Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Boating NZ

In the continuing effort to protect whales from deadly ship strikes, Sea. AI is collaborating with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and the University of La Laguna (ULL) to support efforts under the European Union’s ATLANTIC WHALE DEAL project. This ambitious initiative aims to safeguard marine mammals while promoting healthy ocean ecosystems. Whales are essential to the health of our oceans, playing a critical role in carbon sequestration and maintaining marine ecosystems. Yet, these gentle giants face increasing threats from ship collisions in busy maritime routes. The ATLANTIC WHALE DEAL brings together scientists, conservationists, and technology experts from across Europe to tackle this problem with cutting-edge innovation. Sea.AI will provide its advanced AI-powered machine vision technology, which detects and classifies objects on the water’s surface. This technology will…

In April, Peter Burling, one of New Zealand’s most decorated sailors and three-time America’s Cup winner with Emirates Team New Zealand, announced he would not be re-signing with ETNZ but instead joining Luna Rossa Prada in a new, yet to be disclosed, role. Burling is unlikely to be eligible to sail in the next edition of the America’s Cup, but he brings a huge amount of experience and knowledge to his new team. In more Burling news, he has announced he is joining the French 32-metre foiling trimaran SVR-Lazartigue for the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race — a bold move signalling a new direction in his already legendary career.…

Russell Boating Club members voted overwhelmingly at the AGM held on 15 June to oppose use of the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 to approve the proposed 200-250 berth marina development in Waipiro Bay, eastern Bay of Islands. A Fast-track referral application was lodged in March 2025 and is awaiting a decision on whether to refer the application into the substantive phase. If the application is referred, the applicant can submit a substantive application, and an expert panel will then be appointed to consider and approve or decline the proposed marina. The Club now has a clear mandate to advocate on behalf of its members that the proposed Waipiro Bay marina development be declined for Fast-track referral, and if the proposal is referred into Fast-track, the Club can also advocate that…

Amphibious craft have been around for sometime, with many of New Zealand’s major trailer boat manufacturers offering them as an option, but they are still rare enough to create plenty of interest wherever they go. If the reactions of customers sitting in the cafes along this Far North township’s waterfront are any indication, with many reaching for their phones, the sight of such craft still creates a stir. And had the observers appreciated the fitout of this particular vessel, they would have been even more intrigued. Fin Chaser Boats – FC Boats in a former life – are full of innovation, in accordance with the company’s slogan: ‘By Fishermen for Fishermen,’ with the 700 Hard Top Amphibious (HTA) Generation II fully embracing this ethos. First impressions are important. Reaching our…

The vast majority of cruising sailboats – mono- or multihulls – have the very same rig. The Bermudan sloop. And now, mostly, a fractional rig, where the foresail does not reach up to the top of the mast. Given that the sailing rig can be considered the primary propulsion source for all these boats, there must be significant advantages in this set-up, right? Well, no, not necessarily. Perhaps it’s time to rethink the accepted. Because cruising yachts are a major investment for most people, their value also lies in their resale value. And one of the pivotal reckonings of any marketplace is that a mainstream perception is a safer bet for on-selling your asset. So the predominance of the Bermudan sloop rig reflects this market reality. It’s common because it’s…

AS OF LAST MONTH, Mercury Joystick Piloting system is fully compatible with applicable Quick Nautical Equipment bow thrusters and ready for customer use. This milestone officially marks a significant advancement in onboard manoeuvrability and control. Quick Nautical Equipment has specifically developed a gateway that enables seamless integration between its PCS and Mercury’s systems, allowing Mercury’s manoeuvring joysticks to control QNE bow thrusters. This system can also be retrofitted onto existing QNE installations, provided that the PCS is already in place or will be installed. The integration is enabled via a new version of the Quick Nautical Equipment NCG-T interface, which allows compatible Mercury command systems to control QNE bow thrusters, currently including the BTQ range with MSC and BT-QSY models through PCS system. A software upgrade is requested and available…

