HMNZS Wellington, one of New Zealand's two offshore patrol boats, is open to the public from 10am till 2pm Sunday.

The tours are for the Tauranga sea cadets and local naval reserve officers, says

Honorary naval officer Evan Dines.

On Friday, the ship hosted the commanding officer's luncheon, with guests including the mayor Stuart Crosby, Harbour master Carl Magazinovic, Port of Tauranga operations manager Nigel Drake and business leaders.

The offshore patrol boat will shift along to the number one berth near the Salisbury Gate Sunday morning ready for the public at 10am.

'They are basically in for a weekend off,” says Evan.

'But the open ship is because it's the first time HMNZS Wellington has been to the Mount and it's the first of its class. There are only two of them and neither of them have been here before.”

HMNZS Wellington's normal crew is 35, plus 10 flight crew for the helicopter. This trip, she is also carrying about 20 junior officers – midshipmen, getting what is probably their first training at sea.

The Offshore Patrol Vessels Otago and Wellington can go further offshore, stay at sea longer and conduct more challenging operations than the Inshore Patrol Vessels.

They will enable the RNZN to conduct patrol and surveillance operations around New Zealand, the southern ocean and into the Pacific.

They have the ability to conduct helicopter operations using a Seasprite SH2G helicopter, boarding operations using the ships Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats or Military Support Operations with embarked forces.

The new patrol boats have ice-strengthened hulls. They are not designed as ice-breakers or to enter Antarctic ice-packs, but have the range and capability to undertake patrols in the southern ocean where ice may be encountered.

HMNZS Wellington is the second of the Offshore Patrol Vessels to be accepted by the Royal New Zealand Navy as part of Project Protector. HMNZS Wellington was delivered from Melbourne last year and is the last of the Project Protector series of ships delivered following the Multi-Role Vessel HMNZS Canterbury, the four inshore patrol vessels and the Offshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS Otago.

HMNZS Wellington's Pennant Number is P55, her international call sign – ZMFS.
|Motto - Suprema ut oim (Supreme as ever).

Specifications:
Displacement: 1,900 tonnes
Length Overall: 85 metres
Beam: 14 metres
Range: 6000 nautical miles
Speed: Maximum continuous 22 knots

Complement:
Core ships company : 35
Flight personnel: 10
Government agencies: 4
Additional personnel: 30
Total: 79
Armament: One 25mm Bushmaster Naval gun and two .50 calibre machine guns

Sailing Monday 10am.