A mini tugboat with a big attitude - this boat will make you smile

9 Feb

In New Zealand we talk about boats in metric units. But Maximus is an American boat, so we will talk about her in feet. Just 11 of them - or 3.35m if you prefer.

Maximus - a small boat with a big heart that keeps Pt Chevalier Yacht Club’s volunteers warm and sheltered from the wind and sun

Peter Fletcher is Commodore of Pt Chevalier Yacht Club - a small club tucked at the end of a no exit road in a suburb on the edge of Auckland’s inner city.

Maximus builder and Pt Chevalier Yacht Club Commodore Peter Fletcher (left) with Club Captain Ian Dobson (right)

Established in 1919, it’s one of New Zealand’s oldest clubs, with a constant stream of young people learning to sail, working their way up through the ranks, and a strong adult fleet too.

When the club needed a committee boat for the race crew to take shelter in from sun and rain while running weekend races, Peter decided to take matters into his own hands and build a boat.

He purchased the plan for the ‘Candu Jr’ model tugboat from the US based Berkeley Engineering Company, sourced marine ply from BBS Timbers in Henderson, and adhesive from local company Adhesive Technologies, and spent 900 hours building the little tug in his garage at home with help from Club Captain Ian Dobson.

The result is a jaunty, happy little boat that people love.

“It’s great to have a boat with a purpose, it doesn’t take up much space and it gives the club some profile,” Peter says.