The launch Caprice & Silver Bay, Waiheke Island

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The launch Caprice & Silver Bay, Waiheke Island

In the 1950’s the Guthrie family leased a beach house + 10 acres (the only house in the bay) at Silver Bay, Waiheke Island. According to Roger Guthrie it cost one pound a week on a 20 year lease. The house sat right on the foreshore & still stands there today (& still the only house in the bay). The family would haul their launch Caprice out on the beach, right in front of the house. In the photos above the starboard side is being cleaned in Silver Bay, then a few days later the port side is done in Arran Bay, Wirihana is seen in the background, its a great photo of both boats with Ruth Passage seen in the background.

Thanks to Roger Guthrie for the photos & background info.

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5 thoughts on “The launch Caprice & Silver Bay, Waiheke Island”

  1. Ivan GUTHRIE sold Caprice to a king country farmer…Surname of Tapper….for 1800 pounds.That was the most money I had ever seen…18 big red notes…..Tapper kept her near the Clevdon bridge….He fell in love with Arran Bay when he went on test run of the boat with my father……Very shortly after that he managed to purchase all of Silver Bay and the southern end of Arran Bay which was previously owned by the Spedding family…..I was told two sisters of Spedding lived in Wellington and they were the vendors….Spedding family company….Amongst many other products had Seagull motor franchise for NZ……..

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  2. Pingback: Moata & Caprice | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news

  4. We (The Guthries)Bought her from Mr. Reid of Reidrubber Tyres. He had a house in Arran Bay Where Dr.Douglas Guthrie built a house. That was next bay From Silver bay where we rented a house from Speddings for many years. At that stage Caprice had a Graymarine Petrol motor.

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  5. This Caprice was built by the Grandisin brothers and launched on February 26 1916. The design may have been a crib from Lanes’ launch REGINA of 1913 which was later called MAIEBE. The Guthries seem to have bought her after 1931 as John W Andrew of Andrews Ford owned her from at least 1926 until then. She was then fitted with a Fordson tractor engine not surprisingly. Guthries owned her in 1952.

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