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Moa Class – All Moa class inshore patrol boats

HMNZS Wakakura (P3555) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy. It was commissioned in March 1985 for the Naval Volunteer Reserve.

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HMNZS Wakakura (P3555)

Service

Wakakura was attached to the Wellington division of the Naval Volunteer Reserve from her commissioning until 2005, when she returned to the fleet base in Auckland.

RNZNVR Wakakura

Wakakura, in company with Kiwi, carried out farewell manoeuvres on 29 November 2007, flying a paying-off pennant, in Waitemata Harbour prior to decommissioning on 11 December 2007.[1]

Wakakura was the second ship of this name to serve in the New Zealand Navy. The first ship was the training minesweeper HMNZS Wakakura (T00) (1926–1947). Wakakura is a Māori word which could mean “precious canoe” or could mean “training boat”.

Decommissioning[edit]

After decommissioning the Wakakura was put up for sale by tender.[2] The vessel was acquired by the owner of Helipro, Rick Lucas, under the Lucas Family Trust.

With the receivership of Helipro in 2014, the vessel was sold in February 2015 to Jason and Clayton Knowles and moved from Queens Wharf Wellington to the Marlborough Sounds.[3] As of 2020 HMNZS Wakakura (P3555) remains tied to a jetty in Kaipapa Bay in the Marlborough Sounds at 41°13’36.5″S 174°04’37.2″E. In July, 2022, the ship was purchased by Maria Kuster and Sean Liam Ellis who own and operate Pure Salt; a charter company who operate the sister ship “Flightless”. M.V. Flightless is based in the coastal waters of Fiordland and Stewart Island. It is understood Wakakura will operate as a charter vessel for Pure Salt.

HMNZS Moa (P3553) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

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H It was commissioned in 1983 for the Naval Volunteer Reserve and decommissioned in 2007.

Moa was the second ship of this name to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy and was named after the Moa bird from New Zealand.

After she was decommissioned in January 2007, she was sold on in March to a Picton builder who renamed the vessel Flightless. On Friday 20 June 2008 the vessel, moored at anchor on the eastern side of Waikawa Bay, Picton, was struck by a commercial fishing boat, with the loss of two lives aboard the fishing boat.[1] After an extensive refit Flightless is now owned by Pure Salt Ltd and operates as an expedition vessel, providing adventure charters in Fiordland & Stewart Island.

HMNZS Kiwi (P3554) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

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HMNZS Kiwi (P3554) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel

HIt was commissioned in 1983 for the Naval Volunteer Reserve. Kiwi had been attached to the Christchurch division of the Naval Volunteer Reserve from her commissioning until relocating to Auckland in 2006.

Kiwi, in company with Wakakura, carried out farewell manoeuvres on 29 November 2007, flying a paying-off pennant, in Waitemata Harbour prior to decommissioning on 11 December 2007.[1]

Kiwi was the second ship of this name to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy and is named after the national bird of New Zealand.

HMNZS Kiwi (P3554) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel

Ex-HMNZS Kiwi, now Sarasu

HMNZS Kahu (A04) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

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She was launched in 1979 as the lead boat of her class, modified to function as a diving tender. She was initially named HMNZS Manawanui (A09),[1] the second of soon to be four diving tenders with this name to serve in the New Zealand Navy. As a diving tender she participated in the exploration and salvage work of the wreck MS Mikhail Lermontov in March 1986.[1]

HMNZS Kahu
HMNZS Kahu (Ex)
HMNZS Kahu (Ex) in Canada

On 17 May 1988, she was renamed Kahu (A04) and recommissioned as the basic seamanship and navigation training vessel attached to the Royal New Zealand Naval College. Kahu is the second boat with this name to serve in the New Zealand Navy. (The name comes from the Māori-language kāhu – the name for the native swamp harrier hawk.) The ship was replaced in her role as a diving tender by HMNZS Manawanui (A09).

She remained in service for seamanship, Officer of the Watch training and as a backup diving tender until her decommissioning on 30 October 2009. The ship was sold for use as a pleasure craft on 18 February 2010.[2]

Kahu was distinguished from other boats of the Moa class by the gantry on her quarterdeck and lack of funnels.

Post RNZN Career[edit]

After leaving the Royal New Zealand Navy she was sold to Peter White-Robinson and renamed Kahu. In 2011 she underwent a year long refit at Fitzroy Yachts in New Plymouth, converting her to a ‘family ship’. In 2013 she was sold.[3]

In 2021 the vessel was involved in a £160,000,000 drugs bust when she was intercepted by HMC Searcher 130 km off the coast of Plymouth.[4] 1 British Citizen and 5 Nicaraguan citizens were arrested. 2000kgs of Cocaine was reported to be onboard.[

HMNZS Hinau (P3556) was a Moa-class inshore patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

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French Pass , Reserve M C M fleet
VR IPC’s MOA, KIWI, WAKAKURA and HINAU and KAHU transiting French Pass.

It was commissioned in 1985 for the Naval Volunteer Reserve and decommissioned in 2007. Hinau is the second ship with this name to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy. The name comes from the forest tree Elaeocarpus dentatus which is native to New Zealand.

Construction and career[edit]

Hinau was commissioned on 4 October 1985