Pilot bay - A gale drags two yachts onto the beach at Pilot Bay
Westerlies gusting near 80 km/h at Mount Maunganui drove two yachts, Right On and Orinoco, aground in Pilot Bay. The harbourmaster secured them; no one was hurt. A plain lesson in dragging ground tackle on a lee shore.
What happened.
In October 2025 a gale at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand — westerlies gusting near 80 km/h — dragged two yachts, Right On and Orinoco, aground in Pilot Bay. The harbourmaster later secured a beached yacht, and no injuries were reported. It's a plain lesson in ground tackle failing on a lee shore in a blow.
In October 2025 a gale hit Mount Maunganui in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, with westerlies recorded around 35 to 43 km/h and gusting to roughly 80 km/h. In Pilot Bay (Waikorire), two yachts — Right On and Orinoco — dragged their ground tackle and ended up aground on the beach, and the local harbourmaster later moved to secure a beached vessel. No injuries were reported, and the coverage doesn't make clear whether anyone was aboard as the boats dragged or whether they were later refloated. As a Logbook entry it's a textbook dragging-anchor and lee-shore story. An anchorage that holds comfortably in settled weather can become a trap when the wind pipes up and pins you against the shore behind you: the anchor breaks out, the boat drifts down, and there is nowhere to go but the beach. The defences are all preparation — enough scope and the right bottom, an anchor bearing or a drag alarm to catch it early, an engine ready to power up before you're in the shallows, and the judgement to move to shelter or put to sea before a forecast gale arrives rather than after it does.
What it teaches.
- 1A dragging anchor on a lee shore has nowhere good to go — the boat drifts down onto the beach behind it. Lay enough scope in known-good holding, set a drag alarm or watch an anchor bearing, and keep the engine ready to power off before you're in the shallows.
- 2Weather is the real cause here. An anchorage that's comfortable in settled air becomes dangerous once a gale pins you against the shore. Watch the forecast and move to shelter — or put to sea — before the blow arrives, not after the anchor has already broken out.
Where this comes from.
SeaWise indexes and links to primary sources; it does not host their reports or media. Crew are referred to by role unless documented consent is on file.
Procedures involved.
More like this.
Share your story.
SeaWise records are richer when survivors and crewmates contribute what they remember. Submissions are private by default — your name and contact never appear on the public record.
Submit a story