HMNZS Kahu (A04) explained
HMNZS Kahu (A04) was a inshore
patrol vessel of the
Royal New Zealand Navy. She was
launched in 1979 as the lead boat of her class, modified to function as a
diving tender. She was initially named HMNZS
Manawanui (A09),
[1] the
second of soon to be four diving tenders with this name to serve in the New Zealand Navy. As a diving tender she participated in the exploration and salvage work of the wreck in March 1986.
[1] On 17 May 1988, she was renamed Kahu (A04) and recommissioned as the basic seamanship and navigation training vessel attached to the Royal New Zealand Naval College. Kahu is the second boat with this name to serve in the New Zealand Navy. (The name comes from the Māori-language Maori: [[kāhu]] - the name for the native swamp harrier hawk.) The ship was replaced in her role as a diving tender by .
She remained in service for seamanship, Officer of the Watch training and as a backup diving tender until her decommissioning on 30 October 2009. The ship was sold for use as a pleasure craft on 18 February 2010.[2]
Kahu was distinguished from other boats of the Moa class by the gantry on her quarterdeck and lack of funnels.
Post RNZN Career
After leaving the Royal New Zealand Navy she was sold to Peter White-Robinson and renamed Kahu. In 2011 she underwent a year long refit at Fitzroy Yachts in New Plymouth, converting her to a 'family ship'. In 2013 she was sold.[3]
In 2021 the vessel was involved in a £160,000,000 drugs bust when she was intercepted by HMC Searcher 130 km off the coast of Plymouth.[4] 1 British Citizen and 5 Nicaraguan citizens were arrested. 2000kgs of Cocaine was reported to be onboard.[5]
See also
References
- McDougall, R J (1989) New Zealand Naval Vessels. Page 136–137. Government Printing Office.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Final farewell visits for "Little ship that could". 28 September 2009. New Zealand Defence Force. 2009-10-01. https://archive.today/20240524122342/https://www.webcitation.org/5kBjzUm69?url=http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/20090930-ffvflstc.htm. dead. 2024-05-24.
- Web site: Navy's 'little ship that could' is sold. 17 February 2010. New Zealand Defence Force. 20 February 2010.
- Web site: 2021-09-12. Ex-navy vessel transformed into super yacht in New Plymouth caught up in multimillion-dollar international drug bust. 2021-09-15. Stuff. en.
- News: 2021-09-13. Six in court over cocaine seized off Plymouth coast. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-09-15.
- Web site: Six arrested in $225 million drug bust on former NZ Navy vessel. 2021-09-15. NZ Herald. en-NZ.
