Tauranga Boys' College rowers have the quick thinking of nearby yachties to thank after submerging their skiffs on Tauranga Harbour on Sunday.

The two coxless four skiffs were rowing on the harbour at about 11.30am when they got into trouble and began sinking.

Rowers from Tauranga Boys' College rowing team, who operate from Memorial Park, were rescued by nearby yachties on Tauranga Harbour.

Two nearby yachts Union Jack and Not Negotiable were preparing for the Mount Maunganui Yacht Club's Winter Series opening day race to start at midday when they spotted the troubled rowers.

The race start was halted while the yachties made their way to the rowers.

Mount Maunganui Yacht Club captain Will Horne says Coastguard was called but did not have a boat in the water at the time so the yachties went to help the rowers out.

'A couple of our yachts had to drop the sail and rescue them from in front of the ship dock.”

Lifeguard Kent Jarman, on board Not Negotiable at the time, says the two skiffs looked to have been coming back from Mount Maunganui before getting into trouble.

'The westerly had picked up by then and it was too rough for them. It was only about 10 to 15 knots, but you get a bit of bounce back off the wharf.”

Kent was below deck signing on for the race when Tauranga City Councillor Bill Faulkner called out 'you better get up here we might have a rescue”.

The two rowing crews were told to ditch the skiffs and climbed aboard the yachts after the support boat was unable to help the two sinking vessels in choppy conditions.

'They were a nice bunch of kids. They were really apologetic and thankful,” says Bill.

Bill praised crew member Mike Steel who jumped into the water to rescue the skiffs.

'He actually jumped in the tide and that's how we managed to save them because they are pretty hard to tow back when they are swamped.”

Tauranga Boys' College rowing are looking into the incident.