Exclusive
Exclusive
Brendon Cornes on retro boats and modern camaraderie
How a Facebook group has sparked a new community of classic boat enthusiasts across New Zealand.
Article
Article
From Viking seas to southern lakes: clinker boats and the spread of northern craft
From Viking seas to Kiwi lakes, clinker boats endure as seaworthy, beautiful vessels built to last.
Article
Article
Retro boats and caravans gather in Rotorua for swap meet
Retro boats and caravans come together in Rotorua on 19 October for a community sale and swap meet a...
Article
Article
125 years of Ponsonby Cruising Club: Auckland’s mullet boats and maritime heart
Ponsonby Cruising Club celebrates 125 years of mullet boats, Lipton Cup tradition, and Auckland sail...
Article
Article
Auckland Heritage Festival 2025: A peek at the maritime journeys on show
From tugboats to steam ferries, the Auckland Heritage Festival 2025 celebrates the city’s maritime p...
Article
Article
The painstaking, decades-long restoration of Auckland’s Toroa steam ferry
Like West Auckland's answer to Noah's ark, the Toroa ferry has been perched by the Lincoln Rd off-ra...
Article
Article
The two yachts named Tawera
A very high proportion of commercial vessels, yachts and launches built in
New Zealand from coloni...
Article
Article
Chillin’ in Taupō: retro boats make waves
Early starts for a big day
For many, Saturday's Chillin’ in Taupō began in the dark. Some had towed...
Article
Article
The fight to save Auckland’s last steam ferry
Auckland’s last steam ferry is turning 100. The Toroa’s team needs help to get her back on the Waite...
Article
Article
Ponsonby Cruising Club hosts a rare look into plywood performance and racing history: Spencer’s radi...
From tomorrow (24 July) to 14 August, Ponsonby Cruising Club invites members and visitors to step ba...
Article
Article
The last WW1 boat found, the HMS Nottingham rediscovered
The last missing Royal Navy cruiser of the First World War has been found, her story told in steel, ...
Article
Article
Chatham Islands waka find detailed in new report
A new report has shed light on the potential origins of a partially excavated waka in the Chatham Is...
Article
Article
256-year-old relic of European contact with NZ rediscovered in RNZ podcast
A 256-year-old anchor described by Heritage New Zealand as "one of the oldest relics of early Europe...
Article
Article
Chillin’ in Taupō: NZ Retro Boats mid-winter meet-up
Scheduled for Saturday 23 August, the latest NZ Retro Boats event—titled Chillin’ in Taupō—will see ...
Article
Article
150 years of Lürssen: a shipbuilding legacy gorged in innovation, family and firsts
On 27 June 1875, a 24-year-old boatbuilder named Friedrich Lürssen opened a modest workshop in the ...
Article
Article
Moana rising: Matariki, waka and the ancient sea roads of the Pacific
As Matariki rises in the winter sky above Aotearoa, it signals more than the start of the Māori New ...
Article
Article
Santa Maria: A legacy carved in timber
Some boats are more than the sum of their timber and fastenings.
Article
Article
Jack Guard and his Gipsy: Craft, character and coastal history
Step onboard Gipsy and you’re not just stepping into a boat – you’re stepping into a story.
The Yates family of the Far North and their Bailey & Lowe launches Part II: Tui Silver Bell
Joseph William (Joe) Conrad, who bought the bigger Tui (now Silver Bell) from Gus Yates in 1914, oft...
Article
Article
Dame Naomi James: A mother who found her strength again when life capsized her
In a world where grit often gets overlooked and quiet resolve forgotten, the story of Dame Naomi Jam...
Article
Article
Tribute evening for Kiwi yacht designer Paul Whiting
A public tribute evening honouring one of New Zealand’s most influential yacht designers, Paul Whiti...
Feature
Feature
RV Kaharoa: The end of an era for NIWA’s “Little Ship That Can”
14 April 2025 marks a memorable turning point for New Zealand’s marine science community. After more...
Article
Article
Timeless elegance, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
From its salty, rum-soaked beginnings in the 1960s to its current status as a world-renowned event c...
