Innehållsförteckning för February 2022 från Boating NZ

As I took my walk along the beach this morning, the sun rising over Rangitoto Island in a blaze of glory and the air already a balmy 23°C, I found myself reflecting on the summer to date. And what a summer! Sunshine and warmth have characterised the season so far, drawing New Zealanders in their thousands to the water. After months of lockdowns and restrictions, Aucklanders flocked to the region’s beaches and coastal parks during the holiday break and every weekend since. Of course, as usual many Aucklanders left for the holiday hotspots of Northland and the Coromandel. Also as usual, an armada of cruising boats, power and sail, made its customary exodus after Christmas, emptying marinas. But enough Aucklanders stayed behind to make the beaches as busy as I’ve…

For the love of boating, Haines Hunter Boats has declared 12th February 2022 National Haines Hunter Day! So, put it in your diary and celebrate with Haines owners all around New Zealand. Hit the water with family, mates, even the dog! Take videos or photos of your adventure and tag them with #haineshunterdaynz There are prizes for the best-dressed boat, best-dressed crew and best Haines Hunter raft-up. So make a plan, choose a destination and call on your Haines Hunter mates to come along for the ride! www.haineshunter.co.nz…

Join the fun at this year’s 36° Brokers Squadron Weekend February 11-12th. Don’t miss boating’s biggest weekend of the summer with the upcoming 36° Brokers Squadron Weekend. Boats power, sail and everything in between are invited to join for a weekend of racing, celebration, and onshore festivities. Kick-start the weekend on Friday with the 36° Brokers Commodore’s Cup Night Race to Kawau’s stunning Bon Accord Harbour. Saturday morning teams race around Kawau Island before tying up for the evening’s festivities of live music, prize giving, cannon fire, fun and games. Tickets are available for purchase through the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron website. Both members and non-members are welcome. www.36degrees.nz…

Scott Parry and Mig Rumney from the popular Fishing & Adventure TV series have partnered with show organisers to create a new, unique, kid-friendly experience for the 2022 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in Greenlane, Auckland in May. The experience will include free membership to the popular Fishing & Adventure Kids Club, now in its third year, and give kids the chance to meet Scott and Mig. They can also win great prizes and learn about the joys of fishing. Fishing & Adventure created their Kids Club to encourage more children to enjoy the outdoors and get into fishing. Top-rated Fishing & Adventure is currently filming their 10th season, due to screen in mid-2022 on TVNZ1. The Fishing and Adventure Kids Club area will be on the Fishing & Adventure…

He and his wife were motoring laboriously to windward in big seas and high winds off the west coast of Sardinia in their Swan 53 when another vessel appeared off their port beam making what looked like double their 8-knot speed. Surprisingly, and very memorably for Ernest, it was handling the conditions with aplomb – as sure and steady in the nasty short seas as a substantial keeler and unlike any 54-foot motorboat Ernest had ever seen. That motor yacht was a Menorquín 54. A few days later in the next marina, Ernest pulled into a berth alongside a smaller Menorquín 39 and after the owner helped them safely tie up, he invited the Henshaws aboard to have a look. Impressed with the build quality, and the obvious sea keeping…

The safe rounding of Cape Bojador, a dangerous and previously impassable point on the coast of Africa a mere 700 nautical miles from Lisbon, by the Portuguese captain Gil Eanes and his crew in 1434 heralded the beginning of Europe’s Age of Discovery. But on the far side of the world, human history’s greatest Age of Discovery was already over. By then Pacific Island peoples in ocean-going vaka (Māori: waka) had found and settled the last habitable places on earth. This great expansion across thousands of miles of the world’s largest ocean was completed when Aotearoa New Zealand was found and settled during or before the 13th century. These great voyages occurred in both directions – there is ample evidence to show return voyaging from Aotearoa to other Pacific Islands,…

