It was all hands on deck as Awakeri School launched its new playground attraction this week.

Three years of fundraising, mostly through the school’s annual Top School event, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next weekend, have gone into creating the ship and Oak Tree Cove, the courtyard in which it is anchored.

The entire school dressed in a nautical theme for the opening, mostly as pirates, with several mermaids, a shark and even a Spongebob.

The ship replaces the former playground that had been in place since 1988 and dominates the view from surrounding classrooms.

Acting principal and school board member Louise Howard thanked the fundraising committee members, volunteers and businesses who had contributed to making the playground ship-shape, including the team from Wills Built builders, who were given the honour of cutting the ribbon on the new playground.

“You transformed our plain decks into a sprawling port that goes right to the sea ... I never thought it would be this grand.”

Principal Craig McDonald, who is on a year’s sabbatical, went along to see the opening, in the guise of “Cap’n Mac”.

He thanked “Captain Howard” for her hard work in overseeing the construction of the playground.

“I think having a ship here in the middle of the school is a great metaphor for what we’re about ... As you go off to sail the seas of life, our Awakeri values are what is going to keep the ship upright.”

After a blessing from kaiārahi Bill Kora (Koro Bill), the lively children boarded the vessel for the first time.

The Crow’s Nest, sliding pole, climbing wall, rope ladders and slides of “the finest galleon in the Bay of Plenty” were put to work smartly.