Orakei Marine Director Jason Snashall shares his passion for Auckland boating and the marine industry.

What does boating mean to you?

Boating has been my life. It has brought me many friendships and helped me to see the world while earning. Boating is our time to relax and spend time with family and friends. How do you like to spend your time out on the water? I have been scuba diving since I was 15 years old, diving in the navy, and on superyachts around the world, and now I enjoy diving here in the South Pacific. If I am not under the water, then I am on it, eating fine food on the back of a beautiful boat of any size.

Please give us an introduction to Orakei Marine.

Orakei Marine started out with the contract to provide marina management and marine services to Orakei Marina at the Landing, Okahu Bay, in Auckland, New Zealand. Providing not only marina management but also marine services, this has seen the introduction of many offerings from boat detailing, trade services, berth sales, boat brokerage and also the exclusive representation of international brands such as Jeanneau, Prestige, Fleming Yachts, Lagoon and Amel Yachts.

Tell us about your career in the marine industry.

I was born in Perth, WA and spent many years there in the marine industry as well as being a diver in the Australian Navy. I began my career as a marine engineer and captain on super yachts in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. I met my wife and now business partner, Sarah, in Bermuda some 25 years ago. Sarah has many years of marketing experience with elite brands, and her marketing skills have seen us win numerous marketing awards from our international brand partners Prestige and Jeanneau. Sarah and I have been operating Orakei Marine since 2006 and are celebrating 20 years in business this year.

What do you love about your dual roles leading Orakei Marine and Orakei Marina?

Operating Orakei Marine and Orakei Marina means wearing many hats at once but the fact no two days are the same is what makes this business so appealing to everyone who works here, including Sarah and me.

What makes your location so appealing to boaters?

Orakei Marina is a boutique marina on the exclusive Eastern Bays waterfront of Auckland. Her location, where speed restrictions for the harbour stop and start, allows for unrestricted access to the Hauraki Gulf so power boaters can be out behind the gulf islands in just a half hour where daily stresses feel a million miles away.

Tell us about the marine services on offer.

Orakei Marine was founded by an ex-marine engineer so a reliable service department for this business was always inevitable. We offer trade-qualified boat-building services, electrical services and marine engineering. We also provide Auckland’s best boat-valet department. Our hand-picked tradespeople are selected to provide services in line with our values of reliability, affordability and quality.

What factors make a great boat dealership?

In my opinion, what makes a great boat dealership are its people and its brands. Our boat dealership is made up of people who live and breathe boating in Auckland. Not just for the love of boats but also the sea, the lifestyle, the environment, and the fantastic relationships that are made in this industry with clients, boaties and peers. And, of course, you need brands to represent good build quality, with reliable vessels and fantastic people working within those brands.

Please share some of your favourite local cruising grounds.

In Auckland, we are blessed with the Hauraki Gulf and her islands. We are so lucky to be able to jump on a boat and be out of sight of Auckland behind Waiheke Island or Rangitoto Island, feeling a million miles away. But my favourite spot in the Gulf is Port Fitzroy on Great Barrier Island. Despite being some 50 nautical miles from downtown Auckland, it’s well worth the trip there by power or sail.

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