The second Auckland Wooden Boat Festival, held 13-15 March 2026, was an extravaganza of boating with Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s central waterfront transformed into a colourful celebration of classic boats, history and craftsmanship.

A flagship event of Moana Auckland, New Zealand’s Ocean Festival, the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival was proudly supported by Auckland Council Events in partnership with the New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa, and with support from Perpetual Guardian and the Tino Rawa Trust.

Attendees included many thousands of Aucklanders and visitors from throughout New Zealand, Australia and further afield. The festival stretched from the Percy Vos Boat Yard in the west to the New Zealand Maritime Museum in the east, encompassing the Viaduct Events Centre and transforming Jellicoe Harbour into a marina of classic boats.

Organisers acknowledge and thank the vessel owners who contributed their boats, time, energy, passion and knowledge in particular Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei and the Kauri Museum of Matakohe.

“Every vessel on the water had its owners onboard during the event, welcoming festival goers, sharing the boat’s history, and listening to visitors talk about their own memories,” says festival co-director Tony Stevenson.

“The festival was a chance to connect, see old friends and make new ones. We thank all the boat owners, their crew, and everyone who came together to make it happen. A festival like this does not happen without hundreds of custodians sharing their beautiful craft.”

This year’s event explored the story of the timbers from which New Zealand’s wooden boat fleet is built, celebrating the materials, skills and craftsmanship behind generations of vessels.

In total, 110 boats were on the water and another 90 on land, alongside numerous models, steam engines and maritime artworks. New this year was The Boat Yard on Halsey Wharf with interactive displays of boatbuilding, steam bending, planking, caulking and engine maintenance.

The festival also welcomed an exhibition from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart with storyboards, static displays and four Tasmanian based vessels. A reciprocal partnership now exists between Hobart and Auckland giving classic boat enthusiasts an annual festival option.

“We were delighted to share more of our region’s maritime history with so many people,” says Vincent Lipanovich, Director of New Zealand Maritime Museum and Partnerships at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. “A highlight was the public opening of the Percy Vos Boat Yard. Inside, visitors were able to see traditional Māori, Pacific and European craftsmanship in action and learn about the techniques and materials that have shaped generations of wooden boats in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The festival also delivered a strong programme of talks, seminars and film screenings at the New Zealand Maritime Museum exploring maritime design, restoration, voyaging traditions and ocean adventure.

“As a flagship event of Moana Auckland, the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival reinforced how significantly our wooden boat heritage has shaped Auckland’s story and how much it will continue into the future,” says co-director Tony Stevenson. “Vessel owners and over than 50 organisations came together to deliver demonstrations of traditional skills, model boat displays, restoration stories and family sailing histories, and the festival’s success is very much because of their passion and commitment .”