Fishermen rescue a yacht from Penrhyn Lagoon

A French yacht visiting Penrhyn escaped serious damage this week after running aground on a coral hill within the island’s lagoon.

The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon as the SV Kermotu was leaving the main village of Omoka heading towards Te Tautua where most yachts are docked.

The catamaran, which arrived in Tahiti from Samoa, was one of three vessels visiting the island this week, according to Penrhyn executive officer Puna Vano.

While two other yachts successfully navigated the tricky passage, the Martinique-flagged SV Kermotu, 14 metres long and 7 metres wide, “tried to take a shortcut” but ultimately met with misfortune.

“They were actually not following the correct path within our lagoon, the New Zealand Navy has a GPS tracking system in the lagoon. When they (yachtsmen) come here we always tell them to check the GPS and follow the GPS path. It might take longer but it gets you out of the channel safely,” Vano said.

“Luckily, there were two fishermen fishing near the channel at the time, and when they saw the boat coming, they immediately realized that the boat would get stuck on the reef. They stayed to help them.”

The three crew members worked with the fishermen to unload the heavy objects from the yacht. They then waited for high tide at around 6pm before moving the boat away from the coral hills and continuing towards Te Tautua, seeking shelter behind the island.

“They are lucky, otherwise their vessel could have sustained serious damage.”

Vano said they have had 10 yachts visit the island so far this year. Last year there were 19, while in 2022, mainly due to the coronavirus-related lockdown, the island received only two.

“Our people always eagerly await the arrival of these yachts,” Vano said.

He said they were looking for ways to make money from these yachts visiting the island.

“I believe that once our airport is upgraded, it will provide more development opportunities for building (accommodation) for locals and locals living abroad.”