TUATEA – A Peek Down Below

The 36’ launch Tuatea was built by Millers in Port Chalmers Dunedin in c.1930. Dock-side chat has it that she was built for the Hudson family of Cadbury Hudson chocolate fame and during WWII she was used by the NZ Navy Auxiliary Patrol Service, in Lyttleton Harbour from May 1942 > February 1944. Her pennant number was Z124 and is documented in the book NZ Navy Vessels by R J McDougall.

Built from kauri she was extensively rebuilt 15 years ago – with a new kauri full head room cabin, hull fully restored, fibre glassed over ply deck. Forward motion comes from a BMC Commodore 3.8 ltr., 62hp Nufield diesel engine. From her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) she looks to be a project boat i.e. some finishing work, but the big jobs appear to have been done. 

First Tuesday of the month tomorrow – so there must be a Classic Yacht Association committee meeting happening (via Zoom) – so the banner below is a reminder to elected members to be kind and support inclusion not segregation on the topic of the new Heritage Basin marina 🙂