Waiata

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WAIATA

The owner (Rob Uivel) of the 32ft launch Waiata is looking for any info on her origins and history. Rob has owned Waiata for 22 years & she has been in Wellington since at least 1945.

You can see in the above photos she has extremely fine lines and is lightly constructed, so possibly an Auckland boat.

She has an “A” carved on the mooring post inside the anchor locker.

Originally flushdeck with wheelhouse at rear, the current cabin is an elongated version of the original in side profile. Like so many old girls she had a horrible car case ply conversion in the 1970’s. Sadly Rob has lost the old photos he had managed to collect.

Bruce Askew was of the opinion that she dated from 1908 – 12 and that it was probably Bailey and Lowe.

Harold Kidd Update

There were lots of WAIATAS. Is she single skin or diagonal? What is her beam?

I rather think she may be the32ft WAIATA built by David Reid for P. Earle of Devonport in November 1913.  I’ll check with pics of the Reid WAIATA. There was another similar-sized WAIATA in the Sounds built by Berg, but she was double diagonal and only 6ft in beam, a typical Sounds boat, while this is a typical Auckland hull.

Rob Uivel Update:

Waiata’s beam is in the region of 8′ to 8′ 6″ .
Hull type Single skin carvel.

Harold Kidd Update #2 + b/w photos

I’m pretty sure she’s the WAIATA built by David Reid at Drake St., Freeman’s Bay for Earle in November 1913. Earle had a co-owner A G Lunn of Tui St Devonport who took over sole ownership in 1919. Funnily enough, Pauline and I bought his house in 1978 or so. It was next door to my mate Barry Brickell’s family home.

She was raced quite a bit. The image I’ve posted is in 1916, by when she’d sprouted a neat dodger. Her original engine was a 14hp Britt, replaced by a 14/12hp (rated) Westmann in 1920.

She disappears from Auckland after 1934 by when Lunn had sold her.

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9 thoughts on “Waiata”

  1. In one of Harold’s replies “The image I’ve posted is in 1916, by when she’d sprouted a neat dodger.” I note the reference to the dodger likely being an addition by 1916. Would it be safe to assume that when launched she would have had a flush deck all the way back to the cockpit more along the lines of Cascade? If so would the mast have also been an addition?

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  2. Yes thank you Alan, much appreciated, my soon has superimposed the old and new images and the hull shape aligns perfectly.

    Rob Uivel

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  5. Thanks for your comments Harold, I think you are right. The sheer line is very distinctive and looks the same. I am disappointed I didn’t have these pictures earlier as I would have run the sheer line moulding to the bow as per the original. The mooring post has been replaced also, mine is currently a very plain affair with no turning.
    I would be very keen to have a higher resolution copy of the pictures if that is possible.
    This is all very exciting and I thank you both Alan and Harold for your excellent site and
    encyclopedic knowledge.
    Rob Uivel

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  6. I’m pretty sure she’s the WAIATA built by David Reid at Drake St., Freeman’s Bay for Earle in November 1913. Earle had a co-owner A G Lunn of Tui St Devonport who took over sole ownership in 1919. Funnily enough, Pauline and I bought his house in 1978 or so. It was next door to my mate Barry Brickell’s family home.
    She was raced quite a bit. The image I’ve posted is in 1916, by when she’d sprouted a neat dodger. Her original engine was a 14hp Britt, replaced by a 14/12hp (rated) Westmann in 1920.
    She disappears from Auckland after 1934 by when Lunn had sold her.

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  8. Hi Alan,
    delighted to see Waiata up on your site and to have Harolds comments.
    A small thing it’s actually Rob Uivel not Bruce
    Waiata’s beam is in the region of 8′ to 8′ 6″ .
    Hull type Single skin carvel.

    Regards rob

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  9. There were lots of WAIATAS. Is she single skin or diagonal? What is her beam?
    I rather think she may be the32ft WAIATA built by David Reid for P. Earle of Devonport in November 1913. I’ll check with pics of the Reid WAIATA. There was another similar-sized WAIATA in the Sounds built by Berg, but she was double diagonal and only 6ft in beam, a typical Sounds boat, while this is a typical Auckland hull.

    Like

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