Mataroa,Playmate,Doris

PLAYMATE (Ida Mae)

Details & photos ex Harold Kidd

Playmate was built by Sam Ford in 1936 for Roy Swales of Epsom. Her original engine was a 2 cylinder National 20hp diesel, later replaced with a Fairbanks Morse while in RNZAF service. The photos above show her (#72) at Lauthala Bay, Fiji with Mataroa (#71) & Doris

Harold suspects she went to Nelson after she was sold off by the RNZAF.
 She is often confused with the 1950 bridgedecker MY PLAYMATE built for M.V. Wilson of Awatea Road, Parnell by the O’Rorke brothers.

 Details from previous owner Peter Sample

I owned her for 25 years during which time she was named Ida Mae. She has since been renamed Playmate by the new owner when I sold her in 2007. I had her history back to 1970 when she was at Napier but sadly nothing up to then after the Air Force disposal from service in Fiji after the war. She carried wartime registration 414 which could still be seen scribed into the bow planking after sanding back. Her Air Force number 72 is also visible.

With this old girls travel passport there must be a few stories out there on her ?. I’m yet to check but I assume she is the launch now owned by CYA members Aksel & Susan Jepsen. AH