Could This Be Zephyr

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Could This Be Zephyr

Woody Nathan Herbert spotted the launch above on trademe – the photo show her name as Belinda Lee and the list says she was built in 1940, is 36’ in length.
Current zoom zoom is via a 1952 Ford 120hp diesel. The photos look a little scary but there are the bones of a good woody here if you had the time and budget to attach the above the waterline issues.
Current home is Christchurch, so that may limit her appeal to woodys north of Cook Straight, but the price at <$5k is right, if the Ford is healthy 😉
(b/w photo c.1948 ex K Ricketts)
So Woodys – was Belinda Lee, Zephyr in an other life?
18-02-2020 Update ex Andrea Collings
Andrea has located a couple of photos, see below.  Reproduction is not the best but we roll with that.. The one on the skid, is from when Andrea’s grandfather first brought her.  Andrea commented it has her grandmother, uncle (and she thinks her aunt). Andrea  believes she was having her motor removed.  Her grandfather (Mac Kelly) thought she was to thirsty and put a smaller engine in. 
The 2nd photo is of her has Mac standing and one of his sons sunbathing on her roof.
Andrea is not sure of dates for these photos but believes it would have to be in the 1950’s.
Zephyr remained in their family until about 1985 when she was sold to a man from Auckland who Andrea was told was the gent who took her bridge off. After that Andrea didnt know what happened to Zephyr until she received an email WW and then read Logan’s post.
Andrea has promised to continue to track down any more information and photos, so it can be added to her story.
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30-04-2020 The Continuing Story Of Zephyr

I have been recently contacted by Kevin Lyall who via his mother, Hope Lyall, has contributed more details and photos from the vessels past. Kevins grandfather was a previous owner names – Mac Kelly and mentioned also in Andrea Colling’s input above.
I’ll let Kevin & Hope tell their story.

“The completion of Zephyr was delayed until after WWII, as the government was going to commandeer her as a patrol boat. She was originally powered by a single 165Hp ChrisCraft marine petrol engine, taken from a twin engine WWII landing craft. Not sure if the HP is correct, had a look and could have been a K series or Hercules series engine?

Mum said the original engine was under the floor, but the new engine had an engine cover built which took up space in the cockpit. She was re-powered with a Lee’s marine diesel (Ford)

She sank at her mooring in Awaawaroa Bay late 1970’s or early 1980’s, due to an engine intake valve being left open. She may have sat floating at the mooring for several years after that  as I remember her being beached at Pipitewai Bay and sacks of mussels being removed from the hull,This may have been around the time she was sold on.

We used to visit the family farm at Awaawaroa Bay, board Zephyr at Maraetai Wharf and sit on the bow with our groceries for the trip over the Tamaki Strait, we did this a few times for school holidays and Christmas. Must have been pre 1981.

My mother and family did a lot of trips on Zephyr all around the Hauraki Gulf and out to Great Barrier Island in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Many stories of fishing and visiting islands and meeting up with other boaties.”

Zephyr DEC1965

Dec’ 1965

Zephyr 1970's

1970’s

31-08-2020 Update ex Logan Bergs

Logan sent in the locker panel below from the launch Zephyr, during the weekend he by chance flipped the lid over and found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel Whilst doing a bit of work on the weekend on Zephyr or Belinda lee as she was called when I acquired her I found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel. When Logan bought the boat it was called Belinda Lee but he has reverted to the original name (Zephyr). Barry was unaware that there had been 2 other names – ‘Lady J’ and ‘True Love’.So woodys – does the addition of these names jog and memories?

9 thoughts on “Could This Be Zephyr”

  2. Pingback: Zephyr | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news – updated daily

  5. Hi Brian,
    I have taken on the restoration of Belinda Lee as a family project. I plan to get her back on the water within the next couple of years. There’s a fair bit of work to do, being a timber craftsman by trade and I’m up for the challenge so will be a learning process for sure. I would love to find out more of her history if you have anything? Old photos of how she used to look?
    Since you owned her from what I understand she was damaged in Lyttelton during a storm but didn’t sink, from there she was too much for a couple of owners before being abandoned, we picked her up for the outstanding storage fees, a steal if you ask me.
    Thanks, Logan

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  6. I owned the Belinda Lee in the early/ mid 2000’s. I bought it in Whitianga. I moored it at Gulf Harbour. Sold it to a guy in Christchurch about 2007. It definitely had previously been named Zephyr, and one other name which I cant recall. Geoff Bagnall, Milford, did lots of renovation to it during my ownership. Part of that was the removal of a rough steel bowsprit and replacement of it with the wooden one. He also fitted the larger duck board on the stern, and replaced the bow rail with a laminated single piece! The Ford diesel had been lowered through the roof of the cabin well prior to my purchase. Not the tidiest cut (or cover) but quite effective. Brian Barlow.

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  7. The windows are a red herring; clearly not an old cabin build/shape. The stem I see what you mean Ken but i’d Like to see a better pic of both

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  8. I doubt very much that if that engine is from 1952 it would be 120 hp. the 6D ford was only about 85-90 hp at best

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  9. I don’t think so as the bridgedeck is too short (2windows & a door, whilst my image shows 3 windows & a door), & the stem in the recent images appears to have a rake, whilst in the image I took of Zephyr c1948, is showing a straight stem. –KEN R

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