Innehållsförteckning för March 2023 från Boating NZ

What a few weeks we’ve had! As I write, Cyclone Gabrielle is finally relinquishing its grip on northern parts of the country, but this massive storm is still causing trouble further south, bringing damaging winds, high seas, heavy rain, and flooding. For Northland, Auckland and Coromandel, among other regions, Gabrielle was a double whammy, coming hard on the heels of some of the heaviest rain on record only two weeks earlier. The resulting flooding and destruction forced hundreds of people from their homes and damaged the property of thousands more. People died. With the clean-up still underway, Gabrielle’s arrival was an unwelcome dose of more of the same, only this time its destructive force was felt even further afield. Nationally, its impact on lives and infrastructure looks likely to eclipse…

In late January, members of the New Zealand’s Beneteau Owners Club came together for a day of socialising, beach games, wine tasting and celebrating the Beneteau brand on Waiheke Island. After beach games, beverages and banter at Man O’ War Bay, the Rally journeyed up to the restaurant to enjoy a wine tasting, platters and prize giving. Winners were showered with an array of different prizes including impressive vouchers for products, maintenance, and service, Hutchwilco life jackets, Fusion speakers, Tool bags, and goodie bags from Boating Mag, RNZYS and co-hosts PIC Insurance Brokers. www.36degrees.nz WATCH IT…

The Dufour 470 made its Australian debut at the 2021 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, supplied by Multihull Solutions through the dealership Yacht Sales Co. Since then, six of these cruisers have been imported into Australia and the first 470 is due in New Zealand in April 2023. After an enjoyable coastal sail on hull #48, I can clearly see the attraction. The La Rochelle-based builder’s nine-boat range goes from 31 foot to the flagship 61-footer. Under founder Michele Dufour, the yard was known for performance cruisers, but now owned by Fountaine Pajot, it specialises in general cruising yachts, designed by Italian Umberto Felci since 2003. CUSTOMISATION The Dufour 470 is available in three versions: Ocean, Performance and an Easy. The base price for the Ocean is AUD$724,500. Our review boat…

The thing about revolutionary ideas and technology, is that their adoption is never that hard. Because, almost always, their constituent components already exist. They just have to be recognised, and assembled intelligently. Earthling is just such an ‘integration house’, continually searching, striving for simplicity and efficiency which feeds the ethos of sustainability. The E-40 PowerCat is the latest in a long line of engineering and boating innovations by John McGettigan, Earthling’s creator and owner. New Zealand boaties might well remember John’s previous iconoclastic boat, the so-powerful-it-was almost-unearthly sailing catamaran Earthling with its towering rig, automated leach control and distinctive silver-gold livery. Before that John forged an international career in designing complex, automated industrial systems. And while living in South Africa, raced production motorcycles on the circuit. He’s always known how…

LEGACY MARINE WILL SHOWCASE three models of its luxurious motor yachts at the Auckland Boat Show for the first time. The flagship L70 Paragon will be on display along with the L45 sedan cruiser Location and L35 sport fisher Awatea. Legacy Marine was established by the Shaw family, owners of successful trailer-boat builder Extreme Boats in Whakatane. A desire to build boats that could travel further for longer ultimately led to the birth of Legacy Marine and new range of luxury motor yachts. The flagship L70 is an enclosed flybridge motor yacht finished to a superyacht standard, offering an owners cabin with ensuite, VIP cabin with ensuite, guest cabin, bunk cabin, and a shared bathroom/day head. Fully air-conditioned with a freshwater maker, salt ice maker, gyro stabiliser and 9,000 litres…

GX8 HAS TEAMED up with New Zealand’s award-winning boatbuilders Yachting Developments. Celes is a creation of this collaboration. This couch is re-conceptualising current interior design standards. Yachting Developments and GX8 share the same vision of pushing boundaries of design to build things that seem just out of reach. The design of Celes comes through exploring the sleek curves found in superyacht designs. Its form consists of carbon composites and hardwood timbers. The Celes couch is being entered into the Best Design Awards 2023. www.gx8.nz…

