7 thoughts on “SS Romp”

1. Dunno. It would be easy enough to confirm from its serial number experts abound on line in the UK. It is not big enough to power a 50′ pinnace so if it had a service history, it was in a boat fairly similar in dimensions to Romp. Mumford was a preferred suplier. Re the date of her building: Puke was said to be built in the 1880s -I guess that was a familiar era around the Paeroa Museum and as good as any at the time.

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2. Is this the steam boat with the marine engine from a pinnace of HMS Hood

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3. Thanks Harold. Yes Jessie was built as a yacht, but how many early straight stem vessels had much flare in the bows? From what I can tell, flare in the bows came quite late for straight stem, counter stern vessels, indeed for some builders it never appeared on that type of hull. As you say, its pre 1905, but I doubt we’ll ever know much more than that. Without any more provenance or an original builders plate we’ll probably never know.

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4. With respect, the question of flare is a red herring. Jessie Logan was built as a centreboard yacht, not as steam launch. Just the same, Daniel may well be right in questioning the date of 1885. Without specific provenance I don’t think that you can put the build-date to anything other than the broad period 1880 to 1905, say, by when this hull-shape was not only pretty much out of fashion but also had been supplanted by forms which took power better, like the “cruiser” stern, the “compromise” stern, and of course the tuck stern that the mullet boats had made popular.
   As to provenance, I can’t get her back before 1910, but that is clearly a time when she was far from new.
   The later she was built, the more likely she wasn’t built by Robert Logan, maybe by Logan Bros, maybe by anyone who had served his time with or was influenced by the Logans (even a Bailey!).

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5. I’ve always considered the 1885 date rather unlikely, due simply to its hull shape. Romp has significant flare in the bow, a feature of boats built later than 1885. A comparison with the bow on Jessie Logan is interesting. Jessie Logan, known to be 1880 has virtually no flare in the bow, would 5 years have made so much difference? I feel unlikely.

   The date of 1896, that was ascribed to it by her owner when she was resident at Paeroa is I feel likely to be the correct date. I’m not going to question the Logan ancestry, as there is no reason to doubt it.

   Daniel

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6. Brother! You have it in one as always. Percy still cares for her and yep it is a Mumford engine. Wood fired boiler.

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7. Russell, where art thou?
   I don’t want to steal his thunder but she’s too nice a little thing to be left in the lurch.
   Percy Ginders, her long-term Ngunguru owner, thinks she was built by Robert Logan Sr around 1885. That’s certainly possible. She was a 25ft launch used on the Tauranga Harbour between 1910 and 1918 by Soljak & Rosenfeldt for bringing in flax gathered by maori workers in the various estuaries. She appears in Whangarei in 1927 as an under 5hp motor launch. Percy secured her around 1969 and did a lovely job of restoring her shapely hull and installing her steam plant which I understand is an A.C. Mumford unit.
   Percy ran her on tourist trips up and down the Ngunguru River for many years (and may still do so).
   Now, come on Russell, bring us up to date?

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