The sinking of a Royal New Zealand Navy ship in the South Pacific had nothing to do with the fact that the British-born captain is a woman, the country’s defence minister said, criticising “armchair admirals” who are speculating on the causes of the disaster.
HMNZS Manawanui ran aground on a reef off the Samoan island of Upolu on Saturday in rough seas and strong winds. The next day, it caught fire and sank, becoming the first ship that New Zealand’s navy has lost at sea since the Second World War.
All 75 passengers and crew were evacuated onto lifeboats and rescued, although some were injured.
The captain, Yvonne Gray, who is originally from Harrogate, Yorkshire, previously served in the Royal Navy before moving to New Zealand with her wife after they fell in love with the country during a campervan trip.
Social media in New Zealand is rife with caustic comments about “diversity in action”, sexist remarks about “women drivers” and homophobic references to Commander Gray’s sexuality.
Judith Collins, the country’s first female defence minister, said she had been appalled to see trolling from “armchair admirals”.
She said that a “deeply concerning misogynist narrative reared its head before our people had even made it home to New Zealand. A court of inquiry has been stood up to establish what caused this terrible incident.
“The one thing that we already know did not cause it, is the gender of the ship’s captain, a woman with 30 years of naval experience who made the call to get her people to safety.
“I’m appalled to see the comments online from these armchair admirals, people who will never have to make decisions which mean life or death for their subordinates.”
“I thought, seriously in 2024, what the hell is going on here, with people who are sitting there in their armchair operating a keyboard making comments about people that they do not know, about an area they do not know, and they are just vile. Where’s a bit of decency?”
Cdr Gray said losing the ship meant that her “very worst imagining” as captain had become a reality.
The ship’s crew had responded to the emergency “exactly the way I needed them to”, she said, praising their “commitment and courage”.
She has been captain of HMNZS Manawanui, which is Māori for “steadfast” or “big heart”, since 2022.
The hydrographic and salvage vessel is based at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.
Cdr Gray started her Royal Navy career in 1993 as a warfare officer, serving on frigates, mine hunters and aircraft carriers.
She and her wife Sharon emigrated to New Zealand in 2012.
“The most obvious thing to do was join the Royal New Zealand Navy,” she said in an official navy profile.
HMNZS Manawanui is a relatively new ship that entered service in 2019.
“With Manawanui, it’s not just about the command. This is an opportunity to take a ship still in its infancy and further the capability of that ship,” she said in 2022.
The sunken vessel is leaking diesel into the sea, Samoa’s Marine Pollution Advisory Committee said on Thursday.
The New Zealand Navy has sent a team which will “react to any contamination of local beaches and to remove debris that has started to come ashore”.
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