1912 Kauri Launch – Dreadnaught
We all know the correct answer when some asks “does my behind look big in these jeans” well in the same vein someone needs to tell the owner of the above launch not to use a wide angle lens for the hero shot 🙂
Putting that aside today’s woody according to her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) has a great back story – built in 1912 by the daughter of John Geard, the Geard family were early pioneers in the South Island. In fact the mother was the first English woman settler in the South Island. The family were whalers in the Marlborough area.
The launch is 46’ in length and built from kauri. Her engine is a 1950, 60hp Cummings diesel.
An interesting mix of design styles on display – it states that she s a ‘dreadnought’ design, not sure what that means – dreadnought is mostly connected to early 1900 battleships and more modern day submarines.
The challenge would be to keep as is or get the tungsten tipped chainsaw out and start again.
Can we put a name to the boat and learn more about her?
INPUT EX CAMERON POLLARD – Named Dreadnaught. Owned by the Gaurd family for most of the century. 43 ft long, 4cyl Ford engine. Largely original – photos below
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Sorry Dreadnought. It seems this post has spawned a mass spelling error event…..
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According to the book Guards of the Sea by Don Grady, Dreadought (sic) was built by Edward Guard, his wife Emma Guard and her brother Darcy Baldick in Kakapo Bay Port Underwood in 1905. As well as having 16 children Emma built dinghies and had an engineers certificate. Dreadnought was used for fishing and transporting goods to and from Blenheim over the Wairau Bar.
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Ahhh……. the good old days of when it was common practice to beach your boat for a scrub and antifoul without some Nazi lurking in the undergrowth with their cameras ready to rush off (most likely dodging around all the plastic on the beach) to “pot” you with the local authority…… and guess what? – the sun still came up the next morning! It wasn’t that many years ago most places (usually outside the Harbour Boards Offices) had grids. Good photos Cam.
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old 60hp ford trader vacume governor
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Cummins?🤯
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Dreadnought ? Guard ?
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