The latest iteration of Jeanneau’s Merry Fisher 1095 is one of the most recent examples of this trend to reach our shores, the precursor to a 13m model arriving later in 2023. The vessel arrived in late 2022 but it was early 2023 before it was ready for launching. As soon as the boat was complete, the team from Orakei Marine handed her over to her new owners and invited me along for the handover and a maiden voyage with a twist. THE SHAKEDOWN Once finished in Auckland, the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 1095 was trucked south to Mana Marina, from where she’d make her maiden voyage – a Cook Strait crossing finishing at Waikawa Marina, Picton, at the top of the South Island. Mana is part of Porirua City in…

Puzzle no.304 Across 1. Crusty boat-bottom dweller (8) 6. Nautical lanyard or line (4) 8. Spear___ – one way to catch fish (3) 9. Class of boat in photo (8) 10. _____ hitch – type of nautical knot (8) 12. Settlement on Stewart Island with main wharf (4) 13. Fishing stories about the one that got away! (5) 15. Course taken on boat trip (5) 16. The ____ – old-fashioned literary expression for open ocean (4) 17. Tied up or lashed down securely (8) 20. _____ Scale – scale of wind speed (8) 21. ___ seal - marine mammal you might see on rocky shorelines (3) 22. Type of Malaysian boat with large triangular sail and outrigger (4) 23. Non-racing periods during America’s Cup (4,4) Down 2. _____ bloom –…

DYT Super Yacht Transport celebrated the first anniversary of its 214m yacht carrier Yacht Servant in January. Yacht Servant has sailed 80,857 nautical miles in her first year – the equivalent of four times around the world. With 22 global port calls and 365 days of employment, it has been a busy first year for this innovative float-on float-off yacht transporter and her crew. Yacht owners, captains, and crew all report a hassle-free yacht transport experience. Transatlantic deliveries average just 14 days. With a fixed sailing schedule to essential yachting destinations all over the world, Yacht Servant guarantees DYT clients will reach their destinations on time, every time. Loading yachts is stress-free – no lifting or lifting stress on the hull and no restrictions on size and weight. This is…

ANURA, THE INDUSTRY LEADER in amphibious technology, has announced the launch of its new S15 Amphibious System. S15 offers a new level of technology and user experience previously unavailable to the smaller amphibious craft market. Developed specifically to integrate amphibious tech into smaller craft and tenders, this new amphibious system is the lightest currently available. Incorporating a new, ground-up design solution, which includes tech and features such as an advanced control system, big engine tech housed in a smaller engine, and an all-new hydraulic control valve package, Anura’s S15 is a lightweight amphibious system perfect for smaller recreational craft that can be homed in a garage for a lock-and-leave lifestyle. Additionally, S15 is especially suitable for tenders such as those used on superyachts. Boating enthusiasts will have the opportunity to…

The 2023 show will see exhibitors present close to 500 marine brands to a public hungry for nautical products. Statistics commissioned last year by NZ Marine show 1.9 million people, or 40 per cent of New Zealand’s population, participate in boating each year, making boating New Zealand’s most popular recreational activity. Exhibiting companies are set to use the Jellicoe Harbour show, March 23-26, as a showcase for innovation, which has exploded within New Zealand’s thriving boating industry over the last few years. Rapid growth and record boat sales have seen new models, boundary-pushing innovation, and a growing range of vessels – and ways to access them – feeding the appetite of the boating public. Shared boating options are becoming increasingly popular. Shared boating is a lower commitment than traditional boat…

1839 Probably the first electric boat was put together by a German inventor Moritz von Jacobi in St Petersburg in Russia. The 24-foot (7.3 m) boat carried 14 passengers at 3 knots; and was successfully shown off on the Nerva River to Emperor Nicholas I of the Romanov dynasty. 1880 A small electric motor, patented by Gustave Trouvé, a French electrical engineer, was adapted to power the first outboard motor with a propeller (image right). 1882 Anthony Reckenzaun, an Austrian engineer in Britain working for the Electrical Power Storage Company, developed the first practical electric boats, including Electricity, the first significant electric launch driven by storage batteries. The 7m steel boat was used for day-trips on the River Thames. Electricity could run for six hours at an average of eight…

