NZ Boat Register

02/09/2026

An extremely exciting delivery ….

The first AquaGPS RX trackers have arrived in NZ.

We’ve brought the RX model to make second-by-second race tracking much more accessible for clubs, individuals, families and groups. Bringing live race tracking to the races happening every weekend around the country.

Track the action live, share it with anyone, anywhere in the world, and replay it afterwards. All with no phone required onboard to capture the action.

There’s still a little work to finish, but we’re getting very close.

AquaGPS RX. Coming soon.

Part of the growing NZ Boat Register ecosystem.

JetSkiNZ WakaAma WingFoil KayakingNZ

28/08/2026

What if your boat moved when you weren’t there?

With AquaGPS geofencing, you can set an area around your boat, trailer or gear and get an email alert if the device moves outside it.

From the alert, you can jump straight back into AquaGPS and check where it is.

Geofences can be set from 50m right out to 300km, so you can tailor them to where and how your gear is stored, parked or moored.

We’ve put together a quick walkthrough showing how to set one up, change it or remove it.

Watch here:
https://youtu.be/tFJK9FHgvFw

Another simple feature designed to give owners better awareness of where their boats and gear are.

Set up an AquaGPS geofence and get an email alert if your boat, tra...

02/08/2026

JUST RELEASED: custom trail replay and ability to export a trip in GPX format

Want to see exactly where your boat or gear has travelled? In our latest AquaGPS walkthrough, we show how Trails turns your recorded location history into something you can easily review, replay and export.

📆 Select a custom date and time
🗺️ Replay the trail directly on the map
📍 Review up to 30 days of location history
📤 Export your route as a GPX file

AquaGPS is part of the wider NZ Boat Register ecosystem, connecting ongoing location awareness with the secure digital record for your boat or gear.

Watch the full walkthrough:
https://youtu.be/upgLDiejyOQ

Learn more about AquaGPS:
https://aquagps.co.nz

See exactly where your boat or gear has travelled with AquaGPS Trai...

10/07/2026

Please keep an eye out for Mighty Pelican, a silver 2023 Stabicraft stolen with its silver trailer, registration 653M8, from West Quay in Napier.

Police are also seeking information about a white Nissan Navara double-cab ute seen at the premises at around 7.50pm on 18 June.

Please do not approach the boat or vehicle. Report any sightings or relevant information through 105 and quote Police file number 260619/4893.

Situations like this show why boat registration and location capability need to be in place before a craft goes missing.

A free NZ Boat Register record keeps clear photographs, hull and engine serial numbers, trailer details, documents and distinguishing features together in one secure place. It helps establish exactly what people and Police should be looking for.

AquaGPS adds another layer by providing the owner with the craft’s latest reported location and location history. It does not prevent theft or replace Police, but it may provide useful information to help narrow down where and when a boat moved.

Registration helps show what to look for. AquaGPS may help show where to look.

Please share this appeal, particularly with people across Hawke’s Bay and surrounding regions:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/napier-boat-theft-police-seek-sightings-of-mighty-pelican-and-trailer/ZCTZIIM4VFDQFLGM6ZWJBIBMAQ/

The 2023 Stabicraft 'Mighty Pelican' was taken from West Quay on June 18.

30/06/2026

Andy from Stealth Kayaks New Zealand shows us his setup with an AquaGPS on his Yak. Doing an epic trip blue fin tuna hunting on his Stealth, the unit allowed his wife to track along with his trip from home.

No cell signal, no worries, AquaGPS works with satellite (Starlink) connectivity to update your active location.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaMzsgZxx2Y/?igsh=MWVkcXF0YjR6Z2Z1aw==

25/06/2026

Really good article from Coastguard, awesome set of talks and a timely reminder for anyone heading wide.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beyond-horizon-offshore-fishing-case-preparedness-coastguard-62yie

Offshore fishing is one of those things where everything feels fine until it isn’t. Distance changes the equation pretty quickly. Weather, fuel, fatigue, comms, crew confidence and decision-making all start to matter more the further you get from shore.

The first message should always be the simple one: have the right safety gear and know how to use it.

Lifejackets, VHF, a PLB or EPIRB, a clear trip report, enough fuel, a proper weather check, and a crew that understands the plan. None of that should ever be optional.

At NZ Boat Register, this is also part of why we have been building an always on satellite + cellular tracking capability, AquaGPS.

For families at home, crew, boat owners or support people, being able to see a craft’s latest reported location, and where it has been up to 85NM offshore, can reduce some of the unknowns that come with longer trips offshore.

Not replacing the basics, but helping keep a boat more traceable.

Good preparation first. Always on, satellite enabled visibility as an extra layer. Find out more at AquaGPS.co.nz

Offshore fishing, at least as it is imagined, begins with a kind of horizon logic; the further you go, the better it gets. Bigger water, bigger fish, better stories.

19/06/2026

This is an amazing outcome, and full credit to everyone involved in finding him.

It also brings back a pretty real memory for one of our team. Years ago, their family ended up adrift at sea after the boat battery failed. They had no VHF and no beacon on board. They were eventually found by a trawler and towed in, but it could easily have been a very different story.

So when stories like this come up, it rings home. I’m sure for a lot of people it does too. The first message should always be simple: have the right gear on board.

Lifejackets for everyone on board. Two reliable ways to communicate, such as a VHF radio, mobile phone in a waterproof pouch, or a distress beacon. Suitable safety equipment for the conditions, enough fuel, and a trip report left with someone who knows where you are going and when you expect to be back.

It is also why location has become such an important part of what we are building at NZ Boat Register.

Our AquaGPS service does not replace safety gear, and it is not a distress beacon. But it does add another layer of visibility, giving people at home access to the latest reported location of your craft and recent location history.

NZ Boat Register started with helping make boats and gear identifiable. AquaGPS extends that by helping owners and families keep better awareness of where a craft is, both on and off the water.

It is not about replacing the essential boating safety. It is about adding one more way to stay connected. Find out more at AquaGPS.co.nz

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/missing-fisherman-found-alive-after-week-adrift-near-cook-islands/ONGW3IF7YFED5MM4ZIEV4IUNPQ/

An RNZAF P-8A Poseidon crew found the man adrift near the northern Cook Islands.

16/06/2026

Visible or tucked away, AquaTAGs give your boat, kayak, trailer or gear a simple digital ID.

If someone finds it, they can tap the tag and securely message you without seeing your private contact details.

And if it ever turns up where it shouldn’t, your AquaTAG links back to your registered record on NZ Boat Register.

Tag it. Scan it. Identify it.

Find out more at AquaTAG.co.nz

13/06/2026

Small tag. Big difference.

AquaTAGs help boats, kayaks, trailers and gear be quickly identified if they’re found, left behind, or separated from their owner.

Tap the tag, view the registered public details, and securely message the owner without exposing private contact information.

Tag it. Scan it. Identify it.

Find out more at AquaTAG.co.nz

12/06/2026

Do you recognise this boat, or know who it may belong to?

An unmanned dinghy has been found in Doubtless Bay. If you have information that could help identify the owner, please contact the relevant authorities.

Stories like this are a reminder that when a boat, tender, kayak or piece of gear is found without its owner nearby, identification matters.

A free registration at nzboatregister.co.nz gives your craft a secure digital record. Adding an AquaTAG means it can be scanned by a modern mobile phone, helping a finder securely identify the registered craft and make contact without exposing private owner details.

It is simple, practical, and can make a real difference when something is found out of place.

Read the RNZ story here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/regional/598060/concerns-raised-after-unmanned-dinghy-found-at-doubtless-bay

Police are wanting to find the owner to make sure no one is missing or in distress.