A former America’s Cup chase boat is making waves ferrying tourists back and forth across Otago Harbour.
Otago Water Taxis and Tours owner Rob Emett said he and his wife recently thought of the new possibility for the boat he bought in April to use for dive surveys in Bluff and Stewart Island.
As cruise ships returned to Port Chalmers, they heard there was a shortage of transport to take tourists to Dunedin and back.
‘‘We thought there was an opening and we’d try and fill it,’’ he said.
They now offered different trips in the harbour.
‘‘The last cruise ship was better than the one before, and the one before that was better than the one before that.’’
The boat was originally used in Auckland two decades ago as an America's Cup chase boat, after which it was donated to the coast guards.
He was able to buy it after another round of donated boats to the coast guard made it it surplus to requirements.
