Tai Marino. Calm sea. It’s a name that suits this boat perfectly, because from the moment you step aboard, that’s exactly the feeling it delivers.
But to understand Tai Marino, you have to understand who built her, and when.
Frank Visser was one of New Zealand’s most respected shipwrights, a central figure in Tauranga’s boat-building scene during the 1960s, a period widely regarded as the golden era of New Zealand timber craftsmanship. He worked alongside names like Owen Woolley, John Lidgard and Jim Young, builders whose vessels are remembered today as portraits of an era. Visser was a master of carvel-planked construction, working primarily in Kauri and Australian Spotted Gum, timbers chosen not for economy but for what they could endure. His boats were built to last, and the ones that survive prove it.
The 1968 Kingfisher is his most enduring work. Originally commissioned as a game fishing launch, she has since settled into the role of classic motor-sailer, carrying her 57 years with genuine grace. The Visser name would go on to shape New Zealand boatbuilding further: Bill Visser, a Dutch-born craftsman described as an artist with wood, settled in Tauranga and founded Kingfisher Boats Limited in 1981, a brand that eventually evolved into the modern alloy catamaran and powercat builder the industry knows today. The timber launch and the modern brand share more than a name. They share a lineage.
Tai Marino was featured on Waitemata Woodys in November 2025, and it’s easy to see why. White hull, yellow and timber trim, white canvas sails: she is the kind of boat people stop to look at.
Getting aboard is easy. A hinged stern step folds down from the transom onto the swim platform for simple access, opening into a generous cockpit with a solid timber seat, a large fishing platform and real room to move. When the step folds back up, the transom closes off cleanly. The cockpit flows directly into the helm and galley area, all sharing the same open, airy space under wrap-around windows that give the helmsman excellent visibility all the way around, and give whoever’s cooking a view that most kitchens can’t match. The galley runs in a neat row: stainless steel bench, good-sized basin, Broadwater two-burner gas stove with grill and oven, stand-up fridge, gas hot water cylinder, and enough drawer space to actually keep things organised. Row seating lines the opposite side with storage underneath.
Forward, Tai Marino offers two double cabins and two single cabins across a layout with two metres of headroom throughout. The head is tidy with shower and storage, toilet to starboard forward. Easy-lift flooring with latches gives clean access below. Everything is kept honest.
On deck, a timber mast carries a furling headsail and mainsail with Lewmar winches. A 120hp Ford six-cylinder, fitted in June 2023, handles the power side. The electrical system has been brought well into the modern era: Victron Energy Smart Charger, two solar panels, four house batteries and two start batteries. Navigation runs through a Furuno Navnet chart plotter, Furuno autopilot, Lowrance depth sounder and VHF radio. A Manson Supreme anchor with chain and Lofrans electric capstan handles ground tackle.
The hull is clean. The boat is tidy. And at $79,000, Tai Marino is ready for whoever is willing to take her somewhere worth going.
Further details available from Vining Marine.
Tai Marino is listed through Vining Marine. To arrange a viewing or request further information, contact the broker directly.
