A tugboat has reached an oil and chemical tanker stuck off the coast of Stewart Island.

Maritime NZ said the Golden Mind lost steering west of the island on Wednesday, and the ship and its crew had been waiting there since.

In an update on Monday morning, it said the ocean-going tug MMA Vision - which set off from Wellington on Thursday - was now alongside.

However it said weather conditions would determine when the two boats could connect.

Weather stations on Rakiura were recording gale-force winds on Monday.

Maritime NZ said the plan was to tow the tanker to Timaru.

"Towage arrangements are made between the commercial parties involved - in this case, Golden Mind's owners and MMA Vision."

Maritime NZ said the crew was safe, and no distress calls had been made.

It said its Rescue Coordination Centre would continue to keep watch, but it would not be issuing any further statements about the situation on Monday.

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