Kamalii – Sailing Sunday
Mooching around Waiheke Island over Labour Weekend 2014, I went for an early morning row & spotted Kamalii anchored in Onetangi. Quite a sight in the early morning (sun rise) light. Anyone able to supply some more info on this rather nice yacht?
Update: Just discovered a very current, up-to-date blog on Kamalii – all you want to know here.
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #8 – Kiariki May 1959
I have just received another batch of drawing from Robert Brooke of these remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, again ww thanks Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 8th featured – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during a May 1959 cruise to Kawau Island & onto Gt Barrier Island.
Crew: John Brooke, Don Brooke, Bill Mitch, John Chapple, Peter Walker, Rob Wallace. Must have been a boys cruise.
MATAHUI
Lindsay Aitcheson, the new owner of the motor-sailor Matahui would like some input from the collective brains of ww followers.
It is Lindsay’s understanding that Matahui was designed by Athol Burns & launched into the Waiwartu Stream in Wellington in 1955 (refer above photo ex Turnbull Library). Lindsay understands she was built as a fishing boat to long-line in Cook Strait. The builder is unknown but ‘could’ be Frank Dellabarca as he built several Athol Burns designed fishing boats e.g. MV Cristina (featured previously on ww).
Anyone able to shed some light on Matahui & her past??
06/11/14 -Updated with more photos from Lindsay Aitcheson (click to enlarge)
14/11/2014 Two photos of Matahui below ex Pam Cundy when owned by Tim Hall , he used her as a commercial fishing boat. He sold her to build another commercial fishing boat, ‘Skip Jack’ a 38′ Aztec. These days Skip Jack operates as a charter boat out of Gulf Harbour.
REELEMIN (II) #1Fairlie Launch in a series of 4
photos & details ex Ken Ricketts. Edited by Alan H
Norm Fairlie was a lifelong, dedicated & very enthusiastic game fisherman, having fished extensively, mostly at Mayor Island & started his boating life with a couple of small outboard powered runabouts in the later 1940s & early 50s.
His first foray in to cruising type boats, was Reelemin (II). She was built by Don Norton in Westmere for Norm F., c.1954-55.
She is 26 feet long & was originally powered by a largish petrol engine, which Norm does not recall the details of. She cruised at around 12-14 knots.Norma owned her until approx 1961 when he sold her & replaced her with the new & larger 38 foot Challenger, in approx 1962, which he commissioned McGeady to build for him & which will be the subject of a later post. This was followed later still by the even bigger 45 foot (llater extended to 52 feet) Commander One, in approx 1968-69 which was built for him by Alan Williams, also to be the subject of a later post.
Fairlie also had McGeady build him a purpose built 30 footer called Tempest, which was built for him in early 1964, specially for the World Game Fishing Contest (March 1964), on which he won the Tuna section, of that contest.
He had retained Challenger & owned both boats at the same time. Challenger came second in the game fishing section, but unfortunately, Fairlie has no pics of Tempest & he sold her shortly after the contest concluded & does not recall engine details of this boat.
Norm is now long retired, at 91 & when Ken spoke to him, sounded very fit & active for his age & living at the Gold Coast.
He was a very successful Auckland businessman & father of one of NZ’s world famous international tennis stars of the 1960s-70s era, Brian Fairlie.
Ken would like to acknowledge the help, input & permission of Norm to make this & the future posts on his other boats possible.
The pic below of Gay Dawn was taken by Norm from Reelemin at Opua Christmas 1960. His in-laws are standing on the stern & a young Brian, outside the portside bridegdeck window.
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection – Matanui 1955
waitematawoodys would again like to thank Robert Brooke for making the remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Today’s post is the fifth of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Matanui during a ‘boys’ weekend fishing trip in 1955. They departed early Friday evening & returned on Monday morning. A lot of ground was covered with the Needles being the targeted location to the north & Elephant Cove to the east. From the sea state drawing & comments, it must have been a little rough between Elephant Cove & Shag Rock.
