NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • All Blacks
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Homemade boats spark Coastguard call-out

By Lauren Priestley
NZME.·
26 Apr, 2015 07:15 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Fishing
...
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
0:00
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
    • captions off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      MetService National Weather Update: May 15 - May 18

      UP NEXT:

      Autoplay in
      4
      Disable Autoplay
      Cancel Video
      A homemade boat race featuring a floating car and a couch on a tyre stack in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf this afternoon has sparked a Coastguard call-out.
      NOW PLAYING • Fishing
      ...

      Boaties who put on a homemade boat event featuring a floating car and couch, prompting a Coastguard call-out and a warning from police, say it was meant to be a "positive" event.

      Coastguard vessels were deployed to the water near Gulf Harbour, off Auckland's Whangaparaoa Peninsula, after a member of the public alerted them to the handful of makeshift vessels this afternoon.

      One of the boats, made out of an old car. Photo / Coastguard Northern Region
      One of the boats, made out of an old car. Photo / Coastguard Northern Region

      A video shows people watching from ashore as a handful of vessels, including a half-submerged Subaru car, head out from the bay.

      Another video shows an occupant of a towed vessel throwing what appears to be a beer can at another dinghy.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      An event organiser, who declined to be named, said it was a traditional fishing event held for "a bit of fun between mates" from Army Bay every year.

      About 60 people took part on 15 boats, including six modified vessels. The event involved fishing and informal boat racing.

      One boat capsized and the occupants had to be rescued from the moderate seas.

      Police issued the boaties with a warning when they were brought in to Gulf Harbour Marina by the Coastguard, but no charges were laid.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      The boaties appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, police said.

      One of the boaties, who asked not to be named, said the event had been put on for years and was nothing but positive for the community.

      It included "super-modified" vessels which residents spent a lot of time and money transforming, he said.

      Safety was always paramount and the event was transferred to the other side of the peninsula when strong wind warnings were put in place for Army Bay, he said.

      He could understand the safety concerns but said people needed to look at the big picture.

      "It's all about people building boats. These guys have spent a year restoring boats and we've had a lot of positive feedback from the community. It's 100 per cent positive

      "We're just locals, just mates, having a good time."

      Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Pania Shingleton said boaties needed to make sure they were going out in vessels that were seaworthy.

      It was about getting home safely, she said.

      "These little races would be a little bit foolhardy, especially at this time of the year when the weather's getting a bit colder.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "We don't approve of it, or think it's a very good idea. We would like to think that most people thought a little bit more of their lives and safety so they get home safely after a day on the water."

      MetService duty forecaster Neal Osborne said the weather conditions were not ideal for a jaunt in modified boats.

      The winds would have been about 40-45 km/h in the area this afternoon, he said.

      "That's not horrendously windy but it's still reasonably strong. It's strong wind," Mr Osborne said.

      Photos of the makeshift vessels were posted to Coastguard's Northern Region Facebook page.

      One photo shows a couch on a tyre stack, carrying three men in lifejackets, being towed by a dinghy. The couch has been fitted with a wooden flag and what appears to be a mannequin's head on a stake.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Another photo shows a Subaru car on the water with a man fishing out the back.

      Most of the boaties were wearing lifejackets but it was still worth a Coastguard response, Coastguard spokeswoman Georgie Smith said.

      "We understand it was a bit of a homemade boat race. It's a very interesting choice," Ms Smith said.

      "Coastguard's role is to ensure everyone's safety on the water. That's the key thing for us."

      Save

        Share this article

      Latest from New Zealand

      OpinionUpdated

      NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

      22 May 09:08 PM
      New Zealand|crime

      'Survival mode': Driver brandishes knife in road-rage incident

      22 May 09:00 PM
      Premium
      New ZealandUpdated

      202-home project advances despite financial woes for developer's companies

      22 May 08:43 PM

      The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

      sponsored
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Recommended for you
      Why Trump’s battle with Harvard just escalated dramatically
      World

      Why Trump’s battle with Harvard just escalated dramatically

      22 May 08:53 PM
      Budget 2025: Watch - Finance Minister speaks on Budget, flagship policy
      New Zealand

      Budget 2025: Watch - Finance Minister speaks on Budget, flagship policy

      22 May 08:07 PM
      'Going to be a lot harder': Best Start payment shifts spark concern among new parents
      New Zealand

      'Going to be a lot harder': Best Start payment shifts spark concern among new parents

      22 May 08:00 PM
      Water supply cut to homes after main break
      Bay of Plenty Times

      Water supply cut to homes after main break

      22 May 07:49 PM
      The final countdown: All you need to know for Auckland FC's path to A-League history
      Auckland FC

      The final countdown: All you need to know for Auckland FC's path to A-League history

      22 May 07:30 PM

      Latest from New Zealand

      NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

      NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

      22 May 09:08 PM

      Want to have your say on our stories? Here's how.

      'Survival mode': Driver brandishes knife in road-rage incident

      'Survival mode': Driver brandishes knife in road-rage incident

      22 May 09:00 PM
      Premium
      202-home project advances despite financial woes for developer's companies

      202-home project advances despite financial woes for developer's companies

      22 May 08:43 PM
      Budget 2025: Watch - Finance Minister speaks on Budget, flagship policy

      Budget 2025: Watch - Finance Minister speaks on Budget, flagship policy

      22 May 08:07 PM
      Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
      sponsored

      Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • NZ Herald e-editions
      • Daily puzzles & quizzes
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Waikato Herald
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • What the Actual
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven CarGuide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Book your classified ad
      • Photo sales
      • NZME Events
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search