General Interest

Today in history: 2 December 1946 – The formation of the International Whaling Commission

On this day in 1946, representatives from 15 nations signed the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, establishing the International...

2 December 2024

Article

The Scuttling of MV Python: A Tactical Blow in the Battle of the Atlantic

1 December 1813: A Naval Tragedy During the Napoleonic Wars

1 December 2024

Article

Naval Aviation Triumph: The Sinking of U-86 by USS Bogue

On 29 November 1943, the Battle of the Atlantic witnessed another pivotal moment as the U.S. escort carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9), accompanied by her airc...

29 November 2024

Article

Magellan’s landmark voyage through the Strait of Magellan

On 28 November 1520, Ferdinand Magellan and his fleet achieved a groundbreaking milestone in nautical history: they became the first Europeans to navi...

28 November 2024

Article

The Scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon: A Defiant Act in the Face of War

On 27 November 1942, the French Navy orchestrated one of the most dramatic acts in naval history, scuttling its fleet at Toulon to prevent it from fal...

27 November 2024

Article

Samuel Cunard: The Maritime Pioneer Who Revolutionised Transatlantic Travel

In the annals of maritime history, few names stand as tall as Samuel Cunard’s. This visionary businessman and shipping magnate not only transformed tr...

26 November 2024

Murder most foul

Like many war vets, he never spoke about his experience at the hands of his captors – not entirely surprising given the horror of the Behar Massacre.

24 May 2023

Praise for the Trailer-Sailer

Club racing? Visiting other lakes? Why not? It’s a versatile bit of kit, and you’ll stand out from the crowd wherever you go – just get that mast-step...

24 April 2023

BOP: Remember the rules around the Motiti Protection Area

Under the new rules, no-one can take fish, shellfish, or plants from these areas. These rules apply to everyone equally, including customary, recreati...

25 January 2023

Mediterranean Junction

Malta lies in a fortuitous spot at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Sea.

12 December 2022

Boat Business

Family classic powered up for summer

When Everett and his wife moved back to New Zealand in 2006, they packed the boat into a container and had it shipped back ‘home’.

20 October 2022

One out of the box

The concept of carrying cargo in standardised containers was first formulated by US truck driver Malcolm McLean.

19 October 2022

The Southern Ocean

In 1953, with the stroke of a pen, the most important ocean on the planet disappeared. The truth is the Southern Ocean had be...

22 September 2019

Cable Ties

You might think hackers-in-hoodies are the most sinister threat to the World Wide Web, but a speedy, efficient internet actually relies on the integr...

16 July 2019

Coastguard News

Godfather of Coastguard

Alan Haddock’s one of those quiet, self-effacing chaps who’s worked tirelessly behind the scenes at Coastguard for decades helping others. His main c...

10 July 2019

DO NOT USE Boat Bling

Next Generation McMurdo FastFind 220 PLB

The PLB receives coordinates from the new precision satellite network in addition to the tried and tested GPS network and therefore provides ultimate ...

17 March 2019

Spirit of Manasoo

The amazingly intact wreck of the 54m steel steamer, Manasoo, lost in a storm on September 15, 1928, has been located in deep water by an internationa...

11 December 2018

Remembering the Titanic

For anyone unaware, Titanic was actually one of threesister ships built for the White Star line – the other two being Olympic (slightly older) and Bri...

22 November 2018

Divine intervention

Students of WWll will know that the term ‘kamikaze’ relates to a band of suicidal Japanese pilots who flew their explosives-laden planes into US Navy ...

22 November 2018

Rodney Russ: Southern Ocean Explorer

Russ has spent more time in this ocean than most and has shown more people its beauty than anyone else I know. To say he is a passionate advocate for ...

20 September 2018

Rum racing on the Waitemata

For Mark Roberts, rum racing isn’t just an occasional hobby – it’s a way of life. You might know Roberts by his almost universal nickname of Moulët, a...

27 August 2018

Riviera

Replica Riva Aquarama

Brigitte Bardot had one. So did Sophia Loren. As did Richard Burton, Peter Sellers, Prince Rainier and Aristotle Onassis. In fact, the gleaming mahoga...

23 August 2018

Boating at night

Boating at night can be a daunting experience – not being able to see your surroundings is nerve-wracking. But it doesn’t have to be stressful. With t...

17 July 2018

Fishing

Tailor your snapper attack

Being aware of the nature of the sea floor terrain – and adjusting your technique accordingly – can have a dramatic impact on your snapper-landing suc...

16 July 2018

Sub-Antarctic Shuttle

Not too many boats head south from Bluff, at mainland New Zealand’s southern extremity. But one yacht does so regularly, delivering researchers and sc...

30 April 2018

Island transporter: Lloyd Stevenson vaka motu

Easier transportation of people, medical supplies and cargo around the islands of Micronesia took a leap forward with the launch of another Lloyd Stev...

30 April 2018

Fishing

PWCs are catching on

PWCs are more commonly called jet-skis in New Zealand. ‘Jet Ski’ was the brand name given to the original Kawasaki stand-up PWC from 1972 and the na...

13 April 2018

NZ Antique and Classic Boat Show

Beattieful – an immaculately-restored wooden clinker runabout built by Jim Beattie and restored in 2010 – won the Jens Hansen Cup for the Best Vessel ...

27 March 2018

Solo Tasman rower

When weatherman Bob McDavitt gives the word sometime in April, Kiwi adventurer Scott Donaldson will set off on a second attempt to become the first pe...

27 March 2018

Lloyds Register – The Book of Ships

Lloyd’s Register – the world’s largest and most respected database for the classification of ships and yachts – is nearly three centuries old. Bizarre...

27 March 2018

Cruising

Dutch boat quest

After a few twists and turns, a Dutch couple’s quest to find the Kiwi builder of the boat they bought in Spain 15 years ago has a happy ending. Story ...

27 March 2018

GO ON, SPOIL YOURSELF

Ownaship – New Zealand’s premier boat share company manager – will be adding the luxurious Maritimo X60 Sport Yacht to its extensive fleet. With its ...

8 March 2018

Sailor-scribes: Adrian Hayter

“My navigation is all to hell. I know nothing of handling a ship and have killed myself trying. My capital is gone, my career’s gone – oh brother, are...

20 February 2018

Oskar Speck: the kayaker history forgot

In 1932 a young German kayaker set off from Hamburg on what evolved into a seven-year, 30,000-mile paddle to Australia. It remains the longest-ever ka...

20 February 2018

Restoring classics: recovering the DNA

By definition, classic restorations tend to bring additional layers of complexity to a rebuild. Luckily for the boats, though, the purists who tackle ...

20 February 2018