AURORA
Today’s woody – Aurora resides on a mooring in the Tamaki River. I took the photo early last month (May 2021).
Can anyone enlighten us on her? If my life depended on it, I would suggest she was a Lidgard, those saloon windows are very Lidgard in shape.
Input ex Harold Kidd – AURORA was built in 1947 by the Lane Motor Boat Co for Sydney B Philpott with a 65hp Perkins. In 1953 C. Yockney bought her. In 1958 AJC & A Taylor and CH Stewart bought her and owned her until at least 1973.
UPDATE – 1963 Photo below , whilst owned by the Taylor family, photo ex Allen/Coggan/Andrews family collection via Ken Ricketts
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I owned Aurora from 1976 until 1979, and for a short time moored her in the Tamaki river before Half Moon Bay Marina. Yes she was a Lanes boat built in 1948 ,and I had the fly bridge added during the period l owned her. I also replaced the original Perkins with a reconditioned Ford.
The time with us she was a family boat, used regularly as a Waiheke/Coromandel cruiser with annual Christmas trips to the Barrier.
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Harold, thank you for joining the dots re the timing of the period she was owned by the Stewarts/Taylors,
Whilst I knew it was the 50s era it started, its great to have it in correct detail, since the grey matter gets a little rusty at times, when trying to recall in fine detail, that far back, as we all know, & in fine tuning these things, –hence I did not give a timing to their stewardship – Thanks so much. — KEN R
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AURORA was built in 1947 by the Lane Motor Boat Co for Sydney B Philpott with a 65hp Perkins. In 1953 C. Yockney bought her. In 1958 AJC & A Taylor and CH Stewart bought her and owned her until at least 1973.
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New photo added. Alan H
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Shipbuilders also built a number that looked very much like this
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AURORA was built about 1949/50 & was owned for many years by Colin Stewart of Fisher & Paykel.
He owned it, along with his in laws – the Taylor family. They almost always all cruised on her together, & I was told she as built by Lane Motor Boat Co.
Her original engine was a P6 Perkins diesel, with an unsilenced typically very noisy, & somewhat erratic at low speed, stern exhaust, as the old P6’s used to have out the tuck, This was many years later eventually replaced by a 6 cyl Ford diesel.
She cruised mostly & regularly in those early days with TIROMOANA, VINANNE, DOREEN,, WANDA II, MARNINE, & FLORAY (later renamed LEILANI). They were very dedicated boaties — KEN R .
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