About Us

   Ken is the owner and skipper of this lovely vessel and you'll find him the perfect host to ensure your customer-orientated experience is as memorable as possible. With Ken in charge, flexibility with guests is the key to a successful and satisfying trip.

With 25 years experience in the corporate world and as a passionate fisherman, especially for game species, you are assured maximum effort and best results.

Ken grew up in Auckland sailing and fishing, a member of RNZYS since a teenager, he was selected to be the general manager of the club for the first successful Americas Cup 2000 defence.

Over 20,000 ocean miles almost all in small to medium motor vessels, Ken has skippered Gladiator to the Pacific Islands three times. In 2010 he took Gladiator to the remote Chesterfield reef located in the coral sea some 1500 miles from New Zealand chasing Dog Tooth Tuna and Giant Trevally.  This year Ken also took Gladiator to the Chesterfield reef four times.

In 2010 Ken and his wife Donna, fishing without crew, won the Kingfish Lodge Easter tournament with the heaviest billfish. Donna has also won top Striped Marlin and Billfish angler at Houhora Game Fishing Club in 2008, the heaviest blue marlin, most tagged and released marlin and angler with the most points in 2010/11 and the heaviest blue marlin and 1st marlin landed in 2011/12.  She also won the 1st weighed marlin for NZ in the 2011/12 season.  Ken was awarded top skipper prize at the Houhora One Base in 2005.

During the Nationals in 2013 Donna caught and weighed a pending world record bronze whaler shark.

 Brett has been a skipper with us since 2007 and has many years experience as a charter skipper both in New Zealand and overseas.  

He started as a deckhand on boats in New Zealand to build up his sea time.  Brett obtained his skippers licence in 2004 and along with working on Gladiator he delivers vessels ranging in size from 60ft up to 164ft around the world.  

Brett is a keen fisherman and during his 'downtime' is often seen out on the water.

  Nick is the newest member of our permanent team, joining Gladiator in early 2010.  Nick's passion is spearfishing and he holds a number of junior spearfishing records.

Nick is an experienced scuba diver and accomplished fishing person having grown up on the sea.

He holds the STCW95 qualification and was granted exemption from the age limit by Maritime NZ due to his experince already gained on charter boats. He also holds a boatmaster certificate.

In his first year of gamefishing Nick was the deckie on Gladiator during the Nationals, which was 3rd highest scoring boat in the Houhora team.