March 31, 2026

Nuku’s Three-Month Whangārei Refit

Maggie and her partner’s 2020 Lagoon 50 catamaran, Nuku, came with six cabins and five bathrooms – perfect for charter work, but not what they wanted for living aboard.

“Six cabins and bathrooms are way too much for us,” Maggie laughs. “We wanted to make it more like home, our own version.”

The plan was to convert one entire side of the 50-foot catamaran from three separate cabins and bathrooms into a proper owner’s suite, exactly to Lagoon’s specifications. A flawless refit that would look like it came from the factory.

On a recommendation, Maggie and her partner contacted Circa Marine in Whangārei.

“When Tony from Circa came to meet us in Auckland that first time, we knew that he was onto it,” Maggie says. “But we were still skeptical because it’s a big job.

“When they sent us the 3D designs and showed us exactly what they were about to develop, we realised, OK, they know what they are doing.”

The result exceeded expectations. “When we saw it the first time, we were like – WOW. It’s just perfect.”

Over three months, Nuku underwent a comprehensive transformation. “It sounds like a long time, but not for the details we wanted, because there is a lot of custom work,” Maggie notes.

While in Whangārei, Nuku also had rigging work done, sails cleaned and repaired, systems upgraded and maintained, and work completed on their Zero Jet electric tender, which is conveniently manufactured between Whangārei and Auckland.

Why Whangārei?

The decision to berth at Port Nikau Marine came down to practical factors: cost, proximity, and access to trades.

“To put the boat in a marina in Auckland, in the city, you’re paying… a lot.”

But it wasn’t just about saving money. Having everything close by made the entire process easier. “Whatever you need – plumbing, electrician—it’s here. Right here, within a 5-minute drive,” she says. “You can walk to Circa’s office. Or to many of the marine services here. If you want to do work on your boat of any size, this is the best place.”

Maggie and her partner found Port Nikau Marine ideal for their needs.

“It’s clean, it has all the facilities you need, wide berths to easily get out of. They can accommodate our catamaran here.

“As far as refit and where you can hold your boat in the off-season, this is the perfect place. You wouldn’t find better, unless you want to spend a lot of money.”

The atmosphere helped too. “Everyone is nice and friendly here.”

The Circa Marine Experience

Maggie cannot praise Circa Marine’s work and approach enough.

“They are just unbelievably professional. We know the boat business, we are very detailed, and we know how things should be done. It wasn’t easy, but the outcome is exactly what we wished for.”

What impressed her most was the passion behind the work. “You can see the passion they have for boat building. They’re just nice people who really love what they do. And you see that. I think you do need to love what you do, because otherwise the outcome wouldn’t be like this.”

Circa Marine is located in Whangārei’s marine precinct, specialising in custom boat building, refits, and marine joinery.