NGĀI TAHU TOURISM, owner of Shotover Jet, has signed a contract with Naut to do a feasibility study for a new fleet of electric jet boats. The initial scope of work will be for Shotover Jet’s fleet; however, Ngāi Tahu is looking to convert all its jet fleet to electric, including Hukafalls Jet and Dart River Adventures. Shotover Jet’s goal is to convert 50% of its boats to electric by 2030. To complete the feasibility study, Naut has engaged SSC Marine, Gurit, Parry Naval Architecture, McKay and WEBBCo. This team has proven experience in customised electric vessels, having delivered the fully electric passenger ferry Ika Rere, a first for the Southern Hemisphere. Naut is an electric propulsion technology company from Northland. It designs and builds electric propulsion systems for the…

MASTERVOLT HAS THREE new Lithium-Ion batteries – the MLI Ultra 12/3000, the MLI Ultra 12/6000 and the MLI Ultra 24/6000. The batteries will be manufactured at a new dedicated production plant that Mastervolt recently opened to meet the growing demand for powerful Lithium-Ion batteries across several markets. Mastervolt’s engineers have developed these larger capacity batteries to be deep-cycle domestic supply batteries for use onboard marine vessels and in mobile applications to provide more power, over a longer period of time, while taking up less space and weight. These new models provide 20% more density and 15% more capacity in Amp Hours, and a greater battery cycle life as a result, compared to Mastervolt’s previous largest models. The new Mastervolt MLI Ultra 3000 and MLI Ultra 6000 both have a realistic…

CATAMARAN BOAT SHARE specialises in shared ownership of luxury cats for use in New Zealand in summer and the Pacific Islands in winter. The company has a 20m powercat under construction. The CI-6500 has been designed for long-range cruising with a very efficient hull form and outstanding rough water performance. It features a spacious interior with separate lounge and dining areas, large galley, five cabins, four bathrooms, a massive cockpit and a fully-enclosed flybridge accessed via a spiral staircase from the saloon. The shareholding in the CI-6500 is limited to four quarter shares with shareholders enjoying 75 days annual use each. The vessel will be based in Auckland. Cruising in the summer could include the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Islands. A Stewart Island/Fiordland late summer cruise is also…

BRUCE ASKEW AND STOKES DEAR EDITOR I have recently noted your obituary to Bruce Askew in your November [2022] issue – great to see a tribute to Bruce. However, I would like to amend a few details. Stokes (originally Excalibur) was built in 1988 by Chris Sturrock who added another frame, making her 9.1 metres along the deck, and extended the mast. [She was] purchased by Austin Brookes in 1992 and renamed for [the mountain peak] Cerro Stokes on the southern border between Argentina and Chile – he and Invercargill climbing mates had made the first ascent in 1975. Austin and his partner Jay Davison circumnavigated in 1997-2002, sneaking through the Strait of Magellan (not rounding Cape Horn) and exploring the 600 nautical miles of channels in southern Chile before…

For only the second time in its 183-year history, the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta was cancelled. Organisers made the difficult decision to cancel the event following the devastating floods on Friday, January 27, and the subsequent announcement of a state of emergency for Auckland. Since the regatta began in 1840, the only other time it has been cancelled was in 1900, due to the war in South Africa. Last year’s event went ahead largely unaffected despite Auckland being at ‘red’ under the Covid Protection Framework. The only exceptions were the Dragon Boat and Waka Ama events, which both had to be cancelled last year due to restrictions on gathering numbers. The next regatta will take place on Auckland Anniversary, Monday January 29, 2024. Organisers say their focus is now on…

The Accor hotel group has committed to K-Challenge for the 37th America’s Cup, naming its Orient Express brand as title partner of the official French challenger, which will be known as Orient Express Team. The team, led by Stéphan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, and including talented French specialists such as naval architect Benjamin Muyl, skipper Quentin Delapierre, head of performance Franck Cammas, and technical director Antoine Carraz, will face four other challengers at the Challenger Selection Series in September 2024. Orient Express Team has chosen to work with several well-established shipyards at the heart of the French maritime industry to build its AC75, which is scheduled to launch in spring 2024. The sailing team will alternate between training onboard the AC40 in Barcelona and elite international racing on the SailGP…

