AN INSIGHT INTO NZ’S UNIQUE MARINE ENGINES – Part Two
Todays WW story follows on from last weeks story – link below to Part One Part Two is a little different in that while the story has been pulled together by Ken Ricketts, todays story has benefitted from a lot of editing and polishing from Patricia & Ken Ricketts daughter Corinne Pettersen. As always we have endeavoured to be as factual as possible but there will always by matters others will either know more about or be able to correct errors – so woodys do not hold back in commenting.
WILLYS JEEP WWII 4 CYL UNMARINISED FLATHEAD PETROL ENGINE
WILLYS JEEP 4 CYL PETROL ENGINE PREMARINISED
FAYE WITH HER MARINISED 4CYL WILLYS JEEP PETROL ENGINE c1951
It’s interesting to note how World War II surplus engines found new life in various applications beyond military use, particularly in an unknown number small craft and trailer craft in New Zealand. The experiences of individuals like Fred Steele and Des Donovan exemplify this trend, as they repurposed one of these engines to power their own launch – FAYE,, showcasing the innovative spirit of post-war boat builders. Their simultaneous construction highlights a fascinating moment in maritime history, where practicality and personalisation combined in the crafting of vessels that were shaped by both necessity and craftsmanship.
Fred S. successfully installed a Willys Jeep home-converted WWII 4-cylinder flathead engine, which provided reliable performance for several years before being replaced by a 6-cylinder diesel engine. This setup allowed her to achieve a cruising speed of approximately 7.5 knots, and during this time, my family enjoyed many weekend cruises with them, creating lasting memories on the water.
HERCULES DIESEL ENGINES
HERCULES 6 CYL. DIESEL ENGINE TO BE HOME MARINISED, c100HP, SIMILAR TO THAT IN FAYE
HERCULES UNMARINISED 275HP DIESEL ENGINE, SIMILAR TO THAT INSTALLED IN THE RAKANOA MARINISED, IN 1947-48.
RAKANOA WITH HER 275HP HERCULES DIESEL IN NORTH HARBOUR PONUI ISLAND 1948.
Hercules was indeed a significant manufacturer of marine engines, supplying foundational engine units to various companies like Kermath, Chrysler, and others for customization to their specific requirements. While Hercules engines themselves were produced in smaller quantities and considered comparatively small-scale, the widespread use of their core engine designs across multiple brands highlighted the company’s crucial role in the marine engine industry during its era.
FAYE is an interesting vessel with its history of engine replacement, especially from a Willys Jeep petrol engine to a home-marinised C100P 6-cylinder Hercules diesel. This transition not only reflects an upgrade in power and efficiency but also shows the adaptability of boats to modern diesel technology.
RAKANOA, a stunning 56-foot vessel built between 1946-7, originally featured a 165HP GM Detroit engine but was upgraded to a 250HP Hercules diesel after a year in the water, likely due to the engineering expertise of her first owner, Stan Parker & shortcomings he found with the GM Detroit engine. Despite the initial enhancements, there was a persistent starting issues with the Hercules, particularly when hot, leading son Ross to replace it with a Gardner 6L3 diesel in 1981, which remains with the boat to this day.
The decision to replace the original engine with a Hercules engine stemmed from the excessive noise produced by the Rootes blower and the GM Detroit engine, which was particularly problematic due to the loud high-pitched geartrain noise and the inherent loud exhaust of the 2-stroke GM engines, known for their sensitivity to exhaust back pressure unless equipped with specialized mufflers.
GLENIFFER PETROL & DIESEL MARINE ENGINES
GENIFFER 1940s 8 CYL. INLINE, MARINE DIESEL ENGINE IDENTICAL TO THOSE IN NGAROMA
GLENIFFER MARINE 6CYL 1920S 40BHP, (ABOUT 120HP) PETROL ENGINE, SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE LAUNCH – GLENIFFER
GLENIFFER THE LAUNCH, WITH HER GLENIFFER ENGINE, TAKEN WHEN SHE WAS ALMOST NEW, IN 1932
NGAROMA WITH HER 2 X 8 CYL IN LINE GLENIFFER DIESELS, TAKEN, ACTING AS MOTHER SHIP, IN A FIJI YACHT RACE IN THE 1950s
There is a rare type of engine that has a limited presence in New Zealand, with only a known petrol and diesel example known to me.. The mention of potentially more examples from the 1920s and 1930s suggests these engines might have been utilized in vintage boats that are either no longer in operation or have been lost to time. Such rarity adds to their historical significance and appeal among collectors and enthusiasts.
The GLENIFFER, a 40 ft bridge decker constructed by Bailey in 1929, has most recently served as a liveaboard in New Zealand’s South Island, showcasing its enduring appeal and adaptability over the decades.
In the early to mid-1930s Ralph Ricketts was tasked with maintaining a boat for Trevor Davis. The boat had a critical issue where the sea water intake could airlock in rough seas, necessitating someone to lie on the floor under the bridge deck to turn a grease cup on the water pump to resume water flow, a challenging job made more difficult by poor conditions.
