Innehållsförteckning för September 2024 från Boating NZ

After the euphoria of the Paris Olympics, the last couple of weeks have left me feeling rather flat. Television viewing doesn’t have quite the same appeal now as it did during those wonderful but short weeks. But didn’t our athletes do us proud? Across the board, but especially on the water. Yachting, rowing, and paddling – both flat and whitewater – were especially strong for New Zealand. They always have been, reflected historically in our Olympic results, but 2024’s medal tally was outstanding, particularly from our women athletes. Kiwi women shone in so many Olympic events this cycle, outshining the men by some considerable margin. It shouldn’t be too surprising that an island nation surrounded by the sea and rich in lakes does well in water sports (not sure what’s…

It’s a smart-looking rig carried on a premium, dual-axle, braked Enduro trailer fitted with a Balex auto-loading system. Called Timeless, this boat is a new model with a raft of new features, many of them carried over from larger models in the Tristram range. This 691 Offshore belongs to the Fink family, the dynasty behind Tristram Marine (see Reflections, p92). The boat will split its time between Whitianga and Lake Taupo. Spoiler alert: while the 691 Offshore is a completely new model from Tristram Marine, released earlier this year (2024), the 691’s hull has been around since 1997. That’s because the 691, with its 22o deep vee hull and moderately wide chines, is a simply superb design, doing everything asked of it and more. So much so that over the…

Seakeeper has developed gyroscopic stabiliser systems that are compact and lightweight enough to install in smaller craft, including trailer boats, greatly enhancing their comfort and handling. Recognising the potential – and with a customer keen to explore the benefits of a Seakeeper gyroscopic stabiliser system, especially for offshore sport fishing – Haines Hunter installed one in the customer’s SP725 trailer boat. With the success of this project, Seakeeper gyro stabilisers are now an option across the 725 range. Boating NZ experienced the benefits first-hand on a recent outing to the Hen and Chicken Islands north of Auckland. By leaving the shelter of the islands and heading into open water, we were able to gauge the difference the stabilisers made in the sort of conditions offshore fishers commonly encounter. As is…

Seawind has been building boats for 42 years, in the process becoming not only pretty good at it but also getting to know their userbase well. So, Seawind knows a large proportion of that base wants an offshore-capable catamaran in the 40-foot range – like the new 39-foot (11.9m) 1170. The continuing growth of the global multihull market is astounding, also reflected in this part of the world. Having sailed around a large chunk of east coast Australia over the last three years, I found most of the vessels in the many anchorages I visited were cruising catamarans. Lifestyle is the main reason people choose them, closely followed by their ability for fast downwind passage-making. They are ideal for exploring the islands and coasts of the Asia Pacific region. Seawind…

So while the XF650 is constructed to Southern’s usual impeccable standard and with the same proven hull design, it forgoes some of the luxury features and fishing touches that generally make Southern’s range stand out. The model designation XF differentiates it from the higher-end XP models, and Managing Director Peter Carlson says this is in response to current market demand. He says the boat was built to meet the $100K price point, with the base hull, motor and trailer packages retailing at $99,995. The model as tested comes in at $129,995 with its additional fixtures and electronics. In the words of Carlson, “We have down-spec’d this model a bit from the usual high-spec Southern.” Changes include a basic hardtop cabin from aluminium rather than fibreglass, and flat glass rather than…

Puzzle no.322 Across 1. Raised road or track across water or wet ground (8) 6. ____-pull controls – used to manoeuvre boat (4) 8. Epoxy resins do this over several days after being applied (4) 9. Structure used to support marine device and hold it in place (8) 10. Surname of Dutch seafarer and explorer in image (6) 11. _____ up – sail closer to wind by tightening sheets (6) 12. Vessel that transports people or cars on regular schedule (5) 14. Nautical order to stop (5) 16. Severe jellyfish stings can cause muscle _____ (6) 19. _____ hatch – opening with cover on boat deck (6) 21. Type of pelagic octopus also known as paper nautilus (8) 22. Port ____ in Bay of Islands – primary port of entry…

It’s shaping up to be a great summer on the water in the Marlborough Sounds. For those who want to cruise, the enlarged marina at Waikawa still has berths available for visiting boaties, while the Waikawa Bay Boating Club has a busy programme of racing and social events. More than 250 new berths, in sizes ranging from 10 to 30 metres, were added to the Marlborough Sounds Marinas portfolio with the opening of Waikawa North West in December last year, bringing Waikawa Marina’s total capacity to just over 1100 boats in both wet and dry storage. Waikawa Marina is ideally located in the middle of Totaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound at the top of the South Island. “We still have some permanent berthage available and plenty of short-term visitor spots available over…

RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF EVERYDAY MARINE TECHNOLOGY KIWI BOATIES LOVE (OR LOATHE). Coating your hull with antifoul prevents hitchhikers such as barnacles, mussels and weed from taking a firm hold under your boat’s waterline, preventing damage to the hull, decreasing drag through the water and improving fuel economy. Antifoul coatings do this generally by slowly releasing biocides which impede the growth of these underwater nasties. While today’s antifoul coatings come in a wide range of brands, types and colours, the evolution of how we got here is quite surprising. WAY BACK… The earliest written records from the 5th century BC highlight the widespread use of various natural substances, including tar, wax, or oil, to create a smooth surface preventing marine organisms from attaching themselves, as well as making hulls more…

Townson built the first Electron in 1987, and over the next two decades, he hand-built over 900 of them to his exacting standards. Besides his perfectionistic and disciplined work ethic, Townson was an innovator and invented several techniques for building Electrons that even fibreglass specialists struggled to understand or duplicate. Townson used to build groups of Electrons together – moulding the required number of hulls, decks, keels, masts, etc. – before assembling the group in his house’s basement. To maximise efficiency, he kept time sheets for each job. Despite his speed, Townson’s standards were exacting, and his attention to detail was fastidious. Early on, Townson realised Electrons wouldn’t sell themselves and that he’d have to get out and push them. Through necessity, he learned about marketing and selling. He would…

SILVER FOR 49ERS A dream came true for two young Aucland sailors on the waters off the Marseille coast on August 2 when Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie won an Olympic medal for New Zealand. The pair crossed the finish line in the men’s skiff (49er) medal race in third place to claim silver behind Spain’s Diego Botin and Florian Trittel. The “McKiwis”, as they have been dubbed, started the double points race in the bronze medal position with any one of seven teams in the hunt for gold. They had two attempts at the medal race abandoned due to light breeze – once while they were in the gold-medal position. Their success means New Zealand has now won a medal in the men’s skiff event for the last four Olympics,…

52 YEARS OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT UNDER SAIL Some 60 years ago an Auckland sailor Lou Fisher noticed something special. Teenagers who came sailing on his family yacht developed a gleam in their eye as they discovered the magic of sail – using just the power of the wind to move a ship anywhere they wanted to go. Fisher’s observation became a vision which he turned into reality. Two ships and 85,000 youth trainees later, we can reflect on the marvellous impact one man’s vision has had on New Zealand society. Spirit of Adventure, length 30m, was launched in Auckland in December 1973 and gifted to the Spirit of Adventure Trust. She was designed by Jack Brooke, a friend of Lou’s. During the design phase a two-masted brigantine rig with square…

Events such as the Evolution Sails Women’s Regatta, sailed out of the Waikawa Boating Club in the Marlborough Sounds, have become hugely popular for their combination of fun yet competitive racing and social times ashore. The Gulf Harbour club north of Auckland has also introduced a Women on Water Weekend, held the last two years in March and attracting more than 120 female sailors. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, as part of its ‘Reset’ programme to boost membership and broaden the club’s diversity, is also looking at how it can connect with more women. In August Gillian Williams will become the first ever woman to take on the role of RNZYS commodore, and the squadron plans to increase opportunities and visibility for women in the sport and the wider…

2350 SUPERCAB STABICRAFT MARINE’S 2350 SUPERCAB is a 7m high-performance, offshore machine equipped with more space and creature comforts so you can ‘Adventure with Confidence’. The new 2350 is the latest to join the Supercab line-up with a brand new, proven offshore performance hull. It boasts 40% more useable cabin volume than its predecessor, and a plethora of cabin amenity improvements. The 2350 hull is a ground-up redesign with an emphasis on offshore performance, thoroughly tested in the waters of Foveaux Strait. Close chop, rolling swell and following seas have all been thrown at the new hull and Stabicraft’s dealers reckon its one of the best hulls the company has ever produced. This Supercab feels big inside due to its wider beam, stretching out to the maximum legal towing width…

While the Viscount will be unveiled in upcoming months, already consumers are seeing new features developed during that design and construction process introduced to most other hulls including Warrior, Lightning and Dominator. Fi-Glass has a close connection to many New Zealand boaties, started by Frank Simpson in Christchurch way back in 1958, and these days owned and managed by son Griff. Like his pioneering father, Griff too is always looking to grow the business and create new opportunities for boaties, both in New Zealand and in the company’s overseas markets. In recent years new models such as the Ski-Angler have been introduced, while others such as the Fireball have been re-introduced. And, while Griff and the Fi-Glass team undertook the construction process of their yet to be released flagship, it…

It begins with Lance’s father, Ray, who left school as a teenager to become a carpenter. However, Ray loved boats more than houses and, in the mid-1950s, became a boatbuilder for the late Bob Wild in Hamilton. Ray went out in 1960, building his first commission in the basement of his Hamilton house, a Hartley hull with decks and cabin of his own design. As his business grew, Ray shifted to another home and workshop in Tamahere, just outside Hamilton, where he spent the next 36 years building timber boats. “He built so many timber trailer boats and launches, I don’t know how he did it,” recalls Lance, the second of Ray and Thelma’s four sons, the others being Warren, Miles, and Andrew. Lance was born 1958 and started his…