WHEN IT CAME TO REFINISHING the 54m superyacht, MY Mischief, only a world-class coating system could match its status. Yachtsmiths, the Gold Coast-based superyacht finishing company, selected Awlgrip HDT and Awlcraft 3000 for superior gloss, durability, and long-term protection. Spanning almost nine months of meticulous work, the result was a remarkable high-gloss finish that met the highest expectations of both the owner and the yacht finishing professionals at Yachtsmiths. “Our original scope of work included widespread corrosion mediation and a full refinish, but as the project progressed, the owner made additional requests. These included the removal of a few hundred through-hulls to prevent water ingress and addressing minor structural issues,” says Mitchell Zigenbine, one of the directors of Yachtsmiths. “The hull and topsides didn’t require significant repair work, but the…

RAYGLASS BOATS has unveiled the all-new Protector R Edition range, a bold evolution of its iconic high-performance RIBs. These exclusive models are engineered to deliver next-level performance, styling, and innovation. Leading the lineup is the 330 Targa R Edition, the first vessel in New Zealand to be powered by Mercury Racing’s new 400R V10 outboard engines. With a top speed exceeding 60 knots, this 10-metre boat is one of the fastest production cabin RIBs in the country. The R Edition retains the legendary Protector hull while adding premium upgrades including custom R badging, exclusive graphics, diamond-stitched upholstery, and cutting-edge marine technology. Equipped with Mercury electric steering, joystick piloting with integrated autopilot, skyhook, and a bow thruster, these vessels offer unmatched handling and control. www.rayglass.co.nz www.Brunswick.com…

COASTGUARD NELSON has upgraded to a digital Tait DMR T3 network, also upgrading their dispatch to an Omnicore Express Radio Dispatch Console. The upgraded communication system uses Radio over IP and was fully self-funded through grants from Pub Charity, the Lion Foundation and Coastguard New Zealand. This upgrade has significantly enhanced the range and clarity of transmissions across its 10,400 km² operational area. It also allows sensitive operations to be conducted away from public radio channels and enables remote access to the dispatch console from a Windows tablet, significantly reducing stand-up time. Meanwhile, the Tasman and Nelson Harbour Masters and Nelson Surf Life Saving have also moved to a DMR (digital mobile radio) network, enabling all four marine emergency services to communicate over a common DMR Search and Rescue channel.…

To protect the Auckland icons unique nature, 1012 wilding pines have been removed from Rangitoto Island in a five-week ground control operation. Drone mapping and laser rangefinders were used to identify and map the wilding pines, which would eventually take over the island’s native vegetation if left uncontrolled, says Dr Leigh Joyce, DOC Senior Biodiversity Ranger. Rangitoto has the largest pōhutukawa and rātā dominated forest in the world and is home to many taonga bird and lizard species. Predator free since 2011, it’s also the only volcano in Auckland with an intact indigenous ecosystem, home to a variety of native bird species, including kākāriki, korimako/bellbird, kākā, tūī, pīwakawaka/fantail, riroriro/grey warbler, and ruru/morepork, as well as five species of native lizards. Unlike native New Zealand bush, where a wide variety of…

This is an Up the Creek adventure with a difference, for your destination is also your starting point. And vice versa. All roads – on water and on land, in this area – lead back to Raglan town. And what a fascinating place it is. Raglan has water sports worth way beyond the (admittedly fabulous) surfing, for which it is world famous in New Zealand – and genuinely world famous too. First, the harbour has been a haven for more than 1,000 years. Seafaring stories go back for yonks, here. These stem from the earliest arrivals of waka moana that landed and established the Tainui iwi lineage – with Kawhia Harbour to the south also featuring prominently in this genesis. In fact, the name for what became Raglan harbour and…

