Events

We love special events, particularly for members of the community.

We hold yearly pirate sails, community sails, and other events. Check out this page to see if we have any special sailings planned.

Mangawhai Museum Exhibition

The R. Tucker Thompson is exhibiting at the Mangawhai Museum from 13 October until March 2024.

The ship was built in Mangawahi and the exhibition tells the inspiring story of how a small township got behind the dream of a few determined people, Robert Tucker Thompson, Tod Thompson, Greta Simmonds and Russell Harris. The ship was built on the shores of the Mangawhai estuary and launched off the beach on 12 October 1985.

The exhibition includes a model miniature version of the ship as the centerpiece, and uses a mixture of media including film, audio, images, interactive elements to tell the inspiring R. Tucker Thompson story.

Come and view this wondrous exhibition of building a ship, building a community and building a dream.

Whangarei Maritime Festival

The R. Tucker Thompson sets sail for the inaugural Whangarei Festival on 14-15 October, a weekend of celebrating Whangarei’s maritime past, present and future at the Town Basin with classic boats and maritime displays, and activites for everyone. 
 
Come aboard between 10am-5pm on Saturday or Sunday and view our iconic tall ship.
 
To celebrate, we’re offering a raffle to raise funds for our youth programme. Buy a raffle ticket and be in to WIN a private charter worth $3,300. Good luck!
 
 
 
 
 

Interested in holding your own event on the Tucker? You can charter the ship!