TAWHIRI
photos & details below ex Ken Ricketts
Built c.1946 by Roy Lidgard in their shed, at Smelting House Bay, Kawau Island. Note similarities to Ted Coopers Awarua. Tawhiri is a little shorter at approx. 36ft. & AWARUA 37ft. Unsure who she was built for, Harold Kidd might be able to help here?
Tawhiri originally had a 4 cyl Lister diesel, (painted bottle green) installed in a box which formed the table in the middle of the main cabin area. Roy Lidgard installed Listers in quite a few boats of that era, another went into the Wainunu for Clive Power, to which Kens father later fitted an electric self starter system for Clive c.1949-50.
At one stage she belonged to a Euan Berger, ex Air NZ cabin crew, whom Ken knew in the1970s-80s. Berger replaced the Lister with a 6 cyl. Ford diesel, (after which she floated about 6 inches higher in the water in the bow, the Lister must have weighed a thousand tons) Tim Lees may have done the engine change.
Ken last saw Tawhiri a couple of years ago, in a scoria & building merchants yard in Karapiro Drive at Whangaparaoa, where she sat for a few months.
Ken took the photo in the water at Christmas 1948, in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island. The other was taken on a slip, adjacent to the Panmure Yacht Club, by the look of the background, (which Ken can identify well with, as his father was commodore of that club), Ken recalls the photo was sent to him for I.D. , possibly by Harold Kidd & is not sure when it was taken but it was long time ago as the area is quite different there now.
Ken is interested to hear if anyone knows anything more of Tawhiri’s life.
Harold Kidd Update
Lloyd’s Yacht Register says she was built by Lidgards Shipyards in 1947 and was named TAWHIRI II. However I think 1946 is right as because her first owner, Jim Inkster, registered her with the Squadron in the 1945-46 year. Jim Inkster had owned the yachts DAISY, SCOUT and had the 38 footer TANGAROA built by Percy Vos in 1936, so TAWHIRI was TANGAROA’s postwar replacement. Her original engine was a 1945-built 3 cylinder 30hp Lister diesel, about all you could get at the time, and that stayed in her until at least 1964. Her official APYMBA dimensions were 35’x33’x10’6″x2’9″ which vary from the Thames Measurement dimensions given in the LYR entry. In 1964 Stuart Clark registered her as a British Registered Ship under #191807 from which I have drawn her engine details.
Jim Inkster sold her to A.J. Noakes in 1950-51. Later owners I know of were D.D. Brown (1962), Stuart G. Clark (1964) and Muir (later Sir Muir) Chilwell QC (1970). Berger must have been after Muir.
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Tawhiri 11 still owned by boatbuilder Paul Tucker, currently on the hard at his yard that he shares with Terry Gosden on the Whangaparaoa
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My mothers family owned the boat Tawhiri through my grandfather Des Bawden in the 1950s through to the 1970s. Tawhiri was moored in Milford and still water marina where we had and enjoyed many happy family trips in the Hauraki gulf many to Whaihekie(Garden Cove) Kawau and Rakino (Woody Bay). These family experiences lead to us being heavily involved in water activities from small to large yachts. We actually tried to locate Tawhiri and its location to date as we would love to see the old girl again. Any assistance to this question would be gratefully appreciated.
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My family owned TAwhiri from roughly 1957 to 1962. My dad’s name was Raymond Alfred Smith. I have fond memories as a young girl holidaying on her.
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TAWHIRI II UPDATE – I have just sent pics of her as at today, 14.12.13,. to Alan H., on the hard stand, at Gulf Harbour where she is also moored. She ie presently owned by Paul Tucker a self employed boatbuilder by profession, who has had her for 3 or 4 years, & he tells me she was owned by a Mr Bawden 35 years ago for a number of years, who I feel must have bought her off Euan Berger. She still has the 6 cyl. Ford Diesel.
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Lloyd’s Yacht Register says she was built by Lidgards Shipyards in 1947 and was named TAWHIRI II. However I think 1946 is right as because her first owner, Jim Inkster, registered her with the Squadron in the 1945-46 year. Jim Inkster had owned the yachts DAISY, SCOUT and had the 38 footer TANGAROA built by Percy Vos in 1936, so TAWHIRI was TANGAROA’s postwar replacement. Her original engine was a 1945-built 3 cylinder 30hp Lister diesel, about all you could get at the time, and that stayed in her until at least 1964. Her official APYMBA dimensions were 35’x33’x10’6″x2’9″ which vary from the Thames Measurement dimensions given in the LYR entry. In 1964 Stuart Clark registered her as a British Registered Ship under #191807 from which I have drawn her engine details.
Jim Inkster sold her to A.J. Noakes in 1950-51. Later owners I know of were D.D. Brown (1962), Stuart G. Clark (1964) and Muir (later Sir Muir) Chilwell QC (1970). Berger must have been after Muir.
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