Category Archives: 1960’s

Kokoru

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KOKORU
photo & details from John Baird

Kokoru was designed & built by Jack Morgan in Picton in 1960. Her first owner being Russell McKay who was a local Wellington car dealer in the 1960’s. John Baird has owned her since 2000 & understands there were 6 vessels in the fleet with Kokoru being the last. Two others in existence that John is aware of are Hawaiki in Picton and Corrina in Havelock.

One of Kokoru’s claims to fame is that she was a Wahine boat – Russell McKay had sold her to a George Mulligan but not before she had been put to the test on ‘Wahine day’. Although she made one or more effective rescues she was rolled on her beam ends when hit by a monster wave and miraculously self-righted. The force ripped one of the motors from its bed and she limped back to port while taking water through the now open seacock. The complete story is reported in Radiator Magazine of the time and hopefully John will supply a copy to ww for inclusion.
As a result of the Wahine disaster a local rescue service was established and Kokoru was one of the original vessels. She was also warranted and used by the local Police in the 1960’s as an official patrol boat when various US vessels were in port during the Vietnam war.

Any more details on her would be appreciated

30/03/2015 Update & photos from owner John Baird.

If any ww followers are passing by Wellington I’d be very happy to show them over her. The first picture I sent you (above) was taken in Ngaruru Bay and indeed one of the readers almost got it right as Ngaruru is off Tory Channel. The pictures below are a bit dated as now she has new grey carpet and I’m in the process of replacing port & starboard lockers and the floors to facilitate the installation of Acoustop sound insulation as alas the old solution is now ineffective and slowly disintegrating.

20-03-2016 Update
Kokoru’s owner John Baird sent in these photos of Kokoru following a complete strip and repaint of her hull and topsides. It took from early January to March to complete the job. In the 16 years John has owned her it’s the first time this has been done to this extent. The job was done in Waikawa Bay by Sounds Marine.

 

Acquiesce – One of Norm Beetson’s 4 Sisters

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Acquiesce – One of Norm Beetson’s 4 Sisters
details & photos ex Jason Mills

The waitematawoodys article on Norm Beetson’s 4 Sisters was brought to Jason Mills families attention and they decided to add to the Acquiesce story.

Jason’s parents purchased Acquiesce around May 2008 and sold her sometime in 2010. His father first saw Acquiesce moored in the Tamaki River, approached the owner (who had owned her for approx. 30 years) and they agreed to sell her.
Although purchased in a seaworthy condition, she did need an amount of cosmetic repairs which Jason’s father started on. Unfortunately, his father developed health problems, which made the repairs very difficult to carry out and he decided to sell, still with alot to be done.
As a side note, not long after Jason’s parents had purchased Acquiesce it was brought to their attention the Sea Spray article on the 4 Sisters. After approaching Sea Spray (and having to purchase a subscription for a year) they sent the Mills family a scan of the article, but not the cover though.
The below relevant pages from the Sea Spray magazine are somewhat ‘warped’ due to being close to the centre fold but are still legible and also featured are photos of Acquiesce during the Mills ownership. The SS article also has a photo under construction and states the fourth as being named ‘Calypso’ and not  ‘Kakariki (launched as Georgella)’ as stated on the ww site.

Wakanui & Rakanoa

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Wakanui Feb 1969
Wakanui Feb 1969
Rakanoa Feb 1969
Rakanoa Feb 1969

Wakanui  & Rakanoa – Two classics we don’t see a lot of

The older photos were taken by Gwenyth Herbert from aboard Kotanui. I understand that in the photos Wakanui was only a year old.

Can anyone supply more details on Wakanui?

Harold Kidd Input

According to Salthouses’ records WAKANUI was commissioned by S.G. “Nobby” Clark in 1967. According to Nobby she was finished and launched in early 1968.Bob Salthouse was responsible for her design.

10-01-2016 photo of Wakanui at Great Barrier Island ex Pam Cundy

Wakanui at GB Jan 2016

Centaurus – A peek down below

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Centaurus – A peek down below

Last week I posted some on-the-marina photos of Centaurus & on Sunday I spotted her anchored in the upper harbour. Thanks to Tim Jackson I can now share some interior photos with you.

We know that she was built by Bailey Bros & owned by the Sibun family for approx 40 years, her present owner purchased her off the Sibuns & has had her for 10 years.  I’m told she still has her original 1965 Cummings V6 engine. Based on this comment I’m assuming she was launched in 1965.

Rather smart.

 

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.