It came with heavy duty ropes, a tow line and an anchor.
With some imagination and modifications the buyer could use the lifeboat as a houseboat, tourist venture or playground attraction, according to the listing.
Mr Hunkin said the lifeboat sold for more than $20,000.
Trade Me expects to celebrate its billionth sales listing this week, almost 17 years after the business was created.
Bay of Plenty's listings have made up 7.4 per cent of all New Zealand listings in recent years, according to Trade Me.
Trade Me chief executive Jon Macdonald said the company had seen its fair share of quirky, crazy and wonderful listings andmarvelled every day at the eclectic range of items put up for sale.
The most viewed listing of all time was the handbag and cellphone former All Black captain Tana Umaga is said to have used to whack Hurricanes team mate Chris Masoe in the Jolly Poacher bar in Christchurch in 2006. It received more than a million views.
Next was a "possessed" HP Printer, listed in 2013, which received 800,000 views.
Users asked 2224 questions when a seller offered a 20 acre farm free with the purchase of a tractor - the most asked about auction of all time.
The next most asked about auction was a "scary" washing machine.
