Category Archives: 1920’s

Little Tasman

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LITTLE TASMAN
details from Russell Ward

Russell was the bearer of some great news last week – the Colin Wild built Little Tasman, has found a new owner. Over the last few years numerious woodys have sent me photos of Little Tasman hauled out at Point Wells. I’m told a while ago a 4sale sign appeared, now I wish I had know – there are a few woodys out there that would have snapped up a Colin Wild built launch with the provenance that LT has. Wild built her for Albert Spencer & she was called Tasman & was a trial for his next (larger) boat also called Tasman so #1 then became Little Tasman. In the sepia photo above she looks to have a good turn of speed – I don’t imagine Albert Spencer would not have been chugging around the harbour at 7 knots 🙂

I’ll let Russell time his tale about Little Tasman.

“My memories of her go back to the mid ‘60s when all was Radio Hauraki, psychedelia, Beach Boys, Strolling Bones and Beatles. Oh and sheilas. Boats were somewhere in there and Bon Accord harbour was the stage. Mansion House was still privately run and the authorities didn’t know about the “Snake Pit”. There were usually several mullet boats nosed into the beach and crews in varying stages of recovery/rehydration. You couldn’t get your anchor to hold reliably in the bay because of all the bottles on the bottom!

The Kawau Yacht Club was pretty moribund, although the AMYC were making preliminaries to taking it on (my old man was on the committee of AMYC) so we had great hopes.
Mrs Lidgard was in residence, Skip Lawler had the Fairmile Ngaroma alongside the wharf for a while, and the Comettis had a fantastic garden. My potted history of the Christmas holidays.

The Ward family (no relation) had Little Tasman at that time and it was party time. If I said that one of the mullet  boats that had rafted alongside one memorable noisy night, was pushing off at just before sunrise because “they didn’t want to get us mulletties a bad name”, you get the picture.

But enough of that (it was just to get the old salts of Cobweb Corner reminiscing about their misspent youths). I have always been keen on machinery and when Harold Kidd mentioned that Little Tasman had a Stearns, I wondered what sort of engine they made. No pictures in my books. It was pretty obvious that there must have been classy because they were going into classy boats. American of course. And Stearns Knight made sleeve valve engines for their cars, the assumption that there was a connection was there. But no, no relation.

I contacted an old colleague in the US to see what he could find. And Richard Durgee sent me a raft of pics and adverts (refer below). They are 1924 and 26 so just right timing. I am fascinated that they have an amazingly modern head. Prod rod of course and the combustion chamber apparently in the piston.  You remember –what the Chrysler invented in the ‘70s for the Chrysler Hemi! Nuthin’ new out there, son. ’S all been dun before apart from nukes. Most marine engines were side valve –slower flame propagation and plenty of low down torque”.

Remember click image to enlarge

Tasman

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Tasman

photo ex Peter Loughlin

Peter L sent in this b/w photo of the 1927 Colin Wild Tasman pictured above. Anyone able to ID / date the launches behind her?

And now some eye-candy, a photo I took of Tasman in Sullivans Bay, Mahurangi.

08-02-2021 UPDATE – Photos below ex Nathan Herbert of Tasman at Whakatakataka Bay (OBC) late Jan 2021. Looking very sharp under new ownership.

Iris

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IRIS
photos & details ex Chris Manning & Harold Kidd

Harold has advised that Iris was built by Ernie Lane for E.A. Johnson of Havelock in 1923 and was 40′ x 8’6″ x 3′ 5″ and originally had a 1918 H.C. Doman 2cylinder 15hp, later a Fairbanks Morse then a Kelvin.

Chris added that she was sold to the Orchard family for fishing duties mid 20th century (ish).  Later while at Picton in the 1960’s she suffered a major fire while apparently the gearbox was being cleaned out with petrol.  Some of the fuel spilt into the bilge and caught fire from some dodgy bilge pump wiring.  After the fire Bill Orchard hauled her out and stripped the hull/house so she looked like a big canoe.  She was rebuilt with a couple of extra planks all around, new deck and new house.  Hence the big change in her lines from the oldest images to the newest.

Chris thinks Iris was sold to Athol Sadd of Blenheim in the seventies and was used as a commuter between Picton (later Waikawa) and his property in Ruakaka Bay.  Apparently Athol had a bit of a scare with a rail ferry in in the fog one night/day and within a few days the ‘starship enterprise’ radar scanner arrived.

In 1986 she was re-powered from the 471 GM that Bill Orchard put in her to a 671 Detroit (she has a size able engine box in the aft cabin).  The engine is rated to 180hp at 1800RPM.  Peter Rothwell fabricated the running gear having a 2 inch 316 SS shaft with a 4 bladed 26/24 Nalder and Biddle propeller.  She goes really well such that the propeller holds the engine at a whisker over 1750 RPM (with prop speed). The prop has a bare 3/4 inch between the blade tips and the hull –  a bit of copper sheathing is required there..  Economy wise, she burns about a litre a mile at about 12 knots.  At 1800RPM with flat water, a clean bum and no passengers she can touch 16 knots.

Mark Rogers and Chris bought her in partnership in 2009 and have progressively refitted her.  Chris said she will never be ‘finished’ but she will steadily improve, his quote is ‘Boat Finished > Man Die’ 🙂

Iris also has a sister ship, the Mavis, which is alive and looking very nice in Havelock.

Photos of Mavis below ex Chris Manning

Mavis
Mavis

Restored 1921 Arch Logan Classic Motor Yacht Ngaio For Sale

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Arch Logan Classic Ngaio For Sale

In 1921 at Ngataringa Bay, Devonport, New Zealand’s greatest boat designer/builder Arch Logan launched the motor yacht Ngaio that had been commissioned by owner H. Partridge.
Logan built this magnificent kauri carvel planked vessel using full length kauri planks i.e. each plank was 39′ long.

Fast forward 92 years & Ngaio was acquired by Auckland architect Ian Kohler, who with partner Lancia undertook one of the most extensive professional restorations to a classic wooden boat we have seen in recent years. Ngaio’s hull was taken back to bare timber, kauri splined & glassed. Every item of engineering & fitting on-board was either reconditioned or replaced.

The photos above & below do not do this classic justice. If you are in the market for a classic vessel – inspection of Ngaio won’t disappoint.
This is a once in a lifetime chance to acquire a piece of NZ’s maritime heritage & is presented in turn the key, sail away condition.

Call Greg Stenbeck 021 985 830 or e: gregs@gulfgroup.co.nz

PS – This is actually Saturdays post, posted early 🙂

Ngaio below as featured in the 2014/5 Classic Yacht Association Register

 

Ocean Queen

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2014

2014

2014
2005

OCEAN QUEEN

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 🙂

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Winsome II

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WINSOME II

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 🙂

27-01-2021 photo below added

Aloha

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Aloha
photo ex Angus Rogers

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.

 

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Picture 087

 

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 – 1927 or 2015 ?

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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.

Same weekend – both boats heading home. Photos from CYA member John Bertenshaw’s very cool ‘First Boating Weekend of the Season’ post on the WoodenBoat Forum – its been running for several years & is loaded with great photos.
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?120476-First-boating-weekend-of-the-season&p=4439832#post4439832

 

Iorana

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MYSTERY BOAT 21/01/15

photo ex Harold Kidd

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