Waikato Anchor Lifted!

29
Jul

After eleven years underneath the waves, the ex-HMNZS Waikato, Leander Class Frigate sunk as an artificial reef off Tutukaka in 2000, has her anchor lifted to stand as a Brothers-In-Arms monument opposite the anchor of the ex-HMS Tui in the Tutukaka Marina.

After a couple of false starts, weather not playing ball, and the Navy finding it difficult to schedule, the long suffering supporters of the Waikato anchor finally achieved their goal of lifting 2.5 tonnes of steel off the bottom this morning.

Jeroen Jongejans has never given up hope of standing the anchor opposite the Tui plinth in Tutukaka, and with the support of the Tutukaka Coast Promotions Society, Total Marine and several dedicated tech divers, his goal was reached this morning.

The Waikato was sunk on November 25th in 2000, and the Tui was sunk on February 1999. The Tui was raised after ten years, and the plan was to do the same with the Waikato anchor. Almost a year after the set date, the anchor is finally shore side, and the task of cleaning her up for display begins today.

There were a number of people involved, the anchor dive team who found her originally from Tech Dive, and the Dive! Tutukaka crew who kept having to put buoys on her for the Navy to find, the Navy who cut the chain free but couldn’t lift her, and today the Dive! Tuts crew who marked her off, and Total Marine who lifted her this morning.

Well done team!