Matai: Commercial Fishing Boat Built By Pop Jorgensen

Disaster In The 1970s

Only a few years later in the 1970s, disaster struck when a Northwest gale sent the Matai up on rocks at Port Hardy.  John Gander was part of the rescue mission and recounts what happened on jorgensenboats.nz He recalls the Matai had struck the rocks at high tide and the 3.2 metre tide was falling fast. A helicopter at Omaka was called and dispatched to Port Hardy in thick fog.  Gander was on this helicopter. After doing a quick fly around the Matai they could see it needed propping up.  The helicopter lowered and let Gander out with a saw.  His job was to get the wood needed to prop up the Matai.  He cut down three Manuka trees and slid them down the steep hill towards a dinghy.  They used the trees to secure the Matai in place and waited for the tide.

The trawler ‘Marina May’ and her skipper Robie Bloomfield made the rough trip from Motueka to D’urville Island to help get the Matai floating again.  He arrived in time for high tide and secured a tow rope on the Matai.  With the Marina May gently pulling and the Matai’s engine going, they were able to ease the Matai off the rocks. Gander and his colleague Bill were left stranded on the Matai with its owner/skipper Gerry Fissenden for three days whilst they waited for the sea to calm down.  But Gander recounts that the Matai was comfortable to stay on and they were getting paid until they left Port Hardy so it wasn’t too bad. 

In the end the Matai only needed a small section of keel batten replaced which was lucky all round.