Hazel May

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Hazel May

Hazel May
photo & details from John Burland

Today’s launch, Hazel May resides in Nelson Marina & is owned by Stephen Donar (?), that folks is the extent of what we know. John took the photo while cruising the dock looking for woodys.

So folks can we shed some light on this old girls past?

Update from Geoff Brebner

Not to sure of when she was built but think it was before 1920. She was built (another “I think”) by T. le Huquet for Henry Bronlund (my mothers uncle) who farmed at Stony Bay on the far side of Cape Colville. Named for their eldest daughter Hazel. Stony Bay was very remote at that time and she was their only means of direct communication with Auckland. Kept in a boat shed, she would  be loaded with bales of wool then return with enough provisions to keep them going. She was latterly taken over by son-in law Jack Strongman  of Coromandel and kept there for many years. I think she was originally powered with a Twigg petrol engine. Strongman’s had the agency for Perkins engines so it wasn’t long before she was re-powered. She was very fast with it seeming no limit to her hull speed. Jack and his sons Cyril and Nigel were great tinkerers and innovators and Hazel May could to the trip to Auckland in under two hours. Jack Strongman set up the Strongman Electric Supply Co in 1946 and supplied Coromandel town with electricity until the late 1950’s when Coro was connected to the national grid. Jack’s brother Sam set up the Strongman Shipping Co in 1936 (Wee Pat, Maretana and Coromel). Hazel May was sold to relations in Nelson a number of years  back. Good to see she’s still alive!    🙂

Photo below ex Andrew Pollard ex Classicboatsnz

 

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11 thoughts on “Hazel May”

  1. Hi Cathy. I came across some records for the Hazel May in the New Zealand Archives pertaining to commercial vessel surveys between 1929 and 1936. She was still owned by Henry Bronlund. The survey records confirm that she was built by Le Huquet in 1918. The motor during these years was 20bhp 2Cy.6¼”-8″ Twigg Engine Co, Auckland petrol. Dimensions for the purposes of survey are 32′ x8.5′ x3.75′. A synopsis of the survey record is as follows: 1929/02/13 owners sought permission to ply between Coromandel Peninsula & Auckland when ml Roa (qv) was not available. 1929/11/19-11/25 first survey at Auckland of 1918 launch built for private use. Certificated to carry 12 passengers & 1 crew within Machau Peninsula Extended River Limits & Auckland Extended River Limits. 1931/03/10-03/11 annual survey. 1931-1936 surveyed annually. 1936/03/18-03/20 annual survey. Hope this is of interest.

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  2. Hi John. Thank you on your write up on the Hazel May. My name is Cathy Donker (nee Strongman). Henry Bronlund was my Great Grandfather who was the original owner of her. Just to up date and clarify some details on her history. My husband Steve and I purchased the Hazel May back in 1998. After being out of water since my Grandfather Jack Strongman’s death in 1989 she was very much in need of TLC. We shipped her down to Nelson and after 6 months of restoration we had her back in the water. Next year we celebrate her centenary. We do not know what date she was launched in 1917, but we do know that she was built by T E Le Huquet at his shipyard in Church Street, Devonport. The Kauri for her planks was milled from Henry Bronlunds Stony Bay farm. The original engine was a 2 cyl. 20 hp. Twigg petrol engine weighing about 1.5 ton. We are very proud of the fact that she still is in our family. I have fond memories of cruising with my Grandad Jack and my father Nigel Strongman up to Great Barrier as a child and catching my first snapper. Our adult sons are already putting up their hands as they too want to preserve the heritage. P.S yes she does still have the Perkins T6-354 rated at 130 hp which enables the old girl to reach a speed in excess of 19 knots. Regards, Cathy Donker.

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  6. Wow Jase and HK what an addition she would make to the small but growing fleet of fast runners in Auckland…..

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  7. Hazel May Bronlund was born in 1896.
    I can find no contemporary reference to HAZEL MAY being built but, according to the Coromandel local history “In Search of the Rainbow” (which has some flaws), HAZEL MAY was built by Dick Lang which could be any time between 1912 and 1930 I guess. She could pass for a Lang hull.
    However the Le Huquet provenance is more plausible, especially since Tom Le Huquet did built several launches in conjunction with W. R. Twigg to fit his Auckland-built heavy duty engines.
    The Bronlund family group owned a truckload of launches over the years including EILEEN BELLE, ELLEN, ACE, ANAWAU, and DAISY BELLE.

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  11. Not to sure of when she was built but think it was before 1920.She was built (another “I think”) by T. le Huquet for Henry Bronlund (my mothers uncle) who farmed at Stony Bay on the far side of Cape Colville.Named for their eldest daughter Hazel. Stony Bay was very remote at that time and she was their only means of direct communication with Auckland. Kept in a boatshed,she would be loaded with bales of wool then return with enough provisions to keep them going. She was latterly taken over by son-in law Jack Strongman of Coromandel and kept there for many years. I think she was originally powered with a Twigg petrol engine.Strongmans had the agency for Perkins engines so it wasn’t long before she was repowered.She was very fast with it seeming no limit to her hull speed..Jack and his sons Cyril and Nigel were great tinkerers and innovaters and Hazel May could to the trip to Auckland in under two hours.Jack Strongman set up the Strongman Electric Supply Co in 1946 and supplied Coromandel town with electricity until the late 1950’s when Coro was connected to the national grid. Jack’s brother Sam set up the Strongman Shipping Co in 1936 (Wee Pat,Maretana and Coromel). Hazel May was sold to relations in Nelson a number of years back .Good to see she’s still alive! 🙂

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