DTA Raft Across the Harbour Christchurch Fundraiser

Military scientists from the Defence Technology Agency (DTA) in Devonport are putting brains and brawn to work raising money for Christchurch on April Fool’s Day, paddling a one-of-a-kind craft of their own design across the Auckland harbour as a fundraiser for the earthquake victims. The paddlers will depart Friday, April 1 from Windsor Reserve in Devonport at approximately 3:30 PM, finishing their epic voyage at 4:30 PM at the east end of the Viaduct, Visitors Berth 21.

The boat is a human powered paddle-wheel catamaran. Surely the only one of its kind in the world, it is constructed of “found materials” including corrugated roofing iron, plywood and glass fibre composite. It took the DTA engineers about 200 hours to build in their own time, after work and on weekends.

The boat, dubbed “HMNZS Insufferable,” was built for a team-building Navy raft race in February, with the paddle wheel added to DTA’s winning hull design from last year. When the race was cancelled due to the Navy’s disaster relief work in Christchurch, the DTA engineers decided to put their craft to good use with a fundraiser. They are donating contributions to the Red Cross 2011 earthquake appeal. Contributions are being accepted at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/DefenceTechnologyAgencyNZDF/

DTA organisers say the paddle is a way to use engineering ingenuity to support a worthy cause.

We welcome all to watch the fun on Friday as the paddle raft attempts the harbour crossing!

Event listed by mlemon

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