Ronomor

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RONOMOR

photo ex Baden Pascoe, details ex Geoff Brebner, Harold Kidd & Baden Pascoe

Geoff Brebner has been sniffing around for info on a launch by the name of Ronomor (row-no-more) which he had last seen a number of years back on the hard at Half Moon Bay. The small  amount he has been able to glean was that she was built at Stanley Bay by D M Darroch & Sons probably in the 1920’s. The story he heard was she was built to save them the frequent trips to the city side in the yard rowboat, hence the name Ro no mor.

Now in consultation (that sounds very posh for an email) with Harold Kidd, Harold agrees that Ronomor was built by Darroch  but originally as Albatross and renamed Ronomor after she was lengthened about 1919. She was used to commute to and from Omaha/Mahurangi rather than across the harbour and did at least two pleasure trips to the Bay of Plenty, probably why she finished up in Whitianga.
Harold advised that there were several Ronomors or variants of that name, which doesn’t help.

Now Baden Pascoe adds that his father fitted a Lees  Marine 90 hp Trader & that she did a good 10 knots. More photos to more ex Baden.

Anyone else able to add to the story of her past / present?

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9 thoughts on “Ronomor”

  1. Any got photos of Albatross? Shame Ian Clow did not keep her as a pleasure/heritage boat. She would be immaculate still under his ownership, like all the boats he has owned. A true pro to many.

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  5. In the 1970’s I used to act as a weekend deck hand on RONOMOR for Ian Clow who owned and used her for crayfishing out of Whitianga . This was to give the regular deckie a day off. Ian is still fishing from Whitianga but the RONOMOR is long gone. At that time she had the Ford engine Baden mentioned his father Howard Pascoe installed in her. Previous to Ian she was owned and fished by Bert Chaney also out of Whitianga. Don and Lyn, my wife, remember Mrs Chaney running the local Fish and Chip shop pre 1960 with Bert and crew catching the fish. With my later start living in Whitianga, I remember Bert crayfishing with RONOMOR and later Ian buying boat and Cray run when Bert retired. Don remembers the sacks of crayfish being taken to Auckland on the LADY JOCELYN as he filled in as skipper from time to time when Harry Carey needed a break.
    Merv Stockley,pp:- Don Ross.

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  6. I’ve heard about the RONOMOR a good number of times over many years, & at long last I’ve seen her — great stuff!! — Thanks guys — KEN R

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  7. I floated the idea that RONOMOR was built as ALBATROSS to Geoff and Baden but have no firm corroboration, just some circumstantial evidence. The Darrochs weren’t exactly publicity seekers, didn’t belong to yacht clubs and generally kept a low, Scots, profile, so little of what they did hit the newspapers, apart from the launch of their latest scows, like OWHITI.

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  8. Hi folks
    As a young fellow i used to spend school holidays on the Lady Jocelyn she was on the Auckland
    Whitianga run. Ronomor was fishing out of Whitianga and the owner was Bert Chainey .>//??. The photo looks as though it was taken looking across from the wharf.The headland on the port side of Ronomor is where you go to back bay.This was in 50’s.
    Regards
    Lindsay Brebner.

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  9. She or a very near sister was at the Coromandel hard stand two years ago as a shell being substantially rebuilt with additional floors and stringers to stiffen her up but unless she was designed with then new convex/concave bottom it may all be for naught. She perhaps should have been set up so the keel was not hogged prior the rebuild,IMHO. But she certainly had the makings of a fine vessel.

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