Friends of a yachtsman who mysteriously disappeared in New Zealand called off a search for his body, according to media in New Zealand.

According to the report, civil engineer Paul Van Rensburg left his hometown on his yacht on March 12, heading for Gisborne where he was going to begin a new job.

A rescue plane spotted Van Rensburg's yacht almost two weeks after the last contact he made with his partner. He was not on board. His dog Juanita was alone.

[Kristen, Van Rensburg's Partner]:
"I got a text message from him on friday morning to say he was off the mount, it was calm but he was expecting wind and his dog was just trying to be with him all the time, then I got a voice message at 0200 pm to say bye, I am going out of range, have a good weekend."

It is believed that Van Rensburg was putting a reef in his sail when he was washed overboard into the sea. His vessel was found with ripped sails.

"I don't know if we'll ever know, but the GPS will tell us if his boat's gone off its course, and hopefully it will tell us when."

Van Rensburg's friends abandoned a search to find his body after scouring the shores themselves along the area of coast near where they believe he could have been lost.