Whangārei Maritime Festival brings electric speedboat and rescue demos
The Whangārei Maritime Festival has attracted huge crowds at past events. Photo / NZME
Northlanders are encouraged to “seas” the day at Whangārei’s popular annual Maritime Festival this weekend.
The two-day Black Ball Maritime Society-run event, now in its third year, will take over the Town Basin from 10am tomorrow and Sunday.
Free entertainment, maritime themed talks, rel="" title="https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz/family-fun">clay fish painting and boat building for kids, and marine exhibits are all on offer.
Among the talks hosted at the Hundertwasser Art Centre is Coastguard’s Bar Awareness Roadshow.
The free seminar helps boaties build the skills, local knowledge, and confidence needed to make safe decisions when crossing a bar.
According to Water Safety New Zealand, there were 18 fatalities involving watercraft in 2024, many of which occurred in tidal waters or during bar crossings.
An additional drawcard at the festival is the chance to get up close to about 30 boats – from waka to old classics, to steamboats you can take a trip on.
One vessel to keep an eye out for is Game Changer – the country’s first commercially available, fully electric speedboat that was designed and built in Northland.
The speedboat features a locally developed electric propulsion system engineered in Whangārei and developed by Naut, a clean-tech marine company stemming from McKay.
A 300-horsepower continuous electric inboard motor powers the vessel, with bursts of up to 525 horsepower, allowing the speedboat to silently glide across Whangārei Harbour at speeds up to 80km/h.
“It’s a game changer – both in name and performance,” Naut chief executive Fiona Bycroft said.
Port Nikau marine manager Blair Smeal noted how easily electric boats fit into existing marina infrastructure.
“They can charge off the same power supply already used by marinas,” he said.
According to Smeal, Port Nikau already has a berth ready for future electric ferries.
Festivalgoers, when done looking into the future of boating, can grab an adrenaline fix at the Rescues & Racing zone.
Coastguard Whangārei and the Northland Emergency Helicopter will team up for an on-water rescue demonstration on Sunday to showcase how they work together to save lives at sea.
The mock scenario comes as the rescue chopper starts its annual fundraising appeal to help keep the service in the air. Already, the chopper has clocked almost 850 missions this year.
The demonstration may convince people to sign up for Coastguard Whangārei, which is always on the hunt for more volunteers.
For more information about the festival, visit: whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz