The last person to speak with a German man on a missing yacht says he didn't take advice about making contact with other boats.
The police hold grave fears for the man and two women on board the yacht Munetra, which left Bluff on 16 April for Preservation Inlet.
A helicopter seached from Dusky Sound to Riverton on Saturday without any sign of the vessel, and a helicopter and an Air Force Orion also spent Sunday unsuccessfully scouring the sea for the 7.5 metre yacht.
The missing yacht Munetra. Photo: NZ Police
Search and rescue efforts have now been scaled back.
A radio operator at the Bluff Fisherman's Radio, Meri Leask, was the last person to speak with the 33-year-old German man on the vessel soon after it left Bluff.
The skipper has lived in Southland for several years. Two women are believed to be with him.
Mrs Leask said the man only had a hand-held radio - with limited range - and failed to take advice about making contact with other vessels or lodges and other accommodation sites on nearby land.
"He just didn't listen," she said. "He was a man not to do as you would give the advice - he would just go the other way".
This had been confirmed by other people who had previously dealt with the man.
Mrs Leask said she urged him to contact other vessels or a lodge in Preservation Inlet, and gave him details of which radio channels to use.
"He just wasn't a man to take on board what you were offering him".
Contacting next-of-kin
She had since been emailed details about the man's behaviour from people on another yacht who had visited him at Stewart Island.
Mrs Leask said shore radio stations could only ask yachties to do the right thing.
"If they're not prepared to do it, what can you do?".
She said it would not be appropriate for her to comment on whether the man was negligent.
Officials are asking fishing vessels to keep an eye out for the yacht but are suspending other search efforts.
Inspector Lane Todd said they would evaluate any further information that came to hand and could boost the search at short notice.
He said police were still trying to contact the next of kin of those on the yacht.
The skipper had cellphones with Telecom and 2Degrees and the police are working with the companies to try and get information.
Miracle
Mrs Leask said it would be a miracle if the yachties were found alive as weather conditions are not good and the vessel was not well prepared.
The New Zealand Coastguard says a failure by yachties to keep in regular contact with Maritime radio could prove fatal.
The Coastguard Southern region manager, Cheryl Moffat, says it's crucial to stay in touch with maritime radio or search and rescue regularly because search efforts start from the last point of communication.
Officials are asking fishing vessels to keep an eye out for the Munetra but are suspending other search efforts.
