamara was one of the first to spot the sunken Aunt Emma.
He said it would be quite expensive to salvage. ‘‘Even if it wasn’t a lockdown, it’s still a difficult problem to pick up a boat with tonnes of water.’’
The weather forecast, including strong winds and rain, and the level 3 lockdown conditions, would hamper a rescue.
The Clyde Quay marina offices have shut down temporarily due to the Covid-19 outbreak. A marina manager is keeping a regular eye on the boats in the meantime, with contractors allowed entrance.