MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH AT BAYSWATER – TAWHIRI
Being a resident of Devonport I’m a follower of a fb page titled ‘Original Devonport Locals’, recently Geoff Glanville posted the photo we see above.
The location is Bayswater, just along from the waterfront clubrooms of the Takapuna Boating Club.
The building still stands today (photo below) but in poor condition and is the subject of heated debate between local residents, sporting clubs (rowing) and the TBC. The TBC several years ago built very smart new clubrooms at Takapuna Beach, but refuse to give up the peppercorn lease on the Bayswater building.
Recently there are noises about an extensive refurbishment, but time will tell.
Anyway, back to the photo, which is from the E.B. (Jim) Menzies collection, can we put name and possible date to the vessel.
INPUT ex KEN RICKETTS – She is the TAWHIRI, built c.1946 by Roy Lidgard in his Kawau Island shed, & taken to Auckland to have her 4cyl Lister diesel engine installed, (in a box come table,) in the centre of the main cabin. Later replaced, with a 6 cyl. Ford diesel, by Uuan Berger, who owned her in the 1970s, after which she floated about 6 inches higher in the water in the bow. (photos below ex KR)
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If you are out this weekend and see something unusual bobbing about dont lift it on board, it appears some of our Devonport based boaties may have lost some phosphorous flares overboard from the grey fleet.
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Sure is, Ken: Right on the knocker. TAWHIRI Another looker from Lidgards….
Just old -joker-musing since I’m out of town. Do you possibly think that boats built in yards close to mother nature -water trees and birds have a better chance of being stylish than boats built in industrial areas where you are surrounded by rectangular boxes and not mother nature?
About where the photographer is standing was Joe Wheeler’s yard pre war until late ’50s and TBC took it over. An old group of sailors including Brian Blake and many others used to work it and haul out in winter. I pulled GLOAMING and TAIROA for extensive work there in the ’70s -80s. It was a lovely place. Especially since we lived up the road.
They were eventually conned out of it by the car dealers who did the marina (“we’ll provide a haul out area at the marina for you old jokers to pull out rather than wrecking your poor old backs on winches, haul out rails and casting boats around on tallowed skids.”
Did they hell -got nothing. As you’d expect.
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hi guys, pretty sure today’s pic at Bayswater is the Waione, late 60’s or early 70’s.
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She is the TAWHIRI, built c1946 by Roy Lidgard in his Kawau Island shed, & taken to Auckland to have her 4cyl Lister Diesel engine installed, (in a box come table,) in the centre of the main cabin,) which was later replaced, with a 6 cyl. Ford Diesel, by an old friend of mine at that time, Uuan Berger, who owned her in the 1970s, (after which she floated about 6 inches higher in the water in the bow. — KEN R
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