The sailing ship which aroused the interest of locals when it arrived in Tauranga Harbour on Monday is the converted Scottish-built fishing trawler Alvei.

She is in port for a haulout and repair work at the new Vessel Works marine precinct.

The ship, registered in Port Vila, Vanuatu, is a rare specimen, says owner Evan Logan of California.

'Technically it's a main to'gallant schooner. It's a schooner rig, it has square yards, and the uppermost yards are called the to'gallants. Apparently there's only two of them with this exact rig in the whole world.”

Alvei was built in Montrose, Scotland in 1920 as a herring drifter. Originally designed as a sailing vessel, it was only when he bought her in Norway in 1986 that she actually became one, says Evan.

'By about 1910 they started putting motors in these vessels. By about 1920 when she was launched the sailing rigs were almost gone. She was really a motor boat.

'I bought the boat in 1986, took it to Portugal in '87, and spent eight years gutting the boat right down to the keel and rebuilding everything. It was supposed to be a two year refit that cost $150,000, and turned out to be an eight year refit that cost a quarter of a million.”

Normally the 96 foot (29.25m) Alvei would be in the Pacific at this time of year. She spends winter in the islands, and then returns to either Australia or New Zealand, usually based near Nelson, for the summer.

Alvei's first visit to Tauranga in eight years has been caused by the need to have a leak welded up, says Evan. Vessel Works is the best equipped and most cost effective place in New Zealand to have the work done.

He hopes the boat will be hauled out on Monday, and the work completed by the end of the week.

'It's a nice setup and the people are nice, so we're looking forward to working with them,” he says.

Once the work has been completed Evan plans a voyage north to Fiji, on a humanitarian mission.

'We have an aid project. We have been doing work with people there for several years - we're taking water tanks up to Fiji to supply some of the outer islands.”

It's the latest in a series of medical, cultural and ecological relief projects Evan and Alvei have been involved with in the islands of the South Pacific.

He says he's on the lookout for new crew, who are keen on an authentic, traditional sailing experience. They have a crew of eight currently, and Evan would like eight more to join him for the passage.

Vessel Works Managing Director Phil Wardale says the Alvei's arrival in Tauranga is a sign of the success of the newly-opened Vessel Works.

'There's few places that can lift him in New Zealand,” he says, 'that's why he's come to Tauranga.”

'If you go by the facility you'll see the shrink wrap just going around a 44m superyacht Encore.

'Also on the site at the moment I've got Deliverance, the Motiti barge that would normally go to Whangarei for work. It hasn't been able to lift out in Tauranga in recent years.

'And we've also got a little trimaran up on the hard that's never been able to be lifted out in New Zealand because of its width.”

Evan says they hope to be on their way by the end of next week, so anyone keen to join him for the voyage should email him at evan@alvei.org.

'The sooner the better because we can use all the help we can get.”