Remembering the Wahine disaster,

A flotilla of 50 boats will steam past the Wahine’s mast tomorrow, as Wellington marks 50 years since the shipping disaster.

A day of ceremony and display, culminating in a public service called New Zealand Remembers, is planned at Frank Kitts Park.

Wahine survivors Muriel and Rob Ewan, both trustees of the organising Wahine 50 Trust, are just two of the 300 people already registered to attend.

Rob Ewan said the Frank Kitts Park service would be ‘‘a very poignant event and we are hoping crowds will come out of their offices for that half-hour’’.

The pair were both 30 when a fierce storm pushed the Wahine on to rocks at the mouth of Wellington Harbour on April 10, 1968. Of the 734 passengers and crew, 51 lost their lives and two died after the event.

‘‘While there were 51 lives lost, there were 680 who survived largely because of others who went out to rescue and put their lives at risk,’’ Ewan said.

‘‘This theme of thanking the rescuers is predominant throughout the whole day.’’

A dawn ceremony in Eastbourne, at 6.30am, will begin the day of commemorations. Most of the 51 deaths were on the Pencarrow coast, which reaches into the Cook Strait from that beach community.

As morning commuters course through Wellington Railway Station, a choir will sing the songs the Wahine’s passengers employed to keep their spirits aloft, from 7.30am to 8.30am.

Those sung during that sevenhour wait before the captain’s ‘‘abandon ship’’ call include There’s A Hole In My Bucket and We Shall Not Be Moved.

From 11.30am to noon, people can join with survivors, rescuers and family members of the dead at the Wahine mast memorial in Frank Kitts Park to remember the tragedy. The flotilla will pass by at midday.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush will salute each passing boat, a narrator will make special mention of those vessels that were part of the rescue, and a flower petal for each of the 53 dead will be cast into the harbour.

Organisers are hopeful that an improving weather forecast won’t cause problems but in the event of rain, the ceremony will relocate to Shed 6 – though public entry is not guaranteed.

According to Wellington City Council, pedestrian access between Frank Kitts playground and the lagoon bridge will be limited during the memorial.

The waterfront will host two exhibitions on the disaster. At Shed 6 from 11.30am to 4.30pm will be the Wahine 50 – PS: Are You Prepared display by Wellington’s emergency response groups.

Visitors will be able to meet the volunteers who staff the Life Flight Trust and Wellington Volunteer Coastguard, two organisations formed because of the disaster.

Wellington Museum’s Tom Etuata said a temporary exhibition of artwork and paintings by survivors and rescuers would be viewable from 10am.