We build fine boats and yachts of wood and steel with the experience of five generations of boatbuilding. Bootswerft Schmidt combines the traditional boatbuilding skills with modern technologies.

Allan Tongs Boatbuilders, quality custom boats built in New Zealand.

Bartlett Marine Limited, quality custom boats built in New Zealand.

This gallery will have designs that show the sport of Dragon Boat Racing from around the world.

Dragon Boating Today 
Dragon Boat Racing is second only to soccer in popularity around the world. Dragon Boat tournaments are held throughout the UK, Europe, North America and Asia. You might not have seen it on TV, but thousands of people take part in races. In 2004 The British Dragonboat Association estimates that there were over 30,000 people, participating in UK dragon boat competitions. At the 2004 world championships in China, 90,000 people came to the opening ceremony and the whole event was shown across the pacific region on TV. 

What is a Dragon Boat
A dragon boat is approximately 40 feet in length and between 230 – 850 Kgs in weight. Dragon boats are constructed from either teak wood or fibreglass, and are ornately decorated during tournaments with a dragon’s head and tail. Each boat carries up to 20 paddlers, a steers person and drummer. Dragon boat racing doesn’t require great physical strength but a keen focus on technique and timing. Experienced paddlers stroke, in unison, at a rate of between 60 – 130 strokes per minute. Dragon boats can travel up to 20 miles per hour and races are typically 200, 500 or 1,000 meters long on a straight course