MAST ACADEMY recognises those who have contributed in their own way to the success and reputation of our industries – through design, a manufacturing or boatbuilding business, or unique craftmanship. The workplace trainer is often the first person a new apprentice or trainee interacts with. These interactions can determine how well trainees perform within their company. Trainers and mentors are the unsung champions of industry. MAST Academy (formally NZ Marine & Composites ITO) wishes to recognise them through its Workplace Trainer Certificate. New Zealand hosts the largest marine apprenticeship programme in the world. MAST Academy works with more than 250 marine, composites, and marina businesses across New Zealand. All these businesses have experienced and qualified tradespeople and professionals who act as workplace trainers and mentors. To support them, MAST Academy…

MCKAY HAS REACHED an agreement to take a 35% stake in the Wellington Electric Boat Building Company (WEBBCo). McKay has been the electrical systems partner to WEBBCo for design and construction of Ika Rere, a 19m 132-passenger carbon fibre ferry for East by West Ferries. McKay sees its stake in WEBBCo as the best way to participate in the application of electric propulsion to marine passenger vessels. McKay is an 83-year-old electrotechnology company that does engineering design, automation, manufacturing, construction, and maintenance. McKay works in the marine, infrastructure, heavy industry, commercial, and renewable power markets. McKay is headquartered in Whangarei with operations throughout most of New Zealand. Wellington Electric Boat Building Company (WEBBCo) builds, and supplies composite-constructed all-electric ferries designed to suit each specific route, offering operators and route-owners reduced…

RIVIERA HAS ANNOUNCED the company’s annual dealership awards for 2021. The presentations were made via video meetings held on the Gold Coast, Sydney, Port Stephens, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand. Australasian Dealership of the Year – R Marine Jones at Coomera on the Gold Coast. This was one of four awards received this year by R Marine Jones, the others being Event Excellence by a Dealership; Service Excellence by an Individual, for R Marine Jones service specialist Ben Croft; and Service Excellence by a Dealership. Sales Excellence by a Dealership – R Marine Flagship in New Zealand (below), led by Dean Horgan and Suzie Eade. “It’s been an incredibly busy year for the entire team and our achievements this year are a credit to their…

Sharp built the plywood boat himself, and has enjoyed many adventures aboard her, from game fishing on the east and west coasts of the North Island catching marlin, yellowfin and southern bluefin tuna, to following the Whitbread fleets out of Auckland and participating in powerboat rallies. She’s had two previous Volvo petrol inboard engines since new, the most recent providing around 1900 hours of trouble-free use. After giving Pride’Enjoy a recent makeover, he decided to also update the running gear. Volvo Penta Aquamatic Sterndrive V6/V8‐DPS packages, like that fitted to Pride’Enjoy, provide a totally integrated package, combining a six‐cylinder, 4.3‐litre, freshwater‐cooled petrol engine. The common-rail direct fuel injection system provides both improved fuel economy and lower emissions, and lightweight aluminium-block construction means plenty of power without extra weight. For example,…

Altair is believed to be one of the last (and largest) bridgedeckers designed and built by Ponsonby boatbuilder Mac McGeady (Supreme Craft) – and she is, in fact, one of only a few bridgedeckers produced by the yard. Fittingly, she is widely considered one of the finest examples of his craftmanship – a splendid creation in kauri and mahogany. The yard ceased operation in 1965. She carried the battle scars of 60 years of wear-and-tear until late last year, when her owner – Auckland classic boat enthusiast Simon Ventura – elected to breathe new life into the old lady. More on that in a moment. The launch was built for Auckland’s Stan Horner and she was unusual for the period in that she was equipped with a flybridge. Horner travelled…

The 76th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, 23–31 December, 2021, was a race of two decidedly different halves. The first was a punishing test of physical endurance and perseverance. The second questioned mental resilience and tactical judgment. Organised since 1945 by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, with the support of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, the race has been partnered by Rolex since 2002. The 2021 race was overshadowed by a brutal first 48 hours. In the event, conditions forced over a third of the 88-boat fleet to retire. Then, a shifting weather pattern in the final stages of the race set a more cerebral challenge. The overall win on time correction was eventually secured by Matt Allen’s 15.85m Ichi Ban. The contest for line honours saw three…

