The snug cabin interior, shown below, exudes a charming, authentic vibe. Barry has aptly named his boat Tai Mate, a Māori term meaning “slack tide,” the period when the tide transitions between high and low, resulting in calmer waters. Powered by a Mercury outboard motor and supplemented by an external electric trolling motor, Barry often explores lakes in the Taupō and Rotorua regions with his creation.
The featured photo captures Tai Mate at the stunning Lake Whakamaru, nestled along the Waikato River near Mangakino—a fitting backdrop for this whimsical watercraft.
Great to see this is still around and it looks great with all the new extras installed and it is still giving enjoyment to lots of people. Here is the but, the article does not give the correct credit to the original builder. This miniature Tug Boat was built in 2015 -2016 in a shed at Tauriko Tauranga and was painted up in the Ports of Tauranga Tug fleet colours but in reverse. Although the new owner has restored it and added his personal touch it was not his creation. and I feel that this must be corrected Should this be in dispute I would welcome the claimed creator and the author of this article to contact me directly to view the original sketches and photos done at the time of the build. Photo locations and dates would verify this.
R J Pinkham
Original builder and owner
Hi Ron
Thanks for the information! We are going to make modifications to the story and re-issue with attribution for your efforts! Its a cool little tug boat!