The Auckland Wooden Boat Festival will return to the city waterfront from March 13 to March 15. The three-day event takes over the Viaduct Events Centre, Jellicoe Harbour and the historic Percy Vos Boat Yard. Entry is free for the public. Organisers expect more than 200 vessels to dock in the city for the festival. The event is part of Moana Auckland, the wider ocean festival supported by Auckland Council Events. It focuses on maritime heritage and traditional craftsmanship. The festival expands on a growing season of activity on the city harbour. It joins other major region-wide fixtures such as the Auckland Lantern Festival in drawing crowds to the central city. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is coordinating the event across multiple sites.
Traditional boatbuilding demonstrations
A central part of the programme takes place at the Percy Vos Boat Yard. It is the oldest surviving boatyard of its kind in Auckland. Visitors will see Māori and Pacific waka building in progress during the weekend. Master carvers and artists are scheduled to complete the final stages of a waka hourua on-site. The New Zealand Traditional Boatbuilding School will also be active at the yard. They plan to build a kauri clinker Frostbite dinghy from scratch over the three days. On Halsey Street Wharf, boatbuilders will show more industrial techniques. These include steam bending and roving. The Auckland Steam Engine Society will also fire up vintage machinery to show how earlier generations constructed large vessels.
Exhibitions at the viaduct events centre
The Viaduct Events Centre will serve as the indoor hub for the festival. It will host live music and displays of marine craftsmanship. This includes knot-tying and sailmaking demonstrations throughout each day. Model-making enthusiasts from across New Zealand are expected to display their work there. One specific highlight is the Logan family collection. This display features tools used by one of the most prominent boatbuilding families in the country's history. Marine literature will also feature at the centre. Specialist bookseller Boat Books will host author sessions and offer a range of maritime titles. This indoor programme aims to show the technical side of the industry alongside the finished boats.
Maritime heritage and tourism
The festival comes as Auckland attempts to boost its autumn event calendar. Similar regional efforts are seen in East Auckland as the city tries to maintain visitor numbers after the summer peak. The maritime museum and local boat yards are central to this strategy. The Auckland Wooden Boat Festival is one of several large-scale events happening in the upper North Island this month. Other regions are seeing similar spikes in activity, with major events in Waikato also attracting domestic tourists. Auckland organisers hope the free entry will encourage high foot traffic from locals and visitors alike. Activities run from Friday morning through to Sunday afternoon. Full programme details and specific demonstration times are available through the Tātaki Auckland Unlimited website. Council will review visitor numbers following the conclusion of the event on March 15.
