Tassie II
ww readers may recall that last year I was sent a collection of b/w photos by Rosemary Robinson, the granddaughter of L.C. Coulthard, boat builder of Onehunga. I featured the launch Doraine here & it generated a lot of chat. Amongst the photos were the above two & the name Tassie II, 1952, appeared close to the photos, but not directly underneath, so I’m a little uncertain to the actual name. I’m also assuming the location is Coulthard’s Onehunga yard.
Can any of the woodys confirm the name of the launch & supply an details on her ?
Finding Pax
Popped down to Boat Books in Westhaven last night to catch Kaci Cronkhite the author of ‘Finding Pax – The Unexpected Journey o a Little Wooden Boat’ speaking on her just released book. Kaci has impeccable woody credentials having spent 10+ years putting together the world famous Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Readers of the USA WoodenBoat magazine & followers of the WoodenBoat online forum will be familiar with her 1936 Danish designed & built spidsgatter (double-ender) yacht. The book chronicles Kaci’s purchase, restoration & subsequent search across 3 countries to uncover Pax’s past.
To quote John Summers, who reviewed the book for WoodenBoat magazine – “this is a book to curl up with & reflect on. Cronkhite’s writing is lucid & heartfelt, feelings at times more like a glimpse into a personal diary than a personal book. Reading it may make you want to by an old wooden boat of your own. Don’t say I didn’t warn you”
Copies are available for the very modest price of $35 from Boat Books https://www.boatbooks.co.nz/
The photo below I snapped on the iphone is of Kaci’s personal copy with the dog-eared page makers, from which she read exerts.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily 
Yes, the boat is definitely the 30 foot launch Pania built in 1959, but I’m not sure where those photos were taken. She could have been built for Lloyd Fowler as he was a good customer of my grandfathers.
Rosemary
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Tassie II
Phillipa II
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Tassie II (speed) and Phillipa II (slipway)
https://anonimag.es/image/JT9hq0S
https://anonimag.es/image/JT9hq0r
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The only PANIA I have is a 30 footer on TradeMe in 2010 said to have been built in 1962 by “Cauldrey”, which is nonsense of course. She was then on a pile mooring at Te Atatu. I suspect that this is your PANIA, Nathan, and that she was built for a Napier owner.
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TASSIE II is featured as PANIA on a post dated 14.11.14 with the images of her dated in ?.7.16– KEN R
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My understanding is that she is Pania. Harold- does Pania conform to being Built 1959 30 ft by 10ft For Lloyd Fowler?
‘Tassie II’ to me, indicates the more slender, ~28ft v- bottom launch with dark coamings and lower profile cabin. A tad fast perhaps as well. Coulthard’s daught told me that there was a conflict over payment for Tassie II and that her father physically stopped the delivery of the boat at the wharf! Built for somebody down the line.
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First pic I think is at the Panmure Wharf, the scow in the background probably A W Bryant’s OWHITI.
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TASSIE TOO was an Aussie yacht, a 21ft restricted class, which was a legendary winner of the Foster Cup 10 times between 1927 and 1952. It would seem odd that an Onehunga-built launch would take that particular name unless, perhaps, as a homage to an outstanding Australian yacht of a class unknown in NZ.
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The pic of her being launched is by the Panmure wharf by Yacht Club in the Tamaki River — KEN R
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Lovely boat remember her well from the ’60s usually down the bottom end. My old man went to have a word with Len when he got an inheritance from his old aunt. Always called her the “Coulthard boat.” Very stylee with that kick up of the bright finished feature strake on the coamings.
First pic doesn’t look like Onehunga to me. Tamaki River somewhere? Glen Innes side? Look at those wire ropes and sandbags to spread the load.
The second pic portrays the ship on the grid behind the AMYC dinghy lockers at Westhaven. I have to say that, at that boy’s age, I was not dressed in white when there and would have been down under painting the garboards and up to the bilge as well as myself. Wondering why I was going to get headaches and feel crook for a few daze. So I guess dad is down there or it is a prop change of something.
Antifouling courtesy of AHB or possibly USSCo or wherever Des Donovan was sourcing it that week. Diluted with a bit of diesel and sometimes DDT.
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The launch “TASSIE II” is up against the cleaning piles is at Westhaven — KEN R
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