Category Archives: 1950’s

Unknown Launch 08/11/2013 (probably Antares)

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Unknown Launch 08/11/2013

Unknown Launch 08/11/2013

Arcturus b

Arcturus b

Arcturus a

Arcturus a

Arcturus c

Arcturus c

Alcyone

Alcyone

photo from Helen & Richard Andrew’s family collection (grand daughter & her husband of Henry Allen -Tiromoana) ex Ken Rickitts.

Given the chat on the previous post re McGeady boats I have posted this c.1950 photo that is ‘tagged’ as a McGeady launch, interested in your views as to if this is correct & the vessels name & anymore details.

Also interested in ID’ing the launch in the background.

17/03/2015 Update
Ken R is confident that the mystery has been solved , the launch is Antares – In the photo above & you will see the white peaked cap always worn by Cyril Parker every time he went to sea, the cap was evident in all pics, also the mast & placement thereof, is identical, although the lower half of the coamings had been painted by the time the photo in question was taken & therefore Ken tends to think in the later 1950s for this one.

Karina

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KARINA 

photos & details ex Dean Wright & current owner Winston Jacob

Designed by Parsons & built in 1959 in Tauranga. Carvel planked hull, powered by twin 120hp Fords. LOA 38’6″ x B 11′ 6″ x D 3′ 6″.

Karina was a gamefishing charter boat operating out of Paihia during the 1970′s and 80′s. Owned by Alan Limmer. She once caught a black, a blue and a striped marlin all in one day. The first time it had ever been done in NZ. Possibly never been repeated.

Anyone able to ID the blokes in the cockpit with the thresher shark ?  The owner / skipper Alan Limmer is on the right in the white t-shirt.

Winston Jacob has owned Karina for 14 years (1999)

Update 02-08-2017 – Photo below ex Dean Wright

Karina

27-03-2018 Update from Lee Wilkinson

“I came across my Grandparents old boat on your website today, I posted a wee comment, but since have found a couple of photos which I thought you might like to add to the story of Karina.  The owner prior to my Grandparents was Les Henry, (i couldn’t remember his surname when writing the comment) – and quite possibly the original owner.   Not sure of the dates my Grandparents owned her, but my mum recalls going down to trial her 1961, as she was pregnant with me at the time (the memory of morning sickness!!)  Les Henry lived in Pukekohe but had the boat based in Tauranga i believe.   My grandparents moved her to Maraetai, where she was on a swing mooring just below their home there.

Below are a couple of photos with my Grandmother, Janet Jones, with her catch of a Thresher shark in 1964 off Karina.  Quite a biggie of the day I believe, and especially for a female angler.   

The first one has Les Henry (the very tall man with the folded arms), my Grandfather Harry Jones, (with his hands on his hip), and then my Grandmother Janet Jones. (don’t know the two in the background.”

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Unknown

 

 

Lady Joan

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Mystery Launch 15/10

LADY JOAN

photo ex Dave Jackson

Having a few blokes in the photo should help with ID’ing this launch. Given the wooden cask (water??) on deck it most likely is during an extended summer cruise. The wharf certainly is not OHS compliant.

Harold Kidd Update

I don’t know what she is but guess that she’s Collings & Bell c1914-22, maybe even Leon Warne of the same period.

Input from Dave Jackson – 16/11/13

1958c

Nagles Cove

Lady Joan

Built for Joe Lobley

Built by Bailey’s

Next owned by Taylor Family

Alcyone

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Alcyone

ALCYONE

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts

Built by McGeady c.1947 for a Mr Stewart, an accountant of Suddley St. Orakei, (right opposite Henry Allen owner of ‘Tiromoana’) she was to have had 2 Redwing petrol engines, but Stewart changed his mind during construction & fitted 1 Ailsa Craig instead. Stewart sold her in mid to late 1950s to Aubrey Webster, the founder & owner of Trimol Laboratories, who replaced the Ailsa Craig with a 6LW Gardner, about 1960, which Ken thinks she still has today. He owned her until the mid to late 1960’s & sold her to Humphrey Beale, who owned until at least the late 1980s or early 1990s. Beale was a real estate agent, who used her extensively for taking clients to Rakino, Waiheke & Gt Barrier. Ken lost track of her after he sold her. Webster was a family friend of Ken’s, as also was Beale, who Ken shared the same occupation with (real estate) for many years.

Harold Kidd Update

ALCYONE was built for Noel Stewart of Sudeley St Orakei by Supreme Craft (McGeady) and launched in January 1951, fitted originally with a 6 cylinder Ailsa Craig diesel engine. Stewart sold her to A.A. Webster of Takapuna some time before 1964 when Webster had her registered with Lloyd’s Yacht Register, still with the 1950-built Ailsa Craig. Webster still owned her in 1973 according to APYMBA records.The image above was taken during the welcome for the GOTHIC on its arrival in Auckland for the Royal Visit, 23/12/1953, when the AMYC was out in force.

30/03/2015 New photo ex Sea Spray ex B Worthington ex Ken Ricketts

Mandalay

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MANDALAY

photo from Dave Jackson

It is very hard to design a sub 36′ launch (I’m guessing on her length) that looks ‘right’ i.e. that all the bits work together, in proportion. This very smart launch (in my eyes) ticks most of the boxes.

Input from Dave Jackson 16/11/13

Mandalay

Built by Dave Jackson & Graham Christian

Devonport, 1957

For Ken Quinton

Original – 4 cylinder Ford

Designed by Brin Wilson

Karina

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Karina

KARINA

photo & details from Winston Jacob (owner)

Designed by Parsons & built in 1959 in Tauranga. Carvel planked hull, powered by twin 120hp Fords. LOA 38’6″ x B 11′ 6″ x D 3′ 6″. Winston purchased her in 1999, any further info on her past would be appreciated.

1956 Sydney Hobart Race Film – Hard to Windward

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1956 Sydney Hobart Race Film – Hard to Windward

Lin Pardy has just posted a great youtube link on the WoodenBoat Forum for the 1956 Sydney > Hobart race. Lin’s comments below

“Kim Newstead, our hosts when we were invited to speak at the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival last year, just sent along a link to a wonderful 15 minute movie someone found in their garage. It is a professionally made program (16 or 17 minutes) from the 1956 Sydney Hobart Race, all on classic wooden boats, all with cotton sails, not a harness, pulpit or stern rail to be seen. Yes, times have changed. Thought everyone here might enjoy this.”

Tiromoana – a peek into her past

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A peek into Tiromoana’s past

photos ex Ken Ricketts

A collection of photos assembled by Ken Ricketts showing Tiromoana in the 1940’s, 50’s & 60’s.

Photos: In Police ‘grey’ – 1943 / With steam ferry in Tamaki River c1960 / On the slip at Okahu Bay c1950 / Okahu Bay c1950 with Henry & Mrs Allen in cockpit / In her modern livery at Coggan jetty c late 1960 / Rickett family aboard xmas 1945

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 🙂