Category Archives: 1940’s

Looking for Jaguar

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Sister ship
Jaguar 1972
Jaguar c1970 Bon Accord
Sister ships in UK factory
UK spec sheet
Otazei 1948

LOOKING FOR JAGUAR
photos* & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H.
(*photos of Jaguar are ex 8mm movie film so very poor quality)

Some History
Jaguar is a very rare craft having started life as a flying boat tender. She is one of 87 built of this base specification by the British Powerboat Co., in Hythe, Southhampton, U.k. in the 1930 >1940’s period. These craft were used around the world both in military & civilian service.
They were designed by Hubert Scott-Paine who owned the British Powerboat Co. The actual architect involved in the project was a George Selman. They were powered by various types & brands of paired engines overseas, but all the U.K. craft had S6 Perkin engines (refer spec sheet above)
In New Zealand the craft were used by the air force for their flying boat fleet during & after WWII & Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (T.E.A.L.). TEAL used them out of Mechanics Bay, for flying boat patrol.  All these boats were made of mahogany, with double diagonal planking on the bottom & single diagonal planking on the sides. There were at least 3 boats in the TEAL fleet, one of which had, 2 x Ford V8 engines, one had 2 x Meadows 6 cyl., petrol engines & another with 2 x 4-53 GM Detroits (this one was to become Jaguar, in civilian life).
During the 1950’s the TEAL fleet was under the control of a Mr Arch Tucket, (owner of the 30 foot launch Otazel, photo below). Ken Ricketts family knew Arch Tucket & Ken went out on patrol on the boats a few times.
The boats were sold when TEAL moved operations to Mangere & focused on land based planes.

 Pleasure Use
One of the craft was given the name Jaguar & bought by a Mr Hansen, of The Parade, Bucklands Beach.
Hansen hardly used her personally, but she was in the care of & used extensively, by the a very fine gentleman, the late Jim Ellis, & his family, also of Bucklands Beach, a highly skilled specialist watchmaker, from the mid 1960s well in to the 1970s. She was moored at Bucklands Beach for many years on a swing mooring during this period. The Ricketts were friends with Jim Ellis & they cruised together often, in their launch Flying Scud.

So the question of the day is where is Jaguar today & what became of her two sister ships?

Harold Kidd Update

There appears to be a degree of over-simplification in Ken’s article between the TEAL launches and the RNZAF launches built to the Scott-Paine/ British Power Boats’ 40ft Seaplane Tender design. TEAL’s sole example was built in the UK by British Power Boats. She had twin Meadows engines.
The 3 RNZAF versions were built by W.G. Lowe & Son Ltd in Auckland and were launched in October 1942. They were W44, W45 and W46, powered with twin 6 cylinder 110hp Graymarine diesels, both RH rotation.
W44 went to CAB at Mechanics Bay but went back to RNZAF service in 1955.
A fourth RNZAF version, W88, was built by W.G. Lowe & Son Ltd in July 1943 and is now restored and on display at the RNZAF Museum, Wigram.
The TEAL UK-built boat was taken over by the RNZAF as W6.
A fifth Scott-Paine 40 footer was acquired by the RNZAF about 1952 and given the number W322. In his well-researched article on the subject in the AHSNZ Journal of August 1995,D.J. Duxbury states, “It is thought that this boat originated with the RAF in Singapore, and it appears to be identical to the New Zealand-built control launches.”
If JAGUAR is built of mahogany then she would seem to be either W6 or W322.

A news clipping below ex Harold Kidd from Papers Past – New Zealand Herald – 4 September 1942. click to enlarge

PP

01-07-2018 Update from John Bullivant – photo below shows Jaguar hauled out c.1975, at Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, her mooring in those days was 80m (on the left) from the haul out ramp.

JAGUAR 70S

Wanda

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WANDA

details & photo ex Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H

Wanda, known to her original owners, the Porter family as ‘Little Wanda’. She was the Porter families introduction to the world of pleasure boating. Fred Porter got ‘the bug’ while out on Claude Atherton’s Manawai during WW II c1942-43. Claude Atherton was an employee of Mason & Porter at that time.

