A dive team has assessed a 50-foot sunken vessel in Mercury Bay and confirmed it is stable in 20 metres of water, says Waikato Regional Council.

The vessel struck rocks near Motukorure Island – also known as Centre Island – sometime before 3.45pm on Wednesday and sank with 1300 litres of diesel on board. The skipper and passenger were uninjured.

“The salvage company’s divers have undertaken an assessment of the boat today and found it to be in generally good shape,” said Regional On Scene Commander Cliff Gibson. “They’ve also confirmed that it’s stable, sitting on a reef and in a position where it’s unlikely to move.

“While underwater, the divers have plugged the boat’s breathers – that’s the vents from the tank to relieve pressure and stop fuel coming back out of the filler tube,” he said.

“Based on this latest information, and forecast offshore wind conditions remaining favourable for at least the next week, we remain confident there is minimal risk to the environment at this time,” Mr Gibson said.

However, regional council has contingency plans in place should circumstances change, he said.

The salvors have told the council the boat’s recovery is likely to start on either Tuesday or Wednesday next week. “Due to the size of the vessel, larger equipment is needed for the salvors to recover the boat, and this will take several days to arrive.”

Divers are expected to return to the site over the weekend to undertake another assessment of the vessel.

Regional council maritime officers will also continue to visit the site over the weekend to assess the scene for any signs that oil or diesel may be leaking.

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