The ex-WWII Fairmile boat NGAROMA, formerly owned by Jim Lawler, underwent significant modifications after he acquired her from the Navy. Initially equipped with two Hall Scott Defender 630hp petrol engines, Lawler immediately replaced one with a Gleniffer 160hp diesel engine and later replaced the remaining Hall Scott engine with another Gleniffer diesel engine, both designed to be a matched pair with opposite hand configurations for optimal performance.
BUICK 8 CYLINDER INLINE PETROL ENGINES
AOMA WITH HER HOME MARINISED BUICK 8 CYL. INLINE PETROL ENGINE AS ORIGINAL WHEN BUILT BY ALAN WILLIAMS
AOMA ON HER MOORINGS AT GT BARRIER ISLAND RECENTLY
AOMA, a 36-foot vessel built by Alan Williams around 1950 in Milford Creek, Auckland, was either commissioned by or later acquired by Len Pepper, a prominent builder from Takapuna. Initially equipped with a home-marinised 8-cylinder in line Buick petrol engine, AOMA reflects the craftsmanship and maritime heritage of its time, showcasing the evolution of boatbuilding in New Zealand.
Observations about the engine’s appearance and the “Buick Detroit Marine” label suggest it could indeed be a locally modified version rather than an official marine model from General Motors. The lack of verifiable references to a marine variant strengthens your hypothesis about it being a custom marinization. Such practices were not uncommon, especially in regions where specific adaptations for marine use were necessary, and the label may have been a marketing choice to lend credibility or appeal to customers.
AOMA’s design is a classic example of form versus function, where the elegant lines that defined her aesthetic have been altered for improved practicality. While enhancing the headroom may provide comfort for passengers, the modification to her coamings appears to have detracted from her original beauty. Such changes often spark debate among enthusiasts and owners about the balance between maintaining a vessel’s traditional design and adapting it for modern usability.
MASON MARINE 42 FOOT MASON CLIPPERS & CHRYSLER V8 MARINE DIESEL ENGINES WITH STERN DRIVES.
Tony Mason crafted a series of impressive boats like the ALIBI, characterised by their striking design and powerful performance, especially with the dual 6-cylinder diesel engines that presumably enhance their speed and efficiency on the water. These boats show cased both his craftsmanship and a commitment to quality, making them stand out in any marine setting. I am trying to find another of these boats, that one day was tied up to Mansion House Bay Wharf, in the early 1970s, when the boat was almost new. She was amazing as ALIBI still is today, but the thing that intrigued me most was her 2 Chrysler V8 diesels, painted red, as with Iveco or Redwing, with her stern drives painted cream. The engines looked the same as Chrysler V8 petrol engines, except they had injectors not spark plugs, they were the only two of these engines I have ever seen.
Todays WW story is a little (or maybe a lot) out of the normal WW story style i.e. we are focussing on marine propulsion > engines not craft.
The story has been pulled together by Ken Ricketts, who comments while he has endeavoured to be as factual as possible there will always by matters others will either know more about or be able to correct errors – so woodys do not hold back in commenting.
There are many sections to the story and the intention is to publish one part a week.
WW are very conscious that most readers have limited interest in engines, h.p., gearbox ratios, prop sizes etc – BUT a very high % of the WW site visitation is research based, so the thinking is this data needs to be recorded for future recall. HOWEVER if the viewing numbers show low interest, an option is to just load the data up in one go.
So woodys over to you have a review / look and lets see the interest factor.
As per any Ken Ricketts item it will be riddled with typos and mistakes, but as stated the primary intention is to get the data in a location for future access. Over time we will ‘fine tune’ it.
NAPIER LION PETROL W12 (3 BANKS OF 4 CYLINDERS) PETROL AIRCRAFT ENGINES – CONVERTED TO MARINE USE BY POWER MARINE UK
A NAPIER LION MARINSED 500HP W12 PETROL AICRAFT ENGINE BY POWER MARINE UK, as used in RNZAF PATROL VESSEL W1, DURING WWII
ENGINE ROOM AS ORIGINAL IN W1 DURING WWII with 3 x PETROL NAPIER LION 500 HP AIRCRAFT PETROL ENGINES, AS ORIGINAL. — NOTE THE 3 GEAR LEVERS & ENGINEERS CHAIR
ABOVE 2 IMAGES ARE OF THE CENTRE ENGINE VEE DRIVE GEARBOX/REDUCTION GEAR FITTED AS ORIGINAL, TO THE FORWARD-FACING CENTRE NAPIER LION W12 ENGINE, IN W1
THE 3 ORIGINAL PROPELLERS DRIVEN BY THE 3 NAPIER LION 500HP MARINISED PETROL AIRCRAFT ENGINES, AS FITTED TO W1.
REPLACING A W12 NAPIER LION MARINISED 500HP AIRCRAFT ENGINE IN W1 DURING WW II.
NOW BELOW, W1 AS A FULLY AIR CONDITIONED LUXURY PLEASURE CRAFT, AS AT 2025
W1 – WITH HER BEATUTIFUL GENTLE FLAT WAKE AT 22 KNOTs c2020
W1 – HER ENGINE STORY.