EV MARITIME, New Zealand’s leading electric ferry design and technology company, has launched its first fully electric passenger ferry. The new vessel will operate between downtown Auckland and the suburb of Half Moon Bay. This is the first of the EVM200 class – a series of battery-electric fast ferries built using lightweight carbon fibre. Designed for urban public transport, the EVM200 offers service speeds of up to 25 knots and a range of up to 20 miles. Developed with support from the New Zealand Government, the EVM200 platform is part of Auckland Transport’s initiative to transition to a low-emissions ferry fleet. Two vessels will enter service under this programme, each accommodating up to 200 passengers on a fully enclosed main deck, with additional seating for 30 on the upper deck.…

STABICRAFT MARINE’S SEAN MCCOLL recently celebrated 30 years of service with the Invercargill-based aluminium boat builder. Stabicraft is New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of aluminium boats with dealers around the country and a growing export market to Australia and the Pacific, North America, and Europe. Twenty-three-year-old Sean started with Stabicraft back in 1995 when it was still a relatively small company. He started in an admin and logistics role – founder Paul Adams was still on the workshop floor welding boats – and missed the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show that year, left behind to mind the shop. But he reckons he’s hardly missed one since and can’t even guess how many boat shows in total he has attended in the last 30 years. As the company grew, Sean moved into…

SEAKEEPER has announced the launch of five new Seakeeper Ride products, making complete underway stabilisation available for boats 43 to 55 feet (13.1-16.8m) in length for the first time. Seakeeper Ride controllers mount to the boat’s transom below the waterline. Using proprietary inertial sensing hardware and software, the system takes 1,000 measurements per second to understand the boat’s behaviour in all three axes. It then commands deployment of custom-designed rotary blades below the boat’s running surface, making 100 adjustments per second, to create lift that automatically manages the vessel’s motions. The new products include the Seakeeper Ride 900, Seakeeper Ride 1050, Seakeeper Ride 1125, Seakeeper Ride 1275 and Seakeeper Ride 1500. All new products are available for immediate shipment directly through Seakeeper for OEM partners and through a global dealer…

The Melvin & Morelli designed Catalyst was originally built as a high-speed chase boat and tender for New Zealand’s America’s Cup campaign in 2013. Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders (LSB) acquired the moulds in 2019 and began custom-building the model in limited numbers, with no two boats quite the same. LSB-built Catalysts have evolved considerably from the earlier boats, with different hardtop configurations, extended hull versions, and foil-assist options that deliver impressive improvements in fuel economy. We most recently reviewed an LSB-built Catalyst GT in our October 2024 issue, but the foil-assisted Render with LSB’s standard superstructure layout is a very different vessel. BUILT FOR PLAY, ENGINEERED FOR PERFORMANCE Render is already making waves – literally and figuratively – in the turquoise waters of Fiji as the support boat for a luxury…

I spent a lot of time reviewing intricate and expensive products that are supposed to frighten birds off boats, including acoustic devices, but it’s practically impossible to keep birds off every part of a yacht’s rigging when they will sometimes cling to vertical wires. I finally decided that the most effective, and also the cheapest, method for keeping bird droppings off a yacht is an awning. I especially wanted to protect the centre cockpit Bimini on my schooner Britannia, to shield it from the fierce Florida sun as much as the rain and bird droppings. There is also a secondary benefit from a good awning – it keeps the temperature down inside the boat, in Britannia’s case by some 5-6 degrees Celcius when it’s 32°C outside. I shopped around all…

Puzzle no.333 Across 1. _____ Foils – NZ SailGP team (5) 4. Able to stay afloat on surface of sea (7) 8. Marine molluscs that cling tightly to rocks (7) 9. Fish by trailing baited line behind moving boat (5) 10. Long horizontal spar attached to mast (4) 11. _____ ___ lee – this describes vessel protected from wind (5,3) 13. Qualified coastal navigator (5) 14. Metal sometimes used for boat fittings (5) 16. Who you hope to beat in regatta! (8) 19. Narrow strip of land that juts out into sea (4) 22. Register to take part in sailing regatta (5) 23. Sailor with long experience (7) 24. Relating to ocean depths between 200 and 2000 meters (7) 25. Knots are units of speed equivalent to nautical _____ per…

