Like many charities, Tauranga Coastguard relies almost entirely on donations, grants and other fundraising activities to be able to exist to provide the service that it does.  It is not a Government backed organisation, but part of nationwide organisation that provides the Primary Inshore Search and Rescue Service for the whole of New Zealand. 

We welcome and greatly appreciate donations from anyone at any time.

If you are one of New Zealand's many boaties you will recognise the need for such a rescue service, and may have experienced the benefits from it yourself in the past. 

You can greatly help our service survive by making a minimum donation and for a small additional membership fee receive some benefits that we afford to our members in recognition of their support. All donations to Tauranga Coastguard go directly to assist with the running of the unit.  It helps us maintain our vessels so that they are ready whenever needed, and to provide a radio service for the logging of trip reports, or calling for assistance if required. 

Our members receive our annual handbook, a regular newsletter, a membership sticker for your boat, along with a personalised membership card. 

For more information on becoming a member to support our service, please see the Supporter section of our web-site.

This is our main rescue vessel, called TECT Rescue, so named due to the generous support of our primary sponsor, Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust.  It is a 13m Scott Robson designed catamaran, powered by twin 500hp Yanmar diesel engines connected to Hamilton Jet Units.  It has twin 1000 litre fuel tanks, and has a large operating range, and the ability to stay away from its base for multiple days if required.  It has a considerable amount of state of the art electronic equipment, and can be used as the control point of operations


This is our secondary rescue vessel, called Rescue 2, designed primarily for shallow water and inshore operations.  It is 6m long and powered by a single 200hp Mercury petrol engine operating through a jet unit.  It was built by local Tauranga company AMF Boats.  It is capable of up to 40 knots and can still be used to tow reasonably sized vessels.