#ImRePoweringWithYamaha | Ez’s big win
How a selfie video gave Ez’s old Osprey a new life and a Yamaha heartbeat
When the phone rang at home in Nelson, Ez Faauli did not expect it to change the way his family spends time on the water. He certainly did not expect it to end a personal winning drought that dated all the way back to a primary school colouring competition. Yet a few minutes later he was standing in the kitchen, speechless, trying to explain to his wife and five kids that their well loved Osprey 620 pontoon boat was about to receive a brand new Yamaha four stroke outboard.
Yamaha Motor New Zealand had been on the lookout for stories exactly like Ez’s when it launched the #ImRePoweringWithYamaha competition. The brief was simple. Record a short selfie video with your boat, tell Yamaha who you are, where you live, a bit about your boat and why you need a repower, then post it on social media and tag @yamahamarinenz with the hashtag #ImRePoweringWithYamaha. In true Kiwi fashion, boaties from right around the country stepped up. More than 250 entries rolled in, phones were pointed at transoms of every shape and size, and judging quickly became a lot harder than anyone expected.
Among that flood of videos was Ez, standing beside his 6.2 metre Osprey 620 in Nelson. The Bay of Islands lad is raising a family of five youngers and proudly showed off the boat he and his wife had saved long and hard to buy, complete with a 130 horsepower Yamaha two stroke Saltwater Series outboard that had chalked up more than 700 hours of use.
Ez spoke about long days fishing with his family, towing biscuits on Lake Rotoiti near St Arnaud and missions out across Tasman Bay. He also explained that the boat was not just for family fun. It was also a way to support his community. “We have supported many kaupapa, gathering kaimoana for local events such as Matariki celebrations, visits of Te Kuini Māori and tangi,” Ez explained.
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Away from those occasions Ez works with vulnerable young people who find themselves in the youth court system. “I use fishing as a tool to connect with them, teach them life skills and at the same time have positive conversations while we are out on the water,” he said. A more economical four stroke with better emissions was the perfect prize, not only for the family budget but for the environment, the local community and young people who will also benefit from it.
In Ez’s home town the team at Nelson Marine Centre were trusted with bringing the repower to life. Dealer principal Pete Walters and general manager Mark Wiblin welcomed the Osprey into the workshop and began the careful process of bringing the boat into the 21st century. First came a full safety check. Hull integrity, trailer condition, steering, electronics and any customer modifications were all inspected. The long life of a new Yamaha engine meant the boat needed strong seaworthiness. Despite its age, Ez’s boat passed with flying colours, a credit to the way the family had cared for it.
The old two-stroke was then unbolted from the Osprey and lifted clear, probably for the first time in many years. Even on the stand, Mark was impressed by the condition of the old V4 Saltwater series and remarked that it was a tribute to Yamaha engineering that the motor still ran like a dream and would almost certainly find a new home on someone else’s boat. In its place the team prepared to fit a Yamaha F150 four stroke. The way Ez likes to load the boat with family, friends and fishing gear meant more horsepower was the target for the upgrade, while ensuring the outboard remained a perfect match for the hull. “With a new outboard, as well as new controls, rigging and digital gauges, the Osprey will look and feel like a new boat, said Mark Wiblin. “As an added bonus, Osprey Boats is based just down the road, so they joined in on the project and CNC machined a fresh dashboard insert to house the updated instrumentation.”
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There was another pleasant surprise for Ez. With the extra reliability, torque and efficiency of the Yamaha F150, the secondary auxiliary motor that had long occupied space on the transom was no longer required. That meant less clutter, less weight to drag around and more confidence when heading wide in search of fish. “The new package will deliver more power and better fuel economy than you can imagined,” Mark Wiblin said to EZ. “It will also be much kinder to the environment.”
When launch day for the repowered Osprey arrived, Ez and the crew at Nelson Marine Centre eased the boat into the water, checked the systems one more time, then fired the F150 into life. The first thing Ez noticed was the quietness. Conversations on board would no longer need to compete with a screaming two stroke. As they motored out into Tasman Bay, the second revelation arrived. The boat lifted onto the plane effortlessly with a the entire family on board, and the fuel flow numbers on the new gauges told a story that would make any regular boatie smile.
Of course, a repower is only as special as the adventures that follow, and for the Faauli family there are plenty of those already pencilled in. You will still find them launching at the local ramp in Nelson in search of snapper in Tasman Bay. “We will also make the trip to French Pass and fish around one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets, D’Urville Island, chasing the beautiful southern blue cod, kingfish and hapuka,” Ez said. “Our children, friends and family love biscuiting and watersports, so we will also head to Lake Rotoiti and tow them around.” Friends and extended whānau will continue to pile aboard whenever there’s a chance to head out.
Ez admits the whole experience still feels a little unreal. “A new Yamaha four stroke will be amazing for our friends and family, with better fuel economy, reduced emissions and Yamaha reliability helping us feel safer on the water,” he said. “It will help us create many more beautiful memories for our friends, family and others who may share this resource with us.”
With Ez and the family enjoying their repower, Yamaha Motor New Zealand General Manager Alan Petrie revealed that the sheer quality of the entries had created a dilemma. “There could only be one main prize winner on the day, but Yamaha did not want the story to end there,” he said. “We decided to hold a public vote to select a People’s Choice winner from three additional finalists. The great news is that Emilie Servais has also secured a new Yamaha four stroke for her 16-foot Glasscraft called Flash Dance.”
The #ImRePoweringWithYamaha journey has delivered a very Kiwi story about whānau, fishing, giving back and making the most of every day on the water with Yamaha.