If you’re looking to get out on the water in a bit of comfort and style, and bring back a few fish to fill the freezer or maybe win a prize or two, you might as well be accompanied by a veteran.

And as a vessel which has been hunting out the fishing hotspots of the Bay of Plenty for over 60 years, Moana fits firmly, and elegantly, into that category.

Alan Hunter of Tauranga commissioned Moana in 1954 from the celebrated Lane’s Motor Boat Company of Panmure, Auckland, for the purpose of game fishing around Mayor Island. Since then it’s passed through the hands of a number of caring owners, and spent a fair few successful years as a charter vessel. During that time Moana has made quite a name for itself, and broken many a game fishing record along the way.

As genteel as it is, Moana is no lightweight. It’s 13 metres of solid displacement vessel built - in the traditional New Zealand way of 1¼ inch Kauri carvel planked – for those who prefer the steady reassurance of gliding through the waves, aided by her 1.1 m draught, rather than bouncing off the top of them.

And with 4.12 metres of beam, Moana has more than enough room to accommodate a fishing party of eight, with six single berths and one double. Over the years the interior has been finished in a manner befitting such a graceful vessel, and now boasts all amenities for comfortable cruising including an electric toilet, shower, fridge, freezer, and four-burner oven/grill.  

Up top there is a roomy bridge equipped with good electronics.

The 127 HP Gardner 6LXB diesel, giving the boat a reliable cruising speed of 8 knots, might not get you to the fishing grounds first but will make it a stress-free journey.

Moana is now looking for its next satisfied owner, so if you like the idea of cruising and fishing the coast in a genuine classic full of history, make contact with Brian Worthington at Gulf Group Marine Brokers Ltd.