AVALON
photos & details ex Harold Kidd
The above 3 photos of Avalon are from the Tudor Collins Bay of Islands game fishing collection*.
Avalon 36′ x 8’6″ x 3’6′ was built by Collings & Bell in December 1927 for Peter Williams of Russell for use as a game fishing boat in the Bay of Islands. She was one of Collings’ typical concave-convex square bilge designs like Alma G, Manaaki, Lorna Doone and Zane Grey also built for the Zane Grey game fishing circus. She had a 85-100hp Redwing engine and was designed for 16 knots. She was often chartered by Zane Grey who took her to Bermagui, NSW in 1936 for game fishing (sharks) there, she came back to NZ after the expedition. Some few years ago she was exported to the US to the Zane Grey Museum, somehow avoiding the then Antiquities Act.
*the images in the collection were bought at a flea-market by Sharon Knight who has made them available via Harold for all of ww followers to relish.
Photo below from classicgameboatsnz
More photos from the Tudor Collins collection – this time taken during the 1930’s visit of the Duke of Glouster. Mailed in by Ken Ricketts
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When owned by Les Blomfield Avalon had a little BMC diesel,he may well have fitted that engine. He bought Avalon with the insurance payout when Valhalla burned
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Hello Scott
We look forward to the film. Kind Regards Alan.
ps email is. waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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Thank you for presenting this information and documenting it online. It’s come in very handy for a project I’m working on here in Australia. I have film footage of the Avalon sailing out of Bermagui Harbour, NSW in 1936 as part of Zane’s fishing expedition to Australia on the Avalon. When the film documentary I’m working on is complete, I’d be happy to share it with you for your website and records.
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New photos added. AH
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OOPS!! — Sorry about my unseeing eyesight — at times we all look but don’t see, & this was one of them for me — may have been a senior moment perhaps — KEN R.
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I love a good yarn 😉
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My understanding is that Avalon is now at the IGFA Museum in Florida, not the Zane Grey museum. Thanks for posting these photos. If you’d like to see Avalon in a different role, as an official boat for a Russell Regatta check out our facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/RussellMuseum
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You are dead right. The power of anecdote, assumption and yarn spinning!
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Very interesting. At Lake Rotoiti is another AVALON, ex LENA, then WAIHAHA at Taupo, then AVALON at Tauranga. I think someone told her Tauranga owner that his launch was AVALON, used by Zane Grey, so he changed her name to AVALON. There was a newspaper article to this end years ago. I have always thought this was rubbish.
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PPS VALENCIA has been thoroughly discussed already on WW but there are still loose ends to sort out on her. SEARCH to see.
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PS the other launch in the lower pair of pics is VALENCIA.
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Ken, if you read carefully the above material, you’ll see that I said she had a 85-100 Redwing. It was a side valve 6 cylinder and was the Collings & Bell standard engine for such applications, plenty of torque at low revs for low speed work and plenty of power at the top end for getting to and from he game fishing grounds in a hurry.
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Do you know what she was powered with Harold? — KEN R
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