New regional council vessel to expand maritime capacity in Waikato

Regional harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck aboard Tūtaia.

Waikato Regional Council’s new $230,000 catamaran, Tūtaia, has been launched in Whitianga.

A ceremony was held in the town on Thursday followed by a blessing from iwi Ngāti Hei.

The council said the vessel was funded through its Long-Term Plan as a replacement for the 17-year-old vessel Maroro, which had reached the end of its useful life.

The Tūtaia would now extend the patrolling range of the council’s maritime team and be used for servicing hundreds of buoys around the Coromandel, as well as a patrolling vessel and managing water hazards.

The purpose-built catamaran will be based at Whitianga and the council said it would enhance support for wider council and partner operations throughout the Waikato region.

The 6.7-metre aluminium vessel weighs three tonnes, with a capacity for up to 10 people and is powered by twin 140 hp Suzuki engines, giving it a top speed of 40 knots (74km/h) and cruising speed of 22 knots.

Constructed by Tauranga firm Kingfisher Boats and Powercats, the Tūtaia has custom features to meet the needs of the council’s maritime services team.

Waikato Regional Ngā Tai ki Uta councillor Kataraina Hodge said the council’s maritime services team had expanded in recent years due to a growing population in the region and an abundance of boating activity.

The improved capability of the new vessel would be an important asset to increase the capacity to provide boating and navigational safety services, Hodge said.

Regional harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck said the boat was a catamaran, so it would be able to operate in a wider range of weather conditions.

“One of the roles of maritime services is to maintain the network of navigational aids — popularly called buoys — in Waikato region waters, so several features of the vessel relate to this,” Bredenbeck said.

“The navigational aids consist of a float attached to heavy chains and anchors to keep them in position. For this reason, the vessel will feature a davit, or small crane, capable of lifting weights of up to 250kg over the side.

“Having the davit mounted on such a stable platform contributes to efficiency and safety of the work with the navigational aids.”

Chris Bredenbeck, Waikato Regional Council's regional harbourmaster.

About 100 of the navigational aids are used during summer alone, meaning there is more work involved in their deployment and retrieval each year. A further 800 navigation aids are in the region’s waters year-round.

Other features include a self-draining deck and modern navigational equipment, with radar and two chart plotters.

The vessel would also be able to carry more people and equipment, while greater fuel capacity and efficiency would extend the patrolling range of the vessel, Bredenbeck said.

“We’ll be able to get to the outer islands of the Coromandel, for example, carrying council environmental specialists and inter-agency staff such as police divers.”

Ngāti Hei representative Matua Joe Davis blessed the vessel, which is named after chief Te Paerata Toa Tūtaia, who was a famous chief around 1815 and custodian over the bays and harbours of Hauraki.

He acted as a pilot, guiding boats into harbour and also carried out reconnaissance duties during a period of conflict among the Northern Alliance.

Davis said Tūtaia was an honourable name, connected with safety and keeping a careful watch.