LOLA
No not the plane, even though technically its a boat.
photo ex Ken Ricketts
This one might test you all. Anyone able to name & supply details on the launch behind Fred Ladd’s Grumman Widgeon ? It was the Connell family’s transport from Waiheke Island to the rest of the world when they owned the store in Connell’s Bay. Ken recalls they owned the boat from at least the 1940’s to 1987 & the photo most likely was take in the mid 1950 > 1960s period.
Harold Kidd Update
LOLA is 100% correct. Will Connell renamed her LOLA after his daughter when he bought her from John Pegler c1924. She was built by Bailey & Lowe in late 1909 for Jas. Gordon of Awaawaroa as BEATRICE. He sold her to Pegler c1920 and he renamed her EDNA after his daughter.
Connell sold her to Tom Beck c1953 when he closed the shop at Connells. She later became unrecognisable with a raked stem and a counter stern.
Roger Guthrie Update (28/08/14)
W.E.Connell was the father of Eric & Les Connell.Eric survived his brother Les.During the late 50’s and on into the 80’s Eric and his wife stayed on at the bay.They had run the store and milked the cows,sold fuel etc.While Les had run the farm.,They used Lola to ferry us and many other families to and from the Baroona and Motonui which would just stop offshore for us to jump aboard Lola.Sometimes on calm days we were plucked of the ferry in their 16ft clinker dinghy. From about 1958 Eric’s daughter LOMA often ran the LOLA on the various ferry pick ups.The 16ft clinker rowing dinghys were also used by Ernest Chamberlin who picked passengers for his end of Ponui off the ferry as well…Lola would just nudge onto the beach and we could jump off the bow onto the sand.
2014 photos of Lola ex trademe
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It’s pretty amazing that LOLA is still providing pleasure to her owners, as Cameron justly points out, despite the fact that her main fabric is several years older than even her current owner thinks. There are not many places in the world, like New Zealand, where a 105 year old boat is capable of that. It says a great deal for the skill of our boat builders, the wondrous properties of heart kauri and the value of Kiwis’ #8 fencing wire mentality during the intervening years since 1909.
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Lola has moved on from Mikes ownership as she sold in the first week on trade me, so it seems no everyone agrees with previous comments made here. In Mikes Barnetts family ownership she was one of the most used woodies on the harbor. Mum Dad and the babies all away most weekends. She had been extensively modified by the previous owner at Bucklands beach including splining and glassing and never showed a crack or took on a drop of water. I belevie both the motor and box had been rebuilt during Mikes time with Lola as well.
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W.E.Connell was the father of Eric & Les Connell.Eric survived his brother Les.During the late 50’s and on into the 80’s Eric and his wife stayed on at the bay.They had run the store and milked the cows,sold fuel etc.While Les had run the farm.,They used Lola to ferry us and many other families to and from the Baroona and Motonui which would just stop offshore for us to jump aboard Lola.Sometimes on calm days we were plucked of the ferry in their 16ft clinker dinghy. From about 1958 Eric’s daughter LOMA often ran the LOLA on the various ferry pick ups.The 16ft clinker rowing dinghys were also used by Ernest Chamberlin who picked passengers for his end of Ponui off the ferry as well…Lola would just nudge onto the beach and we could jump off the bow onto the sand.
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Oh man I actually get pretty hot heat gunning upside- down in there! I’m still finding iron nails that have been used to tack in ribs pre- riveting which have rusted and rotted the rib curve. ‘Does my head in! Keen for it to be all over!
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Info from Mark Stapleton – Lola is presently in Wakatakataka Bay Back row , by the railway line/bridge .
Current owner is a chap by the name Michael Barnett ?
Extensively modified per the trademe picture . Dock chat indicates Peter Millen, of Bucklands Beach committed the surgery.
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Derek, it’s a shame the lovely AWANA suffered at the hands of Ken Ricketts, who has an unfortunate obsession about varnish. I don’t think he meant to be insulting; he was just inappropriately exercising his particular hobby horse once again. I think Alan has had a word or six to him since.
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OOPS, another typo (or brain fade). I meant to say she now has a “through-counter stern” not a “counter stern”. I suppose that equates to a “Portofino stern”?
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Been a bit cold for you lately Nathan? Come on Cam, married life is meant to calm the man!
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Before I am further repremanded by people who do not know; my Shipbuilders comment is an allusion to the boat which I spend every night of the week from after work until 1030pm at the hardstand restoring, which too has had ‘the treatment’ later in life cabin-wise by them.
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Well said Cameron. These classics are at present or were a families pride and joy. There are so many launches out there that for some reason were left to rott. So for the families that have done their best to preserve these launches just to have kept them going on the water should be praised as they may not have a big budget but are still able to enjoy and share their fun in some of the loveliest harbours in the world that New Zealand offers. We can all find faults or virtually say A certain launch looks ugly but that boat is giving someone or a family many hours of great pleasure. Therefore any negative remarks/insults towards someones launch should not be said out load on ww unless it is asked for by the owner. I always look forward to reading and learning some great history on these classics and seeing them out there on the water up close. We put Awana on this site to show our first launch we very much enjoy with our two young children, also to gather past history on Awana and for other ww readers or cya members to come and say hello. Keep the insults in your own home as that’s not good reading for this growing website.
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Maybe the boat listed on trademe is the same Lola maybe it isn’t. As I have said before on ww, regardless of whether a boat is modified with so called hideous cabins or raked stems or counter sterns it is still a classic boat. At least it is floating and can be used for what it was made for FUN !! If the so called purists/ experts out thr have thr way regarding our classics being”the same as launch day”they will become unaffordable show pieces with no headroom”. My opinion only. Cheers cameron.
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I’m sure Connell’s were still operating the shop in the 1970’s and 80’sMy kids loved calling in there for an icecream. Lost track of the number of baitcatchers that were bought and lost. Mrs Connell ran the shop. In my time with Subritzky’s fuel in drums was delivered with the Jane Gifford scow. My girls renamed Lola the Rola
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Sounds like it.
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Is she the boat that was listed recently on trademe called Lola, ~36feet, raked stem, elongated portofino stern, worse-than-typical ‘Shipbuilders’ style sedan cabin?
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LOLA is 100% correct. Will Connell renamed her LOLA after his daughter when he bought her from John Pegler c1924. She was built by Bailey & Lowe in late 1909 for Jas. Gordon of Awaawaroa as BEATRICE. He sold her to Pegler c1920 and he renamed her EDNA after his daughter.
Connell sold her to Tom Beck c1983 when he closed the shop at Connells. She later became unrecognisable with a raked stem and a counter stern.
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If my memory serves me correctly I believe it was called Lola but details of its history are blank. Rgds Martin Howson
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