To secure the business, the quay punts would race each other out to sea, in all weathers and very often beyond the Lizard, to ‘seek’ incoming ships and offer their services. At one time there were up to 40 of them working in the port. An essential characteristic was a mainmast short enough to clear the lowest yardarm of a heavily laden ship, and so the mainsail was gaff with no topsail. They were typically three-quarter decked for ease of handling cargo and, astonishingly considering the conditions in which they often found themselves, there is only one recorded instance of a foundering: Fear Not off the Lizard in 1900, with the loss of two hands. By the early part of the 20th century, with considerably fewer ships calling into Falmouth…

George Empson’s photographs were taken at Lake Tekapo on Saturday, June 21, during the annual Tekapo Boat Marathon, hosted by Lake Tekapo Power Boat and Waterski Club in westerly winds and rough conditions. The following day, writes George, was very calm but overcast and with snow still on the ground. The owner of Stealth, pictured below, is Lily Weir. She was the youngest competitor there, but competitors comprised people of all ages and walks of life. The last two races in the series were held in Timaru, July 5, and Lake Waihola, July 26. The Annual Tekapo Boat Marathon was a huge success, part of a popular series of races held annually in the South Island.…

French manufacturer BENETEAU’s new Gran Turismo 35 and Gran Turismo 40 Coupe bring modern living spaces, an unrivaled driving experience, and stunning design to the express cruiser segment. The open-plan Gran Turismo 35 offers a ‘villa living’ experience: a set of different spaces and surfaces that can be used for relaxation, entertaining, and everything in between. Hinge-down balconies increase the aft-deck real estate and connection to the water, while deck-seating options fore and aft convert into wide sun pads for restful outdoor living. The Gran Turismo 35 comes with Mercury Verado 300hp outboards delivering speeds in excess of 41 knots and twin 370-litre fuel tanks. An upgrade to twin Mercury Verado 350hp outboards is also offered, and a GTS version will be available in 2026. The Gran Turismo 40 Coupe…

Cruising up and down the New Zealand coastline, Dr Riley Elliott aboard his Yamaha-powered Extreme 745 Game King, has discovered a new nursery ground for great white sharks at Stewart Island. The Kiwi shark scientist– a Yamaha ambassador – is undertaking a novel scientific project to tag and track the habitat use of this endangered and protected species. Monitoring such a rarely discovered nursery ground is critical for species conservation. From 2022 to 2023, Elliott tagged and tracked four young-of-the-year and juvenile great white sharks, also filming a Discovery Channel Shark Week documentary with his team. Thanks to satellite tags sponsored by the New Zealand public and the Great White live-streaming app, the entire world was able to follow the movements of the tagged sharks. The tags usually allow three…

In a grand evening filled with celebration, Riviera, Australia’s premium luxury motor yacht builder, officially opened the Riviera Yacht Club. This private yacht club has been created as a welcoming, inspirational and educational centre exclusively for Riviera owners. Located at the waterfront heart of Riviera’s 16.8-hectare manufacturing facility on the Gold Coast, the yacht club boasts a spectacular glass frontage overlooking the company’s marina and an ever-changing showcase of motor yachts being prepared for delivery to new owners in Australia and around the world. This world-class centre will become the home for the commissioning of new yachts where Riviera’s Customer Support Team, in partnership with Riviera dealerships, will undertake extensive, multi-day vessel familiarisation, orientation and educational handovers with owners. The yacht club also has an interior design studio where owners…

