WAITETE
photo ex Dean Wright
Dean was bringing his launch Arethusa back from Ashby’s boatyard, Opua, yesterday & spotted the launch Waitete on a mooring off Russell. Nice old game fishing boat with a lovely big cockpit.
The porthole is an unusual placement but in my eye works.
Do we know anything more about her?
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Comment below from Murray McGehan
“Waitete built by P Vos Ltd 1971 original owner died during construction so project was taken over by Bill Ostik P Vos Ltd managing director. Waitete is 32ft long and was designed by Ken McCormick the yard foreman. Originally powered by a 6 cylinder Scania of 250hp through a Scania stern drive. The engine was later turned around and a V Drive installed.”
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Waitete was originally commissioned by three friends to be built in the then Voss and Brijs shipyard in Hamer St. Auckland. She was the first build by Voss and Brijs under Bill Ostick (1970).
Unfortunately the death of one of the three led to the remaining two deciding to opt out, and Waitete was finished by the yard and retained by them as a company launch, and was used for all manner of work including many Ostick family holidays according to Bill’s son.
Waitete was extended by the then owner, Jan Mortensen of Hukerenui, from 34ft. to 37ft. hence the large cockpit.
Myself and two friends purchased her in 2007, in a sorry state, and proceeded to improve where we could.(Chatfield riggers, flybridge helm chair, extended bimini, decent Furuno sounder and 1 kw transducer etc) these modifications made her so much more fishable, and in our first three seasons out of Whangaroa we landed or tagged and released thirty one striped and blue marlin and some yellow fin tuna. A fish raiser she certainly is.
Waitete is powered by an inline 6 cylinder 11 litre Scania de-rated to 280 h.p. and runs through a vee drive and twin disc 507, unlike the original stern drive which gave trouble and was replaced.
Waitete is an incredibly sea kindly vessel and very economical to run, using approx. 7 litres per hour @ 750 rpm doing 6.5-7 knots.
Rob McLaren
(edited by Alan H)
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I think maybe that’s the boat built by Voss for the manager Bill Ostick and if my memory is correct may have originally had a stern drive
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