RAKANUI >> MONA’s ISLE II
Andrew Pollard recently sent me the above photos (ex Baden Pascoe & Russell Ward) of the 1926 motorboat Rakanui. I’m unaware of her history, which I’m sure the 2 previously mentioned woodys will supply. But I have to say – WoW what a stunning vessel.
Below is a photo of her later in life after she had been converted to a tug & named Mona’s Isle II.
Input from Russell Ward
Harold elicited that her ownership was as below (built by Bailey & Lowe):
1. W.R. Patterson (1926-1937)
2. J D Bell Ltd (1937-1939)
3. Winstones (1939+)
She had a Widdops semi diesel when new and hence the tall funnel to get the soot and smoke away. They were replaced soon after she was new. Ray Morey sent us a problem pic of her from Australia and I am hoping it will be posted because she was on a jolly with Capt Bell and passengers and we were not sure of the date or actual location in the harbour.
Superb tug and well praised by all those who served on her. When Patterson sold her to Bell pre WW2, she had to be renamed and Bell, being a Manxman, chose the name which was already in use by a Clyde ferry -hence she is the second of the name. Took us a while to fathom that one.
(Photo below taken when Bell owner her)
Input from Ray Morey
She also sported a pair of K4 Kelvins then Gardners before the Detroits which I am sure Keith Wright installed. I believe “Mona’s Isle” is the old gaelic name for The Isle of Man.
Input from Ken Rickets – Was run by the Julian family for a number of years as a tug, under ownership of Gulf Freighters Ltd, a joint Julian & Winstone company. She had 2 x 88 Hp Kelvin diesels, which they replaced with 2 x 95 hp 5 Cyl Gardners.
Input from Paul N. – In the ninetys she was owned by Sir Michael Fay and would tow a barge full of building materials from the Tamaki river down to the Merc’s. Later was sold to McManaways in the South Island and was used for towing a barge. Unfortunately the barge toppled over with the weight of two concrete trucks while loading, with the loss of two lives.
Additional Input from Andrew Pollard
Julian used her extensively in the harbour bridge construction. The photos below are ex BadenPascoe / Russell Ward / Chris Robey
Input from Robin Elliot (photo ex Russell Ward*)
In February 1945 Winstones loaned Mona’s Isle to Royal Akarana Yacht Club for use as their flagship at the club’s 50th Jubilee Regatta.
At RAYC’s centenary regatta in 1995, she was there again as flagship, now named Rakanoa and skippered by the redoubtable Peter Vandersloot who was tug-boat skipper for Sir Michael Fay.
*The photo is by Tinny Brown, who was a tug man of the times we speak of, and came to Russell via Tim Brown –a good steamer and ex Bailey’s man (hence a great craftsman). Now steaming in Whangarei with his steamer Clansman.
(Ron Trotter has advised she has been in Coromandel Harbour / wharf for the last year+)
30-01-2018 Input from Janet Watkins
From Whangarei records by AH Pickmere I was updating yesterday!!
“Old timers will remember W.R. Patterson who grew up in boats yet he never learned to swim. He started with a small open sloop but began trading with a larger vessel Lupe, a cutter. Then he acquired the passenger launches Rose and Eva, and later Lady Eva and Rakanui. W.R. Patterson owned Eva 1910-1928, Lady Eva 1013-1920 (Latterly owned by Subritzky) and Rakanui 1926-1937. Rakanui, renamed Monas Isle II, brought back to Whangarei by Keith Wright and name reverted to Rakanui. Should be Rakaunui meaning Big Tree – Capt Patterson was the local agent for Big Tree Benzine and in the days before either rail (late 1926) or good roads, cased benzine was regularly barged from Auckland to Patterson’s depot near Doctor’s Creek – behind the old Drill Hall in Whangarei.
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I note there is a lien on a 16m tug of this name in today’s NZ Herald (7 Sept, 2022). To be sold or otherwise disposed of if the owner fails to make contact. Not sure of it is the same vessel
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I skippered Rakanui for three owners,Harry Julian,Winstones and Keith Wright.The Gardners were replaced by Dormans and ran best under Keith and his brothers care.I spent over ten years on her.Snow Caruthers reckoned if you can handle Monas Isle you can handle anything.I skippered Lady Eva for Parry Bros five years,best jobs i had.
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“Doctors Creek” was a locality name, it was really the mouth of the Wairohia stream, it ran past the old WECO foundry and entered the Hatea stream on the western side of the town basin. The regular flooding would wash gravel down and block the Hatea just beyond the town basin.It was filled in and Wairohia diverted down beside Port Road coming out just above Limeburners creek in the 1960’s.
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From Whangarei records by AHPickmere I was updating yesterday!!
“Old timers will remember W.R. Patterson who grew up in boats yet he never learned to swim. He started with a small open sloop but began trading with a larger vessel Lupe, a cutter. Then he acquired the passenger launches Rose and Eva, and later Lady Eva and Rakanui. W.R. Patterson owned Eva 1910-1928, Lady Eva 1013-1920 (Latterly owned by Subritzky) and Rakanui 1926-1937. Rakanui, renamed Monas Isle II, brought back to Whangarei by Keith Wright and name reverted to Rakanui. Should be Rakaunui meaning Big Tree – Capt Patterson was the local agent for Big Tree Benzine and in the days before either rail (late 1926) or good roads, cased benzine was regularly barged from Auckland to Patterson’s depot near Doctor’s Creek – behind the old Drill Hall in Whangarei.
