The Taupo owner (Paul Stewart) of Ocean Queen would like to find out more about the boat he has owned since a 2003.
She is a carvel sedan approx 30′, built he believes in 1937 in Onehunga. Paul knows no more of her lineage than that. She is currently powered by 4 cylinder Fordson through a Paragon box. Paul believes she probably started life as a Flush Decker and has since had the coach-roof raised to accommodate the windows and headroom.
She was bought off a Pukekohe owner who moored her on the Tamaki river, she now trundles happily around Lake Taupo laughing at the worst of what the lake can throw at her.
Above are some photos of her when first in Taupo, around 2004 and a couple in the current state.
Paul would love to know more of Ocean Queen’s history whilst he enjoys her for this part of her life.
Update – Lots of info / chat on Ocean Queen in the comments section. Check out this story ex Harold Kidd ex PapersPast from the Auckland Star 22 July 1935. She must have been well built 🙂
details / words from Harold Kidd. photos ex Ken Ricketts ex Brian Worthington
Winsome II was built by Lane Motor Boat Co in 1924 for David Teed, the Mayor of Newmarket (after whom Teed Street is named) with a 100hp Stearns engine and named Maude T (about the 4th of that name). Teed died in 1925, prematurely, and his estate sold her to Captain Emanuel who renamed her Latex (a very long story there). Emanuel sold her to W S Pratt, the manager of the Northern Roller Mills in 1931 and she was bought for the RNZAF in 1941 for service at Tauranga, a secondary seaplane base. She was sold by the Crown in 1946 to Andrew Donovan who removed the, by now clapped out, Stearns and replaced it with a brand new 1946 Chrysler 8 cylinder marine engine, renaming her Winsome after his daughter but added the “II” when he realised that the Pickmeres still had Winsome in Whangarei.
Andrew kept her for many years. He died in 1989. She went to Whangarei where she was kept in the Town Basin. Then she was sold to Havelock where I saw her recently, still in splendid order.
When Andrew registered her on Lloyds Yacht Register in 1964 he put down that her designer was W. Hand, the famous American yacht and powerboat designer of the twenties and thirties. No mention had ever been made of that before but there is likely to be more than a germ of truth in the claim in that US yachting mags like Rudder and Motorboat and Yachting were avidly followed by New Zealanders, providing more relevant models for our waters than, say, the English mags. Certainly, it is likely that the design for Maude T/Latex/Winsome II was lifted from a Hand design published in such a US mag and that US “look” was faithfully reproduced.
Despite what the Register of British Ships says, Pratt did not own her through to 1941. She was owned in Tauranga by D Cambie from about 1935 onwards and used for gamefishing which is why she was taken over by the RNZAF for Tauranga work in 1941 as a local launch in good nick, I imagine.
Note – Winsome II has been featured before on ww but with poor photos – the above photos warranted an updated post. Alan H
12/03/2015– a recent photo below of her in Picton marina wearing her WW II livery.
22-10-2015 Update
The photo below from the Northern Advocate, Monday, February 12, 1973 was sent in by Judy Donovan, Andrew Donovan’s daughter, it shows Winsome II starting in the first Bay of Islands international billfish tournament. The start was a ‘Grand Prix’ style e.g. a drag race 🙂
The above photo of Aloha was taken in Bostaque Bay. Aloha was built by Dick Lang at St Mary’s Bay c1928 see below
What more do we know about her?
Harold Kidd Update
ALOHA was built at St Mary’s Bay in 1926 by Charles Robinson, not Dick Lang. Robinson had been building at Ohinemutu, Rotorua for many years from about 1909, for a time with Percy McIntosh, who moved to Whangarei in 1911. Robinson carried on at Ohinemutu until the 1930s. He built the keel yacht MAHOE at Ponsonby in November 1894. He worked with James Clare for some years and went to Tonga with him after building MAHOE. A most neglected builder (and a very fine one).
11-12-2015 Update ex Bert Boswell
The Aloha was bought from the Wilkinson family in 1965 or 66 by Tom Wood. Tom had crewed on the Aloha as a youngster and had been told he would have first choice if she ever went on the market. He was given the choice years later when Mr Wilkinson died. When Tom bought her she was powered by a power kerosene motor which had to be started by filling priming cups with petrol. I think the motor was a Commodore. Tom changed the motor for a diesel which was still in her when he eventually sold her. He used to tell the story of how as a young crew member he and his mates would swap from kerosene to petrol when they were racing in a regatta in the Whangarei Harbour – much to the skipper’s annoyance as he thought petrol was too expensive! Tom was a bachelor and my late wife’s, cousin. For many years he took me and my family of three youngsters and one or the other of their cousins cruising every Christmas. We cruised from Whangaroa to The Barrier for many wonderful cruises. She was a large part of my young family’s life after my wife died shortly after Tom bought her. What wonderful experiences for my kids who grew up with a love of the sea. Most years we cruised in company with Aumoe owned by Selwyn Wilkinson. The two boats ofter made a great sight cruising together or rafted up together for the night. Tom lavished a huge amount of care on the old girl and I was sad to see her a few years after Tom died looking sad and bedraggled as some sort of fishing smack. However I saw her again some time later moored in the Whangarei Town Basin looking her old smart self. She was renowned for her long saloon table but I understand it was removed at some stage. That’s a pity. The boat shed shed she lived in still remains as one of a group of three at the entrance to the Town Basin, The Aumoe’s shed was next door and also remains. They are all that is left of historic buildings at the Basin. I am so thrilled to see someone is recording the histories of these lovely old ladies of the sea. I have a few photos of her if you are interested. The photo of the Aumoe alongside the Tiri was taken from Aloha. We called on the Tiri on our way back from the Barrier and were invited on board. I remember the radio crew played a request for us after we left them – and a crate of beer, for which they were very grateful! Bert Boswell
12-07-2019 Input from Deb Green (Bert Boswell’s daughter)
The photos below are from during the Tom Wood ownership period. Tom was Deb’s uncle.
