Boating NZ September 2023

It is with mixed feelings that I contemplate recently announced plans to introduce 19 new marine protection areas inside the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. Not because the Gulf doesn’t need to protect and restore marine habitats and ecosystems – it does, and action on this front has been too long in coming – but because I believe recreational fishers, of which I am one, will be disproportionately penalised if the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill is passed as proposed. The new protections include extensions to two existing marine reserves at Cathedral Cove and Goat Island, the creation of 12 High Protection Areas (HPAs) – no-take areas where fishing or food gathering is prohibited – and five seafloor protection areas (SPAs), where commercial and recreational fishing will be allowed provided…

….entries are invited from keelboats, multihulls, trailer yachts and sport boats. NZ’s biggest multi-day keelboat regatta – Bay of Islands Sailing Week – has opened entries for the next edition of the event, to be held from 23-26 January 2024. The event combines three days of high-calibre racing with a fun-filled festival atmosphere on shore in a world-class visitor destination, and regularly attracts well over 100 boats and their crews from around New Zealand and overseas. For 2024, organisers plan to ramp up the party atmosphere with the regatta moving to a new venue adjacent the Bay of Islands Marina and Opua launching ramp. Regatta committee Chair Ian Clouston says the new venue will mean easier access, more space and better views for regatta participants to enjoy. “We’ve been working…

Since their accident with a local boat in Matuku, Fiji (BoatingNZ, September 2023), Birgit and Christian of SY Pitufa have continued their efforts to support the islanders’ decision to establish a tabu no-fishing zone. Birgit writes: We are happy to report that the people of Matuku in the southwestern Lau (Moala Group) have made a big step towards sustainable fishing by installing three big tabu no-fishing zones around their island. Matuku has fertile gardens, but fish is nevertheless one of the cornerstones of their nutrition. First they wanted to install tabu areas for a limited time, then they contemplated only prohibiting night-time fishing, but in the end we managed to persuade them that having a complete, permanent fishing ban for a big area is the most efficient way to protect…

IN HOT WATER? Editor I am confused regarding the item on page 94 of the Boating NZ June issue [DIY by Norman Holzthausen]. It covers the installation of a new galley including a califont. Over the past three months I have been informed by a marine surveyor and two separate marine gas installers that califonts are no longer permitted on pleasure craft in New Zealand. Can you provide clarity on this issue please. Kind regardsBryan Walmsley Norman responds: Thank you for your query, and sorry for the delay in responding. It is always good to know that our readers are savvy enough to query what we write about since we are all fallible. You will note from the article that I called out I had not yet had my gas…

The Auckland Boat Show will return in 2024, bringing a festival on the water to the heart of central Auckland. The Auckland Boat Show fills downtown Auckland with marinas showcasing the best of New Zealand-built boats and the latest international innovations in marine. Set to run from 14 to 17 March, 2024, it will form part of a plethora of on-water activities during the summer, including regattas and festivals celebrating Auckland’s identity as the City of Sails. The show has become known for its large marina display spreading through Jellicoe Harbour, the space flanking former America’s Cup bases. Set in the heart of downtown Auckland’s vibrant Wynyard Quarter, the show cements the relationship between this traditionally maritime neighbourhood and the modern meeting point it has become, connecting Aucklanders to the…

Event data has revealed the sweeping benefits of inaugural ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix for Ōtautahi Christchurch, held 18-19 March 2023, which had a total economic impact of NZD $13.9 million for the host city regional economy, as independently audited by Deloitte. Total visitor spend measured in excess of NZD $8.1 million (USD $5M). With more than half of attendees traveling from outside Christchurch to take part in the action, the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix generated nearly 23,000 visitor nights in Christchurch. Electronic Card Transactions (ECT) analysis also showed an uptick in spending in Lyttelton over race weekend, with ECT visitor spend in the township up 14% between February and March. ECT spending in the city centre during this period (16-19 Mar) saw a 10% increase. The…