On the subject of wood...
How the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival will embrace the story of wood for 2026 event
Amid the glorious spectacle of so many classic boats in one place, there is one unsung hero that we need to acknowledge. And its story will be told, shared and recounted, at this year’s Auckland Wooden Boat Festival.
The subject is wood. It is humble, functional and precious. It is fundamental to so much of who we are, what we are, and it’s also the reason that we are gathering for the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival.
Boats built from kauri will feature at the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival Photo / Live Sail Die
Our theme of wood is told beautifully by the boats themselves and by the stories of their builders, designers and owners. Having themes for our shows tie these stories together.
The committee wanted to add context and explanation to the theme and wood was the natural place to start. In successive shows we can focus on designers, builders, sailors and so on with the aim of building a vibrant picture of NZ wooden boats for all to appreciate
Magnificent native kauri are now rightfully protected but were once the cornerstone of boat building. Photo / iStock
Those who understand the history and special characteristics of wood tend to be an older generation more likely to have worked with it through their lives – an opportunity very few young people get in the course of modern life - and therefore, the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival decided to create a story that would also support the body of knowledge into the future.
At the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival, attendees will see native timbers common to boat building: kauri, kahikatea, pohutukawa, and also imported timbers that provided specialised properties for decking and rigs: spruce, teak, oak and veneer.
“There is one reason why so many hundred-year old boats are still sailing and it’s because they are built from kuri,” says festival co-founder Tony Stevenson. “It’s the reason why New Zealand’s fleet is still so well preserved and original.”
In support of this message, the Kauri Museum of Matakohe didn’t hesitate to offer to support the festival by transporting some of its treasures and artefacts from its Northland museum to central Auckland for the occasion, helping to showcase the role of this remarkable timber in New Zealand’s marine history.
Visitors to the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival, 13-15 March 2026, will be able to get up close and personal with the timbers, learning about how woodworkers over time have formed and worked with timber, and even watch a boat build in action.
In the days of wooden boat building, boat builders would travel to select the timber for each boat. Here are workers from the famous boat builder, Percy Vos Ltd, on a kauri log they will use to make a boat. Photo / T.W Collins from the Brooke family collection.