Te Matau a Māui (the fish-hook of Māui) is named after the Hawke’s Bay area where, in legend Māui foul-hooked the North Island with the jawbone of his grandmother.
Te Matau a Māui combines traditional and modern technology. It is based on a traditional ‘Tipairua’ Polynesian waka design and incorporates ecotechnology, with solar panels powering the auxiliary engines. The waka can run a traditional Polynesian sailing rig as well as a standard Bermuda rig. The average speed is 7 knots.