Category Archives: 1950’s

4 Norm Beetson Sisters

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Kakariki
Naiad
Gayella
Acquiesce

THE FOUR NORM BEETSON DESIGNED ‘SISTERS’

Thanks to Mark McLaughlin sending in a photo of Acquiesce we now have photos of all 4 of the Beetson designed sister’s. Interesting to compare the ‘changes’ over the years.

Apparently all four boats were featured in the 1950’s on the cover of Sea Spray, would love to get a scan/photo of the cover & the article inside the mag – Harold ???

Scroll down to the previous post for details on the 4 launches – Acquiesce, Gayella, Naiad, Kakariki (launched as Georgella)

Kakariki (Georgella)

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KAKARIKI (Georgella)

details from Harold Kidd & Andrew Pollard.photos ex trademe

Kakariki is one of the 4 ‘sisters’ designed Norm Beetson built, they were launched in the following order –  Acquiesce, Gayella, Naiad, Kakariki (launched as Georgella).

The 32 footer Acquiesce was built by Norm for himself in 1948 for himself at 70 Kildaire Ave, St. Heliers followed by the 33 footer Gayella in 1952 to the same design, built by George Roberts for himself at St. Heliers (Chrysler Crown), then Naiad by Stan Blake for himself in 1956 and Georgella in 1959 by George Roberts again for himself with a Fordson. Georgella was sold to the famous petrol-head Les Stericker who renamed her Kakariki. Gayella has been in Andrew Pollard’s family since his grandfather Shorty Sefton (Mr. Gardner in Auckland) bought her in 1963.

The question of the day is – where is Acquiesce?

Kakariki is currently for sale on trademe

Mark McLaughlin Update

ACQUIESCE was for sale a couple of years ago at the Panmure Bridge. I had a look over her when she was on the slip there. Her owner at the time told me she was repowered c.1965 with a 4cyl Fordson. She now resides on a swing mooring at Okahu Bay.
NAIAD was up at Te Atatu recently, GAYELLA is on a pile mooring up the Tamaki Estuary and KAKARIKI (GEORGELLA) is at the Thames boat harbour.

Lady Margaret (Oliver & Gilpin)

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LADY MARGARET – WHANGAROA

photos ex Dean Wright

There have been numerous Lady Margarets featured on ww, it was a popular name & must have been a good luck charm, as most as still afloat.

The above LM is 42′ in length & was built in Tauranga by Oliver & Gilpin c.1958. Harold would say ‘she has the typical O&G flair for dramatic style’.

She spent a lot of her life chasing game fish. The photos above were taken by Dean Wright in the Whangaroa Harbour.

Silver Dollar

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SILVER DOLLAR

In the last week my spies have sighted Silver Dollar at Great Barrier & Kawau so as my mother used to say “she gets around”. All I know is her stern says Scotts Landing, Mahurangi & was built in 1958. Keen to learn more about this launch with an unusual cabin.

Update from JohnWicks

he and her sister-ships were built by Bob Swanson at Blackwood Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound in the 50s. Bob later moved his boatbuilding operation to Picton, at what had previously been Ernie Lane’s yard. As a small boy I was at either her launching or that of “Maritza”, one of her sisters.- memory not wot it wuz :-)
She hasn’t been lengthened, though that dodger over the cockpit is a later modification.
Neat that she still has her original 2 cylinder “Jimmy” shoving her along. Those hulls are easily driven, and don’t need a lot of power.
I’ve always thought those boats were very handsome; my admiration is tempered by the difficulty of getting from the helm station at the forward end of the house to the foredeck. My father had the slightly smaller “Palomino” which had a more conventional sedan layout and was easier to work single-handed..

Updated Photos  (20/03/2014) from Paul Stichbury (ex Ken Ricketts)

The b/w photo was taken c1958 at the launch at Blackwood Bay, Picton. According to John Wicks (who was there with his father, but not in photo) the gent centre stage with the braces & hands in pockets is Bob Swanson . The photos also show her original (& still there) engine at the time of being reconditioned in 2011, all that was required was new sleeves, pistons & bearings (there was no wear on the crankshaft).

