Kiwi Kraft

Excellence in aluminium is the guiding principle behind this specialist pontoon boat builder. The company produces a comprehensive range of aluminium pontoon boats, with around 17 models covering dinghy, cuddy, hardtop and console layouts for recreational, commercial and rescue use. Every boat is designed to combine cutting-edge hull design, first-class workmanship and meticulous attention to detail, delivering a distinctive blend of safety, performance and styling.

The brand grew from founder Rodney Harris’s love of diving, fishing and hunting in the demanding conditions of Southland, New Zealand. In the late 1980s he recognised the potential of aluminium pontoon boats for serious offshore and back-country use, but also saw clear opportunities for improvement. He set out to design and build a safer, better-performing and more attractive pontoon boat, with safety, performance and styling as core priorities. The first boat was completed on 31 July 1988 in a garage behind his home, and the name was coined by his daughter Felicity. From those beginnings, the company has evolved into a dedicated alloy boat manufacturer with over three decades of boatbuilding experience.

New Zealand has a strong tradition of marine innovation, and the brand positions itself within that heritage, drawing on the country’s world-renowned lakes and rugged coastlines to refine its designs. Its boats are built to operate in a wide variety of environments, from the Southern Ocean and the freshwater lakes of Fiordland National Park to coastal and inland waters across New Zealand, Australia and further afield. The same designs are sold in overseas markets under the Aqualine name, carrying over the same engineering, build quality and ingenuity.

The company deliberately avoids mass production. Each boat is hand-built by a small team of around 14 tradespeople in a modern 2,000 m² workshop equipped with advanced alloy welding, CNC cutting, bending and fabrication technology. This small-team, hands-on approach fosters pride in workmanship and allows individual boats to be finished to a very high standard. Internal welds are carefully executed to be smooth and seamless for maximum strength and superior finish, and crucial hull joints are fully welded rather than folded or rolled, contributing to a stronger keel and robust structure. Quality is governed by a formal Workshop Quality Assurance Manual for alloy boat construction that has been used by New Zealand’s Maritime Safety Authority as a benchmark for aluminium boatbuilding in the country.

Safety is a central part of the company’s identity. All boats are positive-buoyancy pontoon designs that are virtually unsinkable, even when flooded and carrying a full complement of passengers. The pontoons sit between the hull and floor and are divided into multiple sealed chambers – up to nine compartments per pontoon depending on model, more than is typical in this category – and are pressure-tested during construction. The boats are members of the CPC NZ programme and are built to Coastguard specification, with selected models certified as rescue boats to international standards. These measures support the brand’s emphasis on dependable, offshore-capable craft.

Performance on the water is driven by a distinctive hull design. A variable deadrise hull creates a long bow and fine entry, producing a soft, dry ride that owners associate with the brand. Twin planing strakes running the full length of the hull provide superior lift, faster planing and improved fuel economy, as well as added grip and stability in turns and following seas. A large variable deadrise combined with the proprietary HUSHtech hull design contributes to an ultra-soft, quiet ride that is a key part of the owner experience.

Design details play a major role in the boats’ appeal. Externally, flowing lines, wrapped finishes and bold decals create a modern, performance-oriented look. Functionally, the boats incorporate numerous user-focused features, such as full-width boarding platforms for divers, step-down cabins to maximise headroom, cabin side windows for light and visibility, and well-laid-out dashboards. Additional practical elements include extra hatches, full-length bunks where fitted, parcel shelves, foot rests, bait boards, two pontoon storage hatches, wide side decks for comfortable fishing positions, large fender rubbers for protection at docks, and sealed outboard brackets. Many of these refinements have been introduced progressively over the last three decades in response to real-world boating use.

Customisation is another hallmark of the brand and a key distinction from larger, more impersonal builders. The company is structured around small-scale production specifically to maintain close one-on-one relationships with dealers and boat owners. This enables a high level of tailoring to individual requirements, from adjustments to standard features to more involved adaptations. The workshop team routinely modifies layouts and fittings to match an owner’s needs, with the philosophy that if a feature can be imagined, they will work to build it. Successful custom solutions often evolve into standard features on future models, keeping the range fresh and aligned with customer use patterns.

Over more than 30 years of continuous development, the company has grown from a backyard operation to a dedicated alloy pontoon boat specialist turning out hundreds of boats, while maintaining its original focus on quality, innovation and personal service. Its boats are used by families, divers, fishers, hunters and professional operators who require safe, stable, soft-riding craft capable of handling everything from calm lakes to demanding offshore conditions. Across the range, the brand presents itself as offering a combination of safety, performance and styling, backed by meticulous construction and a strong New Zealand boatbuilding heritage.