Makaira Boats

Makaira Boats is a New Zealand aluminium boat builder founded in 2012 by marine engineer Allan Shaw; from humble shed beginnings it now produces export-ready, heavy-plate sport-fishing boats that wear a trademark Carolina flare and carry the trailer-boat industry’s only lifetime hull warranty.

Origins Shaw honed his metalwork skills during a four-year apprenticeship at super-yacht yard Alloy Yachts, drafted the first 9.4 m Makaira 940 in 2012, and by 2013 was renting a small Henderson workshop to build two customer boats; the name “Makaira” – Latin for marlin – was chosen on an offshore fishing trip when “Marlin Boats” sounded too generic.

Expansion to Northland Rising demand prompted a 2014 move to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, enabling sea trials minutes from the shop, and today the company operates from a purpose-built Waipapa factory with nine build bays and capacity to triple output.

Design philosophy Each hull is CNC-cut from 8 mm Lloyds-rated 5083 plate, formed into a warped, flared shape that softens landings and throws spray clear, and supported by robust framing that underpins the transferable lifetime hull warranty.

Range and reach The line-up has grown from a 7.5 m hard-top to third-generation inboard and outboard models up to 10.7 m, and a tight-knit crew of about a dozen specialists now sends bespoke Makairas to anglers across Australia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States.