AWANUI
Home port for Awanui is Motueka, Nelson Bay. She is 30’ LOA with a carvel kauri planked hull. With her hull shape & powered by a 80hp Ford diesel she would get along very nicely. Looking at the trademe photos there appears to have been a lot of work done on her & she is well fitted out – sleeps 5, toilet, shower, engine heated hot water, 2 burner gas stove & grill + sounder/GPS plotter, VHF radio, CD stereo & anchor with electric capstan. Solar battery charging & the mandatory safety gear. If she was mine, that alloy boarding platform would be gone very quickly J.
A lot of boat for around $20k.
Anyone know who designed / built her?
14-02-2024 INPUT EX OWNER – LES NELSON
My father owned Awanui in the 80″s we had a lot of enjoyment around the sounds during our ownership. We have a black and white image of when she was launched from the Picton foreshore back in around 1916-1919??. We stripped her back to bare timber and painted her from top to bottom, Rescue Orange “top side” with cream decks looked very smart. The mast was removed in favour of a shorter mount above the wheel house roof. A hatch was added above the wheel. A rear “duckboard” was removed to allow better control in a following seas. Would love to know where she is now, the last time we saw here was looking pretty plain and sorry looking in the Motueka marina.
We believe Cobber Kane owned her at some stage.
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Thanks for the update. So Awanui is still located in the Motueka Marina? I do have photos of her during our ownership if interested.
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Hello, I am Awanuiâs current owner and we live in Upper Moutere not far from Motueka. We have just been out for a few days in the Abel Tasman. The person that owned her a few owners ago put bilge keels on her, so when a storm in imminent we can go into the lagoons at high tide, sit on the sand and wait for the storm to pass. Here are some pics taken a few days ago and then a few weeks before that in Torrent Lagoon.
Carmel
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Hi Les – Could yoy email the photo you refer to to the address below and I will add to the story. Many Thanks Alan H
waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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New details added. Alan H
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My earlier comment about Cobber Kane having a part in Awanui design and build was incorrect as Cobber Kane was born 1918. Our understanding is that he did own her at some stage.
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My father owned Awanui in the 80″s we had a lot of enjoyment around the sounds during our ownership. Our understanding is that Awanui was connected to Cobber Kane and that he may have built her. We have a black and white image of when she was launched from the Picton foreshore back in around 1916-1919??. We stripped her back to bare timber and painted her from top to bottom, Rescue Orange “top side” with cream decks looked very smart. The mast was removed in favour of a shorter mount above the wheel house roof. A hatch was added above the wheel. A rear “duckboard” was removed to allow better control in a following seas. Would love to know where she is now, the last time we saw here was looking pretty plain and sorry looking in the Motueka marina.
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Hi Carmel – email the photos and any details to the address below and I will add to the story. Kind Regards Alan H
waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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Hi, I actually own her now but I have no idea who designed or built her. It would be great to know. I have updated pics, she’s been tidied up a lot since the last pics.
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Anyone able to track down who owns this now?. Used to be owned by my Grandparents, trying to trace down where it is located now – any ideas?
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Cobber KAIN is an unlikely owner. He was killed in June 1940 in France after becoming the RAF’s first WW2 ace. He certainly never owned this launch or any other boat. If this boat is pre-1950, say, I’ll eat my hat.
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Awanui’s original name was Cobber. Understand she was owned by ‘Cobber’ Kane in early life Can’t help with builder though.
Was moored in Waikawa Bay in 1950’s & 60’s
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