All RNZAF craft, have a permanent identification number, allocated to them upon entering RNZAF service, & whilst only the number is ever actually sign-written on the boat, in all paperwork, & in the spoken & written word, they are all prefixed with a letter, & in the case of this craft it is a “W,” thus the craft referred to herein, was IDed as “W1” when it arrived in NZ & was therefore known as “W1”, which has now been given this title, as the boats official name, along with the special marine RT call sign of ZMWI.
She was originally imported new from UK by the RNZAF c.1940, & after her RNZAF service ended in c.1951, her designation & name of W1, was changed to CARROMA in the 1950s, by the Alright family, of Panmure, who did the first & second pleasure craft conversions to her, to become a pleasure craft, & now it has been reverted back to W1 by Francis Uren, the present owner who has created a 3rd new super luxury set of coamings & fully airconditioned fitout.
She had 3 of these 500hp W12 cyl engines which were in 3 banks of 4 cylinders, as per the above image, as original , with the 2 outer engines facing aft, with conventional mechanical gearboxes, & the centre engine facing forward, driving a vee drive/reduction gear unit, so all 3 propellers, where in a perfect line across, at the stern, (refer above image), as original, when ordered by the RNZAF in early WWII.
During her WWII service, she had to have a fulltime engineer, sitting in a padded chair, with soundproof earmuffs, in the engineroom, when the engines were running, & when she was at sea, controlling the gearbox reverse leavers on instructions from the bridge, & supervising the engines.
The original engines were replaced initially, in the early 1950s by twin 6/71 GM Detroit diesels, by the Alrights, & later by one 600HP 8V/92-TI Detroit by current owner Francis Uren. post 2010 which she still has today.
HUDSON HOME MARINISED 6 CYL PETROL CAR ENGINE.
HUDSON 6 CYL PETROL CAR ENGINE as used in the yacht SUNDOWNER.(image unavailable)
Only one yacht/motor sailer called SUNDOWNER had this 1930s vintage engine, which in the later 1940s, had an issue with one cylinder & piston, so in the typical NZ No. 8 wire fashion, the owner of the day, simply removed the offending piston, & made it into a 5 Cyl Hudson home marinised marine engine. —It ran well enough, it but sounded funny in the exhaust.
STUDEBAKER 1930s HOME MARINISED FLAT HEAD 6CYL TRUCK ENGINE
This was a very quiet, smooth running, reliable, low revving engine, originally fitted to the ROYAL FALCON, in the 1930s, & was replaced in the later 1940s, with a factory built marine petrol engine, & the Studebaker was sold to Bill Waters, who installed it as original, in the 34ft GAY DAWN, in the early 1950s, as she was being built by him & his son Brian.
Ralph Ricketts, bought GAY DAWN in 1956, with that engine, & replaced it in 1958, with twin diesels, – (refer later engine listing.) RR sold it.
ROYAL FALCON IN HER STUDEBAKER ERA
GAY DAWN ON LAUNCHING DAY SEPT 1953 WITH HER STUDEBAKER PETROL ENGINE
CROSSLEY MARINE DIESEL ENGINES
A TYPICAL SMALLISH CROSSLEY ENGINE, PERHAPS SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE LADY CROSSLEY
LADY CROSSLEY POST 2020
There is the only example known to me, of these engines, in NZ pleasure craft, & that was in her namesake boat, the beautiful LADY CROSSLEY, built for Seager Bros. Ltd Auckland, who were the agents at that time, as a demo boat for these engines.
However, they were 2 cycle direct reversing, — (as are all or most direct reversing engines), — which meant that one had to stop the engine, & restart it, running the opposite direction to go in reverse, which of course had to be done in the engine room, on directions from the helmsman, up in the bridgedeck. this was highly unsatisfactory, & quite dangerous in this type of use, & after only a very short time, they were replaced by twin Gardner 6LW diesels which she had for many years & may still have.
FAIRBANKS MORSE MARINE DIESEL ENGINES
FAIRBANKS MORSE 4 CYL 1930s DIESEL PERHAPS SIMILAR TO THAT IN LADY MARGARET
LADY MARGARET BY DICK LANG. WITH FAIRBANKS MORSE DIESEL ENGINES – THEY HAD SIDE EXHAUSTS- SEE STEAM – WWII- LATER ENGINES IN LADY MARGARET DID NOT HAVE THESE, – THEY WENT OUT THE COCKPIT CABIN TOP IN SHORT STACKS
FAIRBANKS MORSE DIRECT REVRSING 2 STROKE DIESEL ENGNES, AS USED IN AUCK. PASSENGER & VEHICULAR FERRIES PRE 1958 –
AUCKLAND HARBOUR PASSENGER FERRY, WITH FAIRBANKS MORSE DIESEL ENGINE c1950s
THE LADY MARGARET ENGINE STORY
Whilst these are mostly used in very large versions in ocean going ships, & large craft, they did or do make smaller engines & there was at least one example of these in Auckland, I am aware of, & there may be others, & that is in the 1939 Dick Lang built, LADY MARGARET, for Ted Clark, who installed 2 of them, when she was built, which were ultimately replaced by 2 x 6 cyl Fodens, in the mid/later 1950s. (no image available of Fairbanks engine)
AUCKLAND HARBOUR PASSENGER & VEHICULAR FERRIES
These engines were also used for many years, in Auckland Harbour vehicular & passenger ferries, in a very slow revving, 4 cylinder direct reversing, — (must be stopped & restarted, to run the other way for reverse), — 2 cycle version, with 2 engines, with one engine facing a propeller at each end of the boat, up until the Harbour Bridge opened in 1958, except for one or 2 passenger ferries, that had one single 8 cyl version, & I think a few passenger versions may have been kept in use, for a year or 2 after 1958.
