The vessel was ordered after the New Zealand government, facing a requirement for more minesweepers to operate in home waters, chose the design because it was simple enough to be built with the country's limited ship construction facilities at the time.[1]
Waiho was the last of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy and was commissioned on 3 June 1944. the others being, Awatere,,, Pahau, Waima,, and Waikato (never commissioned). She served with the 97th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group, located at Auckland.[2]
The day she was commissioned, she ran aground and was towed off after two hours, suffering a twisted rudder and popped rivets.[3] In 1944, the Waiho was struck by the . In 1945, she struck the Auckland ferry, with damage to the ferry. In 1946, she was sold to Red Funnel Trawlers, and was towed to Australia by the .[4]
She began fishing in 1946, and was laid up in 1958. She was sold for scrap in 1963.