Updated: 4.40PM: A yachtie is safely back ashore after it got into trouble off the coast of Mount Maunganui today.

The 22ft Noelex trailer yacht was towing a pontoon caught by the sea and wrapped the towline round the yacht's steering, say Mount Police.

Tauranga Coastguard TECT Rescue tows a yacht to shore.

Coastguard's TECT Rescue towed the yacht and pontoon back into Pilot Bay, before the Harbourmaster's jet ski brought the yacht ashore.

The yacht and the twin-hulled pontoon were on their way to Motiti Island when the incident occured offshore from Rabbit Island.

Port of Tauranga reports onshore easterly winds of 20 knots, gusting to 23 knots at A Beacon and 25 knots in the harbour.