COMMERCIAL - FOR SALE: ONE NZ NAVY PATROL VESSEL

Ex HMNZS Kahu, the last of the seven Royal New Zealand Navy’s lively Moa Class Inshore Patrol Craft, so familiar around the New Zealand coast over the past three decades, is to be decommissioned and offered for sale by open public tender.

The RNZN has recently taken delivery of their replacements, four new Inshore Patrol Vessels of the Navy’s new Protector Fleet. These are the 340-tonne 55m HMNZS Rotoiti, HMNZS Taupo, HMNZS Pukaki and HMNZS Hawea.

Seven Moa Class patrol vessels were built between 1978 and1985 by W.E.C.O in Whangarei, NZ, and became the mainstay of New Zealand’s inshore fleet with ships strategically tasked to perform roles ranging from coastal patrol, mine countermeasures, fisheries surveillance, and search and rescue through to hydrographic duties.

This first vessel, originally named HMNZS Manawanui was used as a dive tender before being replaced and renamed the Kahu, which is currently assigned to the Naval College for training purposes. In 1980, two survey vessels Tarapunga and Takapu were commissioned into the RNZN and were subsequently sold in 2000.

Named after World War II mine sweepers, four of the patrol craft Hinau, Moa, Wakakura and Kiwi were attached to the Royal New Zealand Volunteer Reserve divisions located around the country before been relocated to Auckland between 2005 and 2006.

Of these four, Hinau and Moa were sold in 2007 with Kiwi and Wakakura sold last year. One of which was to a Melbourne-based buyer for conversion to a Motor Yacht.

Kahu, the oldest of the seven, is presented in immaculate condition and is said to be typical of the Navy’s high standard of maintenance. She had a substantial refit several months ago following flooding of the generator compartment.

Kahu was originally the RNZN’s dive tender and has an aft dive platform and is fitted for a small removable decompression chamber, while her derrick and substantial clear deck area offer a range of options for commercial use. She is also being sold with a high-capacity dive compressor, RIB and comprehensive spare parts.

Appointed sole agents, Auckland Shipbrokers Limited, have been instructed to sell Kahu by open public tender closing late January 2010.

This sale signifies the end of an era, with previous IPCs successfully converted to commercial and private roles, and this is a chance to participate in a piece of NZ’s proud Naval history.