RAINBOW
Rainbow was built in 1930 by Chas Robinson at Ohiniamutu for the Smiths who owned Rainbow Point on Lake Taupo – hence the name Rainbow.
She is 22.96’ in length & powered by a 15hp diesel.
She looks a very smart classic kauri launch & with a trademe asking price of $20k ono, could be a great buy. While still a lake boat, it would not cost a lot to truck her to the Waitemata 😉
Do any of the lake woodys know more about the boat ?
(thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up)
Input From Paul Drake
RAINBOW was a Taupo boat for more than 70 years, before moving to a nearby hydro lake where I suspect she still is. Someone has done a superb job on her cabin since she left. When built, she had an extensive canvas canopy instead of a cabin, supported by heavy tubular nickeled rods. She was fitted with copper buoyancy tanks, making her unsinkable. She also fitted with a magnificent 6 cylinder twin ignition Gray. Two spark plugs to each cylinder. To change from battery to magneto requires the flick of a switch. Fresh water is very kind to engines and this engine, in very good condition, now resides in brother Michael’s shed, complete with owner’s manual and original instruments. RAINBOW lived in a substantial boatshed at Rainbow Point, and was launched via a similarly substantial slip. She is a most unusual boat, in a good way, being very shapely and very shallow draft (half a metre) with exaggerated flare forard and very flat underwater sections aft. A fabulous looker and the perfect lake boat. In the photos below – the last photo shows how she looked when she left Taupo. The first three are from the 1930’s.
As always Paul Drake is on the button when it comes to the lakes 😉 . I can confirm that Rainbow now resides at Lake Rotoiti, in the ownership of a very passionate woody. She is currently getting some TLC at the yard of local LR boatbuilder, Alan Craig (Craig Marine) and will be relaunched in time for the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade on Feb 3rd.
I will do a feature on her post the event.
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Thanks very much for the reply. Was rather hoping to return her to Lake Taupo.
Regards.
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RAINBOW does not appear to be on TradeMe today, although I thought she was there yesterday. Probably she was snapped up and will hopefully appear soon at Lake Rotoiti.
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Is Rainbow still for sale? Can someone please provide a link to the Trade Me ad.
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Have a feeling I have seen this boat on Lake Ohakuri about a year ago
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New photos & details added. Alan H
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RAINBOW was a Taupo boat for more than 70 years, before moving to a nearby hydro lake where I suspect she still is. Someone has done a superb job on her cabin since she left. When built, she had an extensive canvas canopy instead of a cabin, supported by heavy tubular nickeled rods. She was fitted with copper buoyancy tanks, making her unsinkable. She also fitted with a magnificent 6 cylinder twin ignition Gray. Two spark plugs to each cylinder. To change from battery to magneto requires the flick of a switch. Fresh water is very kind to engines and this engine, in very good condition, now resides in brother Michael’s shed, complete with owner’s manual and original instruments. RAINBOW lived in a substantial boatshed at Rainbow Point, and was launched via a similarly substantial slip. She is a most unusual boat, in a good way, being very shapely and very shallow draft (half a metre) with exaggerated flare forard and very flat underwater sections aft. A fabulous looker and the perfect lake boat.
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Chas Robinson was a great boatbuilder (MAHOE, ALOHA etc) and was in partnership with Percy McIntosh at Ohinemutu for some years. See my article in December 2017 Boating NZ.
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She’s a looker!
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