A houseboat broke free from its mooring in the strong winds on Tuesday afternoon, causing “extensive damage” to the boat.

The boat became lodged under the scaffolding on the Batemans Bay Bridge on the Clyde River.

Batemans Bay Marine Rescue received a call-out at 2.15pm to give assistance and tow the boat out from the bridge.

It is believed the boat was unoccupied at the time it broke from its mooring.

A Batemans Bay Marine Rescue spokesman said another boat had also broken from its mooring at the same time, becoming a hazard.

“The second boat came free after it was nudged from the houseboat,” he said.

“The boat received no damage.”

The spokesman said getting the boats back on their moorings was not an easy task.

“We couldn’t get them back on there moorings because the wind was too strong,” he said.

“We ended up taking the boats up the river were it was calmer and mooring them there.”

He said the houseboat was “quite mangled”.