NOT JUST A BOAT, BUT A LEGEND, A HISTORY, A STORY AND A COLLABORATION
Designed by Bill Upfold and constructed by Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders to meet the unique specifications of its experienced owners, the brief called for a highly capable vessel for extended range coastal cruising including a New Zealand circumnavigation.
THE LEGEND
Te Whara or Bream Head is a rich archaeological landscape resulting from more than 500 years of Māori occupation. Te Whara was the principal wife of the Rangatira (chief) Manaia, and it was here that Manaia first met Puhi-moana-āriki. Manaia cautioned him with the words “Kei whara koe e Puhi i ngā tai e hāruru ana” (“You may meet with disaster from the tides that thunder there”). Manaia’s wife is said to have disrespected Puhi and was turned into stone and she now stands as the spectacular 476m high peak sitting between the Whangarei Harbour entrance and Ocean Beach.
THE HISTORY
Te Whara was and is significant to the owners of Te Whara V. This is the fifth Te Whara with three other boats before her all commissioned and owned by Grant and Raewyn. But what about the earliest Te Whara? Well, such is the strength of the Te Whara connection that Grant, as a child, can be seen in an old black and white photo, standing at the stern of the first vessel. The original Te Whara was built in 1919 by Bailey & Lowe at their yard in Northcote for the Drummond brothers of Whangarei, one of whom, Roy was Grant’s grandfather. Her first engine was a 10hp; probably a Sterling for which Bailey & Lowe were the agents. In February 1919 she was sailed up to Whangarei. Originally flush-decked, Te Whara was taken back to Bailey & Lowe in the 1920’s where the wheelhouse area and companionway to the top deck was altered. In 1972 she was refitted with the current 6-cylinder 106hp diesel which pushes her to around 10 knots and she still plies the waters of Lake Rotoiti.
Te Whara II is a Mark 2 Corsair aft cabin design built by Salthouse in 1992. After owning Te Whara II for several years, Grant approached Bill Upfold (Elite Marine) about 1998 to design Te Whara III, subsequently built by Lloyd Stevenson Boat Builders. Still seeking that ‘perfect’ boat, Grant and Raewyn had Bill design Te Whara IV, built by Alan Tong around 2004. The owners must have felt they were finally onto something, as they owned this iteration until 2023. So, when it came to Te Whara V, they had a pretty good idea of what this penultimate boat needed to be, not only in terms of how she was to be used but also how she was to be designed and built to meet all their needs and the lessons learned from her predecessors. Once again designed by Bill Upfold and constructed by Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders to meet the unique specifications of its experienced owners, the brief called for a highly capable vessel for extended range coastal cruising including a New Zealand circumnavigation. Quiet and economical running, a high degree of system redundancy, and a timeless design style were key requirements.
THE STORY
There is a vast difference between a production line boat and a ‘one off’ custom designed and built boat. This is not to say that a well designed and built production boat is inferior, but only to point out that a custom boat is unique and reflects the owners’ specific needs and wishes down to the nth degree. So, while a production boat will likely appeal to a wide variety of people, a custom boat may not have the same allure.
However, having spent a full day on Te Whara V, this vessel proves to be somewhat of an exception to the above observation. I found Te Whara V to be vastly appealing. But then, after much discussion with Bill and Lloyd, I realised that this appeal was likely due to the fact that, like me, the owners came from a sailing background. Veteran yachties still like the fact that a well-built sailboat can go anywhere and wraps itself around you with a feeling of comfort and security. So, it is with Te Whara V. Although not a sailboat, that same feeling is there. I discovered, after many years in the marine industry, that time and again seasoned yachties still like large sailboats but are not as confident in their physical capability to handle them, thus often gravitating to a ‘trawler type’ design. In other words, a very distinct type of powerboat designed for long-distance cruising and in many cases, living aboard for significant stretches of time. Think Grand Banks, Nordhavn, Kadey-Krogen, etc. Or, in the case of Te Whara V, a mid- pilothouse style vessel.
In a mid-pilothouse design the lower control helm, with its full weather protection and easy access to the boat’s interior amenities, is transferred up higher and centralised somewhat aft in its own separate cabin, above the main cabin, to provide better visibility while controlling the boat internally.
One of the biggest advantages of a mid-pilothouse vessel is that the design allows for separate living, entertaining and accommodation spaces. The owners have managed to exploit every cubic centimetre of space on board with clever innovations and ideas; obviously learning from their past vessels and working closely with the designer and the builder. If you were to compare Te Whara IV and V, you would see similarities, not only in the design, but in the design brief, and it is safe to say that the owners have definitively honed their wishes with the natural evolution resulting in their most recently launched vessel.
THE COLLABORATION
Right from the get-go, attention to detail and quality of workmanship are immediately obvious. Leaving Westhaven Marina for a leisurely cruise out onto the Waitemata Harbour on a perfect spring day in order to meet up with the crew on the photography vessel off Motutapu Island gave me ample time to have an initial sticky beak throughout Te Whara V.
