The 25th Auckland Boat Show wrapped up after four days at the Viaduct Events Centre and Jellicoe Harbour, with 235 boats on display, more than 200 exhibitors, and an estimated 1,200 sea trial trips taken across the event.
Feedback from boat sellers pointed consistently to genuine, committed buyers rather than casual browsers. Rodney Marine finished the show with sold signs on several Stabicraft boats, with particularly strong interest from South Island visitors, while Ray White Marine NZ reported solid leads including repeat visitors planning sea trials this week. Small boats performed strongly, with Takacat Inflatable Boats and Dolphin Inflatables both recording a run of sales through the four days.
Russell Carlyon told show organisers that Offshore Cruising Tenders was again delighted with its high-profile outside location in Karanga Plaza, visible not only to boat show ticket holders but also to the general public, a big tick for their key objective of showcasing their unique and internationally popular sailing tenders. Vining Marine Group of Hobsonville also reported plenty of genuine boaters attending, with good leads and interest both in their boat and from prospective sellers.
Dickey Boats displayed its Semifly 45, Semifly 36, and the Pacific 62 long-range sport fisher. Hayden McCrorie said it was a positive event that generated strong interest and gave the brand a chance to introduce itself to new customers while reconnecting with existing clients.
Allan Tongs Boatbuilders brought their Auckland-built Elite AT43 to the show, and Ester Tongs was clear about how it went. "This boat show was buzzing! We spoke to so many boaties – both new and experienced – who loved seeing our quality, Kiwi-built boat on show amongst the packed marina. What a positive and optimistic show!"
Tracey Stevenson of Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders spoke to the show's role in the custom build sector. "The Auckland Boat Show is the industry's pinnacle event. It's important for us to be there because we rely on relationships and collaboration across the industry," she says. "For us the show is primarily about relationship building, but we have completed the show with possible new boat builds."
On the water, Yamaha New Zealand kicked off the show with a live demonstration of its freshly launched Helm Master Ex wireless control system on Breakfast TV. Pete Dick said they brought five boats to the show to put Yamaha technology through its paces on the water, and were busy with sea trials and demonstrations throughout the four days.
Richard Shaw of Mercury Marine pointed to the harbour setting as central to the show's appeal. "Jellicoe Harbour is an unbeatable location for a boat show – people don't just look at the boats, they can see them on the water and truly experience what they're capable of." He particularly enjoyed the opportunity to see so many boat builders in one place.
Suppliers across categories also reported a strong event. Evolution Sails and Brin Wilson Boatbuilders, representing the Flexiteek synthetic decking product, both finished with a long list of quotes to produce for new customers. Richard Cleave of Hullwell said he finished with an order book he couldn't be happier with, and Lusty and Blundell's Mark Millburn said the opportunity to connect with others in the marine trade and profile the brand was excellent.
Brett Hana travelled from Melbourne to display Dockpro's dry dock systems and was impressed by the calibre of enquiries. "The quality of sales leads at the Auckland Boat Show has been excellent," he said. Steven Burt of Innovision Boats reported a healthy volume of sea trials and enquiries from genuine prospective customers, and Danielle Blackmore of Pantaenius Boat Insurance reported a very worthwhile event, with plenty of new policies generated.
Fiona Bycroft of Naut said the show helped accelerate the process of bringing a new product to market. "The Auckland Boat Show was a great opportunity to connect directly with boat owners and builders about the future of electric boating." Ross Williamson of South Pacific Diesel Systems noted that the 2026 event again saved him weeks of travelling time by allowing him to catch up with many of his customers in one place.
Local tech company Boatseekr used the show to launch its tendr app and reported around 1,000 downloads over the weekend. The team from Whangārei Marinas used their time at the show to generate interest in the next stage of their new marina development at Ōkāra and to promote Whangārei as a destination for all things marine.
The show opened Thursday with the inaugural Women in Marine event, which drew 115 attendees. Demand from exhibitors had grown enough in the lead-up that organisers expanded the show footprint to accommodate 30 new exhibitors alongside established brands.
NZ Marine President Tracey Stevenson summed up the four days: "Feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive, it was a great time to get together and catch up, and we enjoyed four magnificent days of weather."
