The Boat Builders

06/07/2026

Pretty awesome to see a write up about "Storm "the GBE which was brought back to life by The Boat Builders . She was in a pretty sad state when she arrived but left again with anew lease on life. Great to see Karl having some adventures and keeping her going !

https://www.boatingnz.co.nz/2026/07/great-barrier-express-inside-the-hauraki-gulfs-50-year-old-catamaran-cult/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAS4V9ZjbGNrBLhXgmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHu91RuWB4OlcFnYd-eVUAJiok_lKDBxjc3A0_lBD2xcy8sZpYOratz4R0DUX_aem_GnSQlH4aJYg-88Xq6_694Q

The Great Barrier Express has been racing and cruising the Hauraki Gulf for over fifty years. We talk to one owner about the boat, the community that's grown up around it, and why the fleet is growing again.

19/06/2026

The Half Moon Bay Marina Berth Holders Association marked a notable occasion for aspiring marine tradespeople today. A number of apprentices within our marina precinct were awarded scholarships, receiving a financial boost to aid their entry into the NZ Marine industry. Aimee Dawson of The Boatbuilders was recognised as the first recipient. We take great pride in Aimee's achievement and are grateful that her hard work has been recognised.
A bbq and beers enjoyed by all. Well done Aimee Dawson

06/05/2026

Our services extend beyond boats, as we also undertake various repairs and general maintenance work on motorhomes and caravans for both individual clients and insurance providers.

01/04/2026

What a stunning morning for a pre dawn sea trial !!

16/03/2026

The Wooden Boat Festival held over the weekend provided a fantastic opportunity to see Greg McClean and his beautifully built boat, Lorraine. Greg's timber steaming demonstrations were well-received, and he had the chance to discuss Lorraine's build process with many interested attendees. We look forward to hearing about his future projects!!

11/03/2026

A side project worth noting involves the restoration of Tigre, an 8.5m catamaran designed by Ron Given that was prominent in Auckland's yacht racing circuit. After being found in disarray, she was salvaged and brought to us for renovation. With the mast, rigging, centre beams, and trampolines removed and new features such as clipper to dreadnaught bows, solid decking, seating areas, hardtop, and outboard motors installed, Tigre is set to have a new life as a fun and versatile powercat. Watch this space........

10/03/2026

Neo is meticulously working through the offshore job checklist. We take great pleasure in supporting her as she prepares to depart for Fiji in the near future. The sheer volume of work and administrative duties involved in these blue water passages is considerable. The importance of safety and current operating systems cannot be overstated for a safe passage. We look forward to following her adventures.

01/03/2026

Had the pleasure of working on Intrepid ll this past week.
She is a Viking 82 boasting 5200HP achieving some massive speeds.
Intrepid is on tour around NZ for the rest of summer before heading back to the Pacific for some more serious fishing.

A few interior jobs ticked off and on their way again. Our team did an awesome job to be proud of !!

01/03/2026

01/03/2026