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First saw her as Mona’s Isle winning a launch race in Bon Accord harbour, all flags flying, late 1950s. Worked on her for a year as Rakanui, 1969/70. Was on board when she hit the wharf at Marsden Pt late one night, with barge in tow. Flying bridge wrecked.
Write about this event in my book, ‘A Deviation from the Norm’
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The marriage of Julian’s and winstones-“Gulf Freighters’ did not last very long, only a couple of years before Harry set up” Auckland Water Transport Ltd.” It was after Morry Cape rammed HMNZS Endeavour and put her on the bottom that she was rebuilt and re-engined with the Gardners. That occaision and when his B.I.L. Tojo nearly put Barbara W on the beach that he banned absolutely any sort of chair or seating in the wheelhouse
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that pic of her with the barge “KIWA” is Keith Wright’s, “Whangarei Sand Co”. He sold “Alma” to Tga. Weco built Kiwa for him and he bought Mona’s Isle from Harry Julian. Later when he closed down Kiwa went to Tauranga Ports Authority and Fay’s mob bought M.I.
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I’ve never got a Chrissy card from you, oh wise and wonderful one!
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Well, I never…… I’m crossing vintagesteamer off my Christmas card list…………..
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After The Mercury Island partnership bought her as a towboat to replace Southerly as more suited to towing barges we changed her to two rudders and wondered how they had put up with the single one for so long down south. Although we were towing pretty decent loads with the Mercury Mover beyond extreme limits all through the week, on a fairly tight schedule
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Rakanui, Otago Harbour Board bought her in 1979 and worked her for about 15 years. Always looked after her. She was refastened at Miller and Tunnage during the 1980’s.
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You can tell you have a biggie here, Andrew; from the barrage of posts! Harry J reckoned she was a brilliant tug and her prop wash never broke water -all towing power down there where him blong. Murray Keeble (who was crew when Fay had her) reckoned you could leave the helm, go below and get a brew on and she’d still be on course.
Harry had a problem when she hit the old HMNZS Endeavour in Tiri strait and he never allowed a seat for the man on watch after that.
She’s a goodie and great to see her in a real man’s hands -we’ll be watching carefully, Andrew. Kelvins I reckon or second best, Gardner 5LWs -she didn’t have room for that extra cylinder so Harry had to make do. I preferred her with the Kelvins -not so much twirling of the wheels when manoeuvring. Kelvins need 3/4 or a turn, Gardners need many turns from ahead to astern -makes you think twice about doing it or just be damned and hit it whatever it was. Kelvins looked slicker up top when the boat was working -less frenetic.
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More photos & details added. Alan H
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shes been sitting at coromandel harbour for a year or so along side the wharf
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In February 1945 Winstones loaned Mona’s Isle to Royal Akarana Yacht Club for use as their flagship at the club’s 50th Jubilee Regatta.
At RAYC’s centenary regatta in 1995, she was there again as flagship, now named Rakanoa and skippered by the redoubtable Peter Vandersloot who was tug-boat skipper for Sir Michael Fay.
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Nah, Boating NZ is full of ugly boats these days. Your article, Harold, and Vinings listing in the boats for sale section are all that’s worth browsing through at the petrol station most of the time.
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In the ninetys she was owned by Sir Michael Fay and would tow a barge full of building materials from the Tamaki river down to the Merc’s. Later was sold to McManaways in the South Island and was used for towing a barge. Unfortunatley the barge toppled over with the weight of two concrete trucks while loading, with the loss of two lives.
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New photo & details added. Alan H
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She will be steaming to Auckland in a month or so.
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Vintagesteamer (known to the faithful as Russell Ward) got it right. Bell bought her in 1937 and changed her name to (technically) MONA’S ISLE II and that name stuck for many years through her ownership by Winstones etc.
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And it was Keith Wright who changed her name back to “Rakanui”
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she also sported a pair of K4 Kelvins then Gardners before the Detroits which I am sure Keith Wright installed. I believe “Mona’s Isle” is the old gaelic name for The Isle of Man.
What say you Harold??
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Alan, you really should read Boating NZ. I did a series of articles in that worthy publication on Capt. Patterson and his boats, including RAKANUI of course, not so long ago. She was built for Skip Patterson by Bailey & Lowe.
Lovely pics of RAKANUI/MONA’S ISLE though!
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Fort many years a common sight in Auckland, based alongside Capt. Cook wharf, and the Northland coast towing sand barges.
Where is she now?
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She’s MONA’S ISLE ( has an “S” on the end of her name), & was run by the Julian family for a number of years as a tug, under ownership of Gulf Freighters Ltd, a company jointly formed & owned by the Julians & Winstone Ltd & when the company was formed in 1954, she had 2 x 88 Hp Kelvin diesels, which they replaced with 2 x 95 hp 5 Cyl Gardners, notwithstanding Harry J., had wanted to use 6 cyl 114 hp version of the engines. — KEN R
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Murray K will want to pitch in. Harold elicited that her ownership was
1. W.R. Patterson (1926-1937)
2. J D Bell Ltd (1937-1939)
3. Winstones (1939+)
She had a Widdops semi diesel when new and hence the tall funnel to get the soot and smoke away. They were replaced soon after she was new. Ray Morey sent us a problem pic of her from Australia and I am hoping it will be posted because she was on a jolly with Capt Bell and passengers and we were not sure of the date or actual location in the harbour.
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Mona’s Isle ll. Superb tug and well praised by all those who served on her. When Patterson sold her to Bell pre WW2, she had to be renamed and Bell, being a Manxman, chose the name which was already in use by a Clyde ferry -hence she is the second of the name. Took us a while to fathom that one.
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