Category Archives: 1950’s

Gay Dawn

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GAY DAWN

The 34′ Lidgard designed bridge decker, built by Bill Waters 1953. Very similar to Monterey & like Monterey started out with varnished coaming, have to say I think they suit her (& Monterey) better than the paint.

12-01-2016 Photos below from during the build & launching period c1947>1953.

Note refer comments section for more details on her past

(L>R) Bill & Bryan Waters c1947/48
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn launch day
Gay Dawn just launched c1953 Okahu Bay

Yachts ‘versus’ Motor Boats

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Yachts ‘versus’ Motor Boats 

29 Jan 1953 – the day it all turned to custard

Now its commonly accepted that a lot of yachties do not hold motor boat owners in very high regard, hopefully its a little different with the CYA members, but even to this day, fathers are telling little Johnny that he would have won the local yacht club Opti race if it had not been for that bl_ _ _y launch that went past.

I think Harold Kidd summed the situation well in the book ‘Southern Breeze’ (published 1999) – extract below:

“Launches were originally considered an integral part of the sport of yachting and civilized it, providing comfortable, safe & (initially) segregated accommodation for the former yachting widows & the children.

Soon, yachtsmen assimilated the new order. Launch owners went out of their way to render assistance to yachts in distress & provide a welcome tow home in flat calms. The relationship, however, between yachtsmen & launchmen was always a little flawed by the affected superiority of the yachtsmen who deprecated launches as ‘stinkpots’, but the truth was that most of the crews were interchangeable, well-know to each other & experienced in both branches of the sport. That situation prevailed during the ‘classic’ period to 1960, but the advent thereafter of fast planing craft in the hands of often totally inexperienced owners diminished to some extent the mutual respect between yachtsmen & powerboat owners”

 In my search for cool photos for waitematawoodys I have uncovered photographic evidence that it happened 7 years earlier than Harold thought, evidence of the exact day & event it all turned pear shape – 29 January 1953, Auckland Anniversary Regatta.

See photo above, the displacement launch in the middle of the photo is all good, the speed boat in the bottom right……………. you can just imagine the language aboard the yachts 30 seconds after this photo was taken.

From this day on we were all tarred with the same brush 🙂

Millie II

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MILLIE II

story & photo ex Russell Ward
Photo taken in 1960. Our first trip to Kawau in the old man’s 17′ boat Millie II (in foreground).
She was built in 1959 by Joe Wheeler at Bayswater and had an 8 hp Stuart.
The ship behind is Makura and behind her I think it is one of the Shipbuilders ’50s launches.
When we dropped the hook –Schoolhouse Bay- the guy on Makura, towering over us, asked if we had a nice trip across (from Sandspit). To which the old man said, “No we came up from Okahu Bay.”
“What?” said Makura. “You didn’t come up here in that?”
I had been a lively trip up, I must admit. But from then on, we always used to chant out whenever a big boat came into a bay “What? You didn’t come up here in that?”
It was an equally lively trip back and the navy Fairmile Kahu came slowly past us –she was taking a real hammering and rearing up out of the head sea and slamming down on it. We just bobbed from wave to wave in Millie. We could do 5 kn and I don’t think Kahu was doing much more than 7 or 8. It was a blowy day but we were comfortable enough.
I think Millie went over to the Manukau when the old man sold her to a chemist by the name of Furniss in ’62 when he bought Ngakiwa. She was one of three boats built about the same time, the other two were 18′. I think the last one is up at Kawau and is moored a bit west of the K Y C wharf.
Harold Kidd Update
I went to Takapuna Grammar with Joe’s daughter Cherie who was a great cricket and hockey player and now lives up north. Her mother was a Braund, a younger sister of Mavis Braund after whom their father named the launch MAVIS B. Unfortunately Cherie has very little in the way of photographs of Joe but I’m keeping in touch as I know her aunt, Rive Grant, now in a home, had copious Braund and Wheeler images. Another Braund sister married R W Grant who had the launch THETIS (I) (24hp Ailsa Craig) in the 1940s and 1950s. Grant bought THETIS in 1943 and sold her in 1957. He changed her name to THETIS when he bought her and it was changed when he sold her. Does anyone know what she was built as and what became of her?

The Collings and Bell bridgedeckers

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MAKURA, KAWHITI, TAMAROA
 
story & photos from Russell Ward + details & photos from Harold Kidd
 
In the early ’50s –1951 or so, Collings and Bell built Makura, Kawhiti & Tamaroa. They were nicely lined and all the angles were right (for a change).
 
MAKURA
She was built in 1949 for W D C  & C H Leighton and fitted with a 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown. They sold her to Phil Seabrook of Seabrook & Fowlds in 1957. He fitted the Nordberg a year or so later. Phil Seabrook had Billy Rogers design and build LADY DIANA for him in 1950 and fitted her with the Austin Skipper from new, replacing it with a 155hp Nordberg sleeve-valve engine in 1956 shortly before he sold LADY DIANA to Monte Winter and bought MAKURA.
 