The crew was made up of Jack Brooke, Joe Kissin, John Ellis & Scott Wilson. Interestingly the crew did the same trip 11 years later – I will post that drawing next week.
TOROA
According to the ‘sales pitch’ given to Toroa’s new owner, Brian Simpson, she was built by Chas Bailey & Sons in the 1950’s. Approx. 26′ long & built of kauri.
Toroa spent it’s life in Auckland until Brian moved it to Taupo 5 months ago.
Any information about it’s history would be much appreciated.
Photo below ex Derek Molander – Caption – Watch officer Ces Todd and a party of cadets in 1967. The Coast Guard cutter Toroa lies at anchor behind them.
photos taken at the 2014 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition
Tango was Jim Young’s first keel boat – designed / built in 1954/1955 & launched in 1956. As Doug Reid commented at the 2014 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – Tango was 20 years ahead to the pack, with her world first, on a cruising keel boat, ‘spade’ rudder & short keel. Prior to this keelers had their rudders faired into their long keels.
Constructed of heart kauri planking – single skin, caulked on spotted gum ribs. Her specs are: LOA – 9.45m LOW – 8.06m Beam – 1.83m Disp – 3500kg.
Photo updates from Graeme Salter (owner)
The out-of-water photo really shows off her lovely lines, which most people do not get to see, also check out the keel rudder set up.
The second photo was at the Mercury Islands February last year (2013)
SERENE
photos & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H
Serene was built by Roy Parris in the late 1950’s early 1960’s. She is approx. 36′ long & powered by a 6-354 Perkins diesel. She has had the same owners, Helen & Craig Brown of Whangarei for over 20 years & is kept at Opua & before that in front of their waterfront home in Whangarei.
The Browns bought her approx. 20years ago off an Italian living at Snells Beach who only owned her for 3 or 4 months & he had bought her of Garry Nordstrand who had owned her for a long time. To the best of the Browns knowledge Serene is the boats original name & she has spent all or almost all of her life in Northland from Algies Bay upwards. Her coamings were varnished until fairly recently as the surface had deteriorated so much they reluctantly made the hard call to paint them, with a thin new layer of timber like a veneer, beneath the new paint to improve the surface.
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #3 – Judith Xmas 1951- 52
Thanks to Robert Brooke for making these remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the third of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Judith during their annual Christmas / New Year Cruise. Looking at the track north from Cape Rodney to Cape Brett it must have been a great ride – they were going from 2 to 3 reefs in the main & tri-sail. If I’m reading things correctly from Cape Rodney to Whangamumu took 8hrs.
No crew list on this one.
NGARO
Ngaro was designed /built in 1952 & launched in 1953 by Roy Lidgard (Lidgard Ship Yard) in Smelting House Bay Kawau Island. She is 14.78m LOA / 3.88m beam & draws 1.4m.. She is a solid old girl with double diagonal 1/2″ kauri & 1″ longitudinal planks & bronze riveted. Powered by twin Ford 120hp Lemman’s that were installed in 1965.
Her ‘newish’ owners returned Ngaro to the water last week at Gulf Harbour after a new coat of paint, top & bottom. They only had good things to say about Mike Vitali & his team at One10 Painters, the finished job looks very sharp.
While a few of us classic owners are a little gun shy of travel lifts, the boys at Gulf Harbour would be one of the best operators around, they used four slings on Ngaro. As further proof of their skill – the Tino Rawa Trust has recently hauled out half its classic fleet at Gulf Harbour.
Now back to Ngaro – The owners would like to know more about her past & view any photos that might be out there. So woodys what do you know?
The b/w photos (below) are the only early (possibly launch day) photos they have.
I have featured Ngaro before on ww – she is rather nice – click the link below to be wow’ed 🙂
Update 24-08-2018 Ngaro out again for some TLC at Gulf Harbour
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