The Cruise of Calypso – Christmas 1919 – Sailing Sunday

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The Cruise of Calypso – Christmas 1919 – Sailing Sunday

Story & photos ex Harold Kidd

The shot below of Calypso, Celox and Waitere II is from NZ Yachtsman and Calypso is on the left.

This photo shows Calypso under tow.

The hotel shot below is at the Duke of Marlborough.

Lastly the crew of Calypso

This log was written in indelible pencil in a notebook by C.B. Madden who, like some of the others, had just returned from active service (and survived the Spanish ‘Flu epidemic). So the cruise must have helped a great deal with the normalisation of their minds.

CALYPSO was a 26ft mullet boat built to the Restrictions by Tyler & Harvey in 1909 for the Wild brothers of Stanley Bay. Barkey Wild, Colin Wild’s older brother, was killed at Delville Wood in September 1916 and Harold Handley of 73 Calliope Road, Devonport bought her in the winter of 1919. WAITERE II had always been her companion 26 footer as she was owned by the Willetts family who lived close by in Stanley Bay. By a whisker, WAITERE II was probably the fastest pre-CORONA 26ft mullet boat.

The Cruise of Calypso Christmas 1919 (an edited version)

Crew: Skipper Harold Handley, R Rodger, A Madden, C Madden, Arthur Whitely, Tom

“24th December 1919; Left Calliope Dock 8.15pm. Wind SW, weather fine full headsail full main. Waitere waited half an hour for us to start. Reached Rangitoto Beacon 9.30pm. Ruahine with troops passed inwards. We kept watches all night and sighted Sail Rock at daybreak. SS Pakeha passed inwards at 7.30am SS Manaia at 9.30am. Had kept up with Waitere right up to Sail Rock. Several yachts and launches put into Tutukaka, also Waitere also us after short dinghy tow as wind very light. Arrived 8pm had grand Christmas tuck in with assistance of two of Waitere crew.

26th December; sailed North in a nice NNW breeze. Put into Whangaruru and anchored with Waitere. Went to Maori dance ashore.

27th December; ran up to Russell with Waitere in fine SSW wind.

28th December; Waitere was put on the beach for cleaning. The plate was dropped and taken ashore for local craftsmen to remove buckle. Caught 50 or 60 schnapper at Robinson’s Island.

29th December; Left for Whangamumu with Waitere under full sail. Gave caretaker at whaling station two fish. He was pleased to get news regarding liquor poll. We got rid of most of our surplus fish by giving it to the NSSCo’s auxiliary Tuhoe.

30th December; Set sail for Whangarei after cooking breakfast on beach.

31st December; Passenger launch Oleo offered us a tow in. Arrived at Onerahi at 11.15pm. Sailed up to town wharf. After some difficulty in getting a berth tied up alongside Seagar Bros Milly at steps. Went ashore had a look around got stores and had tea at Temperance Hotel.

1st January 1920; Put quantity of ballast and all cruising gear ashore and got ready for race which started at 10.30am. Confusion regarding marks. Result of race Waitere 1 Celox 2, Calypso 3. Race finished at 3.30pm. Had tea and sailed for the Railway Bridge. Launch Ranoni kindly offered us a tow to Town Wharf. Went ashore for a walk but did not get as far as yachtsmen’s smoke concert.

2nd January; Crew went by car to Kamo. In evening gave the pictures a go.

3rd January; Waitere crew entertained us at the Whangarei Hotel. A splendid dinner was put on for us. In the afternoon we all motored out to the strawberry gardens. Left Whangarei 7pm with a great sendoff. Anchored off freezing works for an early morning start.

4th January; Set sail at 5am in light northerly breeze growing in strength. Arrived at Mansion House Bay. Only 3 launches here. After tea hove anchor and moved across the bay for shelter. Had musical evening on board.

