Powerboat Training: Ross Field goes from Global Sailor to Canal Captain!

Ross Field, a Tamaki Marine Park Marina berth holder, boasts a serious sailing CV! He’s raced around the globe several times and faced some of the most challenging waters along the way.

For the past three years, Ross has called Tamaki Marine Park Marina home, where he berths his pride and joy, “Ruru,” a 15-metre Pelin. But even with his vast experience on the high seas, Ross recently found himself taking on new nautical learnings with Powerboat Training.

“I’ve been around the world a few times,” Ross laughed, “but I’ll admit, I couldn’t park a boat with only one propeller to save myself.” This realisation led him to enrol in a powerboat training course, an experience he found extremely helpful.

The reason for this new journey wasn’t just about improving his skills. Ross has his sights set on a new adventure: “I’m looking at buying a canal boat in France,” he explained. This comes with its own set of challenges, as operating in European waterways requires specific qualifications.

“I needed to get an ICC qualification,” Ross said, referring to the International Certificate of Competence, a widely recognised boating licence in Europe. The Powerboat Training course he took was comprehensive, covering crucial skills for powerboat operation. “They took us through handling a boat with a single propeller and how to deal with a bow thruster.”

One of the most valuable parts of the training, according to Ross, was learning how to navigate in tidal conditions. “The tide can run quite fast through those canals, and you have to know what you’re doing,” he noted.

The course not only provided Ross with practical skills but also opened up new possibilities for his boating journey.

Bigger boat projects are often a team effort between different marine service specialists. As was the case for the restoration of the beautiful Outer Reef 630 named Amokura.

The work brought together the specialised skills of Marine Detailing Company, Gloss Boats Marine Spraying, and the Tamaki Marine Park haulout team – each adding their unique expertise to breathe new life into this magnificent vessel.

Marine Detailing Company took on the challenge of revitalising Amokura’s exterior. In just over a week, their team managed to machine polish every square centimetre of gelcoat, from the waterline to the radar dome. Then applying a combination of protective wax and sealant – a process that will keep the boat’s surfaces pristine for years to come.

Their detailing included a full exterior cut, polish, and wax on all smooth exterior gelcoat, a thorough teak cleaning, plus they worked on the vessel’s tender.

From there, Gloss Boats Marine Spraying brought their specialised skills on the underwater surfaces – taking care of the anti-fouling treatment – an essential task for any seagoing vessel.

They also cleaned up the propspeed, applied primer to rough patches, and performed wet sanding to make sure the underwater profile was smooth and efficient.

Last but not least, our own Tamaki Marine Park haulout team played a key role too – using their expertise in safely handling Amokura in and out of the water – and ensuring easy access to the other teams throughout the project

As the pictures show, the finished product was very impressive, a testament to the expertise and teamwork of all involved.

If you’ve been at Tamaki Marine Park when we’re lifting boats from the drystack, you would have seen our forklift in action. What you won’t know is that this essential piece of kit is made by Wiggins Lift Co – an American company that’s recognised worldwide as a leading manufacturer of high-capacity forklifts – and they focus on long load centre applications (in our case, lifting boats). We have the Wiggins Marina Bull model, which is safe, reliable, and can handle heavier boats with ease – which all adds up to your pride and joy being ready to go when you want and secure during transfer!