NAUTILUS
Now I might be having another ‘blonde’ moment but I have no recall on the history of the above launch. Baden Pascoe sent me the photo & said she was a Collings & Bell & named Nautilus & currently being restored at the Maritime Museum.
Can any woodys confirm, supply more details etc.
ps Baden is the worlds worst speller so maybe he has the name wrong 😉
Harold Kidd Input
The facts are that NAUTILUS was one of two local launches on the Hospital Ship MARAMA which arrived in the Med AFTER the evacuation from Gallipoli was over. MARAMA never got anywhere near Gallipoli. MAHENO had been at Gallipoli and had two other launches aboard, one of which had a stray Turkish Mauser 7.92 x 57 bullet through her hull while on davits, the only actual war damage ever suffered by any of them despite the yarns.
Taking these 4 launches on the two Hospital Ships was a great idea but they were hardly ever used because they had deteriorated badly on the long sea voyages and were a liability in the end.
I wrote an article on these four launches in Boating NZ for April 1915 but obviously it wasn’t read at the Maritime Museum, nor did they read Gavin McLean’s “White Ships, an excellent history of MARAMA and MAHENO by one of our greatest historians with whom I collaborated for my article.
No further comment.
01-09-2016 – photo (ex Colin Brown) below on relaunch day (2016) – emailed in by Ken Ricketts
22-11-2016 Photo below sent in by Chris Leech – taken during the NZ Navy 75th Review (Nov 2016)
2018 Photo below
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Mr Allan Williams was a personal friend of mine who passed away approx 3 weeks ago. A man of great integrity and a benefactor to many.
I sailed alongside Nautilus on many occasions around Banks Peninsular, my vessel at the time was the Thetis.
Nautilus was shipped away to the eastern Med on board ‘Marama’ the hospital vessel and did not see any real service – she was there- thats all.
I have seen the one ‘hole’ supposedly from a bullet, and Allen always maintained that he was unable to confirm the veracity of the ‘Dunkirk’ story.
In defense of an honest man I can assure you that the stories were passed down ‘as heard’ and I must object to some of the terminology being slung about by ill informed ‘experts’ which will automatically rest on an innocent doorstep.
Rest in peace Allan,
David.
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New photo added. Alan H
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Getting off on a different tack, (no pun intended), my friend Colin Brown, Omaha boat builder & restoration expert, tells me he with the assistance of his son-in-law, Josh Hawke, undertook a massive reconstruction of her hull a couple of years ago, & every rib was cracked or broken, & he totally re-ribbed & refastened her. The keel bolts were all steel, & needless to say, he replaced all of these as well, so she now has total structural integrity.
She is presently fitted with a 4 cyl 50 Hp Volvo Diesel, which could be around 8 to 10 years old according to Kevin Smith, at the Maritime Museum, who has granted permission for a photo (ex Colin B) of her on relaunching day to appear on WW. KEN R
photo added to main story. AH
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Post it here?
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Yes’ I know a lot about the History of the Nautalis’ my father, owned Her for several years.
You can talk to me on 0211645169 the names’ Greg.
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She was built by Collings & Bell for Chester in November 1913 at 32ft loa but has since been lengthened by 4ft.
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Nautalis lth 36′ x 8’6″ built for Horace E Chester of Lyttelton I found in notes of the Collings that she had infact been to the Mediteranian 1st. WW. and after that was returned to the Chesters 1919, – was used for ferring passegers to and from the Hospital ships.
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Sorry,
Just a century out! That’s what comes of dwelling in the past; it becomes the present. Just backing reluctantly into the present.
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Maritime museum not around in April 1915, but you would expect that a few of them read the article last year! ED
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well, it’s a good yarn either way 😉 the rest of the story is bogus so they shouldn’t worry too much about the details.
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A minor point re. the former CH-CH owner Mr. Williams described in the NMM story on Nautilus, he would have been an Honorary Consul-General of Germany in CH-CH, and not a ‘Consul-General’.
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You see the facts are that NAUTILUS was one of two local launches on the Hospital Ship MARAMA which arrived in the Med AFTER the evacuation from Gallipoli was over. MARAMA never got anywhere near Gallipoli. MAHENO had been at Gallipoli and had two other launches aboard, one of which had a stray Turkish Mauser 7.92 x 57 bullet through her hull while on davits, the only actual war damage ever suffered by any of them despite the yarns.
Taking these 4 launches on the two Hospital Ships was a great idea but they were hardly ever used because they had deteriorated badly on the long sea voyages and were a liability in the end.
I wrote an article on these four launches in Boating NZ for April 1915 but obviously it wasn’t read at the Maritime Museum, nor did they read Gavin McLean’s “White Ships, an excellent history of MARAMA and MAHENO by one of our greatest historians with whom I collaborated for my article.
No further comment.
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OK, I confess, I’m NOT really staggered.
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“It staggers me that the Maritime Museum gives her house-room and fosters credence for the Gallipoli myth”
http://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/nautilus
Er …. not really. 😦
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Wow, the myth that NAUTILUS was ever at Gallipoli in 1915 is one thing, but D Day in 1944, the mind boggles!
Dunkirk anyone?
Perhaps she was with Drake when he defeated the Armada in 1588?
A plaque is easy.
The “bullet holes” are a figment of someone’s imagination.
And she’s been lengthened and altered out of all recognition from her original Hospital Ship structure.
It staggers me that the Maritime Museum gives her house-room and fosters credence for the Gallipoli myth.
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Now that rings a bell – must have been talked about on the CYAF
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Alan , Nautilus was a Lyttelton Vessel kept in the inner harbour and used often by her then ovner Mr Alan Williams ph 03 3849773 . I believe she took part in the D day invasion and evacuation of troops , even has bullet holes and a plaque to show . Alan Williams gave the boat to the NZ Maritime Museum. Michael Rossouw http://www.jacktarsailing.co.nz
_____
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yup, isn’t this the one with the bogus fake story about gallipoli?
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