As one generally enters the stern of the boat from the marina berth via the cockpit, let’s start from there. My first impression of the teak-decked cockpit was that of uncluttered functionality. The adequate duckboard incorporates a concealed, pull-out, four-rung boarding ladder and live bait tank.
Stepping through the broad transom into the cockpit is made easy, even when lugging bulky bags, dive gear and ship’s stores aboard, thanks to the unique ‘pocket sliding gates’, which glide effortlessly open once unlocked and pushed to port and starboard, allowing a gap wide enough to cater for the tender to be pulled into the cockpit if desired, but when shut allow a secure, enclosed cockpit area. Being a SCUBA diver, I was impressed with the ample space available to suit up and prepare for a dive. The port and starboard lockers, while being used for large fender storage and other ships paraphernalia, still provide enough volume for SCUBA cylinders. This boat has storage in spades, and I couldn’t help feeling that the experience gained from their previous boats has allowed the owners, working closely with Bill and Lloyd, to really figure out how to maximise every nook and cranny on Te Whara V. For example, the cockpit sink, and hot/cold shower unit is cleverly integrated into the interior of the transom’s port side. A built-in barbeque is hidden behind a fold down door on the starboard stern quarter of the cockpit, sliding out easily with a slight pull. Everything practical and space saving while aesthetically unintrusive.
Facing forward from the aft of the cockpit, you are presented with the choice of entering the lower interior of the boat or climbing the curved stairway up to the pilot house helm station.
There is a large glass panel to starboard, which allows a wonderful amount of light into the dinette, situated immediately to starboard as you enter. I chose the former route with entry via a sliding glass pocket door. However, what I didn’t initially appreciate is that the adjacent glass ‘window’ actually retracts electrically, lowering into a portion of the aft bulkhead with the touch of a button, allowing even more light and ventilation into the boat’s interior, giving the galley/ dinette area an open, airy feeling. Additional galley ventilation and light is provided by four large, opening portlights that run the length of this area.
The informal dinette/galley area is yet another masterclass in functional design, with L-shaped upholstered seating surrounding a teak table on two sides, beneath which are stowed two stools, neatly rotating out from under the table to easily allow four or five people to sit and eat comfortably. The galley could easily have been plucked from an offshore sailing yacht; such is the compact and extremely functionally inspired design.
One can easily imagine the chef preparing a meal with ease, even in a heavy sea, in the cleverly thought-out galley area. This well-equipped galley has a plethora of space saving, utilitarian appliances and storage areas. Suffice it to say, I couldn’t think of anything else needed to run a functional and efficient ship’s kitchen. Opposite the galley is a generous but space-
saving pantry, behind which all the concealed wiring to supply the helm station and pilot house electrics are housed.
Opposite the galley/dining area to port is the commodious aft master cabin with a spacious and airy ensuite bathroom/shower, easily accessible from the foot of the double bed. As expected, everything has been well thought out. I particularly liked the way the bed was situated, well away from the port hull, allowing it to be made up with ease while allowing for temporary storage along the shelf between the bed and hull. Light and additional ventilation is provided by three opening portlights in the cabin and two in the ensuite. Exiting the aft cabin and climbing three steps forward into the entertaining/formal dining area, you are greeted with an open space design, allowing interaction between guests and chef during meal preparation and giving a sense of capaciousness.
The advantage of a pilothouse design is that you get separate living spaces, and aboard Te Whara V, the central living space is immense. A large, telescoping starboard teak table, capable of comfortably seating six or more guests by utilising the moveable twin salon chairs, doubles as a dining surface or, at a lowered position, a coffee table for relaxed conversation and snacking. Lounging in this area, you notice that there are limited forward-facing windows with only two (port and starboard) relatively small but 10mm thick apertures, divided by a sloped blank area. This is by design since Te Whara V is intended for heavy weather, and Grant did not want a large forward cabin window that might implode if hit by a huge storm wave over the bow.
This is a live-aboard vessel for extended cruising, and the owners wanted work areas as well as leisure living spaces, so an inconspicuous ‘office’ has been incorporated in the port forward area of the salon, while just aft is an entertainment bar which houses an additional twin drawer refrigerator for cold drinks and snacks.
No entertainment would be complete without a large, flatscreen TV, which in this case, is fixed on the bulkhead dividing the salon and galley. As mentioned before, access to the helm station/pilot house is either via the main salon or from the cockpit. A slightly curved, four-step stairway leads from the salon, while a highly practical and aesthetical, five-step stairway leads up from the cockpit, curving upwards alongside a voluminous deep freeze unit.
Once in ‘control central’, an impressive, all-inclusive helm station and lounging area confronts you! Remember: “Uncluttered functionality”. When sitting on or standing in front of the two-person, comfortably upholstered bench helm seat, the vast array of instruments, screens and controls at first seems somewhat overwhelming, but spend a bit of time driving this vessel and you quickly realise that everything is there for an essential purpose and there are no unnecessary ‘bells and whistles’.
This helm station is one of the best I’ve seen. Removing the lid on the secondary control box, somewhat concealed at the stern end of the pilot house, reveals a duplicate set of helm controls, allowing you to manoeuvre the boat while facing aft – very handy when backing into a marina berth.
