A sunken boat that has been lying under the Port Ōhope Wharf for the past two-and-a-half weeks has been removed. 

The five-metre wooden boat sunk in the early hours of October 4 while moored at the wharf, with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council harbourmaster team notified of the mishap the following morning.

Senior maritime officer for the Eastern Region Daniel Bramley could not confirm what caused its sinking but said it was most likely because of a lack of maintenance.

Whakatāne District Council advised that the wharf would be temporarily closed on Wednesday with a joint operation planned between the regional and district councils to retrieve the vessel.

However, the closure was not necessary with the boat’s owner organising its removal on Tuesday night with support from the harbourmaster who lent windy buoys and oil spill booms and was onsite regularly to monitor progress and provide ongoing advice.  

Bramley said there was a small amount of diesel observed coming from the vessel and oil spill booms were deployed to stop dispersal into the environment.

Bramley said for any wreck/sunken boat, it was the owner’s responsibility to remove.

“It is always preferable for the owner to take responsibility, so the cost of the removal does not fall to the ratepayer. 

“In this case, the owner chose to undertake the process themselves with no contractor involvement.”

On Wednesday, the boat remained lying in the shallows close to the wharf.

However, Bramley said the owner had since moved it well away from the wharf to west of the Port Ōhope Yacht Club boat ramp in anticipation of its removal.