Māpua Boat Club & Maritime Museum

22/10/2026

19/10/2026

Support The Tamaha Sea Scout Group by entering their fishing competition - great prizes to win including a Mercury Outboard worth $2500!!

08/09/2026

Calendar Perfect Christmas Gift

The 2027 Mapua Calendar featuring entries from this year’s highly popular Port Mapua Maritime Museum Photographic Competition makes a great gift for friends and family in New Zealand and overseas.
The calendars cost $20 and are on sale at Delicious Homewares Mapua. All proceeds go to the museum.

06/08/2026

Photographic talents recognised with prizes

There were some very happy winners at Sunday’s prize giving in the MBC rooms for the 2026 Mapua Maritime Museum Amateur Photographic Competition.
That’s when the photographic talents of 28 winners were acknowledged with vouchers and gifts donated by generous local sponsors.
The contest attracted a record 216 photos from 48 entrants, eight of them children.
Discussion are on-going regarding how to better display photos in the museum for next year’s competition.
A 2027 Mapua calendar featuring some of the photos from the competition is now on sale for $20 from Delicious Homewares.
Thanks to our generous sponsors: CopyArt; Coolstore Gallery Mapua , Wharf Shack, Mapua Dawn Chorus, Java Hut, Rabbit Island Coffee Co, Bruce Batty of Summit, Delicious Homewares, The Smokehouse, Jared’s Fruit and Veg, Jellyfish, Split Apple Rock Cruise, Earth & Sea Jewellery, Darby & Joan Mapua, Mapua Ferry, Sprig & Fern, Hamish’s Mapua, The Indian, Mapua and Mapua Chemist.
Caption: Some of the talented photographers who won prizes on Sunday.

19/07/2026

A record 216 photos from 48 entrants, eight of them children, were entered in the 2026 Mapua Maritime Museum Amateur Photographic Competition, and are now on display at the museum.
Judges Jane Smith of Chocolate Dog Studio Mapua and Jamie Brown of major sponsor CopyArt said the standard of entry was higher than last year, making judging even harder.
The exhibition continues at the museum on the Mapua Wharf until the morning of Sunday August 2 and prize giving takes place in the Mapua Boat Club rooms from 4pm that afternoon.
A 2027 Mapua calendar featuring some of the photos from the competition will be on sale at the prize giving and then from Delicious Homewares.
Results in the Children’s Categories are:
People: Winner Asher Robinson, Runner-up Adelia Lamb, Commended Noah Fisher
Boats: Winner Oakley Hare, Runner-up Josie Lamb.
Nature: Winner Arlo Willetts, Runner-up Jacob Marcon Walton, Commended Josie Lamb.
Land/seascape: Winner Adelia Lamb, Runner-up Asher Robinson, Commended Jacob Marcon Walton.
Mapua Dawn Chorus Birds: Winner Daly Cullen, Runner-up Kaden Hare, Commended Daly Cullen.
Travel: Winner Asher Robinson, Runner-up Noah Fisher, Commended Arlo Willetts.
Over-all Children’s Winner Arlo Willetts.
Results in the Adult category are:
People: Winner Annie Riley, Runner-up Hamish Ballantyne, Commended Vicki Ryan.
Boats: Winner Kathy Trott, Runner-up Vincent Alexander, Commended Nigel Philpott.
Nature: Winner Owen Fisher, Runner-up Hilary Hurst, Commended Barbara Brown.
Land/seascape: Winner William Robertson, Runner-up Mel Hansen, Commended Nigel Philpott.
Mapua Dawn Chorus Birds: Winner Brigitte Kreigenhofer, Runner-up Barbara Brown, Commended Charlotte Downey.
Travel: Winner Brent Hovenden, Runner-up Susan Hassell, Commended Jacinta Coe.
Over-all winner Adults - Brent Hovenden.
Thanks to our generous sponsors: CopyArt; Coolstore Gallery Mapua , Wharf Shack, Mapua Dawn Chorus, Java Hut, Rabbit Island Coffee Co, Bruce Batty of Summit, Delicious Homewares, The Smokehouse, Jared’s Fruit and Veg, Apple Shed and Jellyfish, Split Apple Rock Cruise, Earth & Sea Jewellery, Darby & Joan Mapua, Mapua Ferry, Sprig & Fern, Hamish’s Mapua, The Indian, Mapua and Mapua Chemist.
Captions:
Brigitte Kreigenhofer’s winning photo of a Caspian tern, ‘Tarā nui’ in the bird category of the 2026 Mapua Maritime Museum Amateur Photographic Competition.
Arlo Willetts’ photo of an emerging cicada won the children’s category of the 2026 Mapua Maritime Museum Amateur Photographic Competition.