The pilot house area is also a lounging/entertainment space, with comfortable reclined daybeds and a sundeck aft, partially covering the cockpit for shade on hot, sunny days.
A handy pull-out shelf table extends aft from under the helm seat. The whole area is airy and spacious, and the all-important vantage point forward while underway or at anchor presents an uninterrupted view, even with the 3.1m AB Inflatable, equipped with an 18 Hp Tahatsu outboard, situated on the foredeck alongside its Davco launching crane.
Descending from the pilothouse into the cockpit via the port-side curved staircase equipped with secure grab rails, I worked my way forward to inspect the Guest’s bow stateroom and ensuite. Often, a forward cabin can feel cramped and a little dark, but not so in this case.
A large queen podium bed dominates the cabin area, but still allows ample space on either side for easy movement, dressing and making up the bed. Once again, storage abounds. The ensuite, with a larger shower and more room than the aft head, is tastefully appointed and exudes an air of understated practical luxury without being ostentatious.
The forward ensuite can be accessed from the stateroom or from a corridor door to port, also enabling it to be used by guests enjoying the forward, starboard double bunk cabin. The starboard “grandchildren’s” cabin, containing an ample upper bunk and a lower bunk verging on double bed size, has two hull portlights. Additional ambient light, emanating through a translucent ceiling panel from the starboard main salon window above it, provides a bright and airy space. A similar matching translucent panel is found situated in the main ensuite ceiling, again providing additional ambient daylight. This cabin also provides access to the engine room via a large, sound insulated crawl door in the cabin’s aft bulkhead.
The well-ventilated engine room is as impressive as the rest of the vessel, with two large derated 13-litre Scania diesel engines dominating the space, but so situated to provide ample room to move around in the engine room for routine maintenance or for extensive servicing. All other equipment necessary to run Te Whara V, including a washing machine/dryer located to starboard, has been installed to best utilise the engine room, while providing trouble-free access.
As with everything aboard this craft, the owners dictated what they wanted and the diesel engines, being the heart of the vessel, were explicitly chosen. Each of these 550 Hp (@2100 rpm) beasts is derated, so in effect, become ‘workboat’ engines, capable of being run all day, every day, but still able to push this craft along at over 21 knots when conditions allow. The drive trains utilising thrust bearings and universal joints enable ‘soft mounts’ to be used, resulting in minimal load, thus dramatically reducing vibration and noise transmission. These heavy engines determined a hull shape having ample forward buoyancy to support them, resulting in a unique hull design, beefed up for the additional weight, but with a ‘silent chine’ tapering towards the stern to stop hull slap while at anchor.
Navigation instrumentation is Simrad utilising a ‘Time Zero’ PC-based computer system that provides navigation redundancy. Communications utilise Star Link, and there is a separate TV Dome to ensure trouble-free television viewing. Embedded and recessed solar panels atop the pilothouse cabin supply 35 amps on average, which provides basic daily requirements via the house batteries. Ventilation, not only in the engine room but throughout the boat, was a big consideration. A ‘yacht-style’ dorade system was utilised, capable of being shut down in really gnarly sea states, with minimal fresh air flow still provided.
SUMMARY
The mid-pilothouse style, combined with a low centre of gravity, enhances the vessel’s ability to maintain stability in rough waters, reducing rolling and improving overall performance. Additionally, the choice of powerful yet derated 13-litre Scania engines ensures reliable propulsion with optimal fuel efficiency and durability, crucial for long- distance cruising in remote areas where sea conditions can be unpredictable.
Confident in the knowledge that Te Whara V has been built and finished to Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilder’ highest standards to a design that prioritises stability and seaworthiness, Te Whara V is more than capable of safely navigating the often harsh and varied sea states around New Zealand’s coastlines, making it an excellent choice for navigating challenging conditions and rough seas. The interior exudes contemporary elegance, with teak joinery and warm-toned fabrics creating a relaxing and inviting atmosphere. Equipped with top-of-the-line systems selected by the owners, Te Whara V is both functional and luxurious, reflecting the owner’s deep knowledge and research in yacht outfitting. Its purpose is clear: a comfortable and capable cruiser for long voyages.
Te Whara V was launched in August 2024, proving to be a very successful collaboration between the owners, the designer and the builder.
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA 16m (52’6″)
LWL 14m (46′)
Beam 5.2m (17′)
Draft 1.2m (3’10”)
Displacement 22500kg (22.2t)
Power Scania L13 550hp @ 2100rpm
Fuel 3100L
Water 800L
Max Speed 26kt
Cruise 21kt
Construction Timber Epoxy / E glass Composite
PERFORMANCE DATA
RPM Both Speed Mile
650 12 6.5 1.85
815 17 7.8 2.18
995 30 9.3 3.23
1100 40 9.8 4.08
1214 52 10.8 4.81
1288 62 11.5 5.39
1400 78 12.9 6.05
1716 120 18.8 6.38
1903 154 22.6 6.81
2096 194 25.9 7.49