Feature
Feature
The Yates family of the far north and their Bailey & Lowe launches
The Yates family had extensive holdings in the Far North around the turn of the 20th century. Samuel...
Feature
Feature
Personal Water Craft (‘jetskis’)
Welcome to ‘A very brief history of…’ researching the history of everyday marine technology, innovat...
Article
Article
Happy anniversary: 25th NZ Antique and Classic Boat Show
Blue skies, sparkling water, big crowds and a record number of interesting boats
of every sort mad...
Exclusive
Exclusive
Dynamic duo: The John and Linda Parrish story
Race management is one of those critical jobs that has to be done just right and where accuracy is e...
Article
Article
Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta
In the Viaduct Harbour the Dragon Boat racing was fiercely contested by scores of colourful crews......
Feature
Feature
The New Zealand Raters – Export
In December 1898 a major yachting event was held in Auckland, the first with any true international ...
A spectacular showcase of classic boating at Lake Rotoiti
The 2025 NZ Antique and Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes, was nothing short of specta...
The 1895 8-raters
In an international context, perhaps the most extraordinary feature of the Auckland-built raters I h...
Article
Article
A brief history of: Distress calls
The standard maritime distress signals we use today are universally applied and understood, but that...
Bumper Tugboat Fleet Race set to thrill at 185th Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta launch
Auckland’s 185th birthday celebrations on Monday, 27 January, will feature a spectacular tugboat rac...
Farr reaching success: The Farr 1020 story
One of the most successful one-design keelers in New Zealand has been the Farr 1020. Designed by Bru...
Article
Article
Classic yachts (and launches) as ‘Protected New Zealand Objects’
Formed in the mid-1990s, The Classic Yacht Association was at the forefront of protecting classic ya...
Article
Article
Brest Maritime Festival 2024: World classics extravaganza
Every four years since the 1990s, Brittany’s largest port, Brest, has played host to a gathering of ...
Exclusive
Exclusive
James Bond would have been very pleased with the NZ Retro Boats gathering 2024 at Lake Tarawera
This past weekend, the shimmering waters of Lake Tarawera just outside of Rotorua were alive with no...
Boatshed 6054, Riverside Drive, Whangarei – A Piece of Whangarei’s Maritime History is F...
Nestled along the picturesque Hatea River, Shed 6154 at 50 Riverside Drive stands as a testament to ...
Lake Brunner Classic Boats Get Together: A Celebration of Maritime Heritage
Every year, boating enthusiasts gather for the Lake Brunner Classic Boats Get Together, an annual ev...
The Raters
Over two hundred years ago, yachting was a brand-new amateur sport of the moneyed classes in England...
Barnett Offshore Design
Barnett Offshore Design Ltd based in New Zealand has a reputation for quality and innovation in the global Marine Industry.
Specializing in the Design of commercial and pleasure boats up to ...
Douglas B Foote Ltd (DBF)
For over six decades, Douglas B Foote Ltd (DBF) has been a trusted name in precision engineering, providing high-performance marine hydraulic solutions to boatbuilders, shipyards, and marine operators across New Zealand. From its humble beginnings in a Takapuna garage in 1958, DBF has evolved into a specialist in CNC machining, hydraulic hose solutions, and manufacturer of its signature range of stainless steel hydraulic fittings, catering to the unique challenges of the marine environment.
DBF...
LATEST NEWS
2005 Haines Signature 600RF
Well-kept, garage-stored family boat with low hours, new carpets, and full gear. Soft-riding foam-filled hull, ideal for fishing or cruising. Regretful sale—owner upgrading. Located in Pauanui with minimal trailer use. Ready for its next adventure—don’t miss out!
1975 Alan Mummery Ketch
The 1975 Alan Mummery Ketch is a classic, craftsman-built 12.2m (40-foot) timber cruising yacht with a robust three-skin kauri hull and centre cockpit layout.