• 

• 

• 

• 

History & Demise of Waiana

The launch Waiana is somewhat of a mystery boat – her design / builder and launch year are unknown, purely speculation but possibly c. 1929. Waiana’s probable ownership log and history (pulled together by – Murray Plunket, Bob Siegel and Ken Ricketts) is below:

1. ?? > 1950’s – Mr Lowndes – kept at Okahu Bay, Auckland

2. 1950 > 60’s – Tom Plunkett – kept at Okahu Bay, Auckland

3. 1970’s – Owner unknown – commercial longline fishing, based at Thames

4. 1980’s > early 1990’s – Hendon Pierce (+ one other) longline fishing, based at Tutukaka, Northland

5. Mid 1990’s > c.2008 – Bob Siegel – Kaipara Harbour, pleasure use

6. 2008 > 2015 – Bob Siegel – hauled out at Dargarville property

7. 2015 – broken up

(photos ex Murray Plunkett + Bob Segel)

When the Plunkett family bought her, she was fitted with a WWII war assets Scripps converted, Ford V8 petrol engine, , many of which were installed in to NZ boats from 1947 to the mid 1950s, which probably replaced her original engine.This was still in her when the Plunketts sold her (1970’s) into commercial fishing out of Thames. Around this time she had a coamings change, to increase the cockpit, for the long-lining. During the 1970’s > 80’s period she acquired a 4 cyl Ford diesel engine. 

When Bob Segel purchased her ex Tutukaka, after repairs to get The Ford running and make her seaworthy, he motored Waiana down to Whangarei, and then trucked her to the Kaipara Harbour. Then in 2008, he took her to his home in Dargaville, with a view to rebuilding & restoring her, however a combination of the elements and lack of funds saw Waiana gradually deteriorate to the point that she  was chainsawed up for firewood c.2015. 

While Waiana is no longer around, it would be nice to be able to put a name and date to the design / builder and fill in the blanks in her early years.

INPUT EX HAROLD KIDD – WAIANA is obviously another rename. I have no record of her as WAIANA until 1957 when she was listed as an auxiliary by NZ Coastguard. Then in 1961 she is listed with APYMBA under 251 and owned by Gerald Clark with a 40/50 Fordson diesel. Her dimensions were given as 31.1′ x 9′ x 3.3′.
When R.J. Siegel wrote to me in 1997 her dimensions were close at 31.4′ x 8’10”.
Sometimes you can get at a launch’s provenance by searching the APYMBA number but no luck this time…..but who is Gerald Clark?