A skipper and his passenger have escaped unharmed after the motor launch they were in sunk east of the Coromandel Peninsula yesterday afternoon.
The boat "sank fairly quickly" after it struck rocks near Motukorure Island, in Mercury Bay, before 3.45pm, the Waikato Regional Council said in a media release.
The 50-foot long vessel, which is 10 years old but was new to its owner, was carrying 1300 litres of diesel on board when it sank.
Regional council maritime officers arrived at the scene just before the vessel sank completely.
Regional on-scene commander Cliff Gibson said there is "no evidence of oil spill and no smell of diesel in the vicinity of the sunken vessel".
"Based on the information we have, we believe the vessel’s fuel tanks will be intact at this stage," he said.
However, the breather — a vent from a tank which stops fuel from coming back out of a filler tube when tanks are being filled — "will be open".
The boat is believed to be sitting upright in 20m of water, remaining unmoved from yesterday thanks to favourable conditions.
The boat's owner is now arranging for the vessel to be salvaged, but it's unlikely to happen during this weekend.
"The good news is that offshore wind conditions are forecast to remain favourable for at least the next week, meaning the vessel is likely to remain in situ and therefore at low risk of breaking up and impacting the environment," Gibson said.
Maritime officers returned to the scene this morning.
Iwi and the Department of Conservation have been notified of the incident and have been identifying culturally significant sites and undertaking wildlife assessments.
"We have contingency plans in place should circumstances change from the current prevailing conditions and situation, but remain confident there is minimal risk to the environment at this time," Gibson said.
Council maritime officers will be returning to the scene twice a day to assess the scene for any changes.
It comes after a fishing vessel ran aground off the coast of Banks Peninsula near Christchurch 11 days ago, leading to a fuel spill.
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