Hand-crafted boats made from WWII aircraft aluminium on display at 2024 Lake Rotoiti boat parade

Rotorua boat enthusiasts are on the hunt for the last unidentified Albatross-branded boat imported to New Zealand.

It is believed 14 original boats, crafted from World War II-era excess aircraft aluminium, were sold privately in New Zealand in the 1950s. The boats were individually hand-crafted by WWII ex-servicemen or ex-aircraft engineers in England.

On Saturday, the boats will be on display at the Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Association’s 27th annual parade.

Over the past 15 years, boat enthusiast and Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Association member Ross Birchall has located 13 of the 14 Albatross boats, but one remains elusive.

“We’ve hunted it pretty hard but we can’t find it,” Birchall said.

Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Association member Ross Birchall in his classic Albatross boat. Photo / Andrew Warner

Birchall said he had tracked the boats down through word of mouth when meeting other enthusiasts at conventions and parades.

“We’ve just been hunting them down. It’s taken years. We’ve found all but one boat.”

He said the history of the boats made them interesting.

“After the war, there was an excess of aluminium, and they decided to build these little light-weight aluminium speedboats.

“[They] came from a company in England ... they were ex-servicemen or ex-aircraft engineers.”

Ross Birchall remains on the hunt for one more of the classic Albatross boats. Photo / Andrew Warner

Birchall, who owns four of the classic boats, said they appealed to him because they were “light-weight, easy to use [and] easy to maintain”.

“I say to people, ‘They’re absolutely good for nothing’,” he joked.

Birchall hoped the parade would get locals “motivated and involved in collecting their fathers’ or grandfathers’ boats” to restore them.

Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Association member Alan Thorn said the boats were good for a day out on the water.

“They’re the sort of boat you put in the lake on a nice day and go for a zip down the lake then ... stop on a beach for a swim and a picnic.”

He said this weekend’s parade was “expecting the biggest gathering of Albatross boat enthusiasts”.

Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Association's parade returns to Lake Rotoiti on February 3.

“It’s [about showing] the next generation of people that will look after these boats, because they’ve survived for 50 [or more] years.”

An Albatross sells for “somewhere between $50,000 to $80,000 for a pristine ... restored boat”.

Thorn said his Albatross was named Oscar, which was ironic because the “O” flag, or Oscar flag, is used to represent the alphabetic character O and also means “man overboard”.

“It sort of makes me chuckle a bit, [that it’s called] Oscar.”

Lake Rotoiti Classic and Wooden Boat Association’s 27th annual parade will start at 10.30am on Saturday at the eastern end of Lake Rotoiti.

The boats will move to Okere Arm for public viewing before heading to Okawa Bay, where there will be activities and a picnic for families.

Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.