 
Later owners were V F Adams (1966) and W G Boughtwood (1973). She’s now in Picton.
The photo of Makura I took in ’61. Fine looking ship. Note the four scuttles to stb unlike the recent pix posted of Kawhiti. Ahead of her you can see one of what I think is the Shipbuilders boats that were produced when Roy Steadman was OC. Also shown is a photo of Makura as built from the July 1951 edition of Sea Spray. Very like Tamaroa.
 
KAWHITI was built in 1952 for D A Wilkie, later owners J M Simpson of Beach Road, Howick (1958). Terry McAvinue owned her from 1968 to 1997 when Harold Kidd took the above colour image of her in Matiatia.
Kawhiti seems to be for sale just now and has a Ford diesel. She has a screen fitted and a flying bridge. The studious will note that the fwd screen is a three piece. The pic of Kawhiti shows her to be a straight front. Also, if I use my imagination, I can read her name.
 
TAMAROA was built in 1953 for A E Fisher of Whangarei with a 100hp Austin. I guess that was the 4 litre truck engine that was so refined in the Austin Sheerline.  She was sold to Dell of Whangarei and came back to Auckland in the late 90s when Harold Kidd took the above colour image in Woody Bay. Eric Stevens bought her in the late 1990’s  and the picture of her in Squadron Bay (?) c.1996 is before he did a major makeover.
 
Makura & Kawhiti differed in the line of the cabin tops:  Kawhiti’s had rather more camber and was sharply brought down to the coaming sides.Kawhiti had a slightly shorter raised deck fwd and has one fewer scuttle than her two sister. It was a bit clumsier than Makura’s IMOH. The picture of Makura behind the 17′ Millie II shows how this scuttle opens into the deck space behind the break in the gunwale and was thus put in purely for style to make them good looking. The guy that designed those three ships (not Alex Collings) had a good aesthetic sense. They were cool!
 
It was an old trick to put that extra scuttle in to give better looks –Lady Karita has the same effect. Her aft scuttle is also sham –it opens into the deck space beside the wheelhouse.
 
In my youth, Kawhiti was painted cream on the tops, Makura blue. Both had bright finished coamings.
 
Harold Kidd Update

It’s sadly true that Alex Collings had little skill in designing superstructures and did not appear to have much of a sense of humour or a sense of aesthetics (nor did his father IMHO). Are these launches too early for Peter Peel? Dave Jackson will know.

HK Update 2:

Dave Jackson was unimpressed with my slur on Alex Collings’ sense of aesthetics. Dave worked on TAMAROA and was familiar with all three of these Collings & Bell bridgedeckers. He categorically states that they are 100% Alex Collings’ designs. Peter Peel may have done some drafting work but had no hand in their design. Dave also worked on the 1957 43ft flushdecker MATIRA for N S Hopwood, again 100% Alex Collings.

 

 
 
 

Ngakiwa

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Ngakiwa

NGAKIWA
Story & photo from Russell Ward

The name was a made-up Maori concoction of two syllables and is meaningless (sort of).
She was built in 1956 by P Vos and Co and was really classy. Heavy as hell –a Cook Straiter as you would expect from Percy. Teak coamings and was really nice. For example, she had a curved transom –expensive stuff. A bit scruffy when the old man took over but he usually sorted that out pretty sharpish.
She had an abdominal Ford 60hp which was a rough installation. The previous owner was a farmer and this engine was a chuckout from one of the tractors by the looks. It was replaced by a Perkins which was much more agreeable.
She was built because the guy bought a boat unsurveyed and took her to Vos to repair. Percy said it would be cheaper to make him a new boat than deal with all the problems of that boat. At the time there was a little sedan top in the yard, Juilet with a tuck stern and pretty straight stem, she had a sedan top and a windscreen fwd on top of the cabin for the helmsman. So the Vos crew took the lines off her and Ngakiwa was built to them with addition of that curvaceous sheer line. Can you see the tumble home aft? She was / is real classy as I said before.
The Russell’s father sold her when he bought Naiad in ’66.

Updated photo (27.08/14) ex Nathan Herbert ex classicboatsnz

Ngakiwa

Lady Kay

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LADY-KAY
Don’t really do ‘for-sales’ on ‘WW’ but this old girl deserves to go to a good home. Currently in survey & set up for commercial use, would make a great conversion.
*Built in 1957 by Ces Watson for Franich Brothers (George and Johnny), 38′, check out the builders quote.
*Built and launched in Tutakaka
*She was named after their first born niece
*Was powered by a 5LW Gardner Diesel which cost 1500 pounds, brought through
   Shorty Sefton
*Now powered by a D11 Scaina 180hp,
*More info call Wayne Eyles  0211865358

UPDATE 28-09-2021 – Photos below ex Bruce Rowe of Lady Kay berthed at the Thanes marina.

