KENYA II (777)
photos from Helen & Richard Andrew’s family collection (grand daughter & her husband of Henry Allen -Tiromoana) ex Ken Rickitts. Build & war service details ex Harold Kidd
Kenya II was built for Len Heard by Lidgard Bros and delivered in early 1940 & was in NAPS service in Auckland during the war as Z29. She was also in Fiji between March & July 1942 doing patrol work. She kept her original Fairbanks Morse diesel until at least 1962 when Len Heard re-engined her with a Gardner.
It appears to be Heard in the cockpit of Kenya II. Len owned the confectionary manufacturer ‘Heards of Parnell’. Ken Ricketts remembers him from when he was 11 years old as given his business, Heard always had lots of lollies on his boat, making him very popular with all the young children in the bay.
Also of interest is the unknown older bridge decker in the background to “777” Kenya II. Anyone able to ID her?
B/W photo below taken by Ken Ricketts in Issy Bay, Labour weekend 1948. She was painted light blue at the time.
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As I remember, was built by John Gladden for the Heard family. I was talking to Mr Heard in Man O War Bay many years ago about the Gardner engine which I think is still in her today.
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The Wards used to cruise with John and Joyce Watson (Wanderer) who were well connected. We met Len Heard many times and he stressed that she was “Ken-Ya” named for a book that he had read when she was being built. I remember mother asking him how licorice was made and Len said “Take two hundred weight of…..” which was not the quantities mother had in mind. There was no updating of Kenya ll in Len’s lifetime -not allowed. She had a major rebuild when he passed over the bar.
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