The Waikato search for a missing catamaran with a father and his young daughter on board has been called off.
Alan Langdon and his daughter Que Langdon have not been heard from since setting off from the Waikato for the Bay of Islands on a catamaran on 17 December. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
Alan Langdon and his six-year-old daughter, Que, left Kawhia Harbour in Waikato 11 days ago, bound for the Bay of Islands, and have not been heard from since.
Sergeant Warren Shaw said an aerial search yesterday failed to find any sign of the catamaran.
That completed the search of the Waikato area and there were no plans for further searches, he said.
Mr Langdon was an experienced sailor and it was not unusual for him to to head out and not be in contact, Mr Shaw said.
Police said the Auckland Maritime Unit was still conducting searches of the shorelines north of Auckland.
The Coastguard said two planes and two boats searched coastal areas north of Auckland this morning, but the crews failed to find any sign of the catamaran and the police stood them down.
Earlier in the week, police said they had grave concerns for the welfare of the pair.
The Rescue Coordination Centre said it did not know whether there was an emergency locator beacon on board the catamaran.
Coastguard Radio had broadcast all-stations calls asking for sightings.
Alan Langdon and his six-year-old daughter have not been heard from since 17 December when they left Kawhia Harbour aboard this catamaran, bound for the Bay of Islands. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police
A Waikato harbourmaster, Chris Bredenbeck, who saw the catamaran leave Kawhia, said boats should be equipped with VHF, an emergency beacon and be in regular contact with coastguards.
He said he saw them leave at high tide when the weather was fine, although there had been high winds since.
Such a trip, travelling fairly directly, should only take a few days, he said.
The boat is described as a white catamaran, 6m in length and with the ID number T878 in large lettering on its sail.