NORDBERG PETROL MARINE ENGINES
NORDBERG 100+hp petrol engine, similar to those fitted as replacements for original engines, to LADY DIANA & MAKURA
LADY DIANA. AS SHE LOOKED. WITH HER NORDBERG PETROL ENGINE. – EX B WORTHINGTON.
MAKURA IN HER EALRY DAYS – THE NORDBERG ERA
NZ agents for these, were Seabrook Fowlds Ltd Auckland, in the 1950s, & the M.D. Phil Seabrook, had one fitted to his LADY DIANA, replacing her original Austin Skipper 100, in the later 1950s, for which his company also held the agency, at that time.
A second engine was fitted to his brother-in-law, Cranston Leighton’s MAKURA, after he sold her to brother in law Phil Seabrook, in the later 1950s.
Both of these engines have long since been replaced with diesels, & they are the only 2 examples that I am aware of, ever in pleasure craft, but of course, there may be well others, & look forward to any input from other boaties or engineers to confirm this, but these engines never became really popular & a big seller.
RUSSELL NEWBERRY DIESEL ENGINES.
MOVARIE WTH HER 2 RUSSELL NEWBERY 40HP MARINE DIESEL ENGINES. c. LATER 1940s.
These are made by the RN Diesel Engine Company Ltd., which was founded in UK in 1909, & is still manufacturing engines today in UK, & there is only one example in NZ, that is the 1938 built MOVARIE.
These were 2 x slow revving 4 cyl., 4 cycle engines & were 40 H.P. Russell Newberys, as original, which were eventually replaced by 2 x Ford Diesels in 1960.
BMW MARINE DIESEL ENGINES & STERN LEGS.
BMW 6CYL MARINE DIESEL ENGINES WITH STERN DRIVES
While made in fairly substantial numbers by BMW, only 1 pleasure craft in NZ had them, which was a standard designed Formula 4000 Vindex & it had 3 of them with stern drives.
LEYLAND PRE MARINISED 6CYL DIESEL TRAIN ENGINE SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE SHENANDOAH
TWIN LEYLAND CUB 6CYL HOME MARINISED 95HP DIESEL ENGINES BEING INSTALLED IN THE GAY DAWN 1958-59
ISLE OF ARAN with LEYLAND COMET 6 CYL DIESEL
BLITZEN WITH HER 2 X LEYLAND BEAVER DIESEL ENGINES
GAY DAWN WITH HER 2 NEWLY INSTAALLED LEYLAND CUB DIESELS AT THE B.O.I. 1960
LEYLAND 4 CYL DIESEL ENGINE – ONE OF 2 AS FITTED TO THE LANAI
LANAI WITH HER 2 X 4 CYL LEYLAND DIESELS
JULIANA READY TO LEAVE HOME FOR THE WATER, WITH HER JUST FITTED LEYLAND CUB DIESEL 1947
RAIONA POST LEYLND COMET ERA.
SHENANDOAH WITH HER LEYLAND TRAIN ENGINE
There are a very few Leyland engines that were ever fitted to pleasure craft, & are all 6 cyl., except for the LANAI. which has or had, 2 x 4 cyl. Leylands.
Other craft included the RAIONA, with a Leyland Comet, fitted by the Alf Secombe, in place of a previous petrol engine. Also, there was the Guthrie’s Leyland Comet, the original engine, in the ISLE OF ARRAN.
The SHENANDOAH also had a Leyland 6cyl. home marinised train engine which was fitted around the 1990s.
Ralph Ricketts fitted 2 x Leyland Cub Diesels to the GAY DAWN in 1958-59 in place of its previous single Studebaker truck engine, later removed & replaced by a single Ford Diesel, by a later owner.
The only other pleasure craft was a Leyland Cub installed in the 30 foot SAGA, by owner/builder, Kings College master, Mr Val Maxwell.
The beautiful big bridgedecker BLITZEN, is/was also powered by 2 x Leyland Beaver, locally marinised diesels.
Ralph Ricketts fitted 1 Leyland Cub to the JULIANA in 1947, which he removed in 1956 & replaced with a 4 cyl Buda Diesel, he bought from John Warren who had removed it from his ARCTURUS, that had been built for him by McGeady a few years earlier, & he replaced the Buda with a 6 cyl diesel. This was replaced in the JULIANA, with a 6 cyl Ford Diesel, by the owners of the day, the Algie Brothers, of Algies Bay, Mahurangi, about 20 years later.
RR fitted the Buda to the JULIANA in place of the Leyland because he had another brand-new complete engine, & he fitted the 2 of them in the GAY DAWN in 1958-59
Two Leylands were fitted to the iconic passenger ferry BAROONA, replacing her previous single engine, around the later 1950s/60s.