For the first time in the Bay of Islands Sailing Week Regatta’s 20-year history, racing was called off as gale force winds, heavy rain and rough seas battered the Bay of Islands on Friday January 27. The regatta’s race committee made the decision to abandon the final day’s racing in light of the weather, which had also caused the cancellation of ferries between Paihia and Russell. The cancellation of North Sails Race Day Three means the Open Racing divisions completed just four races out of a scheduled nine. The Island Racing divisions, which sail a single, longer bay race each day, completed two races out of a scheduled three. Competitors heaped praise on the event’s organisers and volunteers for putting on a great regatta despite the challenging conditions, with many…

In 1972, we knew every large yacht on the Waitemata Harbour and if a new one appeared, we knew its designer and pedigree. How she was expected to perform in our division with the RNZYS was the subject of intense speculation. I had been a forward hand since my early teens on both family yachts, both called Ilex, owned by my father Warwick Macky. The second was designed and built by Brin Wilson at his Wairau Road yard in Takapuna and launched in 1970. Ilex was a family name. My great-grandfather, JC Macky, bought the Logan-designed triple-skin kauri yawl with this name in 1908. He owned her, racing with the Squadron, until his death by drowning with his wife Mary on the RMS Lusitania in 1915. Lusitania was torpedoed and…

“We were looking for a new boat similar to the Kennedy, with a lovely large upstairs area for entertainment,” said Selwyn Mexted, “They’re very difficult to find.” The product of Italian design flair and efficient French production facilities, the Swift Trawler 48 is aimed squarely at those wanting a traditionally styled motor yacht, solid and able enough for exposed conditions and capable of higher than displacement speeds. However, it was the Swift Trawler 48’s flybridge that sold the two couples, and after spending half a day aboard Amphitrite, it’s hard to fault their choice. To cut straight to the chase, it’s a lovely motor launch; let’s explore why. AT THE DOCK Founded by Benjamin Beneteau in 1884 to build fishing boats, the company that bears his name is now the…

IT specialist Al Grant is such a keen boatie that he prefers to work from his boat as much as possible, rather than from his office or home. That means ensuring he can stay in touch with his clients and is always connected to the digital world, even when cruising in remote areas. With a relatively young family, he also needs a system that can handle multiple internet connections at the same time and, being in a shared boat situation, he needs one that is both foolproof and easy to operate. After trying various systems, including a non-marinised router (and becoming frustrated with its unsuitability and lack of integration), he discovered Raymarine’s Yachtsense Link, a system designed, built and vibration-tested for the marine environment, delivering a robust power supply with…

THE AUCKLAND BOAT SHOW, March 23-26, 2023 is the must-do yachting event in New Zealand. The ILIAD Catamarans stand will be located at Stand #120 in Pavilion 1. Marcus Overman and Michael ‘Nod’ Crook will be there to discuss the Iliad range of luxury offshore power catamarans. Multiple scale models will be on display as well as video presentations. The ILIAD 53S will be launched officially at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, and the flybridge 53F version launched at Sydney Boat Show later this year. www.iliadcatamarans.com…

JEANNEAU HAS EXPANDED its DB Yachts line with a second model – the new DB/37, available in inboard and outboard versions. Italian designer Camillo Garroni drew an elegant silhouette with a sporty flair for the DB/37, in keeping with the characteristics of the DB line. The DB/37 benefits from utilising the full width of the hull as living space. Another signature feature of the DB Yachts line are the two side terraces which open electrically to further extend living space on board, instantly making the DB/37 a true party boat. Together with the large aft swim platform, it creates easy access to the water for swimming. Two facing bench seats can accommodate eight people around a large, transversal table. The central island galley is practical too: its large Corian countertop…

While Starlink has been available for a while, when I purchased it in late 2022, the upfront hardware cost was half the normal price of $1040. I purchased my kit from Noel Leeming, which was fine, but I’d recommend purchasing it directly from Starlink – see below for my reasons. I unboxed it at home just to check, but as it turned out, the box contained everything needed to set up and connect to the internet, including a Starlink Satellite Dish (Starlink calls it ‘Dishy’), a robust stand for Dishy, and a WiFi router with power supply and cables. Starlink ships with a 240V power cable which plugs into the Starlink router and the router in turn provides power to Dishy. No 12V or 24V adaptors are included as the…