About Us

Johnson’s Barge Service is owned and operated by a partnership between Nautilus Pacific Limited, O’Donnell Park Barging Limited & Kenny Barging Limited, all born and bred Marlborough Businesses, who want to provide the best possible service and opportunities to our wider community.

LEADERSHIP & EXPERIENCE

Backed by local knowledge and industry experience

Company directors Beau Simonsen and Kim O'Donnell bring a wealth of knowledge & passion for the industry working within the marine industry for a combined 65 years.

Day to day operations are undertaken by the management team consisting of Jared Rowe, Kim Weatherhead, and Jonny Everett. The team operate the business at the southeast corner of the Havelock Marina and continue to provide the great service that the Johnson Family provided for the last century.

OUR APPROACH

Practical solutions delivered safely and efficiently

We pride ourselves on being able to assist our clients, making their jobs straight forward and efficient. We strive to work alongside our clients to ensure that items and jobs are completed on time and in a safe manner.

Johnson’s Barge Service Limited operates five main vessels, four motorized barges ‘Pukatea’ ‘Mahoe’ ‘Titoki’ and ‘Manatu’ as well as ‘Hinau’, a dumb barge which is coupled to tugboat ‘Tawhai’. The business operates mainly in the Pelorus, Kenepuru Sounds and D’Urville Island area, but also goes as far as Nelson, Golden Bay, Wellington as required.

Brief History

Versatile vessels supporting
the wider region

In keeping with the Johnson family traditions, we continue to operate ‘Tawhai’, a tow vessel which was originally designed by Eric Johnson and was built in 1966. ‘Tawhai’ can still be seen plying the sounds on most days of the week alongside dumb barge ‘Hinau’. The ‘Hinau’ carts logs from forests in the Pelorus Sounds as well as all manner of heavy machinery & bulk loads as required.

‘Manatu’ provides support services to salmon farms at Waitata, Waihinau, Forsyth and new install Blue Endeavour in the Cook Strait, as well as helping out around the sounds with salvages & deliveries. ‘Pukatea’ undertakes general barge work within the Pelorus and Kenepuru Sounds. She also works closely with the farming community to transport livestock & supplies to keep the farm community moving.

Our vessel ‘Mahoe’ harvests all fish from NZ King Salmon farms in both the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds, being berthed in Picton for most of the year. Our newest addition ‘Titoki’ is active around the place too. She is small but very powerful which means that she can fill in for any of the other vessels when workloads are heavy, small enough to manoeuvre around bays servicing moorings and delivering goods, but capable of towing the ‘Hinau’ loaded with logs or anything else that needs towing.

VIEW OUR FLEET

Professional marine transport and barge services throughout Marlborough Sounds. Serving Queen Charlotte Sound, Pelorus Sound, and Kenepuru Sound with reliable cargo transport solutions.