Maroro (leading)

Maroro

Susie

Susie

MARORO

photos & details ex Harold Kidd & Alan H

This story starts in 1907 when an Auckland family (Matheson brothers) built in St Marys Bay on Aucklands waterfront a 32 ft launch MARORO (flying fish in Maori). Her plans came from the USA Rudder Magazine and she was therefore rather unusual in design in the local New Zealand context. Maroro has a great history but her claim to fame was she won the  Rudder Cup, a night race around Sail Rock & back, held on the 12th December 1908.

Fast forward 100+ years (August 2009) & Harold Kidd, Colin Pawson & myself flew to Great Barrier Island to check out Maroro where she was ‘resting’ at Okupa in Blind Bay, you can view photos from that trip on this link http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=652&hilit=Maroro

Maroro was subsequently transported back to Auckland & is now resting again at Marco Scuderi’s yard in Helensville, while her fate is decided. You will see in the Great Barrier photos she was / is as they say in the real estate game – a little distressed. There are lots of posting on the Classic Yacht Association NZ forum on Maroro if you are interested http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum

The purpose of this waitematawoodys posting is to reveal that at long last the original plans for Maroro have been tracked down by super sleuth Harold Kidd, who obtained a copy of the August 1906 edition of the Rudder magazine off Ebay. Featured were the basic layout /plans of a motor launch named Susie. She was 3rd in the Knickerbocker YC long distance power boat ocean race in June 1906, the 2boats that finished ahead of her were much bigger & more powerful. When you compare the photos of Maroro & Susie , disregard the cabin top & focus on the bow & stern, they are almost identical. It would appear that the Matheson brothers were impressed with Susie’s performance in the Knickerbocker race & built a clone.

The above photos include a shot of Susie , the plans, a photo of Maroro winning a race on the Waitemata Harbour & a rather spectacular close up shot of Maroro. What do you think – peas in a pod? (you can freeze the slideshow by clicking on a photo)

Note: the discovery of these layout / plans could help decide the future of Maroro.