| 53 MARINE Huntercraft Boats Your One stop shop nationally offering: • Extrusions, both ex stock & indent • Sheet, plate & tread-plate • Fabrication includes CNC router cutting • CNC brake press 220 ton. CNC 5 axis extrusion machining • CNC large capacity rollers. Mig @ Tig welding PAYNES ALUMINIUM LTD SUPPLIES AND SUPPORTS HUNTERCRAFT BOATS For more information please visit our website at www.paynes.co.nz | 0800 472 963 Mosgiel Branch (Head Oice) 03 489 5760 Tauranga Branch 027 808 2858 Auckland Branch 09 820 3903 Christchurch Branch 03 344 0264 Wiri Branch 027 808 3747 T T Russell Fredric Interest surging in clever boat design The Huntercraft boats’ point of difference lies in their tunnel design for shallow rivers and estuaries, rather than conventional recreational boating. Winning the Export Southland grant will help Wallacetown boat builder, Huntercraft, enhance its workshop capacity to pursue export opportunities already emerging in Australia. Huntercraft managing director, Andrew Owen, says the $10,000 grant, won at the 2026 DHL Export Southland Awards on August 4, came as something of a surprise. He and wife, Kate, only entered after seeing an advertisement on Facebook with a day left before applications closed. “We thought, well, let’s give it a crack. Some grant money would be very helpful, particularly at the stage we’re in,” says Andrew. The timing is significant, because Huntercraft, located near Invercargill, has been receiving strong interest from Australia since its Facebook page was launched, but has deliberately kept its offshore marketing low-key while establishing its production capacity. The boats’ point of difference lies in their tunnel design for shallow rivers and estuaries, rather than conventional recreational boating. Huntercraft specialises in outboard jet boats, using the tunnel in the hull to feed water to the jet unit. The business began with a personal project. About eight years ago, Andrew saw the boat design while holidaying in Canada and thought they would work well for duck shooting and trout fishing in New Zealand. A mechanic by trade, with aluminium welding equipment at home, he built a boat for himself, followed by one for a friend. “I could see then that there was good market potential and I thought that was worth exploring more,” he says. The early boats were refined through trial and error, with Huntercraft initially selling directly through Facebook and building every boat to order. A four-boat order from North Island dealer, Buckland Marine, provided the catalyst for Andrew to leave his previous parttime job and work full-time on the business. Developing that tunnel was the biggest technical challenge. Andrew spent about 18 months modifying a test boat, changing the tunnel design until it performed properly through turns and waves without losing water flow to the jet unit or causing cavitation. Huntercraft began with one model, the 3900, initially fitted with propeller outboards. The development of the jet system led to the 4200, which required a larger hull and a 50hp engine to compensate for the roughly 30% power loss through a jet unit. The range has since expanded to four models, with its customer base including hunters and fishermen, including fly fishermen, attracted to boats that are small enough to handle confidently while providing a stable, spacious platform. Exporting began with a boat sold to a Kiwi in the Cook Islands, before an Australian customer bought one in late 2024. A photograph of the boat being prepared for shipment generated another Australian enquiry within weeks, and further sales followed. The export grant will fund a workshop reconfiguration, including custom shelving to lift aluminium stock off the floor, which will free space to have more boats under construction at once. Andrew believes the design is unique in New Zealand, and the business currently has a strong level of forward orders. “People like the simplicity of the layout. Our boats are designed to freely move about on. People like that they can use the boat on their own with confidence because it’s not large and heavy.”
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