Two men were missing, feared drowned after a fishing boat with 16 men on board was swamped by a huge wave at the entrance of the Parengarenga Harbour on the 3rd of February. The bodies still had not been recovered by the 5th.

Another man on board was injured.

The 42 foot boat 'Busy Bee' was overcome by an estimated 14 to 18 foot (4.3-5.5 m) wave. It caused the boat to capsize and sink.

Ocean swells caused unusually big waves along the east coast of the Northland and originated from Hurricane Val, which struck Fiji over the weekend . The wave which swamped the 'Busy Bee' may have come from one of these swells.

The aftermath of Hurricane Val played havoc with yachts racing off the Auckland coast on the 31st of January.

In the 560-mile Dunhill Admiral's Cup trial, two boats had to retire with broken masts and there was an injured crewman with a broken ankle.

The rugged conditions were hard on the boats competing in the first race if the half-ton series, off the East Coast Bays. Two yachts suffered broken masts, other damage included a broken rudder, snapped boom and a ripped mainsail. Six yachts from the 25 yacht fleet suffered damage. A crew member of one of the yachts was injured.