Current, measured in amps, is the speed at which electricity flows. Just like in a river or a tidal flow. Voltage is the pressure that causes the current to flow. It’s similar to the pressure exerted on water by a pump that causes it to flow, or by the ‘head pressure’ of water in a tank. Power (watts, kilowatts, etc.) is equal to volts multiplied by amps. This is the electrical ‘energy’ produced or consumed by something. For accurate calculations using the formula above, we must use the actual voltage at the time, rather than the nominal voltage of the electrical system. For example, the ‘nominal’ voltage of our DC electrical system might be 12 volts, but the ‘actual’ voltage will almost never be 12 volts. A fully charged battery…

Resplendent after her reincarnation by Clevedon’s Scott Lane Boatbuilders, the launch disguises her 41 years admirably. She’s shed much of the ‘80s styling and now carries cleaner, sleeker lines. While the interior layout is largely unchanged, it’s received a major facelift. All electronic and mechanical systems have been brought into the 21st century. The changes extend to a new engine (smaller, lighter but with 200 more horses) – a swap that’s delivered a massive performance improvement. Pelin aficionados might recognize her as a Columbia, but for most observers – well, she looks like a brand-new vessel. Zamari belongs to Clevedon local Rick Anderson. He’d been looking for a refit project and stumbled across the Pelin in Whangamata (she was previously named Kailanui). He approached Scott to breathe new life into…

EPROPULSION, the global leader in marine electric propulsion systems and services, announced today it has entered into a strategic partnership with Australia-based distributor Power Equipment to increase access to and awareness of sustainable propulsion technologies across the Australian and New Zealand markets. As a family-owned company with a rich, 35-year history, Power Equipment serves as one of the largest Australian independent engine distributors by volume in the marine and industrial sectors, representing some of the most notable brands across the industry. In addition to aftermarket sales and engineering capacity, Power Equipment will use its well-established dealer network, an experienced, dedicated marine sales team, and world-class distribution and training facilities, to expand ePropulsion’s global reach with its award-winning electric propulsion solutions. ePropulsion offers complete electric solutions for the marine market from…

ZEROJET HAS INTRODUCED an upgraded 22kW (30hp equivalent) electric jet system. What was previously an 18kW electric jet drive offering is now a powerful 22kW, at no extra charge to ZeroJet customers. The new 22kW system delivers a substantial boost in power, providing enhanced torque, improved towing capabilities, and faster planing, all while maintaining the same weight and design. The resulting electric jet boat offers enhanced capability for water sports, easier handling with heavier loads, and a quicker, more efficient ride. For manufacturers and OEM’s, the new 22kW system includes a newly integrated computer, specifically engineered to simplify the installation process, reducing complexity and saving time. www.zerojet.com…

The Formula 4000 is a 40-year-old design by Jim Young, built and marketed by his brother Alan as a classy, high-performance launch. Alan Young Boats built around 50 of them between 1984 and 1987. It turns out this particular example was built to MOT survey with a High Modulus specified layup of foam sandwich Divinycell and Kevlar reinforcement. Her original owner had a property on Waiheke Island and wanted to get there at 27 knots. Having experienced gearbox issues on his previous boat, he tried to eliminate shafts and gearboxes, so the then-named Spirit of Cowes was fitted with twin Ford Sabre 300hp turbocharged diesel engines, driving Hamilton 291 jet units. This was an unusual drivetrain combination at the time; however, besides high-speed performance advantages, the jets provided considerably less…

There are many starchy alternatives to the good old potato that grow on tropical islands in the Pacific, so there’s really no need to buy often shrivelled up, elderly imported spuds. Why not try locally grown kassava (aka manioc or tapioca), taro (dalo), yam or sweet potato instead? Our favorite potato imposter does not grow as a root though, but high up in the trees – breadfruit! Whenever those green, basketball-sized delicacies are in season (seasons vary between islands), we indulge in a variety of fusion-food recipes. According to current scientific research, the Pacific Islands were settled by people of the Lapita culture, who started out in Taiwan and wandered southwards, where they discovered breadfruit trees in the area of Papua New Guinea and realized their value. Breadfruit trees are…