Empires end
Despite its modest size, between the 15th and 17th centuries Portugal was one of Europe's richest nations. The wealth stemmed...
The legend lives on
50 years have passed since the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald—still an unsolved mystery, yet a pivotal moment for safety o...
Coastal navigation and leadline: how early sailors found their way along the shoreline
Modern boats carry everything. GPS, charts, sounders, radar.
It wasn’t always like that. Before instruments, navigation sa...
The OK Dinghy: The New Zealand dominance
For nearly 70 years, the OK Dinghy has been one of this country’s most popular international classes. New Zealand sailors hav...
The 1908 Rudder Cup entrants (part 3)
In the last two issues I have described, in the order of their entry, the builders, the engines, and the owners of six of the...
2026 Marauder 8.4 Championship: Alan Wright design still racing strong in the Hauraki Gulf
A tough weekend of wind, patience and persistence saw the Marauder 8.4 fleet finally get racing underway at the 2026 Class Ch...
Ngataki: The little boat out and about promoting Auckland’s Wooden Boat Festival
Ngataki might be one of New Zealand’s most famous wooden boats. She’s small, capable, and—some say—of questionable aesthetic....
Glorious hydrodynamic relaxation
Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park, framed by glacial slopes and native beech forest, comes to life every March t...
Belle of the Bay
By the time Aucklander Kate Farrant turned 30 in September, her 1960s kauri ex-Fullers ferry, the Bay Belle, was ready to hos...
Jumping in the deep end: crewing on classic boats
Stepping aboard a classic yacht can feel like stepping back in time. Long overhangs, varnished timber, heavy canvas and lines...
Beneteau First 30 at 50: how the yacht that launched the First range evolved
Next year, in 2027, the Beneteau First 30 turns 50. Few production yachts can claim that kind of longevity, and even fewer ha...
Nautor Swan marked 60 years by setting course for the future at boot Düsseldorf
Nautor Swan marked its 60th anniversary by looking decisively forward, using the recently concluded boot Düsseldorf as the la...
A true Kiwi navigator: The John Mansell story
John Mansell has lived his life intimately connected to the sea. John Macfarlane spoke with this celebrated solo sailor, mast...
The Power of Sail: Part 3
The Golden Age of Sail
The Golden Age of Sail (17th to the mid-19th centuries) was an era that saw the full realisation of s...
The 1908 Rudder Cup entrants (part 2)
In the last issue of Boating NZ, I detailed the anticipation and excitement on the Auckland waterfront about the Royal New Ze...
Simrad at 80: eight decades of marine electronics innovation
In 2026, Simrad Marine Electronics marks 80 years since its origins in post war Norway, a milestone that places the brand amo...
The 580 Regal, twenty years on
The 580 Regal first appeared on the New Zealand boating scene under the Sea Nymph name. By the early 2000s, Sea Nymph was alr...
Auckland Anniversary Weekend regattas: one long summer sail
Late January delivers one of the best sailing runs of the New Zealand summer. From Northland to the Hauraki Gulf, crews can s...
Mahurangi Weekend returns to the classic calendar in January 2026
The New Zealand Classic Yachts Association’s Mahurangi Weekend returns from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 January 2026, bringing thr...
The Rudder Cup; a survey of Auckland’s top launches of 1908 (part 1)
Last month I promised that this issue would be devoted to a rattling good yarn about the match race between the launches Eliz...
Industry trailblazer: the Russ Bowler story (Part 2)
For many of those involved in
the 1987 New Zealand Challenge,
not least Michael Fay (later Sir Michael), the 1987 America’...
The Power of Sail: Part 2
Welcome to ‘A very brief history of…’ researching the history of everyday marine technology, innovation and events kiwi boati...
The Russ Bowler story pt1: By Design
Russ Bowler was Bruce Farr’s partner for over 40 years. A skilled designer/sailor in his own right Bowler brought an enquiri...
Brendon Cornes on retro boats and modern camaraderie
How a Facebook group has sparked a new community of classic boat enthusiasts across New Zealand.
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.
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 at Marist St Michaels.
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 sailing heritage.
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 past with family-friendly ...
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-ramp for the past 24 years....
The second yacht named Tawera
In my last article I wrote about the strong relationship between the menfolk of the Wilson and the Horton families, the propr...
The Power of Sail – Part 1
Welcome to ‘A very brief history of ...’ researching the history of everyday marine technology, innovation and events Kiwi bo...
The Peter Lester Story
Peter Lester
1954 – 2025
The worldwide sailing community was shocked to hear of the unexpected death of sailing legend Pete...
The two yachts named Tawera
A very high proportion of commercial vessels, yachts and launches built in
New Zealand from colonisation in the 19th centur...
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 down the night before, w...
Attitude is everything: The John Morrison story
Sailor and entrepreneur John Morrison’s story is a real rags-to-riches one. Growing up in Lyttelton in the 1960s, he built a ...
Offshore powerboating: from timber testbeds to carbon speed machines
The story of how a six-metre wooden boat called Rems sparked a marine revolution that still echoes in every offshore powerboa...
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Darwin200: legacy under sail
DARWIN200’s 43,000-mile voyage retraced Darwin’s route, training young leaders and renewing global conservation momentum unde...
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 Waitematā.
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 back into a golden era of K...
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, silence, and sonar.