Business North October 2021

| 13 Marina right at home in Whitianga Richard Loader Whitianga Marina currently consists of 203 berths ranging from 10 metres to 18 metres. MARINA INDUSTRY Whitianga Marina For Alistair and Emma McEwen and their team of multi-skilled craftsmen at Pinnacle Boats forging lasting relationships with their clients has been just as important as the love and care they put into their craftsmanship. “Much of the work we’re getting is repeat business,” says Alistair. “But there has also been increasing demand resulting frommore people moving into the area and word of mouth about the work we do.” Alistair was born and raised in Thames and grew up ishing out on the Coromandel with this grandfather before entering an aluminium boat building apprenticeship in 2004. After four years spent in Sydney working in large commercial boat yards that specialised in military and defence contracts, and gaining his Lloyds of London welding tickets, Alistair made the decision to return to New Zealand so that he and Emma could start their family. Buying an existing boat repair and maintenance business in Whitianga, Alistair and Emma rebranded as Pinnacle Boats and wasted no time in growing their business. The original team of three has grown to eight including Alistair and Emma, a re lection of signi icant organic growth, the continued demand for their services. “All the team are multi-skilled and quali ied across a diverse range of disciplines including composite/ ibre Demand keeps growing glass work, aluminium boat building, painting, fabrication and 12-volt electrical work. Two of us are New Zealand marine quali ied in alumini- um boat builders and another is into his last year of apprenticeship — that quali ication is quite unique here.” While Pinnacle Boats’ o ice is located on the Whitianga Marina Hardstand where anti-fouling work is undertaken, the company has workshop and yard facilities just down the road in Bryce Street. The yard can accommodate vessels up to 50-feet, while three enclosed workshops allow for a diverse range of maintenance and repair work. “The majority of what we do is repairs and maintenance,” says Alistair. “We do regular maintenance like anti-fouling, propspeed applica- tion, gel coat repairs, teak deck repairs and installation, electronics, painting, re its — basically anything that is not mechanical. We are limited to a maximum of 35-tonne with the marina’s haul-out facilities. We service the entire Coromandel but we also get boats coming down from Auck- land and we will ly them back again as part of the service.” While the majority of Pinnacle Boats customers are recreational boat owners, there is also a solid base of commercial customers and Alistair appreciates the need to get those customers operational as quickly as possible. to page 15 N ot many towns in New Zealand can boast a marina that takes pride of place right in its very heart. A casual walk to shops, local attractions, activities, banks, cafes, restaurants, hotels and the gateway to the Mercury Islands, Whitianga Marina has become an integral part of Coro- mandel’s picturesque Whitianga itself. Richard Simpson first conceived the idea for the Marina in 1988, but in the face of opposi- tion from local residents at the time, construc- tion did not commence till 1995. “Prior to the marina being built it was just part of the estuary, with moorings along the riverbank,” says Marine Manager Dave Mun- day. “To fund the marina there was a schedule of contributors. Eighteen people contributed a hundred thousand dollars each, kick starting construction. As soon as people started to see diggers and work underway, they all want- ed to get involved. Now everyone loves the marina.” Operated as an Incorporated Society, every- one who owns a marina berth owns a slice of the marina, which currently consists of 203 berths ranging from 10 metres to 18 metres. Of the boats that currently call the marina home, 95% are recreational pleasure craft, a handful belong to commercial fishermen and there are three charter boats. For cleaning and defouling duties a large hard stand sits at the end of the marina, complete with 18 hard stand berths, a 35-tonne travel lift and cradles.