Update – 09-10-2020 photo below of Aloha c1960’2, in the Bay of Islands. When owned by Tom Wood
Colin Wild Launches at Waiheke Island – 1929 0r 2015 ? photo ex Peter Loughlin
This photo just ticked so many boxes I had to post it. Tasman on the left & Lady Margaret on the right – both built by one of NZ’s best – Colin Wild. Lady Margaret was launched in 1928 & Tasman in 1929. Photo taken two weekends ago at Kauakarua Bay, Waiheke Island by Lady Margaret’s owner Peter Loughlin.
You can see that magazines like ‘The Rudder’ were having a big influence on motor-boat design in NZ at the time.
I wonder if Colin Wild ever imagined the 87 years later these two would be side by side & looking this smart.
To the CYA boats doing the Motuihe Picnic today, play nicely together & enjoy the day / weekend. Photos please.
OK trainspotters you have had a good break – its time to test your skills again. Clues are – she is a 1922, 38′ bridgedecker (built that way originally). When launched she had a 6 cylinder Alpha engine.
Suggestions?
See the comments section for lots of input – but the answer ex HDK is ……..
Leon Warne was the builder and she is IORANA (Tahitian for “Gidday”). He got a lot of work from Whangarei because he took ROSEMARY north every Christmas and raced her at Onerahi and Russell. Warne built IORANA for Selwyn Blake of Whangarei who had just sold WILD THYME. IORANA was originally painted glossy black but was repainted white in her second season. Blake came to live in St. Mary’s Bay in 1924 and brought IORANA with him. He sold her to C.D. Sellars who sold her to W. Joll of Ponsonby and then she went to Whangamata and, around 1950, to George Manktelow of Paeroa, where he kept her moored in the willows on the Ohinemuri River near the Puki Bridge alongside GLENIFFER. The above image was taken there. Is she still around?
Photo below ex Papers Past from the NZ Heard 22nd Oct 1931, shows Iorana getting ready to float off with the incoming tide at St. Mary’s Bay
Ethel Clare photos ex Baden Pascoe
Ethel Clare is currently on the hard at Te Atatu, post a wee trip to the bottom. Her subsequent hauling out revealed a ‘few’ bits missing. Lets hope this time she gets the attention she deserves & needs 😉
The above 3 photos of Avalon are from the Tudor Collins Bay of Islands game fishing collection*.
Avalon 36′ x 8’6″ x 3’6′ was built by Collings & Bell in December 1927 for Peter Williams of Russell for use as a game fishing boat in the Bay of Islands. She was one of Collings’ typical concave-convex square bilge designs like Alma G, Manaaki, Lorna Doone and Zane Grey also built for the Zane Grey game fishing circus. She had a 85-100hp Redwing engine and was designed for 16 knots. She was often chartered by Zane Grey who took her to Bermagui, NSW in 1936 for game fishing (sharks) there, she came back to NZ after the expedition. Some few years ago she was exported to the US to the Zane Grey Museum, somehow avoiding the then Antiquities Act.
*the images in the collection were bought at a flea-market by Sharon Knight who has made them available via Harold for all of ww followers to relish.
Photo below from classicgameboatsnz
More photos from the Tudor Collins collection – this time taken during the 1930’s visit of the Duke of Glouster. Mailed in by Ken Ricketts
MY GIRL photo & details from Jason Prew, Harold Kidd & Ian Gavin
At ww we love restoration projects, anyone that commits to saving one of your old girls is a good friend of waitematawoodys.
Todays classic launch is My Girl, built by Dick Lang in late 1925 for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade who commuted with her. The square-bilge design was based on one by W.H. Hand. She was fitted with a 6 cylinder 100hp Scripps that pushed her along at over 18 knots. Waldron later took her to Whangarei and she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2. She survived at Te Atatu owned by Trevor Davies.
The photos above show her in days gone by & being transported from Te Atatu Boating Club to her new home where her new owner Jason Prew , who recently purchased her from the Davies family, will commence her restoration. Jason has both done himself & supervised some of the best restoration projects in the CYA fleet so we will follow My Girl with great interest. I think I might need to re-power Raindance to keep up with Jason (My Girl) & Nathan Herbert (Lucinda).
You can follow the project here http://www.my-girl.co.nz
Interesting statistic – there are 9 CYA members on the CYA General Committee, myself being one of them, of those 9, 6 of them are now launch owners. Owning a classic wooden launch is the hot new boating trend 🙂
Just received a photo of R2 on the trailer just prior to re-launching yesterday at Gulf Harbour. I have to say that Harold & Marco have nailed it in terms of restoring her back to almost the exact original configuration. Take a bow Mr & Mrs Kidd.
You can stop the slide show above to view individual photos in detail 😉
Todays photo is from the NZ Herald 09-10-1928, appears to be a very manual process, note the tin of tallow on hand to grease the rails. Who can ID her?
One of the reasons I published this photo is that today a very similar motor boat, Pauline & Harold Kidd’s Bailey & Lowe – Romance II is re-launching after a refit at Marco Scuderi’s yard that has seen R2 returned to very close to her original configuration. Still a few last minute jobs to finish so unfortunately R2 will not be at Patio Bay this weekend. ww will feature R2 when complete.
View a gallery of the refit here http://www.mcnshipwrights.com/romance-ii.html
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