About Spirit of New Zealand
Spirit of Adventure 1973-1997
The topsail schooner Spirit of Adventure, gifted to the nation by Lou Fisher, was commissioned in 1973. She sailed a heavy schedule around the New Zealand coast until 1997, when she was sold for tourism work in Fiji.
Spirit of New Zealand 1986 – Current
The Trust’s existing ship, the three-masted barquentine Spirit of New Zealand - Te Waka Herenga Tangata o Aotearoa, was commissioned in 1986. Since the retirement of the Adventure in 1997 she has undertaken an annual programme of around 340 days at sea.
She is believed to be the world’s busiest youth ship. Subject to stringent, on-going maintenance surveys, refits and audits, Spirit of New Zealand is expected to be able to continue operating youth voyages until around 2035.
Technical specifications
Read on for some of the more technical stuff...
| Official Number: | 875169 (MNZ 100620) |
| Port of Registry: | Auckland |
| Ship Designers: | Ewbank Brooke and Associates |
| Built: | 1986 by Thackwray Yachts Limited and Spirit of Adventure Trust, Auckland |
| Gross Registered Tonnage: | 184 |
| Net Tonnage: | 55.32 |
| Displacement: | 286 Tons |
| Length Overall: | 37.5m (123ft) |
| Length on Deck: | 33.25m (109ft) |
| Beam: | 9.1m (29ft 10in) |
| Draft: | 4m (13ft 1in) |
| Mast Height: | Fore 28.7m, Main 31.3m, Mizzen 28m |
| Sail Area: | 724.3m2 (7.965ft2) |
| Main Engine: | Yanmar 6AYM 670HP (500KW) |
| Gear Box: | CPG 32BP variable pitch |
| Bowthruster: | 120HP Volvo |
| Propeller: | 1700mm 4 bladed fully feathering Hunderstat |
| Auxiliaries: | 2 x John Deere with 60 KVA alternators, Northern Lights (silent) 16KVA |
| Maximum Speed: | 13 knots (power), 15 knots (sail) |
| Navigation Equipment: | Brookes & Gatehouse (wind gear), Furuno ARPA radar, Simrad broadband radar, 2 x depth sounders, GPD compass, 2 x GPS navigators, B&G plotters and weather fax |
| Communication Equipment: | HF & VHF Radio, satellite telephone and data |
| Ship’s Boats: | 2 x tenders (2 x 60HP Honda and 1 x 20HP Honda); 2 x luggers and 4 x inflatable rafts |
| Safety Equipment: | EPIRB 4 x 406 in life rafts, 1 x 406 ship float free; 4 x 25 pax life rafts, 1 x 8 pax life raft; 1 x 4 man overboard life raft |
| Crew (maximum): | 16 crew and 40 participants |