Her actual build date is unclear, but Fred’s son, David Porter, told Ken Ricketts he had been told he was taken away on her in 1943, when he was 3 weeks old, so she was built pre 1943. Terry Porter, David’s younger brother, feels she was probably built by Garth Lane or his father.

Wanda is approximately 26′ long & was powered by a Ford V8 petrol engine (most likely marinised by M & P) & was very quick for her era.

The above photo was taken at David’s grandfather (founder of the M & P) Reuben Porter, family home, on the water’s edge at Beachlands.

She was later replaced by Wanda II, built new c.1948 by the Lane Motor Boat & Mason & Porter. Then in 1961 with another Lane Motor Boat / M & P built launch, the 58′ Marnine & then again later with the luxury 68′ aluminum motor yacht Simran built by McMullen & Wing, which is now based overseas.

Keen to find out what happened to Wanda post the Porter period of ownership.

Rahemo #2 Post

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c1948

RAHEMO #2 Post

ww was contacted by the present owner of Rahemo & the information & photos the Rod Turner has supplied deserves its own post, read below
“The Chrysler Crown 125s I replaced were “mirror” or a contra-rotating handed pair. They were rugged and reliable, dedicated marine engines. No change of rotation occurred in the gear boxes. They were supplied and installed by Todds as New Zealand agents, not the Navy. Rahemo never had diesel engines before 1987. The “one family from new” is my mistake as I was not aware of Mr Butchers 2 year ownership. I thought the Todd family owner her from new. The Trademe listing was done by Vinnings Brokers. Rahemo returned to Auckland in the 1950s to be used for deep sea fishing in the Bay of Islands before making a second trip back to Wellington.“

Richard has supplied 2 photos of Rahemo on the hard showing her under-water hull shape & a stunning black and white is of Rahemo and another family boat, the “Maroro” taken in Onahau Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound in about 1948. Maroro is a Chris Craft from about 1932 still in his families ownership awaiting restoration.

Lanai

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LANAI

photos & details from trademe

LANAI was built by Lanes for Frank Pidgeon of the Ace Tyre Company in 1949. Frank was shifted from Christchurch to run their Auckland operation in the late 1920s and had a succession of great launches. Frank owned her until 1953 when Vic Bedford bought her. In 1965 R E Thomas and J S Menzies owned her. She was first registered with the APYMBA with a single 106hp Graymarine and with dimensions 32’6″x 31’6″x10’6″x2’9″.

She originally had 2 x 6 cyl. Graymarine petrol engines, but is now re-powered with 2 x 4 cyl. Leyland diesels.
She is  presently berthed in Tauranga, owned by a Mr Neil, previous owners include Owen Johnson, who had her for many years & kept her at Coromandel & sometimes at Ngatea, where he was a panel beater. Owen Johnson sold her to  Rotorua owner, who sold her to Mr Neil.

In her original form, there was no fly bridge & the coamings were a fairly light coloured varnish. Another great example of the Lane craftsmanship

12-09-2016 – Updated photos

Lady Eileen

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LADY EILEEN

I’m very pleased to be able to report that the Lady Eileen the 48′
Shipbuilders / SupaCraft launch, built in 1947 has been sold & her new owner, Hylton Edmonds, is a very passionate classic woody. In fact he already owns the historic game boat Zane Gray.
She has left Auckland & is now in a shed in Whangarei for the start of an extensive ‘rolling’ restoration. Ultimately her new home will be Tapu Point, Russell, BOI.