THORNYCROFT MARINE PETROL ENGINES.
THORNYCROFT 4 CYL TEE HEAD PETROL ENGINE, identical to that which was marinised & installed in the JULIANA, while she was being built in 1930 by Sam Ford.
THORNYFROFT 6 CYL PETROL MARINE ENGINES WITH ONE SIDE VALVE & 1 OVERHEAD VALVE (no images available)
MANOWAI in her THORNYCROFT ERA
RAUTANGI with her THORNYCROFT 6 CYL petrol engine.
JULIANA on her relaunching day in 1946 after her THORNYCROFT TEE HEAD 4 CYL PETROL ENGINE, SEE ABOVE had just been totally rebuilt by owner Ralph Ricketts.
Thornycroft engines had always been produced in substantial numbers in UK, however only a tiny number, in pleasure craft in NZ.
The tram topper MANOWAI had one, in the Claude Atherton era of the 1930s & up to the later 40s, which had 1x overhead valve & 1side valve, as many Thornycrofts, did for many years. He replaced that engine with a twin cyl. Ruston Diesel for use, after that time, as a longline fishing boat. The second & third Thornycroft’s were in the RAUTANGI, & both fitted by or for, Les Sterriker, of Sterriker Engineering, in Kyber Pass Newmarket, one after the other, the last being larger with more HP., than the first one, it was eventually replaced by a Ford Diesel by a later owner.
There is or was also, around the 1970s/80s era, a UK custom purpose-built rescue craft here, painted orange & blue, fitted with 2 x Thornycrofts, which was moored at Matiatia at one time.
RQLPH RECKITTS purchased the JULIANA in 1946, & she had a 1920s vintage Thornycroft Tee head 4 cyl petrol truck engine home marinised, running on salt water, which was her original engine, when she was built by Sam Ford, In 1930, which was absolutely identical, to that shown in the image attached, which was not in very good health, when RR bought her, so he immediately totally rebuilt it in 1946 himself, not knowing at that time, he would be removing it in 1947, to fit a Leyland Cub diesel in its place, he had later acquired, & he fitted an additional distributor ignition system, as part of the rebuild, of the Thornycroft, as well as retaining the existing magneto, giving her dual ignition.
MEADOWS 4 CYL PETROL ENGINE AS FITTED TO THE LEAH by Dick Daniels in 1946
MEADOWS 6 CYL PETROL ENGINE as fitted to TEAL & RNZAF flyingboat harbour patrol craft in the1940
LEAH with the newly installed MEADOWS 4 CYL, with her newly home marinised MEADOWS 4 CYL PETROL ENGINE –
MEADOWS 2 x 6 CYL PETROL ENGINES fitted to TEAL flyingboat harbour patrol craft c1950s
Only 1 of these engines used in pleasure craft, it was a 4cyl version painted bottle green, as they all seemed to be, (as were all the Thornycrofts as well), in the 30ft bridgedecker LEAH, for Dick Daniels in the mid1940s.
TEAL had 2 of them in some harbour patrol craft for flying boat patrols fitted with twin 6 cyl versions of the engines) the RNZAF.also used them in a number of their patrol craft, in the 1940s to around 1960.
AEC DIESEL ENGINES
AEC 6CYL DIESEL ENGINE, home marinised, as fitted to the INEAWA
INEAWA WITH HER AEC 6 CYL home marinised, DIESEL ENGINE
Only a handful of these beautiful smooth quiet running UK built diesel engines, in pleasure craft in NZ, which are now no longer made. The AEC company was bought by Leyland many years ago, & production eventually ceased. They can be compared very favourably to an 8L3 Gardner, with their sound, & smooth quiet running.
There is at least one large bridgedecker similar to the BLITZEN that has 2 of them & also at least 1 other single engine, smaller boat.
FAY & BOWEN PETROL ENGINES
FAY & BOWEN 6 CYL 1920s PETROL ENGINE as fitted to the MARGARET S
MAGARET S with her FAY & BOWEN 6 CYL MARINE ENGINE
There has only ever been one boat with one of these engines, & that is the MARGARET “S,” which had one from 1923, until after 1967, now almost certainly replaced by a diesel, as most boats are, these days.
LOEW VICTOR (KNIGHT’S PATENTS), 4 CYCLE PETROL ENGINES
LOEW VICTOR 4CYL PETROL 1913 MARINE ENGINE
LOEW VICTOR 4CYL PETROL 1913 MARINE ENGINE in the boat of the same name in c1913s
A 32ft launch was built by Bailey in 1913, with a 25H.P. engine of the same name, showing a good turn of speed in the images, however she appears to be one of just a small number of craft with these engines.
BUDA PETROL & DIESEL MARINE ENGINES.
