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Writer's pictureLara Thorne

Motu Iti Returns – Annual Pontoon Spruce Up

Project drivers – Tiff Holland and Blake Cameron

The PONTOON POSSE got together for the annual spruce up of the PAIHIA SWIMMING PONTOON – MOTU ITI – before she want back into the water at Labour weekend. The afternoon of cleaning and re-staining was very successful and the job was done in a jiffy with many little hands on hand. These kids can often be seen swimming out to the Pontoon on a summers day, so it was great to see them do their bit! Thanks to – RICHARD and ASTON DE ROSA, PETE and OAK RICHARDS and TIFF, FREYA and THEA HOLLAND. Huge thanks to BRUCE GORDON for keeping MOTU ITI safe up the river, for helping us get her up to and down from the winter dock, for replacing the wooden steps on the ladder rungs, staining the deck with the team, and for just generally being an all-round awesome inspiration to our kids!




Due to MOTU ITI’S popularity we had to do some remedial work on the ladder with FELL ENGINEERING coming to the rescue with a heavily discounted job. Thanks to BRONSON, PETE and WADE for their awesome work. The ladder has been reinforced with an extra rung added – making it easier to climb out of the water. Thank you to SCOTT and AMANDA MCCLELLAND for contributing to the cost of the ladder upgrade.


MOORINGS NORTHLAND were called in for routine maintenance on the mooring prior to Motu Iti going back in. They discovered that the mooring and tackle had some issues and readily offered to give us a new block and chain, and the new installation all FOC! $3000 worth of kit and caboodle! Amazing! Thank you to ROB LANG and the MOORINGS NORTHLAND team for their generous donation of materials and labour, but also for their prompt and thorough work. This was tremendous support and it is so greatly appreciated by the many swimmers and bombers in the Bay! So with the new mooring and tackle in place PETE and OAK RICHARDS, MIKE LEVINGS (TOTAL YACHT CARE) and TIFF and THEA HOLLAND towed MOTU ITI carefully down the river and out to her special spot and MIKE jumped in the tide to link her up. Thanks to the BAY OF ISLANDS YACHT CLUB for the use of their tender. MOTU ITI – back in action. Bombs away!


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