She is pictured above at purchase time, use the ww search box for more photos & details on Lady Eileen.

ps Hylton has assured me the restoration work on Zane Grey will continue in tandem with LE

Haumoana

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Haumoana

Built in 1947 by Colin Wild. Pictured above at the 2014 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Haumoana is owned by Glenys & David Wilson & a recent arrival on the lake departing the Waitemata not long after the October 2012 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition (photo below) . Speaking of which if I could remember who I learnt my copy of the excellent publication ‘The Colin Wild Story’, commissioned by Tony Stevenson & written by Harold Kidd, I would be able to tell you a lot more about Haumoana – I’m sure HDK will do the honors 🙂

Update from Harold Kidd

Ever the anorak.
HAUMOANA was built by Colin Wild in 1949 for C.F. & E.J. Clark of Warkworth. She is 30’x9’5″x4′ and originally had a 93hp Kermath petrol engine. The Clarks sold her in 1958 to Dr. W. Claude Horton of Auckland by when she had a 4 cylinder 60hp Ford diesel. Joint owners (or maybe subsequent owners) were Mr & Mrs Carl Meinhold. Dr. Horton registered her as a British Registered Ship under No. 315006. M Wilson of Paihia had her in 1973. I see she is now quoted with a loa of 34ft. Was she lengthened or did someone have an elastic tape-measure? Listed as 31′ in the Lake Rotoiti records. AH
Haumoana with her big sisters at the 2012 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition (L>R – Amakura II, Linda, Lady Gay, Haumoana)

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Ranui

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RANUI

I had these stunning photos of Ranui sent to me yesterday by her previous Wellington owner, Sven Baker, who spent 3 years bringing her back to as new with a no expense spared refit that included rebuilt engine, major hull repairs, total repaint and varnish inside and out.

Sven used her for one summer in the sounds and then sold her to an Auckland owner, so she’s now back on Auckland where she belongs 🙂 , Sven’s words not mine, but I agree !!.

Ranui was built c.1947 by R Lidgard for Hec Goodfellow. On launching day she was 38′ but in the late 1950’s / early 60’s she had 6>8′ added to her length. Quite an unusual build for NZ, obviously heavily influenced by the USA Chris Craft marque .

So the big question is – where is she & who owns her ? – I want her in the CYA launch fleet 🙂

Remember: by clicking on a photo, you can enlarge it 😉

B/W photo below, as launched, taken by Ken Ricketts c.1950

RANUI

Update from Harold Kidd

Hec Goodfellow owned Shed 8 at Ngapipi Road where he kept RANUI. On the back wall is still the name plate for the 30ft runabout METEOR Sam Ford (Invincible Boat Co) built for him in May 1931 with a 225hp Kermath. She did 25kn with ease. Hec sold her in the late 1930’s to Coastguard as a patrol boat, shortly after which she was taken over by the Defence Force and fitted with a Ford V8. She was put up for tender as war surplus in 1945 and later bought by Alan Beamish-White who had Lanes remodel her and then he used her on Lake Okataina.
She was reported as still in existence in Thames not so long ago.
Jim Francis kept LADY MARGARET II (the Lang one) in Shed 8. It is now owned by Chris Dickson.

And just to prove what a trainspotter I am – below is a photo of the Meteor name plate, on the shed wall Harold mentions above 🙂

P1160973

New photos from today – 12/07/2014

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HMNZS KOURA

A clip from a chat between Russell Ward & Alan H
photo ex Basil Rutherford collection

Anywhere else in the world , these ladies would be being restored & proudly on display.
Instead another one is about to be slaughtered at Paeroa or Thames on 14 May or thereabouts.
It has reached the end of a sad trot of indifferent ownership and has been given her marching orders from the Maritime Park. It is a shame because when Paeroa were given her, she was one of the better ones the Navy had.
Tarapunga died a few weeks ago. Another whose name escapes me did some impact hydrography in Milford Sound last week.

Manga is making her last sacrifice at Helensville .
These eminently useable boats are vanishing at a rate.
Paea is going strong and may be the beneficiary of Koura’s parts.

The simply lesson here is that old boats have got to be kept working. If not they just rot away.

Interested in reading more on all things Motor Launch, be they serving in the Navy or in civvy hands. (over 250 photo’s and 50+ stories and tech data / links to other ML pages) Check out the link below
 

http://rednaz1958.blogspot.com/2016/03/composite-list-of-hdmls-still-active.html

Lady Dianna

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Lady Dianna

LADY DIANNA

photos & details ex Ken Ricketts

Lady Dianna, 36ft., was built by McGeady in his premises at 1A Summer St Ponsonby for Colin Lannam, a furniture manufacturer of Pakuranga c.1949.

