What was supposed to be a straightforward handover on a calm morning off Mahurangi West became something far more dramatic. Ross Christensen, founder of Fin Chaser Boats, was out on the water with new owner Ian, working through the delivery checklist on a brand new FC600CA, the Fin Chaser 600 Cuddy Cabin Amphibious, when a police helicopter changed everything.
The helicopter, Eagle One, descended low over the water ahead of them and its crew began gesturing toward the open sea. "At first we thought they were just doing a flyby," Ross recalls, "but then they waved us further out — that's when we knew something was wrong."
They pushed the throttle forward and followed Eagle One several kilometres offshore until the helicopter settled into a hover above a small shape bobbing in the chop. Closing the distance, the situation came sharply into focus: an overturned kayak, and one man clinging to the hull.
Ross dropped the amphibious wheels into the water and manoeuvred alongside. Ian hauled the exhausted kayaker aboard and recovered the kayak at the same time. The man was cold, disoriented, and already showing early signs of hypothermia. Ross and Ian stripped away his wet gear, wrapped him in dry layers, and radioed Eagle One on VHF 16 to confirm he was safe.
The run back to shore was urgent. An ambulance crew was already waiting at Sullivan Bay, and the FC600CA's amphibious capability earned its keep. The boat rolled smoothly up the sand, allowing Ross and Ian to deliver Alister directly into the hands of the emergency teams.
Police later confirmed that a light aircraft had been the first to spot the capsized kayak, setting off a coordinated response across air and sea. "It was a real team effort," said Ross. "The pilot, the helicopter crew, everyone worked together perfectly. We just happened to be in the right place, with the right boat."
Estimates put the kayaker's remaining time in the water at no more than thirty minutes before the cold would have overcome him. He made a full recovery.
The FC600CA is built in Hamilton and powered by the Anura Amphibious System, engineered for exactly this kind of versatile, rapid response, launching, landing, and adapting quickly when conditions demand it. That same thinking has guided everything Ross Christensen has done since founding FC Boats in 2011, with a focus on building tough, well-considered aluminium boats suited to real New Zealand conditions.
On this particular morning, that design philosophy didn't just make for an impressive first outing for a new owner. It helped bring a man home alive.
