Tino Rawa Trust – Crossing the Tasman Sea

The Tino Rawa Trust, established 16 years ago, is dedicated to preserving and restoring New Zealand’s unique classic yacht and launch heritage. Through traditional boat building techniques and partnerships with organisations like the Classic Yacht Association and Auckland Traditional Boat Building School, the Trust ensures historical vessels are conserved and boat building skills are retained. Over the past 12 years, the Trust has acquired and preserved 15 vessels, contributing to NZ’s maritime heritage. 

In 2025, they hope to cross the Tasman Sea and join us to celebrate wooden boats here in Hobart. 

Direct from the Tino Rawa Trusts’ website is the purpose:

• To acquire and maintain classic vessels of any description and to ensure the preservation of those historic and significant vessels.
• To practice, teach, develop and promote the specific principles and practices of historic vessel sailing, conservation, preservation and restoration in New Zealand.
• To establish and maintain an organisation for the above purposes and the promotion of these purposes within New Zealand.
• To create an archive of the research, physical documentation and methods used in sailing early vessels and restorations and to manage this archive in accordance with professional practice.
• To establish scholarships and study grants for students and tutors and provide post graduate study and establishment grants for overseas study and student exchange.
• To promote and fund New Zealand youth to perform in maritime pursuits at a national or international level.
• To generate interest with a focus on youth and communities not associated with or having access to sailing on classic yachts and launches.
• To conduct educational and social events for all groups associated with or interested in the maritime history of New Zealand.
• To fund events that specifically support and promote our maritime heritage.
• To receive gifts of machinery, equipment, artefacts and funds to further the purposes of the Trust.
• The objects for which the Trust is established are as specified above and shall be restricted at all times to operation within New Zealand.

Now, this presents an interesting concept. Is this similar to the Wooden Boat Guild here in Hobart, or is this something a little larger on scale that hasn’t been developed in Tasmania, yet?

The Tino Rawa Trust maritime heritage preservation group has several Trustees, compiling of a competitive yachtie, a tourism operator, a manufacturing industry leader, an accountant and a solicitor that specialises in maritime law. All of which have a passion for wooden boats of course. Much like the organisers of the AWBF, or the Wooden Boat Guild and so on, a group of people from all walks of life, with one common passion bound together to restore wooden vessels.

Some of the vessels they hope to bring to the AWBF2025:

Otira:

A Logan Bros design out of Auckland, built in 1902. The 20ft vessel was constructed with Kauri, and has been cared for by the Trust since 2012. Learn more about Otira here.

Ngataki:

Built by John Wray in the 1930’s in Auckland, the vessel became well known across the South Pacific and competed against Te Rapunga (recently rebuilt by Andrew Denman here in Hobart). Read more about Ngataki here.

Jessie Logan:
An iconic vessel in the NZ sailing world, built in 1880 by the father of the Logan Brothers. Wrecked in the 1980’s, she is now undergoing a major restoration. Learn more about Jessie Logan here.

To find out more about the Tino Rawa Trust maritime heritage preservation group head to their website here.

Feature image: Ngataki – Tino Rawa Trust website