Aotea

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AOTEA

photos & details from Paul Newell

Paul owned Aotea for approx. 5 years (2002-2007) & believes she was built in the South Island to an Alexander design. She was powered by a 300 Bedford Diesel.

The picture of her on the transporter was apparently her arriving in Auckland from Lake Taupo. Paul was told she was built for the N.Z. Government and taken to Taupo for the Queens Coronation NZ tour 1953-54 but he has never found anything to verify this. The other photos show her on Chris McMullen’s floating dock and on the marina at McMullen and Wings yard.

The last time Paul saw her she was on a mooring at Whitianga. Can anyone verify or add to her history?

Moana

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Coromandel Dec2013

MOANA

photos ex AH & trademe

I spotted Moana at anchor in Coromandel Harbour between Xmas & New Year. A little digging resulted in a trademe listing so if you believe that, she was built by Lanes in 1954 & is a kauri carvel planked, large volume displacement launch at 42.5′. Powered by a 6LX Gardiner. Appears to by well fitted out in terms of modern day comms & navigation toys etc.

Just a pity about the block of flats on top 😦  , but as they say – each to their own.

Now my bitch of the day – why do people selling classic boats (both the public & brokers) almost never include the boats name in a listing. Makes it bloody hard to find the listing & only drops  the value, as the serious potential buyers are most likely to know the boat or know someone that knows her.

Harold Kidd Update

Ted Gilpin told me that she was built by Lane Motor Boat Co. for game fishing in at Mayor Island by Alan Hunter and that Peter Parsons had a hand in her design and construction.

Update 17-03-2019 Moana getting some TLC at Gulf Harbour (photo K Ricketts)

Update 12-09-2024 – Photo below of a painting of Moana by Debbie Park

Antares

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ANTARES 1954 CYRIL PARKER Builder Mc Geady

ANTARES

photos & details from Ken Ricketts & Harold Kidd

Built by Supreme Craft, – (McGeady), – on the corner of Summer St & Ponsonby Rd., Ponsonby, in the 1950s, she is a great example of the McGeady craftsmanship. She originally had a 4 cyl Ford diesel, later replaced with a 100 HP 6 cyl Ford. Her engine installation was done by the late Tracey Nelson, an outstanding marine & automotive engineer of Bell Rd Remuera, as were almost all of the McGeady boats, certainly from the 1940s onwards.

She was originally owned by Cyril Parker a self employed motor engineer, who’s business premises were in Kohimaramara Rd., Kohimaramara.

Apologizes for the quality of the photos, if anyone has better please email the to waitematawoodys@ gmail.com

15-07-2015 Photo below c1986 ex Laurie Webb, when owned by Ron & Shirley Phillips, who owned > c2006

Antares

Yasawa

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YASAWA

Currently for sale on trademe, this bridgedecker could be a good buy for someone wanting to get into classic boating.

She appears to be very well presented & excellent value for money.

The listing says she is a 1952 Collings & Bell but HDK advised this is incorrect & she was built by Charlie Filmer. She sleeps 6-8, 10m (32.8′) long, with a 2002 90hp motor. While Picton based, thats not a big issue, ‘Boat Haulage’ are not that expensive, if you are prepared to wait for a return trip.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/auction-680775450.htm

Harold Kidd Update

Stuart Findlay of Paunui Road, St. Heliers owned her in 1957 and may well have been her first owner. He was followed by Solicitor Arthur Bourke of First Ave, Stanley Point in 1959. Her original engine was a 100hp Scripps-marinised Ford Mercury V8. 

I can’t fathom why she is now claimed to be a Collings & Bell boat. The APYMBA records show her as built by Charlie Filmer. She doesn’t look Collings & Bell to me anyway. 

Probably some oracular shellback advised an owner that she was C&B. That’s the process that has given us today more Logan, Sam Ford and Lane Motor Boat Co launches than they ever built.