A mountain backdrop to a high-altitude classic boating event is just the beginning of the stunning visuals offered by the NZ Antique & Classic Boatshow, Nelson Lakes National Park, March 5–6, 2021. The show has been held annually for 22 years at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park. The first event back in 2000 drew 35 boats, many of them home-built clinkers and runabouts. Two decades on, entries are up to 150 boats and humble backyard boats now share space on the foreshore with the likes of a 1964 Riva powerboat once owned by former first lady Jackie Kennedy. Billed as a weekend of ‘Glorious Hydromatic Relaxation’ there are displays on land from early morning and races on the lake in the afternoon on both days of the…

Martine Grael is the 2021 winner of its prestigious Magnus Olsson Prize awarded annually to an individual who has made an indelible contribution to the world of sailing. Previous recipients include Torben Grael, Sir Ben Ainslie, Stan Honey, Santiago Lange, Grant Dalton, Carolijn Brouwer and Peter Burling. Martine Grael, from Brazil, is one of the best skiff-sailors in the world and won the gold medal in 49erFX in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (2016) and in Tokyo (2020). Martine became the first Brazilian woman to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race – in the 2017-18 edition, aboard AzkoNobel. At the age of 30, Martine Grael has a winning mindset and a caring approach. She is an inspiration to people of all ages in Brazil and across the world. Just…

This year’s Auckland Boat Show will bring a hive of New Zealand marine innovation to central Auckland. The 17-20 March show, which will create a festival on the water in the heart of summer in central Auckland, is set to be a showcase of innovative marine products and vessels. Northland-based start-up company Naut is launching its electric drive system for recreational vessels with zero noise, zero fumes, zero emissions but one hundred per cent of the fun. With a fully electric motor and bespoke battery system and control interface design, the Naut team has crafted an electric propulsion system capable of meeting the user’s every on-water need. Whether that’s reaching planing speed to get to a favourite fishing spot and back, powering up to pull a wakeboarder, or travelling at…

FOR THOSE WHO know the history behind Eyachts’ founder Peter Hrones, the move into sailing will come as no surprise. Hrones has been sailing for 45 years and for the last 30 years has brought many of Europe’s sailing yacht brands to Australasia. YYachts fits well within Eyachts portfolio of power boats: efficient hulls, lightweight and great performance. YYachts make luxury carbon sailing yachts ranging from 70 to 100ft for short-handed sailing. YYachts are also about the five-star experience they provide during the journey, says Hrones. For New Zealand buyers this could mean a European pickup and the opportunity to cruise all over the world in comfort and luxury. www.eyachts.com.au…

PROPSPEED, INNOVATOR of underwater foul-release coatings, has announced unprecedented growth through 2021. Propspeed has built new partnerships with major shipyards like Pendennis and Monaco Marine. Yacht manufacturers like Riviera Australia have chosen to apply Propspeed as a factory standard and recommend the use of Propspeed for existing owners. OEM manufacturers such as WASSP, innovators in sonar technology, endorse the product. The launch of the Propspeed Commercial Kit earned endorsements from major commercial fishing and passenger transportation operations like Freedom Fast Cats and Ocean Fisheries. Propspeed’s ultra-slick topcoat prevents marine growth from bonding to metal surfaces below the waterline. Propspeed sticks to running gear and performs season after season. www.propspeed.com…

With summer the peak time for boating, Century Batteries, together with Coastguard NZ, remind boaties and jet-skiers “you can’t get a push on the water.” While there might be enough charge to get your watercraft started and out on the water, it is vital that at the end of a day’s activities there is enough charge to restart it for the journey home. “Flat batteries cause a lot of headaches for boat users, with Coastguard volunteers attending to a high number of these callouts each year,” says Coastguard Chief Executive Callum Gillespie. You should ensure your battery is powerful enough for all the gear you intend to run off it and if you have added something since your last outing, make sure your battery has the capacity and health to…

