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It's not every day that one gets the chance to start their own navy or even get their hands on a good-quality naval vessel.
However, as the Royal New Zealand Navy takes delivery of its new Protector Fleet, their familiar Inshore Patrol Craft are no longer required. Instead, they are being decommissioned and put up for sale. Two, HMNZS Hinau and HMNZS Moa, were sold earlier this year and another two, HMNZS Kiwi and HMNZS Wakakura, are on the market.
Named after World War II minesweepers, the patrol craft were part of a fleet of seven built between 1978-1985 by W. E. C. O in Whangarei.
They were originally attached to the Royal New Zealand Volunteer Reserve divisions located in Dunedin, Lyttelton, Wellington and Auckland, before being relocated to the Regular Navy in Auckland between 2005 and 2006.
These seven ships, (the other three were Kahu, Tarapunga and Takapu) formed the mainstay of New Zealand's inshore fleet and performed a range of strategic roles. These included coastal patrol, mine countermeasures, fisheries surveillance, search and rescue and hydrographic duties.
The ships are 26.82m long, with a beam of 6.1m. They are powered by twin Cummins KT1150 diesel engines and have 18 berths in five cabins.
Once sold, the previous patrol vessels are expected to lead rather different lives. For example, Takapu, which was sold in 2000, underwent an extensive refit and is now a luxury cruise ship based in Auckland and offering charters in the Hauraki Gulf, the northern Tongan resort area of Vava'u and throughout the South Pacific.
* The two naval vessels are being sold by an open public tender that closes January 25, 2008. Those interested in buying one of these pieces of New Zealand naval history can access all the information they need at www.ipc.aucklandshipbrokers.com or by contacting agents Auckland Shipbrokers Limited.