26/06/2026

Artist’s affections for
‘Tramps’ and tall ships

Paul Deacon’s childhood fascination with sail is portrayed in his detailed paintings of tall ships, but he also has a deep affection for the less glamorous ‘Tramp’ coastal traders he served on as a young man.
Paul, who was guest speaker at the Mapua Boat Club on Thursday June 25, outlined his early life as one of nine children growing up in Dartmouth in Devon, son of a fisherman father and artist mother. After his father died at 46, the family moved to Southern Ireland.
Paul joined the British Merchant Navy in 1974 aboard coasters trading around the British Isles, the Baltic, Europe, Mediterranean and West Africa, beginning as a deckhand and working up to the position of relief master.
The self-taught artist who began painting and sketching as a youngster, also explained some of the processes involved in creating the maritime paintings for which he is now internationally renowned.
Much of his work comes from commissions from clients who want a painting of the ship which brought their ancestors to New Zealand. Each project begins with research, sometimes carried out in the Port Mapua Maritime Museum, which Paul described as a marvellous resource.
Paul’s paintings, many of tall ships, are displayed at the Nelson Suter Art Gallery, in select galleries throughout New Zealand and the Scrimshaw Gallery, Sausalito, California.
To see more of his work go to: https://www.pauldeaconnauticalart.co.nz/
Paul Deacon with a photo of one of the Tramp ships he served on as a young man.

22/06/2026

Invitation to hear mariner and artist speak at Mapua Boat Club.

Members of the public are welcome to join Mapua Boat Club members to hear New Zealand’s premiere marine artist, Paul Deacon speak this Thursday June 25 at the club rooms on the Mapua Wharf when doors open at 5.30pm.
Originally from Dartmouth in the UK, Paul is the son of a fisherman and an artistic mother. He moved to New Zealand in 1995 and is now retired and living near Nelson. As a seafarer in the Merchant Navy, Paul worked on ships trading cargoes around Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Northwest Africa. His last voyage at sea under sail was aboard the barquentine ‘Spirit of New Zealand’ out of Auckland in 2018.
His marine art can be viewed in select galleries throughout New Zealand and the Scrimshaw Gallery, Sausalito, California.
“My marine paintings are inspired by first hand experiences on motor ships and under sail, having an affinity with the ‘run of the sea’ and the ‘way of ships’ enables me to infuse my marine art with atmosphere and realism. I accept private commissions and paint mainly in oils working from a small home studio,” says Paul.

29/05/2026

An invitation to hear NZ’s Premier maritime artist speak at MBC

New Zealand’s premiere marine artist, Paul Deacon of Nelson, will be guest speaker at the Mapua Boat Club on Thursday June 25 when the public is invited to attend.
Originally from Dartmouth in the UK, Paul is the son of a fisherman and an artistic mother. He moved to New Zealand in 1995 and is now retired and living near Nelson. As a seafarer in the Merchant Navy, Paul worked on ships trading cargoes around Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Northwest Africa. His last voyage at sea under sail was aboard the barquentine ‘Spirit of New Zealand’ out of Auckland in 2018.
His marine art can be viewed in select galleries throughout New Zealand and the Scrimshaw Gallery, Sausalito, California.
“My marine paintings are inspired by first hand experiences on motor ships and under sail, having an affinity with the ‘run of the sea’ and the ‘way of ships’ enables me to infuse my marine art with atmosphere and realism. I accept private commissions and paint mainly in oils working from a small home studio,” says Paul.
Members of the public are welcome to join club members to hear Paul speak on Thursday June 25 when the doors of the club rooms on the Mapua Wharf open from 5.30pm.