Tauranga fishing boat Nimble II, with 13 people aboard, was towed back from Mayor Island on Saturday.

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard received a call from Nimble II at 7am.

The TECT Rescue boat was called into action on Saturday.

The boat was on an overnight charter and was unable to restart its engine. It was originally expected back in port at about 5pm on Friday.

The Coastguard's TECT Rescue craft left Tauranga at 8am and returned to port with Nimble II at 2pm. Seas were described as pretty big and sloppy with a 2-3metre swell, in rain.