About the Classic Ocean Sailing Yacht: SV Manutara

If you're visiting Akaroa, come on down to the Main Wharf, past the Blue Buildings and look over Manutara for yourself. Introduce yourself, we'd like to chat, especially about classic wooden boats.

Manutara is an 'A-Class' Keeler and Classic Yacht. Built in Kauri by Salthouse Bros and Jack Logan in Auckland NZ. In March 1953, Mike Tiller bought the Kauri tree that was to be used to build Manutara. It was forty-eight feet to the first limb and with a trunk circumference of twenty-one feet six inches at the base, giving a total of nine thousand two hundred linear feet. Because the tree was growing at the bottom of the gully it leant itself to first class boat-building material, being unspoiled by spreading limbs.

SV Manutara, Official NZ Ship No. 344065 - Vital Statistics:

Length (LOA): 14.4 m / 47 ft

Beam: 3.6 m /12.5 ft

Load Waterline length (LWL): 37 ft

Draft: 2.25 m / 8 ft

Displacement: 18 ¾ tons (20 tonnes)

Sail Area: 1050sq ft.

Auxiliary Engine: 85hp Ford Diesel

Designed: 1946

Tasmania Designer: Jock Muir

Builders: Salthouse & Logan

Built: 1962 Auckland

Cruising Crew: 2

Cruising Speed: 5 – 8 knots

100% built from timber: Native NZ Kauri, Burmese Teak, Australian Blackbutt and Jarrah. Absolutely NIL fibreglass/plastic used in her construction. A beautiful, graceful vessel with elegance, charisma and character. Designed and Built in the golden era of sailing, post world war 2 to the mid 1960s.

Manutara is a Safe Ship

Manutara features full 6 foot (1.8metres) headroom throughout her three cabins. She's equipped with modern electronics including: Simrad Colour GPS and Chart Plotter, Raytheon Depth Sounder and Fish Finder, JRC 16 nautical Mile LCD Radar, Codan Mk2 SSB Radio, Raytheon VHF Radio, Television, VHS Video player, DVD/MP3/CDR/RW player and AM/FM Stereo. The Galley features 4 Burner gas stove and Oven and virtually unlimited hot water. The Accommodation is divided into 3 berths on the bridge deck (one double), 4 berths (one double) in the main saloon, and 3 berths in the forward cabin. She also features a modern heads (toilet) and shower with large holding tanks. Cruising Speed 6 knots, under sail or motor. Fully MNZ Safety certified. First Aid qualified crew.

Our Environmental Objectives

All around the world, people are becoming aware of the changes to our climate. With catchphrases like "Global Warming" and "Food Miles", people are wondering what exactly they can do as individuals, to enjoy their lives, yet remain in harmony with the planet we live on?

The answer for most people is to make their best difference with the biggest weapon they have: their Money!

We can make choices as consumers about where our money goes. As most of the polluters in the world are commercial businesses, and these businesses all produce a product, they are therefore most interested in people and businesses who choose to buy, or not to buy these products and why. The effect of the choice not to buy, makes a difference to the company's profits. That is the biggest corporate motivator known to man!

We can make choices as consumers about where our money goes. As most of the polluters in the world are commercial businesses, and these businesses all produce a product, they are therefore most interested in people and businesses who choose to buy, or not to buy these products and why. The effect of the choice not to buy, makes a difference to the company's profits. That is the biggest corporate motivator known to man!

So much is being said about conservation, the creation of new Marine Mammal Reserves and the impact of tourism on wildlife, that it's time to introduce the only really GREEN tourism activity on Akaroa Harbour.

You see, we SAIL our vessel from virtually start to finish, only using the small diesel engine for safety reasons to leave from and approach the wharf at Akaroa, weather permitting.

We achieve this by driving the ship with the force of nature only. The positive outcome for the environment and the marine life and mammals that live in Akaroa Harbour is manyfold:

1. No diesel fumes pollution of the air.
2. No exhaust matter pollution being emitted through the exhaust pipe.
3. No noise pollution to disturb the customers or the wildlife (that's why the baby mammals approach the yacht very closely).
4. No fibreglass on the boat - she's built of Kauri and Teak timber with some modern plywood.
5. No bow wave effect to upset kayakers or juvenile sea birds, penguins etc on the surface or sea shore.
6. No loudspeaker to disturb those crystal clear Akaroa days (some boats loudspeakers can be heard three miles away!).
7. We don't 'chase' the endangered Hector's Dolphin. The dolphins chase us, and if they prefer to be elsewhere, they are.
8. Often we'll hear the dolphins before we see them. Any diesel noise makes the faint sound of Hector's dolphins and penguins calls inaudible.
9. We recommend our customers use the nearby free public toilet before they board. We do not serve food on board, which reduces the potential for human waste. You can imagine the environmental impact of raw human sewage waste being emptied into the clean water every day!

You CAN make a difference. Choose our low-impact sailing trip over the unsustainable options.