Teenager to scuttle navy vessel

BEST FINGER FORWARD: 14-year old Lucy Hamnet, pictured with her parents Sue and Keith, will press the button to send the 3182 tonne frigate to the bottom of Deep Water Cove.

Relevant offers

Northern News

Te Aupouri `milestone' Mission celebrations BOI regatta is keenly fought Big gathering for festival Air Force joins celebrations Paddlers dig deep for gold Prisoners help man's best friend Youth vandals beware A date at world champs Rash of measles on cards

A teenager has won the rights to sink HMNZS Canterbury on October 13.

Fourteen-year-old Lucy Hamnett of Opua will press the button to send the 3182 tonne warship to the bottom of Deep Water Cove to create an artificial reef after her father won the unique opportunity at a charity auction.

The Bay of Islands Canterbury Trust has spent $600,000 stripping and cleaning the ex-navy frigate in preparation for the scuttling. A further $80,000 needs to be raised in order to sink the frigate by the deadline.

"Despite this, the Trust is confident we will meet these costs," says chairman Richard Witehira. "It's unfortunate the Far North District Council doesn?t have the funds to help us out, though they have helped us in every way they can by dropping the usual fees involved."

HMNZS Canterbury will be sunk using a special form of detonation called Shaped Linear Charge, which had to be specially imported from the USA.

The detonation will have the effect of an implosion so as not to disturb dolphins resting in the vicinity.

The Department of Conservation is still considering the effect this will have on the environment.

The frigate will remain in sole ownership of the Bay of Islands Canterbury Trust after the sinking to ensure that profits made will be put back into the community.

"The intention of sinking the frigate is to provide employment for the local hapu," says Mr Witehira.

The trust is responsible for the area 500 metres around HMNZS Canterbury, including the beach and is currently in the process of applying for a ban of all fisheries above the artificial reef and a possible ban of fisheries in the vicinity.

The implosion will take place at 2pm on October 13.

- © Fairfax NZ News