BUDA 1940s 6 CYL MARINE DIESEL ENGINE, SIMILAR TO THOSE IN AMAKURA IN THE 1940S, & THE MAHARATIA WHEN BUILT c1949
ARCTURUS – HER ORIGINAL ENGINE WAS A 4 CYL BUDA DIESEL (no image)
JULIANA PASSING THROUGH PARNELL ON HER WAY TO THE WATER WTH HER NEWLY FITTED 4 CYL BUDA DIESEL EX ARCTURAS
REHIA WTH HER c100HP BUDA FLAT HEAD 6 CYL. PETROL ENGINE, WHICH HAD DUAL IGNITION, WITH 12 SPARK PLUGS, FED FROM A SINGLE 12 POSITION DITSRIBUTOR CAP, & A BENDIX REVERSE CONTROL SYSTEM, & THROTTLE, WTH 2 LITTLE 6 INCH LEVERS, IN A DUAL SMALL CONTROL UNIT. – VERY RARE IN THOSE DAYS.THIS WAS HER ORIGINAL ENGINE FROM NEW, WHICH SHE HAD FOR A GREAT MANY YEARS, & OWNER, BILL RYAN, IS STANDING IN THE DOORWA.
MAHARATIA IN EARLY YEARS, WITH HER TWIN BUDA 6 CYL DIESELS.
Only a comparatively small number of these in NZ, because the company was bought by Allis Chalmers in 1953, & manufacturing finished that year.
There were however 5 in total, fitted with 2 to the AMAKURA, during WWII, by the navy, which were removed & replaced by 2 x Graymarine petrol engines, by the owner of the day, a Mr Widderspoon in1947-48, as they were belching huge amounts of black smoke out both sides, as she had side exhausts by then. She was moored at that time, at Hobson Bay, just by the Judges Bay bridge, under the other side. There was also the ARCTURUS, that had a 4cyl Buda Diesel installed during construction.
The MAHARATIA also had 2 x 6 cyl Buda diesels as original, when built by Roy Lidgard, & at his Kawau Island property in 1947 & towed to his Auckland shed to have her engines fitted Auckland shed, which were a number of years later replaced by 2 x 6LW Gardner Diesels.
The 32 ft ARCTURUS was fitted with a 4 cyl Buda Diesel new, by boatbuilder Mac McGeady, (Supreme Craft Ltd) for John Warren, of Mission Bay, with installation by Tracy Nelson, which John W., later sold to Ralph Ricketts, & which was then installed in the JULIANA, for many years. Ultimately removed by the Algie Brothers of Algies Bay, Mahurangi, & replaced with a 6cyl Ford Diesel around the 1990s.
DAIMLER BENZ V12 DIESEL ENGINES
DAIMLER BENZ 1350HP DIESEL ENGINE REMOVED FROM THE HYDROFOIL MANU-WAI FOR OVERHAUL
HYDROFOIL MANU – WAI, WITH HER V12 DAIMLER BENZ 1350HP DIESEL ENGINE
Only ever been one craft in NZ that had one of these engines. They ran at comparatively low revs (under 1500 RPM) & had to have hot engine oil pumped through the engine for 20 minutes before starting when cold.
This craft was the Auckland based passenger ferry MANU-WAI, which provided the first high speed passenger services to Matiatia Bay at Waiheke Island, & also to Pakatoa Island, in the Hauraki Gulf. The engine was based on a marinised aircraft engine of around 1400HP., with engine revs governed to around 900rpm
VM DIESEL MARINE ENGINES
TWIN VM DIESEL ENGINES
LADY KIWI (EROS) WITH HER TWIN VM DIESEL ENGINES
These engines are still made by VM Motori Ltd in Italy which started life as a standalone company, in 1947, however it has had a checkered career, of various part owners, & has ended up today fully owned by Stellantis or Fiat.
The only boat with these engines, is the first 40 ft Vindex to be built, designed by Jim Young, & built by Orams, of 2 skins of Kauri, in Whangarei, in 1972.
She is the EROS, built for Auckland bed manufacturer Alf Broadhead, sold when he died, & is now renamed LADY KIWI, & her original engines were replaced probably around 15 years ago now, by the above 330 HP versions of the VMs.
STEARNS MARINE PETROL ENGINES WITH ONE SIMILAR TO ONE OF THOSE ABOVE, FITTEDTO THE COLIN WILD BUILT LADY MARGARET, AS ORIGINAL
STEARNS PETROL MARINE ENGINES c1926
LADY MARGAARET (BUILT BY C. WILD) WITH HER STEARNS 165 HP PETROL MARINE ENGNE c1929
F B Stearns was born into a wealthy family, & by his teen years, had developed a passion for cars & engines, so his father “indulged” him, with the creation of F B Stearns & Company, being established, in the late 1800s, & by 1907 the it was producing its first production run of vehicles, with a side valve engine he had built.
In 1911 he developed an association with the Willys (Overland) organisation, which had already developed a beautifully quiet smooth running “Sleave valve,” engine & his company from then on produced all sleave valve engines & their cars were from then on, known as “Stearns Knight.”
They also manufactured marine engines. Steans retired from the company actively in 1919, & it was sold to Willys (Willys Overland), in 1925, & the company was wound up in 1929, so Stearns marine engines were only ever produced for a very few years.
Auckland businessman H. O. Wiles acquired the NZ agency for Stearns marine engines, sometime around the 1920s & fitted a 165HP Stearns engine to the beautiful 42 ft LADY MARGARET, that Coiln Wild built for him in 1927.
