Boat to be sunk to provide dive site

Divers should have another underwater attraction to explore within a few months when an old fishing vessel is sunk in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

The 44-metre fishing vessel Seafire has been stripped of its engine and other gear in Wellington ready to be towed north and sunk in 35 metres of water just south of Whale Island off Whakatane.

Nick Gear from Seaquest Marine, which is co ordinating the sinking for a Whakatane-based trust, said the timing of the sinking had yet to be finalised but it would be hopefully before Christmas.

Mr Gear, a commercial diver, said it would be a great dive.

"She is going to be a really good wreck, very, very big and it is going to be a good attraction."

Some minor work still had to be done to remove some wiring and wood panels which could deteriorate underwater and cause a problem.

The Seafire, thought to be 40 or 50 years old, would be sunk in a reasonably well protected site off Whale Island and should last a long time, Mr Gear said.

The vessel is the second in the Bay of Plenty to be sunk as a dive attraction in the last few years.

Further north off Motiti Island near Mt Maunganui, the old steam tug Taioma, built in Scotland in 1944, was sunk in 27 metres of water in 2000.

Several ships, including four navy ships, have been sunk around the North Island as dive attractions recently.