SOS – SOUTHERN MAID – CLASSIC 1929 MOTOR LAUNCH NEEDS SAVING
The 42’ 1929 wooden motor launch – SOUTHERN MAID, built by E.R. Lane in Picton has just popped up on tme with a call out for someone to help save this significant southern woody. Current owner is unable to continue the upkeep of the vessel and the call has gone out for a new owner to step up.
As we can see from the photos below, she hasn’t always been in the ‘as presented for sale’ condition.
There must be a woody follower in the South Island that can bring the SOUTHERN MAID back to the condition she deserves. ( thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up)
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A tragedy! She’s a lovely ship.For half a century and more she was owned by members of the Macalister family, one of whom told me she was originally built for a “remittance man” who specified the flush aft deck so he could dance – presumably with a lady. (This just may be a family legend.)There would be few if any boats which made more Cook Strait Crossings.As a small boy I was lucky enough to be taken on a cruise in her, through French Pass (my first transit) right round D’Urville Island then up the Pelorus to Havelock and Portage, with a brief stop at Wakatahuri where the Wells family were breaking up ships.A couple of years later Alister & Ian Macalister brought her across the Strait, over the Wairau River bar and up the Opawa River to Blenheim. I have a photo of her coming in to the wharf on her arrival in Blenheim.The “Maid” has a lot of tales to tell – I hope a saviour appears.
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