Boat Books

About Boat Books

Boat Books is New Zealand's specialist nautical bookshop, serving sailors, navigators, boatbuilders, and maritime enthusiasts. Located along Westhaven Drive right near Auckland's bustling marina hub, the shop curates an extensive collection of charts, navigational equipment, technical manuals, and maritime literature.

Whether preparing for a coastal voyage or an offshore crossing through the Southwest Pacific, seafarers can find essential cruising guides, nautical charts, instruments, logbooks, and seamanship references. Alongside modern navigational aids and boat maintenance literature, Boat Books also stocks an expansive range of secondhand maritime titles, children's ocean stories, and maritime gifts.

Boat Books: Auckland's Maritime Haven for Navigators and Ocean Lovers

Perched near the edge of Auckland's boating heart on Westhaven Drive, Boat Books stands as New Zealand's foremost specialist nautical bookshop. For decades, mariners, cruisers, boatbuilders, and armchair admirals have turned to this dedicated specialist for everything nautical.

Stepping into Boat Books, visitors are immediately greeted by an environment devoted entirely to the sea. The shelves are packed with comprehensive cruising guides that span New Zealand's coastline, the remote anchorages of the Southwest Pacific, and global ocean routes. For those plotting passages, the shop supplies essential navigational charts—covering local waters from the northern bays down to the Southern Ocean and Ross Dependency, alongside island groups like Fiji, Tonga, and French Polynesia.

Expert Maritime Gear and Literature

Beyond paper charts and navigation tools, Boat Books is a vital resource for technical practicalities. The shop maintains dedicated sections for boatbuilding, yacht design, sail rigging, mechanical systems, and electrical maintenance. Whether solving a corrosion problem or preparing a vessel for offshore survey, skippers frequently seek out the specialized knowledge documented across these texts.

Education and seamanship remain central to their mission. From beginner sailing manuals to advanced treatises on celestial navigation, the collection supports mariners at every level of experience. Vessel logbooks, flags, and chart table instruments round out the equipment side of the store.

Stories, Secondhand Rarities, and Young Explorers

For those drawn to the romance and history of the sea, Boat Books features an extensive selection of secondhand and out-of-print titles. These include narratives of classic square-riggers, naval warfare histories, exploration logs, and deep-dive chronicles of maritime disasters and shipwrecks.

Younger readers are equally catered for with vibrant children’s literature, pop-up books, and ocean activity titles such as *Wild About Whales* and *Seas and Oceans: A Magical Pop-Up Book*. Whether you are outfitting an ocean-going yacht or looking for a nautical gift like an art-mounted chart or a Ngataki t-shirt, Boat Books remains an indispensable fixture of Auckland's waterfront.

Signature items

• Artmounted Charts
• Seas and Oceans Pop-Up Book
• Cruising Guides NZ & Pacific
• Ngataki T-shirt
• Wild About Whales
• Secondhand Classic Sail Books

Menu

Apparel & Gifts

• Ngataki T-shirt — Nautical themed t-shirt
• Artmounted Charts for Display — Display-mounted nautical charts

Books & Manuals

• Cruising Guides — Guides covering New Zealand, the Southwest Pacific, and beyond
• Boat & Yacht Design — Technical publications on boat architecture and yacht design
• Boat Building — Manuals and guides for construction and wooden or modern boatbuilding
• Boat Fittings, Corrosion & Maintenance — Practical guides on hardware, corrosion management, and vessel upkeep
• Navigation & Celestial Navigation — Instructional guides on coastal piloting and celestial navigation
• Sails & Rigging — Guides covering rigging setup, sail maintenance, and tuning
• Seamanship & Learning — Educational texts and practical guides for skippers and crew

Children'S Books

• Under the Sea — Children's ocean book by Buddy & Barney
• Seas and Oceans: A Magical Pop-Up Book — Magical pop-up book exploring ocean wonders by Hannah Porter
• Wild About Whales — Informative children's book on whales by Owen Davey
• Walk of the Whales — Storybook about whales by Nick Bland
• Splash! — Illustrated ocean children's book by Donovan Bixley
• My Sticker Paintings: Ocean Animals — Activity and sticker book featuring marine animals by Happy Fox Books

Navigational Charts

• New Zealand Charts — Official marine charts covering North Island, South Island, Auckland Zone, Cook Strait, and Southern zones
• International Pacific Charts — Charts covering South West Pacific, Australia, Fiji, Tonga, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Ross Dependency

Secondhand Maritime Books

• Secondhand Adventures and Narratives — Pre-owned maritime stories, personal accounts, and voyages
• Secondhand Classic Sail, Square Rig and Steam — Historical titles covering classic sailing ships and steam power
• Secondhand Shipwrecks and Maritime Disasters — Historical accounts of famous shipwrecks and maritime mishaps

Frequently asked questions

Where is Boat Books located?

Boat Books is located at 22 Westhaven Drive in Auckland CBD, near the marina waterfront.

Does Boat Books sell marine charts?

Yes, they provide charts for New Zealand regions as well as international charts covering Australia, the Southwest Pacific, Tonga, Fiji, and beyond.

Can I find secondhand nautical books here?

Yes, Boat Books carries an extensive collection of secondhand titles covering classic sail, naval history, adventures, shipwrecks, and technical subjects.

Do they offer books for children?

Yes, they stock a wide selection of children's marine books, sticker activity books, and educational pop-up titles.

Can I buy chart table equipment and flags at the shop?

Yes, the shop carries chart-related products, chart table instruments, flags, and official logbooks.

How can I get in touch with the shop?

You can call them at +64 9 358 5691 or email [email protected].

Tips

• {"body":"Browse their Southwest Pacific cruising guides and regional charts before setting off on offshore voyages.","title":"Plan Your Pacific Passage"}
• {"body":"Take time to dig through the secondhand section for rare historical accounts and classic yachting volumes.","title":"Explore Out-of-Print Gems"}
• {"body":"Art-mounted charts and maritime t-shirts make great practical gifts for sailors and ocean enthusiasts.","title":"Find Marine Gifts"}