Airini

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AIRINI 22.1.15 -1

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AIRINI

The above photos of Airini have been sitting in the ww files for over 2 years, I think its obvious way ……… but at least its only a temporary addition & folds down so wouldn’t need Jason’s tungsten tipped skill-saw 😉

I understand from Ken Ricketts she has belonged to Don Mac Donald of Auckland for 9 + years, & he bought her off a Selwyn Toogood, he thinks the name was, (not ‘the money or the bag’ one) Toogood may have had her for 5 or 6 years, & lived in the Paeroa – Te Aroha – Ngatea area, & kept her at Coromandel, where she was moored when Don took delivery of her.

One of the photos shows her on the hard stand at Mahurangi Marina, she has been moored by Don At Gulf Harbour originally, then up to Totara North, & presently at Mahurangi.

She is 37 ft overall, with a 34ft waterline. Powered by a 6 cyl Ford diesel. Her builder is unknown but Don believes she was built in 1965 in Whangamata.

Anyone out there know more about Airini’s past?

9 thoughts on “Airini”

  2. AIRINI as a name was used by other launches. It’s just the Maori version of Irene, just as IRIHAPETI is the Maori version of Elizabeth, RAIONA of Lion and WIRIHANA of Wilson.

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  3. Hi, looking at the name Airini, I am wondering if there is any connection with the Artist Kathleen ( Kitty ) Airini Vane. The vessel Kitty Vane is named after her, possibly Airini as well. Any comments please. Cheers, Tom.

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  4. could be the launch owned during the 60″s by the Darley’s (owner of the Waihi Gazette newspaper) who lived at Waihi Beach and kept the launch at Tanners Point on the Katikati harbour. If so I’m certain she was built in Tauranga and could have had a sister ship. For info, Stella Maris was the other launch moored at Tanners Point over the same period. She was home built in the early 60’s by Phil Halloran of Waihi who modified an Augustin Bonito design into a really roomy launch used mainly for big game fishing at Mayor Island. A pic of this lovely launch can be seen on the Classic Launch site maintained by Brian Worthington. This site has some great pics of historic launches…..cheers

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  5. What a dumb suggestion ! To do the chainsaw redesign would be totally uneconimic and a waste of time. Really why would anybody do that just to satisfy somebody else.
    A big hairy faced yawn again.

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  7. I have been since told, she has been sold to one John Arthur, (who may be a person who was an employee of my company, around 2000), since I wrote the story, & is, or was, at least for a period after the sale to the present owner, living in the Wade River.. — KEN R

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  9. Hi, needs the whole top structure removed and a more appealing, thought through cabin top built, as she has a good solid hull to her. Cheers.

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