Soaring over the Hauraki Gulf, this Kiwi-built electric ferry is on its maiden voyage.
The VS-9 is a 10-seater hydrofoiling tour boat built by Auckland-based manufacturer Vessev and operated by Fullers as a new addition to its fleet.
Sailing fan Adriana McKeown, who won an invitation in a social media giveaway, was one of the very first passengers on board the cutting-edge vessel.
"I think it's incredible how smooth the boat actually is to the speed that we're actually going," she said.
"We sail, so this would take us half a day to do what we've done already today."
Another of her fellow passengers, Nico Gabarra, was similarly impressed.
"It's quite fascinating to see the speeds while not feeling the bumps. It feels a bit weird at first, but really nice," he said.
As it left the marina and reached a cruising speed of 25 knots, the VS-9 lifted above the water on its foils.
The ferry's 40 minute cruise on the Hauraki Gulf was its maiden voyage. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton
Skipper Jeremy Rei, who had spent the past three years driving diesel ferries, said it felt like flying.
"So once we're up out of the water on those foils, flying almost like an aeroplane, it's reducing our drag dramatically, so we're using way less energy," he explained.
"And because we're above a lot of the waves on the water and just flying, gliding above them, it really smoothes out the ride."
It was a refreshing change of pace compared to what he was used to.
"It's different. It's a whole new technology and a different way of driving compared to working on the traditional diesel ferry fleet," Rei said.
"Very exciting. It's all different. It's exciting stuff to learn about, and it's the way forward as well."
The VS-9 is a 10-seater hydrofoiling tour boat and it has just made its maiden voyage over the Hauraki Gulf. Photo: Supplied by Fullers 360
Rowing coach Nick Dawe was also invited on the maiden voyage, he said it was unlike anything he had seen before.
"Oh, that was amazing. I spend a lot of time kayaking, sailing, boating, rowing out in the harbour, and there's nothing I've done that comes close to that," he exclaimed after returning to shore.
"We were coming behind a boat's wash and didn't feel a thing. Maybe the slightest bump, if at all, and normally you'd be trying to grab your glass or stuff would be falling over, and we just went right through it. It was awesome."
Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton
Hannah Moloney, Adriana's plus-one, marvelled at the cutting-edge technology.
"I loved it. It was amazing. I sail with the rum races each week, and just that difference in technology, it's amazing," she said.
"And it's also so cool... I love how New Zealand embraces technology here, and we're always at the forefront of everything. It's super cool."
Fullers head of marketing Bec Flavell said all that technology was homegrown.
"Vessev are based in Auckland, in Mount Wellington. They have engineers and software developers putting together this amazing piece of tech, and this was 12 months from design to in the water, first foil. So a pretty incredible speed to market," she said.
It did not come cheap. A 40-minute cruise around the harbour would cost $195 per passenger, and a private charter would cost $2000 total.
But Flavell said it was a proof of concept for what could become the next generation of ferries.
"So this is the start of a future movement for Fuller's 360 to decarbonise our fleet. We're aiming for decarbonisation by 2040, and this is step one."
She said Vessev was already working on electric ferries that could carry 100 people at once, a glimpse into what could be the future of Auckland's harbour.
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