Tio: Hard Working 55ft Boat Built By Jack Guard

Tio’s Story

Tio was designed by Hubert Levy and built by Jack Guard at Pukatea Bay in the Marlborough Sounds in 1953.  She was the largest boat to be be built by Jack Guard at Pukatea Bay. Photos on the Guard Family Descendants New Zealand Facebook page show her launch and condition today.

Originally built for the Marine Department, Tio worked as a oyster research boat.  Presumably this is where the name Tio comes from as it is Te Reo Māori for oyster.

After this Tio was used as a Navy pilot vessel with the registration number 316485 and a Great Barrier Island passenger ferry.  Whilst Tio was working for the government she was painted a light green.

In 1983 Tio was seen on Marsden Wharf Auckland where she worked as a light house tender and skipper training vessel. However, sometime between 1983 and 2020 Tio retired from government work and became a private vessel owned by Richard Cross.  Cross commented on Waitemata Woodys in 2020, that he had re-caulked the hull and was working on the interior fitout.  He had also got the Detroit 671 rebuilt in 2019.