LADY PAT
Lady Pat (30’9” x 9’ x 2’9”) was built by the Lane Motor Boat Company for Mr P Walker of Papatoetoe. She is pictured above undergoing her sea trials, where she achieved a top speed of 11 knots.
Harold Kidd advises that Lady Pat owned for many years in the 1960s and 1970s by H E Goldsboro of Meadowbank and was powered with a Chrysler Crown. In 1973 she was owned by R. Parr of Church St, Devonport , a member of DYC, the best little yacht club in the world 🙂
Update 30/06/2014 – The 2 photos below were sent to me by Chris Manning & show Lady Pat at Mana Marina in 2014, in fact I think as of now. Check out the chat in the Comments section – her current owner, Philip Simpson has questioned if the b/w photo is in fact the Lady Pat below – your thoughts – I think it is.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily 
Peter king 145 Thorp st MOTUEKA. 035289461. I owned LADY PAT for 13 years until I sold her to mr Simpson. I moored her innHavelock I have lots nice photos of her she was much loved. We caught many fish from her I only sold her as I could not keep up with the upkeep She is a lovely old girl
Hi Peter – Email the photos to me at the address below & I will post them on the WW site. Cheers Alan H
waitematawoodys@gmail.com
LikeLike
Pingback: Lady Pat | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news
I am pleased to say that for the last two weeks (commencing 10 August 16), Lady Pat has been on the hard receiving a top-to-bottom re-paint – a long time coming! Work is almost complete. Only two areas that required the superb skills of a boat builder – replacing part of the port-side hand rail and rebuilding the spray dodger around the hatch above the wheel house. Both had succumbed to the dreaded rot! I hope to have Lady Pat back at her berth very soon. Photos soon.
LikeLike
Sure hope that’s the same Lady Pat as the one I spent an aggregate few months of my childhood on board. on Taupo. Much of it around on the Western Side, moored with other launches, in the rapu, while all of the oldies grogged on. Fond memories.
LikeLike
Thank you Ian,
As Lady Pat’s current owner and custodian (after all she has many many years in her yet) it is really good to hear about her exploits. The places she’s been and people she’s met all make for a great history which, like these great wooden boats, is worth keeping alive.
LikeLike
Hi to all. What a very interesting site I have just discovered in WW.
Indeed Lady Pat was bought by my father Ian Nairn from Jim Storey who then bought Ranui. (Still on Lake Taupo).
My father brought Silver Spray (also mentioned on WW) over from Lake Rotoiti to Lake Taupo and after a while decided he wanted a larger launch, thus the purchase of Lady Pat.
By the way I have already met up with and been out on Silver Spray in Auckland with the current owner and filled in some background.
Lady Pat was moved to Auckland and then sailed to Opua BOI where we used her for some time. Joining us on that first voyage to BOI was Pete Petersen a friend of my father and at that time Harbour Master at Taupo.
I really cannot remember who Lady Pat was sold to or the date but Mr Kidd mentioned a H E Goldsbro. Ed Golsbro was a friend and business associate of my father. My father owned the Britomart Service Station in Customs St E Auckland .
I later went into the business and we purchased the Col Wild bridgedecker Okareka.
We enjoyed cruising Okareka up and down the east coast for a number of years until sold when I went to the UK.
Hope this is of some interest to members.
Kind Regards
Ian Nairn (jr) Lake Taupo
LikeLike
There is a spiral bound book sold by the Taupo Museum, titled BOATS OF TAUPO, originally written by Charles Cox in the 1980’s, and since updated. It sates that LADY PAT was brought to Taupo bnby a Mr Lees (an Auckland manufacturer). He had earlier bought WHIZZBANG and purchased a 6 cylinder Gray to replace the single cylinder Standard (which went whizz – bang as already discussed on WW). The Gray was rather too large for WHIZZBANG and she almost swamped on her first run on the lake with this engine into a stiff sou’easter. So Lees decided to put the Gray into LADY PAT, replacing the Redwing. Next owner was Ron Douglas from Hawke’s Bay. LADY PAT was run commercially for him by Fred Fletcher who also ran a fishing lodge at Waitahanui. In 1956 Jim Story bought her and continued to run commercially. She was much used for fishing expeditions to the Western Bays which lasted 3 or 4 days. Jim eventually sold her to Ian Nairn, an Auckland service station proprietor.
I have left out the dates which Charles uses as they don’t tie in with Harold’s dates. The interest is in the yarn.
LikeLike
I have now discovered that the cabin area was rebuilt in the ’60s with the after cabin roof raised to the same level as the wheelhouse cabin roofline. The original mast was replaced before this time as can be seen in the photo of Lady Pat on Lake Taupo – thanks for the post of the photo. The mast has been altered/replaced several times and now features a short boom to accommodate a steady sail. Thanks all for the healthy discourse and the information that allows a complete history of this lovely launch to be rediscovered.
LikeLike
Yes – she sleeps 7 (but doesn’t have a shower) and the main salon has plenty of room. The paint is on its way and not before time. Its a longish term project. Unfortunate I was dragged away overseas for work all of ’13, so this year is maintenance year.
