ORARI II (MYSTERY LAUNCH 11-03-2016)
photos ex Robin Elliott
Another mystery launch post & if they are all as cool as this one, there will be more 🙂
Robin has sent me a collection of launch photos from the Whangarei Cruising Club Collection, as far as Robin knows, all are from the 1940’s early 1950’s & and were taken by Palmer Photography in Whangarei (1910-1999). Most by the late Graeme Palmer and possibly some older ones by his father.
So woodys who can ID this one? ITS ORARI II
Update from Robin Elliott
Orari II was featured in Sea Spray August 1960 when owned by Harry Julian. While I see similarities in the hull, the cabin (with venetian blinds – Luxaflex no doubt) is quite different, having been pushed forward right to the mast.
Does this still match with your opinions of those original pix being Orari II?
07-07-2018 Input from Ken Ricketts (edit by Alan H)
My parents I knew Harry & June & Harry’s late father Lance, & their children well. C.1948 we cruised with them, when he used take the BARBARA W, one of his father’s tugs, away for Christmas cruises, photo below of our boat JULIANA tied to BARBARA W, one Christmas in the 1950s.
Harry shepherded 9 of us in our boats, from Kawau, in to every nook & cranny, as far as the B.O.I. Later ORARI II was his first launch of his own, he told us the story of the Fisher owner/builder facts, & that she had been kept in a shed a Whangarei all her life, & he was just her second owner, & she of had the 2 Chrysler Royals, which stayed there, for many years.
He kept her at Okahu / Hobson Bay & only sold her when he replaced her with the HAUNUI, ORAR II passed to Harold Parkinson, who maintained her just as beautifully as the Fishers & Harry, before him. She was always impeccable.
I saw her on a hardstand a few year back post 2000 & sadly the varnish had gone & she was looking quite a lot the worse for wear sadly, but hopefully sounds as if she has had some much needed T.L.C. more recently.
Also recall is that she eventually had the Chryslers replaced with 2 BMC 4 cyl diesels & if she has Perkins now, I think these must have been a subsequent replacement.
Update May 2021 – photo below, ex Dean Wright, of Orari II moored at Waitangi, Bay of Islands.
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Thanks Harold will do
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Hi Anna, email WaitemataWoodys and they will send you my email address
(done. AH)
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Anna, please give my regards to Warren? Harold Kidd
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HI there, my name is Anna Fisher, daughter of Warren Fisher, Granddaughter of Reg Fisher who built Orari. I’m interested in any photos or memorabilia anyone has of Orari or Orari II and would appreciate if anyone can share these with me. Many thanks. Anna
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And does she still do 15 knots like when launched?!
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Interesting to hear, do you have a photograph?
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I was told there were two boats built I think I have the other one Ron 0212654493 Thames NZ
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I think I own this boat just brought its a36fter no nothing about her hull is very sound taking her to Thames in the next to weeks have to clean her belly first been neglected for 4 years Ron Gillard
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My late Uncle Arthur Sharpe, of Northcote, owned a very similar launch named Orari in the early 1940s, on which my father and I shared some great seagoing holidays around the Gulf.
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Orari 2 was designed and built by my Father on his farm at Maungakaramea he also designed and built Orari 1 at his home in Shortland street Whangarei 1937
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We are the present custodians of Orari ii, having bought it from the Cliffords in December 2013. I understand from the Cliffords that they had enjoyed cruising in Orari ii for the previous 37 yrs and, at some stage, had upgraded the interior and possibly changed the motors to the present Perkins 75 hp diesels.
We are slowly working through a rather long list of upgrades that the boat required, starting with a complete rewire. Over the first summer, we extended the cabin top aft by a metre to shelter the cockpit and modified the transom to make a walk-through to allow easy access to the dinghy for our grandchildren. This winter, we intend hauling Orari to strip the many layers of paint topside, so hopefully she will once again look as spik-and-span as she did on the cover of Sea Spray! Steven and Rosemary Allen, Wakatakataka Bay
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Harry lived on the cliff edge of Paritai, in a house now bowled for something far less stylish, reasonably likely thats why the photo was taken with the background. June is in the photo behind Harry.
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wherever it may be she is/was a beautiful boat. I have found the easiest way to get a right answer is to give a wrong one here.
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Hi Ray , Its Paratai Dr Note the Wedding cake( White house ) above the burgee .
Also the bridge at theNgapipi Rd intersection top right of Pic . M
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I reckon it’s Paritai Drive.
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That “sea spray” cover could nearly be Onerahi in the background. just a guess.
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Beautiful lines. But – where is she now?
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PS Lloyd’s Yacht Register says she was designed by “R.P. Fisher”. Harold Parkinson registered her as a British Registered Ship in 1964 under ON # 315017 with that info.
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Reg Fisher undoubtedly.
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Well Lloyd’s Yacht Register says she was built in 1950 in Whangarei by Reg Fisher himself. I think you’re right and she was built over a period between 1950 and 1951. No doubt the Fishers will know precisely, or you could search the Northern Advocate!
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Photo of Sea Spray front cover added to the main post. AH
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Do you have any design info, launching dates for her?
She is on the WCC Register 1949/50 but the AYMBA card says she was built in 1951. Could well be that she was a 2-3 year building project, registered but not launched until much later.
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Harold Parkinson owned her in 1964 after Harry Julian. She still had her original twin Chrysler Royal 8 cylinder engines then.
Harold owned her until he died in 1979.
For some reason that I can’t figure out she was called ORARI III after 1960. Same boat, though.
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Who designed her? (“Whose design” looked stupid 🙂
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Whose design was she?
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There are lots of photos of her from launching date forward around the place, just not yet published. Mum has some goodies of everyone on her bow in the Julians ownership.
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Lovely boat and photographs
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Gee you guys are such show-offs:-)
Thats’s brilliant thanks,
Orari II was featured in Sea Spray August 1960 when owned by Harry Julian. While I see similarities in the hull, the cabin (with venetian blinds – Luxaflex no doubt) is quite different, having been pushed forward right to the mast.
Does this still match with your opinions of those original pix being Orari II?
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Beat me to it
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Orari ll, belonged to the Fisher family from Whangarei
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Totally detracting here, just a bit curious… Looks to be running into the coast, Mangawhai or further north Waipu with the Hen seen behind? ( image bottom right )
She’s a lovely shape and a big piece of boat.
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