Our Story
Our story began in Sydney, where Sean worked as Short Marine’s in-house boat builder alongside Sam and Ryan Short
about THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM
OUR STORY
Short Marine NZ represents two families coming together through a shared passion for boating, fishing, and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Our story began in Sydney, where Sean worked as Short Marine’s in-house boat builder alongside Sam and Ryan Short, preparing and customising premium sports fishing boats, including the renowned Grady-White range. Through years of working together, strong relationships were built on trust, craftsmanship, and a commitment to excellence. When Sean and his partner Lauren returned home to New Zealand, expanding Short Marine into the New Zealand market became a natural next step. Combining the experience and reputation of the Short family with Sean’s hands-on marine expertise created a partnership uniquely positioned to serve Kiwi boating enthusiasts.
Today, Short Marine NZ proudly provides access to some of the world’s leading game fishing brands, offering a carefully selected range of both new and pre-owned vessels. We believe buying a boat is about more than making a purchase—it’s about creating memories with family and friends, chasing the next big catch, and embracing the lifestyle that comes with time spent on the water. As a family-focused business, we value honesty, integrity, and personalised service. Whether you’re purchasing your first boat or upgrading to your dream game fishing vessel, we’re committed to helping you find the right fit and supporting you throughout your ownership journey.
At Short Marine NZ, two families have come together with one goal: to give New Zealand boaters access to some of the finest game fishing boats in the world, backed by genuine expertise and service you can trust.
Your next adventure starts here.
about THE FOUNDERS
THE SHORTMARINE STORY
Three generations of boating experience. It’s safe to say, our passion for boating was born into us. Our grandfather was a commercial fisherman, before he started his own aluminium boat company. Our Dad used to help build the boats for our grandfather, before he started his business selling them. And we used to work for Dad, before we started this business together. In 1982, Dad started, Andrew Short Marine and over 27 years he grew it to be one of the most reputable and successful marine businesses in Australia. He was an industry icon and an awarded dealer for some of the world’s leading boat brands; Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Mercury, Sea-Doo, Brig Inflatables, to name a few, whilst also operating 2 marinas and multiple service centres. In 2009, Dad was killed in a tragic yacht racing accident. It was an overnight yacht race from Sydney to Wollongong & back, a warm up race for the Sydney to Hobart. The accident shocked the industry and even more so, us as a family. Although he is no longer around, his legacy lives on through the values and attitudes he instilled in us from an early age and this is something we’ll be forever grateful for. Dad had us cleaning boats in school holidays since we were old enough to walk. From the day we finished school, we were working in and soon managing the service department at his Mosman location . Looking back, this was a great decision by Dad as it taught us everything we needed to know about boats & the importance of building ongoing relationships.
Andrew Short Marine was forced to shut its doors in 2012. This was when we started Short Marine which started as a service business, operating the slipway we were running for Dad in the years prior. Fast forward and here we are today with our fully equipped service department and dealerships for some of the industry’s leading brands.
Growing up, we were lucky enough to spend most weekends on the water; whether that was sailing, fishing, running around in tinnies or doing overnights on bigger boats rafting up alongside family & friends. Looking back, that’s where all our greatest memories are – the memories of our childhood and the memories of our Dad.
This is why we are so incredibly passionate about building a business that enables people to turn days on the water into lifelong memories.
Boating, when done right, is the best activity in the world when it comes to connecting with friends & family and creating lifelong memories together. It’s our mission to deliver the best boating experience in the world to our customers to ensure this happens.
Life is short, it really is. Unfortunately for most people it takes a loss, illness or tragedy to appreciate this reality. It certainly changed our perspective on life and we hope it has changed yours. As Dad would say, be here for a good time, not a long time…… and if you happen to be here for a long time, whilst having a good time – well that’s just a bonus!