5th January; Set sail 10am for Waiwera. No yachts here. Went to Heads to fish. Arrived at Mahurangi Wharf at 9pm

6th January; Beautiful day, very light winds.   All hands went aboard the Waitere and we sailed up the river to Red Bluff where we inspected Morrison’s Orchard. Returned to Waitere and decided to proceed to Warkworth. Tide dead low. Stuck on the mud a few hundred yards from the Wharf. After lunch, floated off and proceeded to Wharf. Found Warkworth very quiet. Left Warkworth at 6pm. For 8 shillings a local launch towed us about ¾ mile past Red Bluff. At 9.30 back aboard Calypso.

7th January; Another day of the best kind. Very little wind early. Left Mahurangi as team for Tiri to fish. Left for Auckland 3pm. Put a good dinner on whilst lying off Tiri Light and entertained Waitere’s crew to their entire satisfaction.”

 

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27 thoughts on “The Cruise of Calypso – Christmas 1919 – Sailing Sunday”

  1. The owner of Celox has a colourful past, and I don’t believe that he has had her that long.

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  2. Certainly Sir though I had noted you had worked some pretty good magic on our heritage boats over the years without it.
    She would want to go together again pretty strong if sailing her hard out like the images portray in today’s post.
    I actually feel it a grave shame what has happened. But these things do happen.
    For the first time in 23 years I wasn’t aboard Manola as she sailed through the Cavallis. I would have stayed on to help.

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  4. Mm one would wonder… Strange things happen at sea Nathan. You’d know that.
    I ought not say too much. I’m sure it shall become clear on her return.
    Tell you what we could scarf some new sections into the deck beams and reattach – spile some new sections of planking – bend some ribs – stand her mast up and Bobs your Uncle.

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  12. CELOX would have to be in the top ten of Auckland-built yachts (certainly of mullet boats) essential to preserve and restore, if only because of her Logan Bros pedigree and extraordinary racing career. From the sound of it, she’s in far better shape than NOMAD was when Ron Copeland restored her. The trouble is that Ron Copelands are getting thin on the ground these days. Any other takers?

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  13. We had some recent discussion on the three mulletys that appear in the top image above.
    George, last evening, sailed into the Cavalli Islands group to find the owner of Celox salvaging her after hitting a rock in the southern passage. Sadly she has been dragged ashore on an island there and is in two pieces, the cabin with the deck and the hull have separated, the mast in tact is being removed. The owner shall have assistance with getting her back to Opua and feeling defeated at this point is offering her to anyone wanting to restore her.

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  16. Oh! You just woke me up
    I must have had tired eyes ( or need glasses ) as I had prccf read it.
    That was just a squiggle I spot filled on Laughing Lady’s bow today?
    So your suggesting I may need to find a gccd lawyer after republishing it?

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  17. Pam, I see you felt you needed to do a little editing yourself. In the first line Mitchell spelt “crock” with two o’s in the middle and dropped the c.
    There was a lot of embarrassment all round at the time (and it was thought by some who knew the law to be actionable as defamation).
    A hugely misleading and unbalanced bock…..um….book.

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  18. SHAME
    Old Cal’s a crock- he is indeed!
    Makes mullet boats, keelers- that’s all we need.
    Tear the decks off- throw away the case;
    Bugger them up so they can no longer race!

    Change the rig- alter the Ballast;
    Makes them better- no thought of malice.
    Extend their butt- change the rig;
    To hell with tradition- just THINK BIG!

    If you sell your boat, please choose your client,
    Cos the demolisher from Opua will try to buy it.
    And should you ever do see it again
    The only way you’ll ever know it-

    Is if he’s forgot to change it’s name!

    Mullet Boats n quotes N Mitchell

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  19. I know what you mean. They actually can look smashing, and STARLIGHT does, if you can manage to firmly suppress your mullet boat purism.
    Cal Crooks did a great job in this line even though Noel Mitchell poked borax at him over it in “Mullet Boats ‘n Quotes”, that doggerel at the end that upset Cal mightily.
    I had an epiphany at Evans Bay a few years ago when I spotted a superb hull moored off. I got really excited and rushed about until I found that she was Dave Jackson’s 22ft mulletty KARROS (L20) that had a stylish counter added. She looked every inch a beautiful yacht by any standards. She had had the Crooks treatment. The man has a good eye.
    If I’d known first that she had started life as a pukka 22 I would have been too conditioned to have been bowled over by her. Of course, it was shortly after she had been abandoned off the east coast and brought in by a Japanese fishing boat. Good on them!
    We bought the Bo Birdsall SNATCHER, L54, from Geoff Crooks when he was muttering about putting a counter on her. I’ve often since thought that she would have been great like that. Of course, there’s much historical precedent. A lot of the 1870s-1890s transom-sterned mullet boats and big open sailing boats had counters put on to civilise them eg MASHER.

