VESSEL REVIEW | Tutaia – Harbour patrol catamaran to serve New Zealand’s Waikato Region

The Waikato Regional Council in North Island, New Zealand recently took delivery of a new catamaran patrol craft designed and built by local company Kingfisher Boats.

Tutaia ("Vigilance") will be used primarily to help maintain buoys and to conduct boating safety patrols throughout the Waikato region, which has seen a growing population and a subsequent increase in boating activity.

The purpose-built, aluminium catamaran replaces the Waikato Regional Council's 17-year-old vessel Maroro. The newer boat was developed under the council’s long-term plan to improve maritime services and thus features a number of custom enhancements tailored to meet the unique needs of the council's maritime services team when operating in both coastal and inland waters.

Proven commercial design ensuring stability and durability

Tutaia has an LOA of 6.7 metres (22 feet), a beam of 2.49 metres (8.17 feet), a displacement of three tonnes, and space for one crewmember and up to nine additional personnel. The boat's standard commercial catamaran design ensures stability that makes it suitable for operation under a wide range of weather conditions, thus allowing the council's maritime team to operate effectively year-round.

A Lone Star Marine davit will be used to help maintain buoys and other aids to navigation. The davit has a maximum lifting capacity of 250 kg, making it ideal for working with buoys fitted with heavy chains and anchors to help keep them in position.

As the vessel utilises a catamaran design, it provides a stable platform for operation of the davit, thus contributing to efficiency and crew safety. This is a key consideration, as nearly 800 navigation aids are in the waters of Waikato year-round and require regular retrieval and deployment.

Another notable feature of the boat is its self-draining deck. When the navigational aids are hauled on board, these are often covered in algae and mussel shells. Any of this marine growth that falls on the deck can be easily washed out the back of the vessel.

Compact multi-role platform

The electronics suite meanwhile includes a Simrad radar and dual chart plotters. The occupants also have access to an onboard toilet.

Twin Suzuki outboard engines each produce 104 kW (140 hp) to deliver a top speed of 40 knots and a cruising speed of 22 knots. The two outboards are fed by two 200-litre (44-gallon) underfloor fuel tanks located in the catamaran hulls and provide redundancy, additional power in rough seas, and enhanced manoeuvrability especially in inshore waterways.

In addition to being used for patrols, Tutaia will also be available for secondary duties such as transporting environmental specialists to and from work sites, supporting the dive operations of local police, emergency response, training, and mooring inspections.

The new boat was purchased for approximately NZ$230,000 (US$140,000).