RANGIORA
photos & details ex Harold Kidd
Rangiora was built in 1964 at McGeady’s yard in Summer Street, Ponsonby, to a McGeady design by McGeady with considerable input by her first owner Gordon Collie of Paton Road, Howick.
She was a breakthrough McGeady design with the substantial beam of 15ft on an overall length of 52ft. Her original engines were twin Fords.
Tony Vazey bought her in the 1980s and replaced the Fords with twin GM 4/51 supercharged diesels. He kept her at Westhaven, always absolutely immaculate as you can see from these images.
In late 2001 Tony sold her to Nick Tansey of Wellington. These days she can readily be seen from the shore on her marina berth in Wellington, a very beautiful hull with totally aesthetically pleasing topsides.
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A bit more thread drift, Harold, the GM 4-51 engine was only built between 1951-55 and would have been extremely rare in the 1980’s. I think you mean 4-53 series. The 51 series was a true valveless 2 stroke uniflow engine produced only in 2 and 4 cylinders
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Have recently spoken to Ben Hipkins about RANGIORA, & he has confirmed to me that (a) he was apprenticed to Mac McGeady at the time she was built, & he worked on her, & (b)., she was definitely built on a chicken farm in Pakuranga, so there we have it, straight from the best possible source — KEN RICKETTS
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Hi Matt,
Just wondering if you have any photos/info on RANGIORA. My name is Karen and I’m Mac McGeady’s Granddaughter and am collating information on all of his boats/designs.
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I spent a lot of time on Rangiora when the late Murray Wagstaff owned her. She was a beautiful little ship. If I remember correctly at one stage she suffered substantial fire damage to one side while Murray was living on her down at McMullen and Wing and a neighbouring boat caught fire – there was an article in the Howick Times or Courier… and then I heard later that she may have sunk due to a faulty skin fitting? but I don’t know that for sure.
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Thank you for your confirmation of Rangiora’s birthplace Martin, I have always recalled it so clearly, I knew I couldn’t have got it wrong, & although I was certain, it is still really good to have it substantiated — KEN R
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I’m in agreement with Ken there,I remember her appearing out of the shed just beside the Chicken Farm that was there for years, before the local college was built, but on to a more current item ,Ken asked of the location of Astra, she is hauled out at Sandspit Yacht Club for her annual clean.
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Murray Wagstaff own Rangiora in the 198—. He also did a major refit in MacMulln&Wings yard. Her first for many years .Will get the dates.
Greg Beeson
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I did not venture to say before, in case anyone was 100% certain, but I am 95% certain she was built in shed on a farm at Pakuranga. — KEN RICKETTS
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Well a couple of things too, in the earnest search for truth;
1. I had two informants that RANGIORA was built at Summer Street, Max Howard and one Ken Ricketts. However I readily believe she wasn’t built there because of her size and suggest she was built at Gordon Collie’s house at Howick? Tony Vazey wasn’t sure.
2. The first McGeady (Supreme Craft) launch built for Collie was the 33’6″ LADY ALLYSON in 1953. LADY ELLEN was built for Gordon Piercy.
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A Little “foible” of Gordon Collie’s was, that he required McGeady to keep the decklines of both of his boats very “flat across,” & not have the usual radius or curved cabintop line that boats usually have, quite noticeable on the bridgedeck of Rangiora in one of the side on pics. — Glad I’ve now got a pic of her, I always wanted one as she was one of his last boats as I recall
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The first Mc Geady/Collie boat may have been called LADY ELLEN which was either built for him, or Richards, of Pukekohe
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Just a coupe of things, I knew the Rangiora from new, She was the second boat McGeady built for Gordon Collie, the first being a circa 34/36 ft Sedan top & a typical McGeady of the later 40s/50s era. Also, she was not built at Summer St , she was I think the biggest boat Mac ever built & he spoke to my dad & me with much excitement at the time, about the size she was to be, & she was too big to go in his Summer St premises & she was actually built at Pakuranga
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