The Death of the WAITERE

Photo-Elliot Bexon

We received this sad correspondence from Jeff Bolster, a US pro schooner sailor and retired history professor cruising New Zealand with his wife Molly on their Valiant 40 .

“We lost a historic wooden boat here today, an excursion boat built circa 1940s of kauri, the finest imaginable Kiwi boatbuilding timber (a straight-grained, knot free wood that brought smiles to generations of boatbuilders.) In recent years she has been one of the passenger-only ferries (no cars) between Paihia and Russell, the towns nearest us. Molly and I have ridden that ferry repeatedly, sometimes just because I wanted to talk with the old skipper, Bill Elliott. He's quite a character, mid-70s at least, a bit hunched due to age, resolutely shoeless, always in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, despite arms and legs that have seen way too much sun over the years. Imagine a craggy, but elfin face, defined by piercing blue eyes and an unkempt white moustache. He was always happy to talk about the boat and its GM-471 engine. No romance, though! He was a working man with a work boat. He changed the oil and patched the bottom as necessary, but always in the unsentimental way you would care for a cash cow. He loved the chink of coins in the worn leather bag he wore on one shoulder, and happily did a single-hander's dance as he boarded passengers, made change, handled the spring line, and ran the boat -- thousands of trips, I'm sure. His son was relief skipper and Bill expected him to take over the business at some point. 

But there won't be any more trips.  Skipper Bill is in critical condition, helicoptered to hospital with head and spinal injuries. His WAITERE-- locally known as the Blue Ferry -- is on the harbor bottom”

WAITERE in happier times. Photo-John Stone

A Boston Whaler, a model 305 Conquest named ONEPOTO sporting twin 300-hp outboards , hailing from the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, hit WAITERE broadside at great speed. Witnesses and tangible evidence asserts this fact.

Jeff examined both vessels at close range before the authorities streamed Crime Scene tape around them in the boatyard. Damage on both boats indicated incontrovertibly that the Boston Whaler, hit the ferry. Some passengers were thrown overboard upon impact. Bill's pilot house took a direct hit, and splintered as the vessel's bulwarks were stove in. The engine room was peeled open.

Jeff updated us the following day

I spent yesterday afternoon watching the salvage operation, alongside the Maritime NZ team, and a team from Transport Accident Investigation Commission. Thus, with the police, there are three government agencies investigating.  Blue ferry WAITERE is now hauled at Bay of Islands Marina, beyond repair and fatally damaged. Splintered wood and broken timbers surround the hole on the port side where deck meets hull. Her post-accident sinking did more damage: the pilot house roof and overhead canopy, for instance, are gone. Divers from Commercial Dive Specialists raised her in a two-day operation using air bags. Weather on second day was snotty, 25 kn NE for most of the day. The Harbormaster/Pilot launch, a massive aluminum power catamaran, then towed her to the boatyard where she has been hauled — itself a challenging operation given damage to her hull and the presence of the expensive air bags. None of the divers wanted to have a Travel Lift sling burst a $6000 salvage air bag!

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Photos by Jeff Bolster

With civil and criminal proceedings likely to roll out soon, we are loath to make any comments about responsibility for the accident but we will be watching out for any updates. In the meantime we wish Bill Elliot and his family the best.