Jean Gray

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JEAN GRAY
photos ex Clare Jordan

Today’s photos of Jean Gray (above) are from Clare Jordan. Clare found them in an old album of her  great-grandparents (Jim Turner), they show Jean Gray at sea and one that looks like on a creek somewhere, dated early 1920s. Clare’s not sure where the Creek area is, but my guess is it could be Milford Creek.
In the photo of her, hauled out on the slip with the 3 men & a dog,  Jim Turner is the one in the middle.  Claire wasn’t sure who the other two gents are.

I know nothing about this launch so look forward to some insights.

Update from Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard (Pam & George)

Photo below is George Emtage’s father (Albert) boat ‘Joyce’, which in another life was Jean Gray or at least a sister-ship. No board are Albert Emtage (Dad), George & his brother Jim
The photo is from c.1949-50 when Albert used her for commercial fishing (on the weekends)
The boat in-tow is Alberts  previous boat, a 16′ row/sail that he also used for commercial fishing from Panmure out to Motuihe .

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30 thoughts on “Jean Gray”

  2. Hi Harold
    Jean Gray was Alex Lewis’ mother’s name. He named his second daugther Jean Gray too.

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  4. That last pic looks awfully like Grey Lady from Okahu Bay just off the ramp in the eighties and early nineties. Engine was well forward from memory.

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  5. George had spoken of Joyce over the years. The size and placing of the ports and the cabin style falling away to the bow had left a lasting impression on him. An interesting coincidence that this photo and two others had just recently been brought out of the old family albums and were doing the rounds within the family group as recent as two weeks ago.
    Thank-you to Clare for adding this new dimension to this little boats history.(The Emtage family Albert and Enid had numerous boats through the years )
    George and I are still to talk to the family about this and do hope Jimmy (George’s brother) being a boat builder may remember more of her origins in regards to her builder.
    Yes we had noted also her bow as Harold had. I’m sure his thoughts are valid once again.
    Pam

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  6. My guess is that JEAN GRAY was amateur-built, possibly from plans from a US magazine. The bow form is not the almost universal Auckland plumb stem but more like a typical US or indeed Dunedin, or at least South Island bow. Her 1919 owner was one Lewis but I can’t find him owning or building any launch prior to 1919 when her cabin top was lengthened and obviously a tramtop put on at the same time. She must have looked a little odd before that,
    I can’t figure out why she should have started life as JEAN GRAY (sometimes reported as JEAN GREY). I don’t think it was because she had a Gray engine because she had a Union in 1921 and Grays were much more advanced technically than Unions.
    There were probably a thousand launches in and around Auckland in 1914, only a modest fraction of which got mentioned anywhere, newspapers, magazines, club records, etc
    Let’s be happy that we’ve established that she survived to become the Emtage’s JOYCE. That’s pretty damn good!

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  16. The last time we had some sniggering from you Ken, WW was nearly closed down by an outraged daughter of the maligned launch owner. Boy, was she angry!

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  23. George feels she looks very much like his fathers boat Joyce.
    The timeing would be consistent , perhaps she reappeared as Joyce. I’m sure George’s father would have no part in a scam or candle though.
    Just trying to verify this…might take some time though…

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  27. 1. I don’t know who built her.
    2. WW is no place for scandal, as I’ve been at pains to point out before and convinced Alan to remove it after associated family members became extremely upset when they picked it up on Google, sourced from WW. WW is about boats.

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  30. The photos must have been taken between 1919 when her cabin was lengthened by 7ft 6ins (you can see the alteration in these pics) and 1923 when she was renamed METHINIA. In 1919 she was owned by A. Lewis who sold her to Quay Street bootmaker Albert Edward Hazleman (1974-1954) in 1921 for 200 pounds. He renamed her METHINIA after his new wife in 1923. Hazleman was a flag officer with Victoria Cruising Club and raced her often and she was used as a markboat by VCC. Her engine was a Union at the time. Hazleman moved to the North Shore in December 1922 and kept her in Little Shoal Bay. Milford Creek is the likely venue for the bottom pic.
    There was an unfortunate scandal in September 1925 whereupon both Hazleman and METHINIA disappear off the radar. A name change for the boat for certain.

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