The BBYC was formed in 1949 and the races were run from a plywood box on the beach, which was kept behind the local Post Office during the week. In 1968 members built their first clubhouse at Grangers Point and this building was converted into race control in the 1980s. The current clubhouse was opened around 1982 and the adjacent 100-berth marina was opened in 1987. Currently the BBYC has around 1,350 members and provides for a wide range of centreboard and keeler racing, along with a wide range of keeler and powerboat social and cruising events.…

As the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world spanning an area of more than 244,000 square kilometres, North America’s Great Lakes are rightly known as inland seas. Befitting their enormous size, those five connected waterbodies contain one of the world’s highest concentrations of shipwrecks, some vessels lost to horrendous storms, others to unseen shoals. Yet among them one tragedy stands out – not just for its appalling loss of life, but because those losses played a significant role in establishing the maritime safety standards that protect boaties today all around the world. Launched in 1848 for the Michigan Central Railroad, the 1,047-tonne side-wheel paddle steamer Atlantic was a big ship for its day, stretching 81.3m in overall length and riding on a substantial 10m beam. Designed to ferry…

The 2022 regatta will mark the 182nd edition of the event… Organisers of Auckland’s annual on-water birthday celebration, the Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, remain positive the event will go ahead as planned on Monday 31 January 2022. “Auckland has been cooped up in lockdown for so long, so this is a great opportunity to come and float your boat to celebrate the founding of the City of Sails,” says Regatta Executive Officer Joyce Talbot. The 2022 regatta will mark the 182nd edition of the event, which has only been cancelled once in its entire history, in 1900 due to the war in South Africa. Joyce is hopeful the event will see higher entries than previous years, particularly among the racing keelboat fleets. With the Royal New Zealand Yacht…

Because the entry period opened only at the beginning of December, sailing enthusiasts can expect the announcement of additional challengers over the next weeks and months. For the New York Yacht Club (NYCC), the challenge announcement is an about-face after it ‘pushed pause’ on the event late last year. Alinghi’s declaration heralds the welcome return of a veteran campaigner, this time with fresh backing in the form of Red Bull Racing. The Trustees of the New York Yacht Club approved a challenge for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup, sailing’s most prestigious trophy, in early January. “As the longest-standing trustee of the America’s Cup and as our valued partner during the 36th America’s Cup, we are pleased to represent the NYYC once again in our quest to bring back…

Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour is the marine backyard of one of the country’s biggest cities, but it’s often under-rated or taken for granted by Canterbury boaties. That’s a shame because the harbour offers a diverse seascape and landscape, as well as a rich cultural history, all of which is easily accessed and enjoyed. What follows are some fresh insights, options and ideas for late summer (and beyond) boating on the harbour. The main physical characteristic of Lyttelton Harbour boaties need to consider is the fact the waterway faces east and, because steady easterly/north-easterly winds are a very regular presence in the region, the breeze tends to blow directly up the harbour. This can result in short, messy and choppy seas which can create unpleasant boating conditions especially on an outgoing tide. Furthermore,…

RYCK IS A NEW RANGE of sports day boats that combine the versatility of a RIB with high-quality appointments usually found on luxury tenders. RYCK are walk-around centre-console boats capable of adapting to a wide variety of uses: family entertainer, fast tender, adventure sports day boat or premium fishing platform. The first RYCK model is the RYCK 280, made in Germany by the well-known Hanse AG group and developed in cooperation with UK yacht designer Bill Dixon. His two-stepped hull and reverse bow design provides a smooth, dry ride in all conditions. When you are safely tucked-up at a secluded anchorage, courtesy of an electric windlass, the RYCK 280 switches into entertaining mode with cockpit lounge, sun pads, wet bar, grill and dining table. A generous-sized cabin downstairs with a…