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  21. I saw Starlight in Whangaroa a few Xmas cruises back. She doesn’t look too bad really.

    A ‘classic’ looking yacht that makes you scratch your head and wonder about her pedigree until you make the H-class connection. I’ll dig out a photo and get it to Alan.

    Saw the interesting yacht Peace up there last week. She is ex L-8 Controversy, Morrie Palmer 1963 and a moulded ply mullet boat but now with much shortened rig and bobbed bow sprit and boom. Now THERE’s a rocket-ship waiting to get her turbo charger back.

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  22. Many thanks Harold,
    George’s sisters have compiled albums on the family’s history and George feels with these new details they could possibly add to them.

    The E. M Emtage is George’s mum so funnily enough Awatere was hers. George did know this already. I don’t recall mention of Enid haveing had paid work but she had received an allowance, I guess to run the house hold on.

    The boom gaff were caught up in a fire George thought, due to a fire at G Houston’s slip Pakuranga.- not totaly sure on the mast.

    George remembers talk of G Houston’s daughter loseing a leg as they went under the old Panmure bridge through dangling her legs over the side.?

    Awatere changed hands two or three times after George moved her on. I shall try and collect the names for you.

    The 26 ft mulletys have always intrigued me as they seem so terribly huge.
    I enjoyed the story above and noted in the photo of Calypso – the companion way doors in the photo, they are often discarded today, two hands for the tiller and the awkwardness of the combing when sitting flat like that.
    Pam and George

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  23. Pam, AWATERE was built by Joe Slattery with a lot of input from Len Barker who designed her and was her first owner with his father and brother. She was launched from Slattery’s yard at Judges Bay in December 1914. The Barkers sold to H.G. & E.H. Wood of 22 King Edward Parade Devonport in November 1916 after being laid up soon after launching because of WW1. The Woods brothers owned many, many yachts over the years.
    H.R. Blott and Harold Handley bought her after selling CALYPSO in 1920 (see above). They sold her to W.A. Laurie of Birkenhead in early 1922. He kept her until about 1938. In the 1950s George Houston did the usual mod that buggered up several other 26 foot mullet boats, he put on a deadwood keel, raised the cabin top and cut down the rig drastically. At least she didn’t gain a counter like STARLIGHT.
    Arthur Bone had done the same thing to CALYPSO shortly before she broke away from her moorings in Mechanics Bay and came ashore on Tamaki Drive in December 1939. He did the same again to OMATERE in 1946 and renamed her NOVELTY!
    E.M. Emtage bought her modified in this way from Houston and owned her many years, finally selling her to C. Pettit of Russell, but you know all that!

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  24. Awatere H 17 built by Joe Slatery, was it in 1916 Harold?
    The Emtages owned her for nearly fifty years.
    Awatere sits in a semi cared for but somewhat vulnerable, aged, state.
    The photo is of interest as we felt should a restoration ever be carried out she would rightfully have her original cabin configuration once again and the two nicely shaped arched windows that were so familiar to the Emtages over the period of their ownership, could be respectfully built into some locker doors in the cabin.
    The painting Enid placed on the bulkhead is as she left it, though the boat has changed ownership over the years and sunk once.
    Broadly speaking – You see, sympathetically, taking the lines from this dear old vulnerable yacht isn’t a substitute for the real thing.
    Pam

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  27. Calypso broke up on rocks in a storm, in the Waitemata Harbour in 1939.
    Celox is often seen out, in the bay of islands.
    Waitere II is alive and well and puts in an appearance – sometimes competeing, at the Mahurangi Regattas.
    Awatere, not mentioned here but another 26 ft mullet boat, is in the bay of islands in need of restoration.
    Pam

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