VALEEKA
Recently Valeeka popped up on fb chat and then today I get a note from Wade Nisbet those grandparents owned the launch and sold her in 1953.
The photo above shows her when owned by Wade’s family, beached in the Bay of Islands after a fresh coat of anti-fouling.
Wade would love to get confirmation of what (little) he knows about the boat and also learn if she has survived and if so where she is today.
Its rumored that – she is 36’, built in 1912, builder was Bailey & Lowe. Richard Petricevich has commented that she was owned by Nicky Williams from 1953 to the 1980’s. Used as a fishing vessel in Hokianga, plus to ‘power’ the Rawene car ferry. According to Richard she also pulled the last raft of kauri logs, floated to the mill on the Hokianga. At the time of purchase she was powered by a straight 8 Scripts marine’ised petrol engine, but was later re-powered with a 4 cyl. Fordson diesel.
Valeeka was sold to a Graeme Lidgard of Whangarei, in the 1980’s. Can someone that knows Graeme ‘point’ this WW story in his direction so we can hopefully fill in some gaps. Graeme may have sold the launch to a doctor in Thames.
Richard Petricevich also posted the photo below of Valeeka’s name board and bow crest – which is a little disconcerting i.e hopefully souvenired during a re-fit and not from a wreck……….
Harold Kidd Input – VALEKA (original spelling; named after a current racehorse of that name) was a 33 footer built by BAILEY & TYER (not Bailey & Lowe) at Hall’s Beach Northcote in December 1912 for E. Porter of Northcote. She was probably designed by C. Harrison Smith who did the design work for Bailey & Tyer at the time. Her first engine was a 12hp Hercules which was replaced by a 50hp Kermath when Noel Campbell owned her in 1923.
Log Of The Rawhiti – OOPS FIXED
If you couldn’t open the link to read/view Sunday’s story on Rawhiti’s amazing passage from Sydney to Auckland – it now ‘live again’ – click below
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Harold, my email address is
wade.nisbet@gmail.com
I would love to hear from you.
Cheers.
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There are a large number of contemporary references to VALEKA (original name) in New Zealand Yachtsman magazine, the Auckland Star and the NZ Herald. Give WW your email address and I’ll send you a printout.
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Thank you guys for your input Harold and Nick. Every scrap of information helps. Is there any chance that any of the drawings for these boats survived anywhere? Harold you seem to have very specific information about her, is this a razor sharp memory or do you have records of some kind?
Wade
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Valeeka was owned by Huey Williams. Nicky was his son.
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VALEKA (original spelling; named after a current racehorse of that name) was a 33 footer built by BAILEY & TYER (not Bailey & Lowe) at Hall’s Beach Northcote in December 1912 for E. Porter of Northcote. She was probably designed by C. Harrison Smith who did the design work for Bailey & Tyer at the time. Her first engine was a 12hp Hercules which was replaced by a 50hp Kermath when Noel Campbell owned her in 1923.
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