THE ANNOUNCEMENT late last year of New Zealand successfully securing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom marked a historic turning point for economic growth and relations in both countries. With the removal of tariffs alone, New Zealand exporters are expected to save over NZ$37 million per year. Importers are also set to take full advantage. New Zealand is a key leisure marine market with some of the highest boat ownership per capita globally. Princess Yachts successfully lobbied the UK Department of International Trade. As a result, the FTA includes the removal of the 5% tariff (import duty) on UK-manufactured boats and ships imported into New Zealand. Princess Yachts chief marketing officer Kiran Haslam has plans to double their unit sales in the New Zealand market thanks to…

NEW ZEALAND’S SPEARFISHING guru Darren Shields hadn’t run a Mercury engine for 43 years – his dad used to have an old 50hp Mercury. But after recently upgrading to a 7.45m aluminium boat, he soon decided he needed a new, more powerful engine. “When I had a few friends and all our diving equipment aboard the ride at times felt laboured – sort of like driving a bus on water,” Darren said. “I was coaxed into looking at repowering with Mercury. So, I did – with a Mercury 4.6-litre V8 300hp four-stroke outboard. Now, my bus has turned into a sportscar.” Darren is a six-time New Zealand spearfishing champion, who has clocked up thousands of hours out on the water and travelled the world “diving it all”. “Not only is…

“Yeah,” says skipper John Ellwood affectionately, “she’s like your favourite old tractor, she just keeps going and going.” Steaming into the bay on Aotea Great Barrier Island, MV (motor vessel) Whai looks like a floating World War 1 army tank, a Mk1 perhaps, squat and imperturbable. But it was another war that played a key role in her construction in a Whanganui back yard. Locally born and raised WW2 fighter pilot Peter Spurdle had flown Warhawk (Kittyhawk) fighters for the US Air Force and strafed a Japanese gunboat fleet in the New Georgia Islands. In 1965, 22 years later, he joined the crew of a ketch, Windswift, to return to the site of the attack to look for souvenirs. The yacht didn’t impress him at all. “For weeks now, the…

2019 was an auspicious year in New Zealand, although thinking back to those heady pre-Covid days sometimes hurts the brain. But it was the year that Stryda Marine was finally able to commercially launch its first model, the 600C amphibious catamaran. The four-wheel-drive technology was a challenge to the incumbent players in this space, and we reviewed that boat just before Christmas of that year. After two extended lockdowns it feels like a whole lifetime later, but incredibly just two years have passed and it was almost exactly the same time of year when Stryda put the finishing touches on its new baby, the 900C amphibious. And so just before Christmas 2021 we had the pleasure of taking a new Stryda out to play, once again turning heads by launching…

• 6mm Dyneema is much stronger than 4.8mm wire. Dyneema 8000lb/3629kg; wire 3700lb/1769kg. • Dyneema is not subject to corrosion or affected by rain or seawater and is easily inspected for chafe. • Any section of a rope lifeline can easily be lowered between stanchions, because the line slides through the stanchions and bends easily. Wire does not slide or bend very easily. • If necessary, rope lifelines can be cut with a sharp knife. Wire needs a long-handled wire cutter. • Rope lifelines can be replaced without tools or fittings, even on a passage. A spare 50-foot length of 6mm Dyneema is much easier to store than the same length of wire. • Dyneema is very much lighter than wire rope. My complete wire lines weighed 13lb/6kg (old lines).…

Puzzle no.291 Across 1. Class of small twin hull racing boat (5) 4. Buccaneers who roved 1 Down (7) 8. Large seabirds noted for plunging dives for fish (7) 9. Depth of boat’s keel below surface when loaded (5) 10. Nautical ropes used to be made from this plant fibre (5) 12. Areas of land along edge of sea (6) 14. Old nautical word meaning “immediately at full speed” (5) 16. _____ Garcia - coral atoll in central Indian Ocean (5) 17. _____ boat - small vessel used for coastal defence duties (6) 19. Events for competitive yachties (5) 22. Puts 20 Down on board ship (archaic) (5) 23. _____ sheer - when sheer curves down towards bow and stern of boat (7) 25. Instruction booklets for marine gadgets, maybe…