LikeLike
She is a neat and unique launch, roomy too I bet. Is paint on the way?
LikeLike
Thanks Harold and Nath,
I’m happy to accept that this launch is the “one and only” Lady Pat. As I said above I am happy to be proved wrong. As for my sources – a previous owner and the survey report when I bought her and specifically asked for measurements to be taken.
LikeLike
Agreed, both the old photograph and the present day have an unusual aesthetic afforded by the high freeboard flush deck on a relatively short boat. The lines of the hull are identical as is the name and the cabin layout, plus era, name, builder. Wildly ‘coincidental’?
LikeLike
It is easy to lead a horse to water but hard to make him drink. You remain sceptical.
The dimensions given above were those given in the newspaper when she was launched. They are as accurate as the reporter’s notebook and the typesetter’s fingers. The reporter probably got them from Lanes or the owner and they will be “nominal”. Have you measured them? Were your measurements exclusive of beltings and other excrescences?
You’ve got to look at the fundamental structure of the boat. The chances of there being two different launches of the same configuration (YES), with the same general dimensions (YES) AND the same name (YES) are infinitely small.
People do find it difficult to accept that their beloved boats have a different pattern from their own accepted mythology. I sympathise, but it’s something you’ve got to handle..
Tell us your research? What is your source? Is it as contemporary and as authoritative as the launching photograph above, or is it just anecdote?
LikeLike
Gents, a follow-up if I may. My research still casts doubt on the original pedigree listed above. I would be grateful of confirmation if anyone has a better set of data. However, my specs for Lady Pat are as follows: LOA 32′ – LWL 30′ – Beam 10′ – Draft 3′ (these are different specs to those in the first post – it’s hard to imagine that in addition to a complete cabin roof change she was also made longer and wider).
Notwithstanding the different roof line, a source tells me that the mast currently on Lady Pat was installed well after she was built and that she was built without a mast. This again casts doubt on the original photo above. Happy to be proved wrong as I am very interested in the history of Lady Pat and Lanes
LikeLike
Thanks all. Of course it is entirely possible that the after cabin area had its roof raised and the after cockpit area added. I’d be really grateful for full details of her pedigree. Please email me at prsimpson@clear.net.nz.
LikeLike
I don’t think there’s any doubt that she’s LADY PAT built by Lanes in December 1937 for Walker of Papatoetoe. The whole boat is identical save for the additions to the after end of the bridgedeck.
LikeLike
If that isn’t the same boat, I’d be a monkeys uncle. The square cabin is a bit a-la-Shipbuilders mid ’60’s
LikeLike
Got a photo? Send it in
LikeLike
2014 photos of Lady Pat at Mana Marina added to post
LikeLike
Lady Pat is alive and well and as reported is berthed at Mana Marina. I bought her from Havelock and she did have a problem keeping the wet stuff on the outside. She was re-launched in Dec 2010. However, I think the photo and first post are for a different Lady Pat. Mine is a 1938 Lanes 32 footer. The portholes are in a different place and the roof line (not including the dodger) is completely different. I believe she was named after the first owner’s wife and was berthed at Milford in her early days.
LikeLike
Hi there, I’m proud to say that Lady Pat is mine and she is indeed at Mana. I bought her from Peter Hart in Havelock and brought her across in 2009. She had significant hull work and was re-launched in Dec 2010. The photo and pedigree at the first post is unlikely to be my Lady Pat as her fist owner moored her at Milford and she was built in ’38 and is 32 ft long. A comparison of photos shows significant fittings in different places (portholes etc). My records suggest she was not the same vessel at Taupo.
LikeLike
I remember Lady Pat at Taupo in the 1950’s. Surprising how many of the launches which pop up on WOODYS have done time at Taupo. Pretty sure she was in survey at Taupo and operated commercially. She had the dodger over the cockpit even in those days, so this would have been an early addition. I too have seen her in recent years in the Mana Marina, Wellington, and think that the wheelhouse is a little different now compared with the original.
LikeLike
Pretty sure Lady Pat is still alive and well. Currently berthed in Mana marina. Almost sank in her berth a couple of years ago having had a wee dose of alkaline delignification. She needed her stern tube and log replaced (probably a few other bits too) and had a serious re caulking.
But she still looks much the same, will get a photo.
LikeLike
Thanks for that Mark. — Excellent that she’s still around & not “modernised” — shame about the painted coamings — KEN R
LikeLike
Lady Pat has been down south for some years now. She has spent a bit of time around the Marlborough Sounds based in both Picton and Havelock and I last saw her at the Mana Marina, near Wellington. I seem to recall an article on DIY re-caulking in Boating NZ within the last couple of years which featured photos of Lady Pat being re-caulked.
She now has a 4cyl. Perkins diesel and looks the same except for the addition of a small hard top dodger over the cockpit and painted coamings.
LikeLike
What a super example of the 30s workmanship & design of Lane Motor Boat & the masters of the era — wonder if she is till alive & well, & where she is now??!! Coamings are a little after the style of WHAKARI which as I recall were also fitted by him to WHAKARI in the later 30s for Wally Cashmore. — KEN RICKETTS
LikeLike