This incident hails from long before the days of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission - New Year's Day 1958, to be exact. A year earlier, Sanford acquired "Pagan" from its English owner, the 1943-built vessel's first task having been to take part in the "D Day" landings at Normandy. With frames built of English oak and planking of Baltic pine, this 62 foot vessel was designed to be suitable for fishing once her naval career had concluded, but before she put to sea on the West Coast under the captaincy of Syd Brown, Sanford bolstered her with a new Gardner engine, wheelhouse, trawl winch and gallows, fishhold insulation and caulking aplenty. After going into service, she suffered minor damage from a fire when alongside at Onehunga later in 1957, but on 1 January 1958, she was found sunk at her moorings, just the tops of her masts showing

above the waterline as she lay on her side in 25 feet of water between the wharf and the trawler "Sandra", whose crew discovered the situation when they reported for duty. Watched by a large crowd, she was refloated with the assistance of three mobile cranes and two slings on 3 January, upon which she was pumped dry and an inspection carried out. It revealed damage to the radio and echo-sounding equipment, and an engine overhaul was required, sidelining her for at least two months. The cause? The holds had been flooded by ingress through a faulty engine filter cover which had rusted through, creating a two inch hole below the waterline. Information sourced from early 1958 issues of NZ Herald, and "The Story of Sanford Ltd" by Paul Titchener.