Hoarders or heroes?
Depending on your perspective, Kiwi boaties messing around with near-terminal old relics are either hopelessly eccentric, inveterate hoarders – or they’re people who appreciate and celebrate our maritime heritage. Willing to go the extra mile to preserve a bit of history, even if the decisions aren’t always underpinned by financially robust logic. Nautical heroes, in my book.
Proofing the pages for this issue delivered a powerful reminder that the restoration/refurbishment ethos runs right across our industry’s DNA – the projects range from modest backyard do-ups involving timber and fibreglass, to professional upgrades using composites and carbon. Whatever the base material, the projects achieve the same objective – they extend (and often save) a boat’s life, cementing her legacy for future generations to enjoy.
The best place to see these heroes in the flesh is at the annual Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park (6-7 March), where a vast, colourful collection of vessels reflects a broad swathe of New Zealand’s maritime history, with a few international representatives thrown in for good measure. If you’ve not been before, make a point of going. Take my word for it, you’ll not regret it.
Switching tack, two pieces of technology featured in this issue serve as reminders that a maritime legacy is also a ‘living’ entity – a continuous and ever-evolving ‘historical record’. Mercury’s just-released V12 outboard (only due here mid-year) is an extraordinary milestone – 600hp of pure wizardry, from early accounts. And just when we thought outboards couldn’t get any bigger or more powerful…
Also noteworthy is Orams’ new 820-ton travel lift operating at Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter. Gigantic but almost balletic in its precision, the facility will give our marine service and repair sectors a massive boost. The travel lift’s accompanying hardstand is already packed with large vessels – in a Covid-free world expect to see many more international customers.
Among them, no doubt, a few venerable old ladies that some hero has elected to save and cherish.
Happy boating.