BLUE BOATS

Yesterdays story on the double ender, Lake Wanaka launch – Rangi, got Roger Guthrie thinking & he posed the question – was she once a ‘Blue Boat’ in Auckland?. Part of the fleet that serviced Rangitoto Island & other Islands – thence the name 😉

Roger sent me the above photos of the Blue Boat leaving Arran Bay Jetty, Waiheke Island – certainly looks very similar to me – interested in others thoughts?

The boat was a visitor to Arran Bay to bring down a group of elderly ladies. Some of whom were – Mrs Ellingham & Mrs Lambourne, they stayed a few weeks and always welcomed Roger & his young mates for a sing song as one of them played the piano. They stayed at the Lambourne’s house which was mentioned on the early movie of Arran Bay which Peter Stein did a very good article about on Waitemata Woodys (link below). Roger’s parents used to refer to the group as “The Old Ladies” as they were the next generation older than his parents. (note – the Lambourne house is still there)

The Smuggler’s Cave

The photos below, from the same period, show Freddy Ladd & his ‘SEABEE AIR’ aircraft at Cowes Bay Waiheke (wharf in background)

I have an amusing Freddy Ladd tale – many moons ago, I had to work between xmas & new years eve, while my mates were mooching around Great Barrier Island on a yacht, but I had a cunning plan to join them for new years eve, I would charter the SEABEE to fly me there at 5.30pm. The trip would be funded by a cargo of ice cold DB Double Brown beer cans . Remember not a lot of frigs on yachts back then. My mates had been rowing around the bay, taking orders for cold beer. Fred was a real character & we did a deal that if the beer arrived warm – I wouldn’t have to pay for the freight charges. Well we got there & no sooner had he ‘landed’ & a flotilla of dinghys were rowing out to collect their ‘cold’ beer for NYE 🙂  I was very popular that night & the boats grog fund was very flush – I can’t remember what the profit margin was but no one complained 🙂