Photo below hauled out at Motueka marina, Jan 2018, photo ex John Burland

IMG_9747

Update 26-09-2021 Photos (ex Grant Stone) below when owned by a Tom Wilcox in the late 1950’s

Arohanui (McGeady)

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Arohanui

Screen Shot 2014-01-08 at 9.11.41 AMArohanui fishing off WaihekeArohanui @ Pah Farm Jetty Kawau 1998

AROHANUI

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts

In Kens eyes, she was one of the best sedan top examples that McGeady ever built, having the forward section & forward deck longer than usual & giving a further aft helm position, which means a smoother ride for the helmsman & crew in rough weather being further aft than usual & a sort of more sleek laid back concept to her & excellent balance of line.

She was built for Tucker Brothers food product manufacturers (Sunshine Jellies etc) in Khyber Pass Aucland., circa 1952, in McGeady’s Summer St Ponsonby premises & had the usual Ford 6 cyl Diesel fitted by Tracey Nelson. She was the second boat built by McGeady for Tuckers, the first being a bridgedecker built circa 1939 called Lady Sunshine, which was owned just after WWII by Com Hardley, M.D. of Hardleys Plumbing Merchants, of Morrow St Newmarket, who renamed her Varlene, the name as far as Ken knows she still has today.

Varlene was sold to H.T. Morton, a lawyer of Cliff Ave Belmont & Auck Hospital board Member in the later 1940’s. If anyone has a photo of Varlene, Ken can do a post on her, as he knows quite a bit about her early days.

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To view more WW stories & photos on any subject, just key in the ‘subject name*’ in the search box, click your computers enter key & related posts will appear. Scroll down to view & click on each post to view details.

*designer,builder,type of vessel e.g. launch or yacht,CYA only vessel,period launched e.g. 1920 etc

05/03/2105 – New photo ex Karen Moren – sent in by Ken Ricketts

Photo ex Ken Rickett’s – Tauranga Harbour

09/04/2015 more photos ex trademe

13-07-2015 Update sent in by Paul Newell ex Sea Spray ex NZ Classic Game Boat

Waihape – Johnny Wray?

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WAIHAPE

WAIHAPE

colour photos ex Dean Wright – info ex Ken Ricketts

b/w photo ex Harold Kidd ex Keith Munro

Ken thinks Waihape was the last boat Johnny Wray built in the later 1940s > early 1950s. He lived on her for many years, based at Surfdale, Waiheke, although he did sail around NZ & the Pacific in her fairly extensively. She had a fairly distinctive aft wheelhouse/doghouse which instantly “clicked” when he saw Dean’s photo.

Ken is certain he recalls seeing her in the mud at Surfdale on the L.H.S side of the bay coming in from the sea. There is even a mention of her in a write up “fun map” of Waiheke on a website Ken discovered.

Can anyone confirm this was in fact Johnny Wray’s last boat?

Harold Kidd Update

She certainly looks like the 44 footer WAIHAPE which Johnny Wray launched in December 1948, the last big boat he built. He put some unusual features into her. From his RNZAF experience she was fitted out with an aircraft-type control panel and had twin engines, small Kelvins I think. She took him to Tonga and back a couple of times and had a fair spread of sail.

14-05-2016 – A message from Helen Lee
My name is Helen Lee and as a teenager I had several cruises on Waihape with Johnny Wray, my parents Cynthia and Jerry Wilcox, my brother Michael Wilcox and once with my cousin Mike Lambert.
I have wonderful memories of these trips [early1960’s] and a few treasured photos. I realized when i saw the ww photos of Waihape that mine are all taken on the boat, not ‘of ‘ the boat. However you may like to see them.
Johnny was a long time friend of my Dad’s as they were both living in Lucerne Road as young men and Dad had worked with Johnny when he was building his first boat, Ngataki.
The photo below taken at Mansion House, Kawau Island, is Johnny trying to look like the coconut he is holding.

Johanny Wray @ Mansion House