THE GAMESAIL STORY
Born from inspiration

The story began with John and Christine Erkkila's concept of turning their favourite hobbies (game-fishing and sailing) into a business opportunity.  "We wanted a sound, ocean-going floating luxury lodge that could target more remote game fish spots, as well as being a great base for family holidays.

"I wanted to be able to provide a unique experience of game fishing, deep water stray-lining or just fossicking around the reefs and lagoons - swimming, diving and sailing," John says.

Discover Gamesail's Marine Playground
 Gamesail now have a fleet of two luxury catamaran's moored at the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland. From there we are kept busy hosting overseas and New Zealand guests on deep-sea adventures in New Zealand and further a field in the Pacific Islands. Family groups including children, most frequently book Gamesail vacations and we have hosted guests from countries like the USA, Singapore, Germany and the UK.

With so many years experience of holidaying and adventuring around the Hauraki Gulf, Great Barrier Island, the Bay of Islands and the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand, we have been able to develop range of itineraries to take you to all the special places that you simply cannot see from land.

Sailing power, stability and comfort
Gamesail's first luxury catamaran 'Kupe' was launched in December 2005.   The launch was the culmination of careful design and planning by boat designer Ron Given and John. The original brief was to be able to fish comfortably in 30 knots without spilling the client's gin! And we have certainly achieved that.

In November 2009 we added to the Gamesail fleet with the launch in Auckland of our second luxury catamaran Te Okupu. Ron and John took the blueprint created for Kupe and refined and enhanced it to create Te Okupu. It took four years construction by our team of experienced local boat builders, headed by Craig Wild.  

Sacred Names To Match the spirit of each vessel
A sacred name was gifted by a Maori Tribal Elder to match the Spirit of the each vessel with a special Maori blessing and naming ceremony at the launch of each boat. It is truly an honour for Gamesail  to have these names. The name "TE OKUPU" comes from our affinity to the settlement of Okupu on the West Coast of Great Barrier Island. This is the location of Gamesail's property "Bay Lodge Cottage". Okupu means "the message" or "the word" in Maori, as Okupu was the site of the first mail service on Great Barrier Island.

'TE NGAKAU A KUPE'  means 'THE SACRED HEART OF KUPE'. As Maori Legend tells us, Kupe was a great Chief of Hawaiki (Tahiti), a pioneer explorer and the first person to discover New Zealand.  His discovery came about quite by accident after a long and desperate voyage chasing down a huge sea creature. Click here to read more about the Legend of Kupe.

Photos:
Photo 1: Karen Watson
Photo 2: Art Fisher