The voyaging waka berthed at the bridge marina pontoons this weekend is a 21st century waka with fibre glass hulls, solar panels, electric motors and a Swedish Captain.
The 22m Te Matua A Maui is waiting for better weather before rounding East Cape on a voyage to Napier.

Captain Magnus and watch captain Frank.

Launched in Auckland in 2009, Te Matua A Maui belongs to the Ngati Kahungunu people of Napier and was on her first voyage to her home port when the forecast 30 knot south west winds changed plans.
“At the moment we are based in Auckland, and we do a lot of the crew training up there,” says watch captain and Tauranga man Frank Kawe.
“This is its first trip down here. We are taking here down to Hawke’s Bay for the people to see it. The home port is Napier, even though we are based in Auckland.”

They are training up a crew to sail to Tahiti, says Frank. Te Matua A Maui carries a Bermuda rig with oregon spars because of the reefing system, and the booms for the traditional ‘upside down’ Marquesas rig secured round the rails.
There are electric motors, with power to the batteries delivered by the large solar panel just aft of the steering station. The motors deliver about three knots. Magnus says under sail the average speed is about five knots. Frank and another crewmember Rob Hewitt were quick to point out a seven to eight knots during the sail from Whangamata. Top speed so far is 15.7 knots down wind in 30knots.
There is accommodation for 16 within the hulls which are foam cored fibreglass. The galley and nav station is in the deckhouse.
The decking is kwila, and the lashings and rigging are ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, dyneema.
Magnus Danbolt got the job as captain because Te Matua A Maui is built to class.
“They needed someone with a ticket for insurance purposes,” says Magnus.