Boat owner's labour of love 'smashed to smithereens' in Wellington storm

Thursday, 21 July 2022

The catamaran was pounded against the road in Eastbourne in Wellington's eastern bays on July 21, arguably Wellington's worst winter day.

A catamaran – described as a work in progress for the owner for a “number of years” – was left smashed against the seawall after breaking its mooring in heavy Wellington seas.

Eastbourne, in the Wellington harbour's eastern bays, was lashed by high winds and big swells on Thursday morning.

Paul Haines, who has lived on Marine Dr in Lowry Bay for 12 years, said the catamaran had been moored off the Lowry Bay reclamation for about four or five weeks.

The catamaran had been moored off Lowry Bay for about four or five weeks.

'Some time between 9am and 11am, it broke its moorings. It got onto the beach and has been smashed to smithereens. One of the hulls has ended up on the road with lots of debris from it washed all up the road.

The wreckage of a catamaran washed ashore at Lowry Bay in Wellington.

'We're used to them now, of courses, but this is among the worst [storms] I've seen. There are logs and seaweed up people's driveways.'

Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder said the mooring the catamaran broke free from in Eastbourne had been checked before the boat recently moored there.

What remains of the vessel, as the cleanup begins.

One hull was destroyed in the crash into the sea wall. The owner had been working on the catamaran for a “number of years”, Nalder said. 'It is going to be a hard break.'

The owner declined to speak to Stuff.

A Lowry Bay resident said the mast from the catamaran was torn from the vessel washed up close to his home, closing the road.

'I thought I should go out there and do something and then realised there's pretty much nothing to do. It's pretty dangerous.'

The resident said he did not know the owner. 'It's a big catamaran. I'd been admiring it for the last few weeks.'