CLASSIC WORKBOAT MV MILLARM
The MV MILLARM a well known boat around Wellington in the 1970’s, popped up on social media several months ago in the ‘Cook Strait Gossip & Drama’ fb feed.
The story goes that in 1982 after a medial event onboard the vessel was run aground in Breaker Bay, Wellington. The motor was salvaged and put into another vessel, the top cabin and deck were removed and taken to Lyall Bay where they sat on the seaward side of a property at the westside of the bay.In previous life worked as a pilot boat.
Can we learn anymore about MV MILLARM.
INPUT ex JOHN WICKS – Owner was Russ McKay. Memory (that unreliable source) says she was a Roger Carey design and possibly build. She was named for Mill Arm in Greville Harbour, D’Urville Island, a very pretty and sheltered anchorage. She was quite new when tragedy struck her. Interestingly she was built as a private vessel, despite her handsome fishing boat look.
INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Built by Miller and Tunnage. Used as a pilot launch for a few weeks when both Wellington’s pilot launches were out of service for reasons I cannot recall. On the day she was wrecked, she had crossed Cook Strait and visited the PACIFIC CHARGER, aground at Baring Head. I remember that there was a big swell running that day. Owner Russell McKay was on his own. Set sail from Baring Head towards Breaker Bay and failed to alter to starboard once the harbour entrance was reached. The unforgiving nature of the shore and the big swell did for MILL ARM. A great shame. Beautifully built in kauri of course. Only a year or so old.
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Current Detroit info:
General Motors originally founded Detroit Diesel in 1938 as its GM Diesel Division. However, GM has not owned Detroit Diesel since 1988, when it formed a joint venture with Penske Corporation, which then led to the company being acquired by Daimler in 2000.
Today, Detroit Diesel operates as a brand under Daimler Truck North America (a subsidiary of Daimler AG), and GM does not currently make “extra” Detroit Diesel engines.
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General info item.
Detroit 2 stroke diesel engines ceased manufacture in 1995, but had not been under the GM label in later times before that, & ceased production because of emission issues, however it seems a new refined version with better emission standards, may be on the way, I have just discovered, as a result of some recent research. – KEN R
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By the way, PACIFIC CHARGER was a log carrier on her maiden voyage. She became disorientated when approaching the Wellington Pilot Station in filthy southerly weather in the early hours, and stranded right under Baring Head lighthouse. Later towed to a shipyard and had her bottom largely replaced. Re-named and no doubt led a useful life for new owners.
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Built by Miller and Tunnage. Used as a pilot launch for a few weeks when both Wellington’s pilot launches were out of service for reasons I cannot recall. On the day she was wrecked, she had crossed Cook Strait and visited the PACIFIC CHARGER, aground at Baring Head. I remember that there was a big swell running that day. Owner Russell McKay was on his own. Set sail from Baring Head towards Breaker Bay and failed to alter to starboard once the harbour entrance was reached. The unforgiving nature of the shore and the big swell did for MILL ARM. A great shame. Beautifully built in kauri of course. Only a year or so old.
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Forgot to note that Mill Arm was built as a private vessel, despite her handsome fishing boat look.
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Owner was Russ McKay. Memory (that unreliable source) says she was a Roger Carey design and possibly build. She was named for Mill Arm in Greville Harbour, D’Urville Island, a very pretty and sheltered anchorage. She was quite new when tragedy struck her.
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