Westhaven News - February 2022

This year Westhaven continues to focus on reducing its environmental footprint and needs your help! We will be adding tips and reminders to our newsletters and will also be updating our website regularly with actions we are taking to become more sustainable.

Sustainable action of the year award

Do you, your crew, or your business go the extra mile to reduce your impact on the environment? The Eke Panuku Marinas ‘Best Sustainable Action of the Year’ award recognises boaties and businesses who are leading by example to protect our coastlines. If you have a great story to share, please submit your entry/nomination to info@westhaven.co.nz by 31 March. The winner will receive a beautiful walnut wood trophy and a feature article in the Westhaven Marina newsletter.

Waste management tips and reminders

E-waste
E-waste is a universally agreed upon term for electrical or electronic equipment that has been or will soon be thrown away. This includes both working and broken items. There are many good reasons to keep this growing waste material out of landfill, but one of the most important reasons is that these items are full of toxic chemicals that leak out from the metal components inside, once in the ground. New Zealand produces about 80,000 tonnes of e-waste a year, yet is reported to recycle a mere 2% of it. This is why your efforts, along with EcoMatters and our e-waste partners, are so important for our taioa (natural environment) and our hapori (community).

EcoMatters provides a drop off point for e-waste to help keep the items our of our waste bins and landfill.  There are 2 drop off points in Avondale and New Lynn.  For more details on what they take visit the website

Fish Frames
A REMINDER FOR MARINA USERS, please do not dispose of fish waste in the rubbish bins, in the heat of summer this can become very smelly very quickly! Remember we have Kai Ika at Z pier carpark, you can drive around and drop off your unwanted fish frames and waste to them and they will repurpose it! Best of all it is free!

Kai Ika services

In the heat of summer Kai Ika continues distributing fresh seafood to communities in need, supported by more staff and the Z-pier trailer now being open every day of the week (weather depending). 

The Kai Ika Project is a collaboration between LegaSea, the Outboard Boating Club of Auckland and Papatūānuku Kōkiri marae distributing fish heads and frames to communities in need around Auckland.

Both commercial and recreational fishers can waste a lot of fresh fish and our main goal is to address the issue of unwanted fish parts from bycatch or filleting by utilising fish to its full potential. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has boosted us to output more fresh seafood than ever before, with unwanted fish parts leftover from filleting donated to grateful communities. 

Let them fish update – supporting Tonga through volcano/tsunami recovery

We’re delighted to be supporting Let Them Fish in lending a hand – and fishing rod – to people in need in the Pacific Islands. Have any good diving/fishing gear that you no longer need? Simply drop it off into your local green/blue Let Them Fish collection point. From there, the team will see that the fishing supplies are sent to remote settlements and villages that rely on fishing for survival. Let them fish has sent a load of the previously donated fishing gear up to the Ha'apai islands of Tonga as part of the volcano/tsunami recovery efforts. 

Thank you to all the marina users that have donated unused gear. The bins are still available at the top of Z pier ramp, and by the sliding door at the old marina office 137 Westhaven Drive. The Islands still desperately need our support. If you have any old rods, hooks, tackle, diving gear wetsuits, booties, masks, snorkels or fins sitting around collecting dust? Instead of throwing it in the bin, why not donate it to the Let them Fish initiative. (For more information ask our friendly staff).

GOfuel introducing Mobil Diesel Efficient coming to Westhaven Marina

GOfuel is committed to providing you with products which are better for the environment, which is why we are moving to Mobil Diesel Efficient in our Westhaven Marina fuel facility. Mobil Diesel Efficient is an advanced fuel formulation engineered to lower carbon emissions and offers you fuel savings.

Mobil Diesel Efficient is formulated to help:

  • Lower emissions - an average of 22% reduction in particulates matter, 10% NOx and 2.8% CO2
  • Reduce fuel consumption
  • Remove dirty fuel injector deposits
  • Provide excellent fuel system corrosion protection
  • Improve engine performance
  • Retain engine cleanliness
  • Give you a faster, cleaner fill (anti-foaming).​​​​​​​

Mobil Diesel Efficient has traditionally only been available to commercial transport trucks, but with the benefits this product provides we believe it will be right for diesel boats.

Mobil Diesel Efficient will be available in March 2022 in Westhaven. Keep an eye out on our newly renovated pumps – they will signify when the changeover has been completed and you can fill up with Mobil Diesel Efficient.

The GOfuel Mobil fuelcards can be used at Westhaven Marina – this fuelcard will give you a discount off the marina pump price and can be used at petrol stations too. Apply for a GOfuel fuel card at www.gofuel.co.nz – and use the promotional code: Westhaven

GOfuel are proud to be the first Mobil Branded Reseller in New Zealand and bring the Mobil Diesel Efficient to Westhaven Marina.

Further information about Mobil Diesel Efficient is available on their website: gofuel.co.nz

*Mobil Diesel Efficient performance claims are based on internal and third-party customer testing, laboratory testing and/or literature support. Fuel economy testing was conducted using on-road trucks comparing performance to unadditised diesel. Actual benefits may vary depending on factors such as engine type, driving style, and fuel previously used.

Compliance is the key

EWOF and Test tags
You may have seen our new eye-catching materials around the marina on the piers and plinths, please remember that if you are plugging into power and walking away from your vessel you must have a current EWOF and Test tag, i.e., running a dehumidifier over winter or refrigerators. If you are only plugging in while on board, please have a valid power cable tag i.e., using power tools or a vacuum. 

Kai Ika - knife sharpening

For optimal filleting results, one of the most crucial tools is a properly sharpened blade. 
A sharp knife will ensure your job at hand is easier and safer. Most accidents by knives are caused by the knife slipping from where it ought to be and slicing into something it shouldn’t. A properly sharpened knife will reliably sink straight into whatever you’re slicing.

What's the best way to sharpen your knives? Let the Kai Ika Project do it for you with one of the world’s best commercial knife sharpeners: The Catra-i100. Bring your filleting, bait, kitchen and/or safety knives down to the filleting trailer at Westhaven Z Pier and let them bring your dull blade back to life. The price is $5 per knife with 100% of the proceeds raised reinvested straight back into the Kai Ika Project to help them recover more fish and feed more families.

Customer Service Survey

We love your feedback! This gives us the opportunity to hear what you have to say (confidentially) and gather information on your likes/dislikes so that we can design our future planning around your needs. We will address themes identified from your feedback throughout the year in our newsletter, so you are informed about how we’re taking your feedback on board.

Keep an eye on your email inbox for an invitation to participate in our annual survey that will be running through March. All completed surveys go in the draw to win one of five $100 vouchers for one of our fantastic marina businesses.

Parking

Please remember if you are taking guests out over the summer period, they need to park in the WHITE spaces, and their registrations need to be loaded onto your guest allocation through the parking system permits.westhaven.co.nz. Also, a reminder that if you are bringing in different vehicles you need to switch your yellow space registration around, so you do not get an infringement.

Whale Tales Art Trail

Chances are that if you have been around the marina recently you may have noticed something new! Whale Tales Art Trail, Auckland 2022 runs from January 24 through until 18 April. A trail of unique and stunning whale tail sculptures, designed by artists and children and sponsored by businesses and organisations, are dotted around Auckland City streets, parks, and open spaces.

These whale tails bring to life themes of protecting and restoring the mauri of our ocean. Inspired by the Bryde’s Whale, there are 80 Big Broos (large tail sculptures) and 80 Pēpi (mini-tail sculptures) to be discovered. For more information and a map of the trail, visit the website.