The Scout Association of New Zealand's Sea Scouts are Scout Groups specialising in water-based activities. In 2017, there were around 900 Sea Scouts in New Zealand in 53 troops around the country.
The New Zealand Sea Scouts use a 17-foot cutter as their principal boat – the concept of having a specific boat for Sea Scouts in New Zealand originated in 1944. The first two boats of this class were ready for the 1st National Dominion Regatta in 1945. The original boats were clinker built and used Kauri as the main timber. The rig was a gunter designed so that all the spars could be stowed inside the boat for towing. These wooden cutters are still in use today including the first built. They continued to be built in the original manner until the early 1970s; around 140 were built over this period. In the late 1960s and early 1970, fibreglass versions of the cutters began to be produced, the hull being identical in shape and size but the gunter rig was replaced with a Bermudan design using aluminium mast and boom. These boats are still in production and around 90 have been built.
National regattas
National Sea Scout regattas take place every three years. The activities and competitions typically run for 9–10 days. The Premier Award is the Jellicoe Trident which was present in 1924 by the Admiral of the Fleet, Viscount Jellicoe . He was the second Governor General of New Zealand.
1924 Christchurch - Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Iron Duke Sea Scouts Nelson
1930 Petone - The runners up in the Jellicoe Trident Award were the "Irresistible" Sea Scout Group, 1945 Picton, New Zealand 1947 Tauranga – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Takitimu Sea Scout Group, Gisborne tied 1949 Nelson, New Zealand – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Takitimu Sea Scout Group, Gisborne tied 1951 Auckland (Motuihe Island) – 1953 Southland Region – 1955 Gisborne – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Takitimu Sea Scout Group, Gisborne 1957 Ngatitoa Domain, Paremata, Wellington – Jellicoe Trident Award winners:Te Ara o Kiwa Sea Scouts, Southland 1959 Auckland – 1961 Akaroa – 1963 9th Dominion Regatta Auckland, Motutapu Island – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Takitimu Sea Scout Group, Gisborne 1965 Ngatitoa Domain, Paremata, Wellington – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Shackleton Sea Scout Group, Whangarei 1967 Lake Waihola, Dunedin – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Iron Duke Sea Scouts Nelson 1969 Kaiapoi – 1971 Whangarei – 1973 Wellington – (14th National Regatta) Jellicoe Trident Award winners:St James Sea Scout Group, Petone, Lower Hutt 1975 Tokoroa – 1977 Lake Waihola, Dunedin – Jellicoe Trident Award winners: Britannia Sea Scout Group, Evans Bay, Wellington 1979 Picton, New Zealand – 1981 Hastings, New Zealand – 1983 Auckland (Whangaparaoa Peninsula) – Jellicoe Trident Award Winners: Pegasus Sea Scout Group, South Brighton, Christchurch 1985 Timaru - Jellicoe Trident Award Winners: Pegasus Sea Scout Group: South Brighton, Christchurch 1988 Tauranga – 1991 Evans Bay, Wellington – (22nd National Regatta) Jellicoe Trident Award winners Westshore Sea Scout Group Napier 1994 Picton, New Zealand – (23rd National Regatta) 1997 Takapuna, Auckland, – 2006 Auckland, Motutapu Island – Jellicoe Trident Award winners New Lynn Sea Scout Group, Auckland 2012 Christchurch, Lyttelton- Jellicoe Trident Award winners New Lynn Sea Scout Group, Auckland 2015 Takapuna, Auckland (27th National Regatta) – Jellicoe Trident Award winners New Lynn Sea Scout Group, Auckland 2017 Porirua, Wellington - Jellicoe Trident Award winners Iron Duke Sea Scouts Nelson
1st Waiheke Sea Scouts
The 1st Waiheke Sea Scouts is a group affiliated to the New Zealand Scouts Association. The Waiheke Sea Scouts group has several sections including; Keas (ages 6–8), Cubs (ages 8–11), Scouts (ages 11–14) and Venturers (ages 14–18). The younger members of the troop tend to focus on camping, indoor activities, bush walks and beach visits, while the older groups tend more to the sailing and water sports activities.
The Waiheke Sea Scouts Den is based on the shores of Putiki Bay, Ostend, Waiheke Island. This group was once one of the largest groups in the Auckland Region over the period 1960–1976. When scouting almost died at the turn of the twentieth century, the run-down, partially derelict scout hall in its idyllic waterfront location was to be found with smashed windows and litter, missing gear and old scout cutters. From 2005, Skipper and scout master Graham Crooks, and Long-Term scouting NZ member and Upper North island regional manager Ian Nicolson, worked on renovating the hall and scout cutters.