Gayella

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Gayella

GAYELLA
photo & details ex Andrew Pollard

Designed by Norm Beetson, 32′ and built/launched by George Roberts in 1953. She is the second of Four sisters built. Acquiesce,Gayella,Naiad,Kakariki in that order i believe.

There was a Sea Spray article on them all in the 50’s titled “the four sisters”. There all still in existence to my knowledge.
Berthed at Panmure on the Tamaki.One family ownership since 1963.

Update from Harold Kidd

The 32 footer ACQUIESCE was built by Norm Beetson 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 Andrews family since his grandfather Shorty Sefton (Mr. Gardner in Auckland) bought her in 1963. Neat boats.

24-05-2017 Photos ex John Wicks – Hauled out at West Harbour Marina

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Rosemary II

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ROSEMARY II
Story & photos by Russell Ward
One of my childhood sweethearts. She lay on the piles just off the Squadron Marina.
She was one of the four Shipbuilders SuperCraft boats built in the ’50s: Lady Eileen, Rosemary 2, Rakanoa (yep I know she started off as a Couldry design) and Mahara. They were designed by Thomas (Tim) Windsor who obviously had a very good eye and was American trained. He was still alive when I last heard and I hope someone has taken a history from him.
Hunters owned her way back then and she was always there when I rowed / sailed / motored past.
I took the pictures a few years back when she was up at Whangarei and available. A little down on her uppers, but still great. The old petrol engines had been replaced by the ubiquitous six cylinder Lees marinised fords and the interior scruffy.
I hope she hasn’t sprouted a dodger aft and a fly (hic) bridge. She was beautiful as she was.

Aoma

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AOMA
details & photos ex Ken Ricketts
36 ft long, circa 10 ft 6″ beam, built of 2 skins of Kauri, one full length,  & one diagonal, by Alan Williams, at Milford Creek, circa 1950, either built for, or bought, when almost new, by Len Pepper of Lake Rd Takapuna, a substantial building contractor of the day.
A beautiful example of Alan Williams work, with a low profile, & real balance & individuality in her exterior styling.
One thing however they sacrificed a little headroom for the low profile, & taller people would have to bend a little inside her. She had a very “open plan” layout with open bulkheads, from one section of the boat to another, with the engine under a box in the centre of the bridgedeck, fairly well forward, as indicated by the side exhaust outlet, in the above pic I took, circa 1951.
Sadly, from the perspective of  lovely low profile & aesthetic balance, she has been “modified” through the years with the combings raised & the beautiful varnish work now long since painted (such a shame, in my view, as the varnished combings gave all classic boats such character, as perhaps many would agree), & whilst still fairly recognisable, unfortunately, her beautiful lines have been lost, also the addition of a flying bridge did not help.
She was originally powered by an 8 cyl in line, Buick petrol engine, with a label on the side push rod cover, saying, “Buick Detroit Marine,” however notwithstanding the label, I feel it may well have been added, by the person, or people, who actually marinised the engine, as a “one off,” as I have never seen or heard of another one.
The current engine, when I last saw her, about 1 &1/2 years ago, was a 6 cyl Ford Diesel, & she was living at Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island, being used, more or less, just as transport, & for a little fishing, by a family living there.  She could have done with some TLC at that time.
I know she belonged to a plumbing contractor in the mid 1980s, as I was aboard her, at Mansion House Bay wharf, at Kawau Island, one day, when he was the owner.

Nov 2013- Ken Ricketts Update – She has been owned for many years by “Bruno” A Swiss gentleman & his wife, who live at Port Fitzroy Gt Barrier Island & as you can see, in the “before & now”  pics., she has sadly had very substantial changes & has lost the “bloom of youth,” she had, when I took the first pics In 1951.

One intersting thing I picked up on, in my recent inspection is, that she is built of 2 opposite diagonal skins of Kauri, which is not that common & is different from her sister ship Juanita, which the outer skin fore & aft & the inner skin diagonal which is more usual.

The colour photos was taken on the hard stand at Gulf Harbour (Nov 2013) where she is presently having a little TLC.

The present owners use her for transport to & from their home & Bruno also goes fishing of a few days at a time from time to time to the Broken Islands, Kawau, etc., & enjoys living aboard & cruising in the usual way, as well as the essential transport aspect. He has owned for around 20 years.

Updated photo 15/01/2015 ex Colin Pawson

Updated photo 15/01/2015. This ones an Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta photo, the 18 footers race, ex the National Libarary. Ex Nathan Herbert.

 

15-03-2016 photos below ex Ken Ricketts, hauled out at Gulf Harbour. Looking a lot smarter post her visit to Geoff Bagnall’s yard.

 

At Gulf Harbour – Dec 2020 – photos ex K Ricketts