Shame On You – Auckland Council and Auckland Maritime Museum
The management vandals at the Maritime Museum and Auckland Council are scrapping the 1926 Steam Crane Ship Rapaki. Chris McMullen advises that she will be towed to Titan Slipway today. This is very sad as John Street and Chris arranged to procure her from the Lyttleton Port Company.
She has been neglected for years. Rodney Wilson had great plans for her then sadly left.
It’s been commented to me in the past that most museums are run by academics often as a career not an interest. They don’t encourage volunteers fearing their ignorance and lack of experience will be exposed.
You have to ask the question – has this been brought ahead by the Americas cup fever?
Whats next? boat registration before the next Cup? Boating is the last Bastion of freedom. We have lived through the best times.
Rapaki’s demise has been kept from the press. But this was posted on the Net in November.
There has been no public consultation, No Public Notices or call for expressions of interest.
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When it’s gone – it’s gone, irretrievably. A headache disposed of by the expedient Maritime Museum/Auckland Council bean counters and their safety nazi ‘advisors’. $10 Million to restore a 94-year-old engineering masterpiece? Loose change. Less than the agenda-driven Auckland Council would spend on another useless and unnecessary cycle lane. Auckland Council. Smash-up the steam crane, build another cycle lane. Yeah, right.
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It should have never left Lyttelton.
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Please read about the Crane Ship Hikitia hikitia_registerreport-pdf Note they mention about the fate of the Rapaki under the control of the museum and that was written in 2010. Hikitia is privately owned lucky ship. Rapaki was never given that option . shame on the so called museum
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Thanks Chris Collins and every one who is shocked by this vandalism. John Street the Savior of “Rapaki” has just today saved the 150 year old “Daring” from the sands of the South Kaipara head
I admire his initiative after seeing his previous endeavor being scrapped by (in my view) incompetent management of the so called NZ Maritime Museum. These people have no practical experience and in the past have refused to take advise from people who know but don’t have a degree in Museum management. Museums are the worst places to send artifacts. Check out their stores and you will see. Ask to see the mullet Boat “Rakoa” You will see what I mean. “Shame” Shame!
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Counterpart Canadian treachery. S S Norisle. See: https://www.manitoulin.ca/letters-anger-still-simmers-over-the-fate-of-the-norisle/
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Years ago when I was a volunteer at the museum (on the water) I can remember when the Rapaki was fully operational. On an open day I took the opportunity to join the crane operator in his cabin half way up. He worked on her during its working life and had great delight in showing me how to slew the crane. All done with large levers connected to engines below the deck to rotate the turntable on which the crane sits, operate the screw to raise and lower the boom and the cable winch. An amazing piece of engineering and history that regular maintenance would have preserved. And don’t get me started on the disappearance of the whale mural on the western wall. .
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Would I be correct in stating that the city’s mayor is ultimately responsibility for this witless and disgraceful act of vandalism. Somehow I feel this is yet another reason to dislike the miserable little cipher.
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No warning, nothing to have this saved from that day its being broken up! Let’s boycott the museum to stop getting rid of heritage vessels that are still around and let the community groups know to do and keep them around today.
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Is there nothing we can do about this now? I understand its pretty 11th hour and all that, but surely this is a big part of NZ maritime heritage being ‘disposed of’?! How come she was allowed to get in this state in the first instance?
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And likewise Eastern Marina slipway has gone to make way for another low bridge across the Tamaki River. The late owners dream to run a boatyard . The plan squashed by progress? I wonder. All very sad
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It is a great shame to see an old steam powered work boat go to the breakers yard. But it is in line with the current aspirations of local Government and Parliament, that the history of the last couple of hundred years is of little interest or importance. Similar to Bagnall’s yard, stamped by a council that has no appetite for preserving a world that our grandfathers built and left for us. Both a great loss.
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Steve Lindsey on December 12, 2018 at 6:55 pm said:
How come the newspaper is covering this?
I presume you mean. How come the newspaper is not covering this?
The irony of this is the same John Street has just today rescued the 150 year old trading schooner from Kaipara heads. She has been buried for years in sand but recently been exposed. Vandals attached her but John and his team saved her from being gone forever. Sadly in the meantime Rapaki is being destroyed by the organization that should be preserving our heritage. I gave up on the Maritime museum years ago. I will never go near the place again.
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How come the newspaper is covering this?
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I’m feeling for the Kestrel now
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Dont worry about the Raupaki people. Her days are now numbered.
With the money sed council will possibly be making by charging per metre for visiting 40 metre plus boats to anchor in the harbor during the “cup” extravaganza they will c the income they can possibly make from the under 40 metre fleet. Then u will c the shit hit the fan.
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Did they seek sponsorship to get it back into a safe if not operational state. Failing that, did they advertise it to see if there was someone or an organisation (in NZ or overseas) prepared and capable of taking such a project on?
Surely museums are guardians of our history not owners of it. It doesn’t seem right to scrap it and keep the shiny bits without at least exploring all opportunities to keep it in tact.
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Going the way of so much of our heritage! Every time I drive into the city I remember the buried ferry boats. Will the “lifting bridge” be next?
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Now the School could use it as a floating workshop😀
Sent from my iPhone
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Wow. No excuse for this. Canadians are doing likewise. The CSS Wm Stewart was just scrapped. The S S Norisle is going to reefed. The MS Norgoma has been voted out of its hometown. Even the venerable S S Keewatin, rescued and kept by an American for decades and then returned home, and the last great Victorian passenger vessels, needs a new home. Blighters all.
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Yes it looks like vandalism to me. The bean counters.probaly think they can make more money in scrap value. Or who knows if they think at all.
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Yes there are quite a number of people using organisation and planning for the America’s Cup as a springboard to accelerate their careers, at all costs.
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There certainly seems currently to be a pervading culture down there of -The money we save by not maintaining the fleet will help preserve our jobs….
And of course no interest from them in iconic restored boats such as Magic Bus
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