The Auckland Wooden Boat Festival has confirmed its final boat selection for 2026, locking in a diverse and historically important fleet that highlights the depth of New Zealand’s wooden boat tradition.
The festival will run from 13 to 15 March as part of the Moana Auckland programme, returning to the Viaduct Events Centre, Jellicoe Harbour, and Wynyard Wharf. Across three days, more than 110 boats are expected on the water, supported by around 80 vessels displayed on land. Inside the Viaduct Events Centre, visitors will also find over 60 model boats, along with exhibitors, hands on activities, and a two day seminar programme, with further details to be announced.
Among the most significant confirmations are the scows Jane Gifford and Ted Ashby. Seeing these two flat bottomed working vessels together remains a rare opportunity. Their presence offers a clear link back to a time when scows were central to New Zealand’s coastal economy, moving timber, stone, sand, and farm produce into shallow harbours and up river mouths where deeper keeled vessels could not operate.
Another standout is Vega, an 80 year old ketch built in Whangārei and launched in 1949. Beyond her construction and longevity, Vega is best known for her later role in environmental and peace activism, including voyages opposing nuclear testing and whaling. Her inclusion adds a modern historical layer to the festival, connecting traditional wooden boatbuilding with social and political movements of the late twentieth century.
The wider fleet will include clinker dinghies, lake boats, canoes, small sailing craft, and the return of the A class yachts. A live wooden boat build will also take place, giving visitors a close look at traditional skills in action.
Behind the scenes, demand exceeded available space, with the festival committee reviewing Expressions of Interest and allocating confirmed berths and waiting list positions accordingly. Organisers say Jellicoe Harbour will once again become a tightly packed marina of historic craft.
Learn more at Boating New Zealand:
https://www.boatingnz.co.nz/2026/02/historic-vessels-confirmed-as-boat-selection-finalised-for-2026-auckland-wooden-boat-festival/