Little boat does big job

Environmental monitoring officers Scott Lyon, left, and Andrew Macdonald put the Mudfish through its paces on the Kai Iwi Lakes recently. Mr Macdonald is holding the remote control used to steer the vessel's bow-mounted electric motor.

A custom lightweight boat with a bow-mounted electric motor that steers using GPS technology is the latest tool helping to protect Northland lakes.

Dubbed "Mudfish", the 3m carbon-reinforced fibreglass vessel weighs less than 50kg and was built for the Northland Regional Council by Paihia-based Offshore Cruising Tenders.

Specialised features include the bow-mounted electric motor.

Mudfish is used by council staff to monitor the health of Northland's many lakes, including its rare dune lakes.

Environmental monitoring officer Andrew Macdonald said the remote-controlled motor could accurately hold the Mudfish at pre-determined locations using GPS while staff do their sampling.

The tiny $8000-plus vessel was commissioned 18 months ago.

"The new boat is carried on a special roof rack on a council 4WD and is much easier to retrieve and recover, especially in rough and steep terrain or in remote areas without easy access to the water," Mr Macdonald said.

A specialised loading system lowers and raises the boat using a standard electric drill to power it and permanently attached, fold-away wheels at the boat's rear make it easier to launch and retrieve. The lack of a trailer, which can snag and spread aquatic weeds and the seeds and eggs of pest species, makes for fewer biosecurity risks.

"Another bonus of not having a trailer is that we are far less likely to get stuck," Mr Macdonald said.

Mudfish carries a range of equipment including chart plotting, side scan sonar and water quality monitoring gear.

"Although it's only 3m long, it offers a lot of internal space and it's virtually unsinkable."