Stranded historic ship doomed
A historic North Canterbury ship has been deemed unsalvageable after running aground.
The 96-year-old MV Tuhoe was returning to its berth in the Kaiapoi River after more than $200,000 worth of repairs in Lyttelton, when it became stuck at Waimakariri River mouth about 4pm Sunday.
MV Tuhoe Kaiapoi Riverton Trust chairman Philip Redmond said a surveyor had examined the ship and deemed the risk too great to try to save it.
Crew members were shocked and distressed, he said. Some had worked on the boat for more than 35 years.
‘‘We are all devastated .
. . it’s the worst day of my life.’’ Regional harbourmaster Jim Dilley said waves had started to move the boat’s stern creating a twisting effect.
‘‘There is a possibility that the ship will be broken in half.’’ Dilley said if the ship did break, machinery would be used to cut it into smaller pieces and take it away. Oil and other pollutants such as cleaners and thinners had been removed, he said, although there was some oil left in the engine room.
The damage was not expected to get so bad the engine room would be compromised.
Dilley said a light sheen and dirty marks might be visible from where the the workers stood to remove the oil. ‘‘There is also a possibility there will be small pieces of timber floating in the water.’’ Redmond said memorabilia such as the ship’s steering wheel, photographs and life buoys had been removed from the ship. ‘‘We will still be able to share the history, we just won’t have a ship to take people for cruises in.
‘‘It’s heartbreaking to get to this end.’’
The Tuhoe has a long history of incidents. Since it was built in 1919, it has run aground four times.
‘‘It was nicknamed the lucky ship because it had survived this long, now its luck has run out,’’ Redmond said. WaimakaririAshley Coastguard president John Thompson could not explain how the Tuhoe ran aground. ‘‘The bar is quite a difficult place to get through of course, but all the indications were that there were not going to be any problems initially; the ship was lined up properly but then for some reason or another she didn’t make it.’’
MV Tuhoe Kaiapoi Riverton Trust chairman Philip Redmond said the helmsman suffered bruising to his arm when the ship ran aground. ‘‘River mouth bars are tricky things . . . Once it does hit the bottom, I think the rudder hits the bottom and you’re more or less in trouble at that point.’’