Trustee Rene de Vries, of Omapere, said the group hoped to open the 25x7.5m shed next month. It would be used by the sailing trust, a community gym, Coastguard, Rawene Fire Brigade and the Pirates Club, which will operate a "men's shed" and restore old boats. The Domain's old ablution block is also being renovated.
Mr de Vries said Totalspan had been "fantastic", as had Opononi Lions Club and individuals who had donated moneyto the cause. The greatest contribution had been people's time and concern.
Even so the theft had left the trust $12,000 out of pocket. It now had to start fundraising again to pay for lighting, wiring and stormwater.
The project sprang from the trust's need for a boat repair workshop as well as winter storage for its six Optimists and handful of Lasers.
The Alinghi America's Cup syndicate initially donated a shed thanks to Mr de Vries' connections as a sports physiotherapist.
Later, when the Far North District Council came on board with funding and the project grew to include a gym, it was not big enough so Totalspan traded it for a bigger, brand-new shed.
The trust was founded in 2008 by Mr de Vries and GP Paul Bowker in a bid to revive sailing on the Hokianga and provide opportunities for local children.
The volunteers, led by Mr Bowker, run a free kids' sailing every Wednesday and Saturday in summer with a Sunday session geared at older sailors. They also run two six-week sailing programmes each year at Rawene School. Sailing gave children new skills and taught them about water safety, tides and wind.
"We've had kids who weren't doing well at school and weren't taking part in group activities. Through sailing they got confidence and a sense that, 'I can do this'. It has changed their whole attitude," he said.
Totalspan Bay of Islands/Hokianga co-owner Karen Adams said the sailing trust had saved hard for a worthwhile community initiative.
"We felt they had been hard done by, so we were only to happy to step in."
The franchise is also repairing a bus shelter stolen from Waimate North in December and recovered in Horeke. It is due to be returned to its rightful spot next week.
Cladding could still turn up
Police have not given up on finding the people responsible for last year's theft of two tonnes of cladding from the Hokianga Sailing Trust.
Senior Constable Jeff Cramp, of Rawene police, is convinced the stolen iron and a trailer taken from Rawene Hospital on the same night are still in the area.
"I reckon it's hiding out there somewhere. We do a lot of drug-related search warrants at this time of year, so I'm hoping it will pop up."
It was a distinctive type of Zincalume cladding only used by Totalspan, so it would be recognised if anyone used it on a building visible to the public.
Trustee Rene de Vries said the group never considered abandoning the project.
"We all believe in it and want it to happen. No one on the trust wanted to give up," he said.