She was very fast for her day & he entered her in various competitive events successfully.
She is one of our all time great classics of NZ, & these days, sports an artificially aspirated 6 Cyl Ford diesel.
NOTE – MORE INFORMATION TO VIEW EX READERS IN THE REPLIES SECTION – click below
During the week Owen Aspden sent in the above phot of the 1904 schooner – ENDEAVOUR.
Owen commented that she was once a familiar sight around the New Zealand coast. Bought by the Aspden Shipping Co. in the 1930s then sold to the NZ Navy for service on the NZ coast in 1943 and bought back again by the Aspden Shipping Co. after the end of the war.
In April 1940 enroute from Auckland to Portland at night she encountered a small yacht upside down 3 miles off Tiritiri Island. The yacht was hoisted onboard and later by phone from Portland to Auckland it was established that three young Naval Reservists had been on the yacht and had drowned.
Again in June 1940 at the time of the Niagara sinking she was leaving Portland for Auckland with a load of cement when the call came through that the Niagara had sunk off Whangarei Heads. She proceeded to the site but there was only oil to be seen on the surface.
In in her later life it was used on Stewart Island to service salmon farms and from there sailed across the Pacific as a floating circus, unconfirmed. Do we know what became of ENDEAVOUR.
When your morning dog walk looks like this
You do this 🙂
We are enjoying a stunning late summer in Auckland, made even better by the arrival of hot cross buns from Beabaes Bakery in Westmere, voted best in Auckland. But you better get there early Dave Giddens (ALLERGY) lives down the road and is a ‘seasoned’ regular 🙂
INPUT ex DENIS O’CALLAHAN – The round bottom coastal trading vessels, like the ones built by Meikeljon at Omaha, were always called schooners, irrespective of the rig.
LAKE ROTOITI 2025 CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – PART #1 THE PARADE
Today thanks to Scott Johnson we get a look at the 2025 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade — stunning, weather and photos that matched the wooden craft.
The day began with the traditional three cannon blasts, signaling the start of a flotilla of 80 classic and wooden boats gliding across the lake – lead out by Teheka Whaka.
Spectators gathered along the Okere arm shore, enjoying a live commentary from the commodore, who shared insights into the history and craftsmanship of these beautiful vessels. The weather was perfect, making for a truly memorable day on the water.
The parade concluded with a picnic and games at Wairau Bay, where the skippers and crew relaxed and celebrated another fantastic year of this cherished tradition.
Enjoy the gallery of photos & remember – click on photos to enlarge ;-)- On Wednesday we will have part two – the lake side picnic.
Back in Jan 2022 we ran a mystery vessel story using sa photo sent in by Travers Reynolds, the photo was taken by a FG Radcliffe from the early 1900’s and the location was near the Whangarei Heads.
Thanks HAROLD KIDD and Janet Watkins we learnt the yachts name was NIOBE and the photo was taken near Manganese Point when owned by Janet’s grandfather – A R Pickmere, who sold her in 1906.
Fast forward to the xmas/ny break and Lew Redwood posted two wonderful photos of NIOBE on fb. The photos are tagged c.1904, so during the Pickmere ownership period.
BUMPER WW STORY TOMORROW (Monday) – TRIP REPORT / PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE 2025 LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE
PARADE OF SAIL – 2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL
One of the big events during the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania is the ‘Parade of Sail’ – the offical opening event. Conditions allowing they get 11 Tall Sailing Ships and over 200 craft sailing up the Derwent River and into Sullivan Cove to mark the start of the festival.
Today you get to experience the spectacle from about the media boat – a rather large twin hulled motorboat that was perfect for the task. Conditions were a tad challenging for the smaller craft but everyone was well behaved and followed the marshals instructions.
Enjoy the gallery – only a selection – could only capture what the skipper deemed of most interest 🙂
ONLY TWO THROTTLE SETTING ON MY GIRL – IDLE AND FULL CHAT
Some woodys are pure speed demons eg MY GIRL (#51) below and others with the help of a heart transplant can still lift up their skirts and show a good turn of speed – NGAIO (blue boat) and PACIFIC (white) two good example below.
TUGBOAT RACE START
2025 ANNIVERSARY DAY INNER HARBOUR MOTORBOAT RACING
Due to the weather on the weekend I was able to attend the anniversary day regatta motor boat events on board Jason Prew’s launch – MY GIRL.
The two gigs are the Tug & Workboat Race and the Classic Launch Race – known around the waterfront as as the Tug Off and the Drag Race.
The commercial boats were first away and are always a sight to behold – so much horse power – and great to a mix of very old – WILLIAM C DALBY and current working waterfront tugs.
The main event for me is the launch race, pulled together each year by Jason Prew – it is a handicap race but the adrenalin kicks in and the launch skippers are going at full throttle most of the race. Race results below.
I wouldn’t be true to my DNA if I didn’t comment about the continuing demise of the regatta – each year less and less vessels turning out – aside from small beach launched yachts, the motor boats would have to be the two biggest categories in the regatta. And a very concerning sign – no Navy ship in the harbour as the VIP grandstand………. just saying.
