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A Customs catamaran that’s been specially designed to carry out marine patrols around New Zealand’s waters had made a fleeting visit to Wellington en route to the South Island.
The Hawk V will be providing customs clearance for the New Zealand debut of the SailGP regatta in Lyttelton and to test the boat in a part of the country it’s never been to.
Supervising Customs Officer Nick Sparey said the four-week tour south has been a long time in the making.
“We received the vessel in 2018 and after using it extensively in Auckland, we were planning to come down and conduct an operation like this. But Covid scuppered all of that.”
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Maritime patrols in boats like the Hawk V are there to monitor the borders of New Zealand’s territorial waters and are on the lookout for everything from illegal fishing to drug smuggling to human traffickers.
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
The crew of Hawk V which is in Wellington for a week. (L-R) Senior Customs Officer Scott Jones, Senior Customs Officer Tere Tere, and Supervising Customs Officer Nick Sparey aboard the Hawk V’s bridge in Wellington.
The boat that’s been in Wellington harbour since Saturday is the fifth boat to bear the Hawk name since the first was launched in 1881 to catch tobacco smugglers.
The Hawk catamaran can cruise comfortably at 30 knots but the crew have had it up to 45 knots.
Its main work is intercepting smaller craft and respond to mayday calls if needs be.
Supplied
The Hawk V besides Te Papa Tongarewa museum in Wellington .
“We get hundreds of small craft coming from the islands to the north. Pre-pandemic levels, you’d easily see 500 boats in a year and those small vessels could be carrying a significant amount of drugs.
“We don’t tend to find human trafficking so much. But we have found people trying to smuggle themselves out of the country on the run from the law.
“But it could also be that someone just hasn’t filled out the right forms for themselves or their goods.”
The ship has accommodation for five, a flying bridge, a lounge/kitchen, and a deployable RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat).
Sparey said the crew will rotate every six days over the four-month patrol.
”People go a bit stir crazy if you keep them on the boat too long so we cycle them out.”
Supplied/Stuff
The Hawk V spotted on the move in Wellington Harbour by an eagle-eyed city resident.
Skipper Scott Jones said it was a big upgrade from the old Hawk IV.
“That was a pleasure boat that was never designed to be a commercial vessel.
“It was built in 1998 so it was 20 years old by the time we were done with it. The hull was taking quite a hammering, some of the parts were so old that you couldn’t source certain components and some bits of the boat just weren’t working 100% of the time.
“The Hawk V handles the waves and rough weather so much better, not to mention the jets make it so much easier to drive as well”
The catamaran arrived in Wellington last Saturday and will set off for the South Island on Saturday, March 11.
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