For three days in March 2026, Auckland's harbour foreshore became a meeting point for anyone drawn to timber, traditional craftsmanship, and the skill of building boats by hand. The Auckland Wooden Boat Festival ran from 13 to 15 March across four venues: the Viaduct Events Centre, Jellicoe Harbour, the New Zealand Maritime Museum, and the Percy Vos Heritage Boat Shed. Entry was free throughout, and the event honoured the wooden boat traditions that have shaped New Zealand's relationship with the sea over generations.
The centrepiece was a collection of more than 200 vessels, presented both afloat and on shore. Kauri launches and classic yachts shared the space with dinghies, waka, and craft built in home workshops, the full spread of them mapping the breadth of New Zealand's boatbuilding heritage. Being able to step aboard many of the exhibits gave the festival a hands-on character that set it well apart from a standard static display. Working steam engines attracted their own following, and live boatbuilding demonstrations kept the focus on craft being practised rather than merely preserved.
Trips aboard the traditional steam vessel SS Puke added a further dimension, giving visitors the chance to travel across the water the old way rather than watching from the wharf.
The programme reached well beyond the vessels on show. Seminars and talks lent historical depth to the weekend, among them a presentation by Peter Faire on the legacy of the K-Class Katrina II. The Logan family's historic tools and models ranked among the more notable displays, while marine engineers, sailmakers, and canvas specialists ran demonstrations that brought practical knowledge into the conversation alongside the heritage focus.
Workshops, live music, and family-friendly activities filled out the three-day schedule. The event drew on a broad community of volunteers, boat owners, and industry contributors rather than relying on any single organisation. The 2026 Auckland Wooden Boat Festival reaffirmed Auckland's deep ties to the sea and its place at the centre of wooden boat culture in New Zealand.
Roger Mills covered the festival for Go Boating NZ, photographing a wide cross-section of the wooden boats on show across the three days. His full collection of images from the event appears below.