Enjoy the photo / video gallery.
NOTE – AFTER A TECH ISSUE UPLOADING VIDEOS YESTERDAY – WE HAVE RESOLVED THE FAULT AND HAVE ADDED SOME GREAT SAILING FOOTAGE TO YESTERDAYS MAHURANGI REGATTA STORY – SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW.
Well that wasn’t the woody weekend I‘m sure we all planned, but it was still a magic weekend and just goes too prove that classic wooden boat enthusiasts don’t let a lot of wind and rain get in the way of a good time.
The trip up on Friday afternoon / evening as uneventful (unless your woodys named – TAWERA, who ‘lost’ 2.5m off the top of her mast) and most anchored in and around Scott’s Landing.
Then it went down hill on Saturday morning – confusion around the start time for the launch parade – 1/2 the boats thought 10am, now I’m told it did say 9.30 in the classic yacht club newsletter, but……. the % of launches there that were members would have been less than 20%, so the parade was very patchy with skippers joining at different times. Numbers were down and the loop of Sullivan’s Bay was embarrassing- less than 20 people on the beach and I suspect they had no idea what was going on. BUT – still good to get together. Parade aside there was an impressive number of classic wooden launches in the harbour, in terms of pure classic craft , launches would have out numbered yachts by 4:1Most turning up to just enjoy the weekends activity on the water.
As the morning wore on the wind and seas picked up – resulting in some spectacular sailing in the Mahurangi Regatta yacht race. Amazing that they was no carnage, that I’m aware of.
Below is a selection of photos that Jason Prew took from his launch – MY GIRL. I have several videos put have tech issues with uploading – will sort and add asap. I’m sure there will be more fleet coverage on social media.
Post the boating activities the weather turned ugly and the smart people left Scott’s Landing for Pukapuka Inlet. The shore based activities would have been dampened down by the weather but the true blue woodys partied on. Big ups to Nick Atkinson and mates who entertained the revellers from the back of a truck. The normal 20+ piece jazz band was absent this year but from everyone I spoke to – I think Nick has a permeant gig.
The forecast for Sunday was evil, anything that has 50 knots in it is a big red flag. Then the heavens opened up and we had everything- wind , rain, lightening all night. Not a lot of sleep was had that night. Woke to no rain and wind down a little but forecast wasn’t good so made the call to cancel heading to Kawau and waited in Pukapuka for the weather to improve enough for a dash (not sure 8 knts is worthy of that term on RAINDANCE) home. Which we did.
Sad I missed hanging out at the Kawau Boating Club on Sunday night, but the upside was I scored a ride on Jason Prew’s – MY GIRL in the anniversary day launch race – full report tomorrow. Enjoy the photo gallery 🙂 And remember to click on photos to enlarge.
Earlier in the week I had a good excuse to visit the West-park Marina, so I took the opportunity to do a lap of the hardstand area. Very few boats out, but given we are in the height of summer, there shouldn’t be many there.
The second woody in the line was the 43’ – MANAPOURI, built by Hector Parks. She is on the down hill run of a 2+ year restoration – read more on the project at the link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/11/28/manapouri-refit/
Update ex the Mahurangi Regatta – MANAPOURI did a sneaky launching and made it to the regatta – photo below
Lastly the 1909 Bailey & Lowe built woody – STERLING, out it appeared for a shave in anticipation of her appearance in Mondays anniversary regatta tug & work boat race. This old girls is very quick, I suspect the handicappers will have a good memory and she might struggle to win on handicap, but always a contender for line honours 😉
IF YOU ARE AT A LOOSE END TOMORROW MORNING (MONDAY) GET DOWN TO WESTHAVEN / WATERFRONT – there will be some spectacular motorboat action on the water
10am The Tug & Workboats start their race from off Westhaven / RNZYS
11am The Jason Prew celebratory classic launch race starts also off Westnhaven / RNZYS
21-12-2024 INPUT ex MAURIE OGDEN – photo below of WHAKAPARA (BONDI BELLE) on launch day
BONDI BELLE – A PEEK DOWN BELOW & SHE COULD BE YOURS
The classic 45’ vessel BONDI BELLE has a great back story – we have uncovered a lot about her on previous WW stories – links below – but the executive summary is BONDI BELLE was built as S.S. WHAKAPARA, at Whakapara (North of Whangarei) by Charles Bailey Jr. for the Foote family who were saw millers at several Northland locations . Construction started in1898 and she was launched in early 1901. Initially she was a steamer and was converted to diesel in the 1920’s. These days a 130hp Mercedes diesel provides the forward motion.
The Wooden Boat Bureau was contacted last week re finding the next custodian for BONDI BELLE. As you can see from the above photos, her current owner has done a wonderful job maintaining her to a very high standard. She presents in ‘sail away’ condition.
Given her size, configuration, provenance and tasteful fit out, BONDI BELLE is offered for sale at a very realistic price, sadly reflective of the current depressed marine sector. I hate to use these words but she would make an impressive live-a-board, probably the best priced waterfront accommodation in Auckland.
Interested parties to initially contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details. Its a busy time of the year so please – genuine enquires only 🙂
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 14+ million views 