Mystery Launch 18-11-14
Now this ones a big ask – all I know is the current owner of the photo, Harold Kidd, bought the photo (a bit blurry) at an antique fair.
Come on classic woody spotters – who can ID her ? the very flat face of the cabin front, must help.
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Could be?? — K.R.
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I’m wondering now if Don Hunter meant either KAWHITI or MATIRA, possibly the latter, or (more likely) if my 9th Coast Artillery Regiment-damaged hearing got the consonants wrong for MATIRA/MARQUITA. Whatever, the discussion has been a good one!
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Original engine installation sounds intriguing — the mind boggles. — Must be something about Leigh, as that was where the first of Jasper Calder’s BLACK WATCHes was built, (refer previous posts), & around the same time frame more or less, (I saw her under construction up in the little creek RHS on the bank) & she had 1 Ford V8 & 1 x P6 Perkins Diesel. — The mind boggles even more!!! — KEN RICKETTS
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Can’t believe you’ve got the whole fascinating history. Am bound to say this is one I thought most unlikely to ever be solved in full, (& so quickly), — wonderful –well done — KEN R
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Oh well, I had a look in at Dave’s and he said he remembered her being on the mooring outside his work shop but could not recall anything about her. So we can now tell him about her.
I shan’t say I needn’t have bothered going by his place because it is always nice catching up with him. And I had a peek at the launch, it is only little 22- 26ft. He had built it as a double ender then one day thinking on it, he thought “whats the bloody use it like that ?” and went up to the workshop the next morning and took the skilly to it, cutting the back end off it. Well it now has a conventional stern, (am I allowed to say it like that ?) with plenty of room and has a lovely sheer and nice lines.
We should allow him to bring some unity and fair back to the frames and stringers before taking some photos.
She’s comeing along fine and is looking very attractive already.
You shall see her Harold when you take the books back. Six years over due I think he said ???? Tch! shame on you ; )
I wonder if there are any Ross’s still here in Leigh.
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Sackcloth and ashes. Doug Kay is still alive and hale at 94!
He tells me that he bought MARQUITA in August/September 1949 at the same time he and Marie were married. He bought her from the Ross brothers of Leigh who had built her there just after WW2 as GAYLEEN (sp?). Marie changed her name to MARQUITA. She was 32ft x 10ft and got her beam very soon aft so was rather slow. She was powered with a marinised Studebaker engine plus a marinised Plymouth engine to which Doug made some changes, finishing up with twin Chrysler 6s.
Later Doug and Marie bought 5 acres in the Bay of Islands and intended to purchase/build a passenger launch but that fell through when Marie had health issues. They sold MARQUITA c1961 to a crayfishing couple who had her for just a few months. While demonstrating her to a prospective purchaser she caught fire and was destroyed.
Pictures on the way.
So the WW gurus were on the button!!
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There is a Maraquita in Milford Creek…
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Yes Mr K. I believe this is a sore point. I’m in the know you see : )
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Of course. Tell him I’ll get his Weekly News back to him this summer. And take a photo of the boat he’s building. It deserves to be in WW.
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That’s a good idea, think it best I ask him if he’s happy about that though.
Do I have permission from you guys, you and Mr K., to reproduce a photo of that gorgeous boat, to take and show him?
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Pam – remember to take your camera 🙂
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Adrienne brought him a mobile and taught him to txt, I think I shall buy him an I pad, trouble is one would have to get him to stop working long enough to look at it.
I’m going to tell a tale ( don’t tell anyone though) he’s decided to go ahead and finish yet another boat, a little launch, he started some time ago. It shall be a pleasure to pop over and see him and see how he’s progressing.
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I’ll go along with that. I shuddered when I saw the pic, but what was MARQUITA?
She disappears from my view after 1957. Doug and Marie Kay are deceased but I’ll do some ringing around the Kays in the phone book to see if I can come across a descendant.
I had hoped that someone would remember her and know her provenance.
Pam, maybe it’s time to ring Dave Jackson? From the background of the pic I think she’s moored in St. Mary’s Bay and that was his patch.
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I don’t see the slightest resemblance to MAKURA — Cranston Leighton would turn in his grave, in my view, to have that comparison. I think that whilst Don, like you & I was a lifetime boatie, & even though we both knew him very well, & obviously respected his thoughts, he was obviously thinking about another boat altogether on this occasion. She doesn’t look the slightest bit like Collings & Bell to me either, certainly in the coamings. — KEN R
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OK, here’s what’s on the back of the photograph; “MARQUITA Aug. ’49. Doug and Marie’s launch.”
1. Now the APYMBA records show that MARQUITA was owned by Douglas Bowman Kay of 122 Wheturangi Road from 1949 until at least 1957.
2. His wife was Sybil Evelyn Marie Kay, known as Marie.
3. D. B. Kay was an insurance assessor and later moved to Riddell Road.
4. Next, I spoke to Don Hunter about MARQUITA and he told me that she was built by Collings & Bell.
6. OK so far, but he said also that she was a sister-ship to MAKURA (!).
So, is Don wrong or is the caption wrong (or both) or are both right?
Over to cobweb corner.
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Darn! I missed an opportunity, Dave J was just here I could have asked him.
What were your thoughts on her Harold, what does that inscription on the back say. More clues please, if there’s any.
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That little bit of tumble home is the nicest thing I see about her, other-wise I’m afraid to say it but it looks like someone waved an ‘Ugly Stick ‘over her. I’m allowed to say that as we have a couple here! Out in the yard. However they do tend to be functional boats never the less.
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I agree too but the inscription on the reverse doesn’t support those conclusions. Any other thoughts?
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I actually agree! with the conflicting sheer lines and extreme flatness of the cabin in both directions unlikely to be professional.
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Interesting? The hull styling reminds me a little of MY PLAYMATE Wilson’s boat, but the coamings with the very flat fronted, to me, rather unattractive styling of the bridgedeck, seems to me, unlikely to be one of the main stream builders, of the 40s 50s era, which it seems to me, she is probably from, & I tend to personally think, she may be either amateur built, or at least, the coamings done by a non professional person or people. She is vaguely familiar from way back in the 50s era, but heaven knows where, Am confident she was in Auckland at that time, as I have seen her before. — KEN RICKETTS
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