Mr Lannam finished the interior himself at his business premises & did a superb job.

Ken & his parents were friends of the Lannams & Ken was on L.D. several times. He took the above photo in Mansion House Bay, Christmas 1949.

LD more recently belonged to a lawyer, who Ken thinks kept her in Thames, post 2000 & she was powered with a Ford Diesel.

Harold Kidd Update

LADY DIANNA and LADY DIANA got thoroughly confused in yacht registers, club lists and so on.
Colin Lannam was a cabinetmaker and lived in Lemington Road, Westmere. He finished the interior after McGeady built her. Lannam didn’t keep her long as she was owned by S.L. Wallath of Okahu St, Orakei by 1953. Later owners include H.C. Thomas of Inga Rd, Milford in 1973 when her dimensions were given as 36’x35’x11’x3’6″, her engine as a 100hp Ford diesel.and her build year as 1948 in her APYMBA record card.
According to Capt. Barry Thompson’s book “Deeds Not Words” on the Coastguard service, Trevor Kelly owned LADY DIANNA around 1985, but that’s probably a typo for LADY DIANA.

27/02/2015 – ex Karen Moren

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Laughing Lady

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LAUGHING LADY

A ‘new’ lady from the USA joins the NZ classic fleet. But first stop is the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard. Click any image to enlarge.

USA owner – David Gardiner
As ‘found’
Being packed up in USA
Safely in NZ
The end of the road trip North from Post Tauranga
Into the shed at Whangateau

Luders built the motorboat Laughing Lady in Connecticut in 1949 as a day fishing boat for a wealthy American socialite. A few years later she sold it to David Gardiner, who considered himself the 16th Lord of Gardiners Island. The island has an interesting history. As Americas largest private island, It had been in the family ever since his ancestor, the English settler Lion Gardiner, bought it from the Montaukett Indians in 1639 for ”one large dog, one gun, some powder and shot, some rum and several blankets”. He also obtained a charter for the island from King Charles I of England. Captain Kidd once buried treasure there, and the family withstood several attacks by pirates. Gardiner used the Laughing Lady to commute from the Island to New York where he worked as a stockbroker and also across to the up market Hamptons to ferry his guests to the Island, including Jacqui Kennedy-Onassis. Before David Gardiner passed away in 2004 the boat was sold and transported to a yard in San Diego where it underwent significant restoration of the hull before the restoration eventually stalled.

Enter Kiwis, Michael & Katy his sister-in-law who have both worked in the yachting industry and found a love for old boats working as crew on the historic 142 foot Dutch built Feadship Istros and also crewing aboard Fife yachts in various classic yacht regattas around the Mediterranean. They were looking for a small-scale project of their own and found the Laughing Lady languishing in a yacht yard in San Diego last year. They made an offer and the boat was theirs. The boat was then loaded onto a cargo ship in Los Angeles and shipped to Tauranga in March 2014, then towed on a large trailer up to Whangateau in early April (refer photos above). After being shoehorned into the main shed at Whangateau Traditional Boat yard, work will now commence returning the lady back to her former glory.

Luders stopped making boats in the 1980’s but had a fine pedigree in boat building, pioneering hot molded construction and the use of plywood during WWII.  The yard built and designed, fast commuter yachts, Navy patrol boats, tugs, launches and racing yachts including the 1962 America’s Cup winner Weatherly.

Laughing Lady is 32 foot long and was originally powered by Packard straight 8’s, nowadays is powered by twin Volvo turbo diesels.

Built of double planked cedar and mahogany with oak framing and a unique hot molded cabin trunk, she still has the basin that was used for shaving on the way to work and cast bronze fish fighting chairs. The boat will be kept as original as possible, but they will add some modern navigational equipment and something to cook on for overnight trips. Aside from that there is a lot of wiring, wood working, plumbing, paint and varnish to be done before she is completed and back on the water and turning heads as a fishing boat on her new home – the Hauraki Gulf.

Waitematawoodys will follow the work her owners will be undertaking with the assistance of Pam & George at the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard.

This might be easier to read