Miss Helen

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MISS HELEN

For the last 2 weeks I have had phone calls & emails from ww followers telling me about the ‘new’ classic launch that just appeared at OBC. The words being used are “totally immaculate, like new”  /  “newly restored and gleaming” etc.
She is visible from Tamaki Drive & is in fact the ex Bay of Islands game fisher – Miss Helen. Built in 1932 by Colin Wild. I have posted restored & ‘old’ photo as a comparison for you – I like the effort that has gone into keeping / making her very original.

So folks – who can supply more info on her? I would love to see the interior & learn a bit about the restoration.

We need her in the CYA launch fleet 🙂

(a big thank you to Mark Edmonds, Nathan Herbert & Lindsay McMorran for photos & details)

 

Harold Kidd Input

She was built in 1930 by COLIN WILD for L.E. McQueen of Wairiki Road, Mt. Eden as AUDREY M and had a 125hp Lycoming 8 cylinder engine. McQueen had her dodger raised to give 6ft 6in headroom in October 1931 and had fresh water cooling installed. He then sold her to A.L Davenport who renamed her MAHSEER. Davenport sold her to Whittaker in 1934 and he renamed her LADY HELEN. He sold her to L.A. Marquet who sold her to A.E. Fuller of Russell in August 1937. She was altered for gamefishing. In August 1942 she was severely damaged coming ashore in a gale at Russell and substantially rebuilt again. Again she was renamed, MISS HELEN to tie in with the rest of  the Fuller fleet, MISS IDA, MISS KNOXIE, MISS RUSSELL etc.
BTW the Register of British Ships says she was built in Russell, which is incorrect, although she was re-built there once or twice.
McQueen, of course, had WILD build WAIRIKI in October 1934.

The Register of British Ships says she was built in 1932, which is also incorrect. The RBS is a very dodgy resource, especially where the vessel was registered well after she was built, as here.

Input from Ken Ricketts

She belongs to Terry Porter of McMullen & Wing. – photo below during during restoration towards the end of last year.
Terry has done an absolutely fabulous job on her, splining, beautiful new interior, the whole bit. She is powered by a brand new 4cly high performance artificially aspirated inter-cooled Cummins Diesel. AH

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20 thoughts on “Miss Helen”

  1. Well hello. AS YOUS may be did not no im the son of Gordon cowden. Malcolm cowden. Gordon was the was was the 3rd last owner of Miss Helen. Dad had her for many years. & maintained her for years. In dry dock 2 boat clubs yards. Misson bay & Te atatu. Dad had Miss helen moreing at Matarangi bay north of wellsford. As dads 97 now at a grand age. We cruise on Miss helen alond the coastal east coast of north inland. Dad did most hes weekends holidays he had on her. From the bay she rested in to lots of bays the eastern inlands of mount maunganui to hauraki little barrier Big Barrier kauwau inland. Goat island behind Big barrier where dads work friends own the inland where they farm cattle diving fishing BBQ refreshments good fresh food. Us dads 8 kids spent lots of joyfulness on Miss helen. The storys could make a time capsule for future reference History of her be for Gordon Cowden dad took captain hands on deck of her. We cruise in big seas calm flat seas to gales winds. 12 to 16 18knts. We towed our sailing dinghy up to Russell bay of islands. & Miss Helen has a sister launch as well. To be continued. Photos & much more. In her Earlier years dad has. With big fish & black & white Photo with her striped blue marlin rest on her tail wing of Miss helen. That wing board was so handy in lots of occasions. Thanks Miss Helen Dad loves her aways. & everyone who venture out on her. Us kids to back then who are now in fiftyz now.

    If you have any photos email them to the address below and we will had to the story. Thanks. Alan H

    waitematawoodys@gmail.com

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  2. Pingback: Miss Helen | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news

  3. One more thing, Terry has created a semi hard chine at her back end, for the last few feet, to facilitate the installation of the underwater exhaust & I’ve sent Alan a pic of this. Its not a very good pic as such, but you can see the chine line in it, so it will be interesting to see if this changes her performance at all, or the way she sits in the water at speed. — KEN RICKETTS

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  4. A few more bits & pieces of data. The engine, like all late model Cummins, is gleaming white, with a twin disc gearbox, & is 240 hp, & she is doing over 16 knots with 600 unused RPM at the moment. They have not yet given her a speed test.
    Her new underwater exhaust is working perfectly & very silent.

    Terry thinks the last engine may have been a 60 hp Ford Diesel, (he bought her without an engine) — so there is somewhat of a difference now.

    He has been restoring her over about 5 years.
    Hope to have some pics underway & some “before & after” pics soon. — KEN RICKETTS

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  11. PPS The Register of British Ships says she was built in 1932, which is also incorrect. The RBS is a very dodgy resource, especially where the vessel was registered well after she was built, as here.

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  12. PS she was built in 1930 by COLIN WILD for L.E. McQueen of Wairiki Road, Mt. Eden as AUDREY M and had a 125hp Lycoming 8 cylinder engine. McQueen had her dodger raised to give 6ft 6in headroom in October 1931 and had fresh water cooling installed. He then sold her to A.L Davenport who renamed her MAHSEER. Davenport sold her to Whittaker in 1934 and he renamed her LADY HELEN. He sold her to L.A. Marquet who sold her to A.E. Fuller of Russell in August 1937. She was altered for gamefishing. In August 1942 she was severely damaged coming ashore in a gale at Russell and substantially rebuilt again. Again she was renamed, MISS HELEN to tie in with the rest of the Fuller fleet, MISS IDA, MISS KNOXIE, MISS RUSSELL etc.
    BTW the Register of British Ships says she was built in Russell, which is incorrect, although she was re-built there once or twice.
    McQueen, of course, had WILD build WAIRIKI in October 1934.

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  14. I must also say that the incredible job that Terry & his team of artisans at Mc Mullen & Wing have done on MISS HELEN, is a great tribute to the dedicated skills, & boatbuilding craftsmanship, that so obviously still exist in our midst.
    I sometimes fear that these will be lost to those of us with a passion for “real boats,” with the passage of time, & the use of plastics & moulds being to the fore as they are today, but at least for now, there are those that are still with us, & Terry is obviously blessed, to have some of the best under his command. It was a great joy & exciting to see what Terry was re-creating, when I saw her in September of last year. It is also a real & well deserved accolade for Mc Mullen & Wing — KEN RICKETTS

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  17. Another Colin Wild stunner, again no relation to the author that has an ‘e’ on the end of his name 🙂 Hopefully the mast is going back on to finish the picture. Now I’m off to look at her in the flesh.

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  20. She belongs to Terry Porter of Mc Mullen & Wing. – Have sent a pic to Alan, I took during restoration towards the end of last year.
    Terry has done an absolutely fabulous job on her, splining, beautiful new interior, the whole bit. She is powered by a brand new 4cly high performance artificially aspirated intercooled Cummins Diesel & has to be very quick. — Doesn’t she look stunning — KEN RICKETTS

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