Category Archives: 1960’s

Poaka

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POAKA

photos & details ex Harold Kidd ex John Blundell

In 1960 Stan Blundell had Alan (Snow) Waters design and build him this pretty little launch, Poaka, although Stan had a big input into the design. Her dimensions were 26’ x 25’6” x 8’9” x 2’9” and she was powered by a 90hp Zephyr engine. In 1962 Stan sold her to Athol Mellars of Ohinerau St., Remuera who had always expressed the wish to buy her if she ever came on the market. Athol died in 1972 and she was taken over by his son John who kept her at Whangaparapara, Great Barrier Island.
Where is she now?

Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961

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Photo 1

 

Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961

photos ex Ken Ricketts

Todays post show 2 photos taken c1961, most likely at Xmas & show a collection of launches tied up at the wharf at Warkworth. The really neat thing is hat most of these craft are still a float today & in as good, if not better condition.
It would be nice to see some of those varnished coaming again 😉

Several of these launches will be at todays Mahurangi Regatta & weather & numbers interested – maybe making the trip up the river to Warkworth for lunch.

Ken has attempted to ID the launches – see below.

PHOTO 1
Front row Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify outer 2 boats.

Top left row, tiny bit of bow too small to indentify next to wharf next is
Cherokee & next is Menai. Ken can’t identify outer boat of that group

PHOTO 2

Bottom left Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify the other 2 boats.
Next row to right is Faye at wharf, next to her is Royal Falcon & next is
Cherokee & then Menai. Ken can’t identify the outer boat.

Far row to right –  boat at wharf is Southern Belle, may have been owned by Stan
Blundell, the outer boat next to her is Lady Karita.

Boat at anchor Reelemin II

Photo 2

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #15 – Kiariki Anniversary Day Regatta 1962

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #15 – Kiariki Anniversary Day Regatta  1962

Another  Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Today’s post is the 15th featured – this one features the 1962 Anniversary Day Regatta & show Kiariki, Kiatoa & Jezebel. I see there is a note that Moana broke her spinnaker boom.

Big crew on-board: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Mrs Owen Aisher, Howard Wallace, Monty Wallace, Bill Thompson, Richard Purchase & Mary Duder.

For details on this years regatta – the 175th & only 3 days away – refer here http://www.regatta.org.nz/

Selena

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SELENA
photo & details ex Harold Kidd

Selena  was built in 1963 by Alan Williams at Milford for Stan Blundell of Fisher & Blundell. She was a Williams Banshee design but Stan wanted her no longer than 30ft oa so she finished up at 30’x27’x9’6”x2’9”.
She had a 4 cylinder 60hp Ford diesel. Stan’s son John thinks they probably fitted a Parsons marinisation and marine gearbox as they were the importers, to the annoyance of Lees Marine.
Stan didn’t keep her long, swapping her with F.J.H. Leighton for a bach at Maraetai around 1965.
So where is she now?

It is  very hard to design / build a  sub 30′ motor launch that proportionally looks ‘right’. Over the next week I’ll be posting on some smaller launches that tick all the right boxes.

Input from John Blundell ex Harold Kidd

Hi Harold,

The picture of Selena on the WW website today looked great.Re your comments on Lees Marine,they probably didn’t mean much to most viewers. The import restrictions in those days meant that you could not import marine engines unless you had a “special” license or overseas funds.
F&B managed to import a few on these terms but Ted Lees took it up with the Customs Dept and Ford Motor Co and got “protection”. However F&B continued to import gearboxes and other conversion parts from Parsons which were then sold on to local Ford dealers.
Keep up the good work!
John Blundell

Mystery Launch 05/01

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Mystery Launch 05/01/15 (Westering)

photo ex Harold Kidd

OK woodys lets see how good you are at ID’ing the above launch. The 1st to correctly name her & builder gets a waitematawoodies t-shirt 🙂

T&C’s – only one name per reply, so Ken R. you cant list 20 boats e.g. its XXXX or possibly XXXXX, if not XXXXXX, I’m confident its XXXXX 🙂

More details  – from a chat today between Harold Kidd & Bob Salthouse

Actually the full story goes like this; Wally Brebner came across Bob Salthouse and Keith Stick out on the water in their yachts around 1964. Over a convivial chat Wally floated the idea of getting himself a launch. Bob sketched out a 28 footer on the back of a cigarette packet but later drew it out properly at home, but stretched to 32ft, for which Wally was later very grateful. Wally got Vince McGeady to build the hull and cabintop and finished her off himself, fitting her with a 60hp 4 cylinder Ford diesel. Around 1987 Keith Stick pondered getting a launch. At that time WESTERING came up for sale. Bob contacted Wally and, after another chap’s option expired, bought her for himself and Keith, running her for some years.
Salthouse Bros built the design several times later and produced it in fibreglass.

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #14 – Kiariki Easter 1962

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #14 – Kiariki Easter 1962

Another  Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 14th featured.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki over Easter 1962, they cruised to Kawau Island, Leigh & Waiheke Island & a few points in-between.

Crew: John Brooke, R Hunt snr., R Hunt jnr., R Smith & W Bass.

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #13 – Kiariki Xmas 1961/62

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #13 – Kiariki Xmas  1961/62

Another  Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 13th featured.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during the Xmas 1961/62 cruise to Kawau Island, Kerikeri (Bay of Islands), Great Barrier all points in-between. Sounds like the weather gods did not smile for the trip north. If Robert or Judith are reading they might like to enlighten readers on the ‘birds & wasps’ reference.

Crew: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Judith Brooke, Howard Wallace, Monty Wallace & Richard Purchase.

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #12 – Kiariki Xmas 1960/61

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #12 – Kiariki Xmas  1960/61

Another  Jack Brooke drawing, published on ww thanks to son Robert making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 12th featured – this one has the most attention to detail so far – lots happening – lost dinghy, ran out of beer, crew mutiny due to frequent deep water anchoring + more 🙂

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during the Xmas 1960/61 cruise to the Bay of Islands & all points in-between.

Crew: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Judith Brooke, Howard Wallace, Monty Wallace & Rob Wallace.

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #11 – Kiariki Feb 1960

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #11 – Kiariki Feb 1960

Another remarkable cruise drawing done by Jack Brooke. Again ww thanks son Robert for making them available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the 11th featured – enjoy.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during a Feb 1960 cruise to Kawau Island & onto Russell in the Bay of Islands.

Crew: John Brooke, John Ellis, Scott Wilson & Bob Black, another boys cruise?.

 

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #10 – Kiariki Xmas 1950/60

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #10 – Kiariki Xmas  1950/60

Another drawing from Robert Brooke 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 10th featured – again the detail is amazing.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during the Xmas 1959/60 cruise to Kawau Island > Gt Barrier Island >back to  Kawau > Mahurangi.

Crew: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Judith Brooke, Robert Brooke, Gail Hall & Ross Duder. On the Kawau leg – Max & Bobby Walker. On the Mahurangi leg – Nick & Tim Gurr.