A yachtie was rescued from "rough seas" off the coast of Hawke's Bay this morning.
A Royal NZ Air Force Hercules aircraft assisted in the rescue near Cape Kidnappers, along with a Talley's fishing vessel.
The yachtie initially go into trouble around 5:30pm yesterday when the 10-metre sloop he was on rolled, according to Maritime New Zealand.
"The solo sailor made a distress call after suffering damage to his vessel in rough seas," Royal New Zealand Air Force said in a statement.
"The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand requested our crew to provide overwatch while two nearby ships drew closer, and during the transfer of the sailor from the stricken yacht to Talley’s trawler Amaltal Apollo in extremely challenging weather conditions."
It comes as a weather system saw big swells hit the eastern side of the lower North Island today.
It has seen Cook Island ferry services impacted for the second day in a row.
The Interislander has had to cancel all sailings this afternoon due to the poor weather.
"Safety is paramount for both our passengers and crew, which has forced us to make this difficult decision," the service said on its website.
Additionally, Bluebridge has cancelled most of its services too, hoping to get them back up and running at 8.30pm this evening from Wellington and 2.30am on Friday from Picton.
"Please be aware that further cancellations may occur if the weather remains severe longer than forecast.
"If so, all customers will be notified at the earliest possible opportunity."
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