Trouble call from Coastguard

When Tauranga boaties get into trouble they call the Tauranga Coastguard. But who do the Coastguard call when they need rescuing?

This was the dilemma Tauranga Coastguard found themselves in when their rescue boat TECT RESCUE  needed to be towed back to base after it broke down at Mayor Island.

Coastguard operations manager Simon Barker was on board the boat, when it broke down about 3pm on Friday afternoon in South East Bay.

"There was a rope and when we backed up the rope went slack and it got into the intake and wrapped itself around the shaft and it stopped the shaft from spinning," he said.

"It meant the engine couldn't work.''

The Coastguard crew were on Mayor Island repairing a radio mast that was "playing up''.

Mr Barker said a commercial tug towed the catamaran back to Tauranga Harbour.

The crew arrived back on land just before midnight.

"These things do happen from time to time but it's not very often,'' Mr Barker said.

"We were covered by other Coastguards from Waihi Beach and Maketu so it was all under control.''

The TECT RESCUE boat was back in action by Saturday afternoon.