Category Archives: 1960’s

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.

Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #9 – Kiariki Xmas 1963/64

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Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #9 – Kiariki Xmas  1963/64

Another stunning 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 9th featured – check out the attention to detail.

The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during the Xmas 1964/65 cruise to Gt Barrier Island, Te Kouma & Waiheke Island.

Crew: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Peter Walker, Marty Wallace, Rob Wallace (& another Wallace whose christian name I can not read on the drawing).

Pania

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PANIA
photo & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H.

How there are a lot of holes in this post – hopefully we will be able to fill some of them.

Lets start with what we know – Pania is 28 feet long & powered by an 80 hp Ford diesel, which the owner, Don Cooper,  thinks may be original. The owner has had her for 2 years & keeps her at Gulf Harbour Marina. Cooper bought her off a Mr Dave Nicholson, who he says had owned her for approx. 10 years. Nicholson had her moored at Te Atatu, when he owned her.

Now for the ‘holey’ bits – Cooper has been told & believes that she was built by Bill Couldrey in 1962 & that he has been told by someone, that Couldrey had built her for his daughter originally, but he has been told since, by a lady, that this lady was a relation Couldrey & that Couldrey didn’t have a daughter, so, of course Cooper does not know what to believe.

Any input into filling the holes would be good.

15-03-2016 Hauled out at Gulf Harbour (photos Ken R)

 31-07-2016 Trolling thru the photo files & came across these photos, below, of Pania, both ex Rosemary Robinson, granddaughter of LC Coultard. (note Rosemary’s records have Pania at 30′)

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Arohanui

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AROHANUI

Designed by Andrew Donovan & built by the Lane Motor Boat Company in 1966, as launched she was LOA 45′. Beam 13’8″, Draft 3’5″. In 1991 the Salthouse yard lengthened her to 48′.
When launched in the mid 1960’s Arohanui was leading edge in terms of hull design, you can see the influence of the USA Hacker marque in her hull. As a comparison – the Salthouse yard were turning out the likes of Trinidad at the same time.
Her interior fit out & styling was the best money could buy & amazingly she has survived almost ‘as-original’, refer to the photo of the bulkhead storage layout. Her original condition was one of the key factors the helped Fiona & Rod Marler make the final purchase decision.

As launched she had twin 120hp Perkins installed, in 1993 these were replace with twin 300hp turbo Iveco’s – thats 600hp of zoom = 20+knots. A big step up from 7.5 knots Rod’s 1934 Arch Logan yacht, Little Jim will run out at 🙂 Now if you or a group of classic friendly buddies are looking for a classic yacht – Little Jim is on the market & to quote one of the saltiest yachties I know –  “is arguably NZ’s best classic yacht afloat in terms of pedigree, condition & sail-ability” view here http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/auction-795988279.htm

Now I have a few kooky interests in my life, one of them is marine instruments / gauges – the collection on Arohanui caught my eye, I tried to convince Rod to “pull those old things out & fit new digital instruments” but he saw through me on that 🙂

Arohanui was the cover / feature vessel on the April 1966 issue of Sea Spray magazine

Andy Donovan’s Original Drawings

22-10-2015 Update

Arohanui is currently hauled at Sandspit & in the shed at Lees Boat Builders where Greg Lees & his team of artisans are giving her a makeover. The standard of work is A+ & the yard have belong the go to location for classic vessel’s. The next project is outside on a swing mooring waiting patiently for Arohanui to slide out.

Queen Mary

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QUEEN MARY

photos & details ex Alan Craig. edited by Alan H.

Alan owns this Sea Craft 19′ in Rotorua named ‘Queen Mary’. The Queen Mary is a very lucky boat because Alan is a boat builder at Tony Mitchell’s yard in Otaramarae at Lake Rotoiti.
When Alan caught the ‘wooden boat bug’ he started looking for a project and found the Queen Mary on trademe in Rotorua.

Rumour has it that it was built as one of three to take the Queen Mother trout fishing on Lake Taupo for her visit in 1966.  Alan has been told her visit was proposed in 1964 as she fell ill. She came in 1966 but there was no time for fishing apparently.

The build date of the boat is unknown but the below Sea Spray article from April 1964 talks about the 17 footer and smaller ones built, but no mention of the 19′. It may have been the ‘privately owned’ boat mentioned? Alan guessed that there would have been a certain amount of secrecy around them. Alan has dated the engines (1500 Ford Cortina) at 1963 via the serial numbers.

The Queen Mary was a deviation by Sea Craft from the production boats at the time and was right up there with style also. Her hull is beautifully built double skin kauri, being diagonal inside and longitudinal outside (varnished)
It was owned by Internal Affairs and it was only put up for sale in the 1980’s. To who, we don’t know?

Alan is slowly bringing her back to life after having been left outside to rot away for the last few (10?) years. The photos are as found and progress through the rebuilding of side decks to recently painted deck and a bit of varnish inside. The side and aft deck were worst affected and parts of the cabin sides, but the hull remains in very good nick. She sits on the original trailer.

Alan’s not sure about ‘Queen Mary’ being her original name and is very interested to know about the yellow registration sticker for the Port of Tauranga that is in the window?

Someone else must have seen her around somewhere, perhaps Taupo? Of particular interest would be clarification of the royal link.

Included below are photos of two boats, Arohanui (x2 being launched) which was once owned by Nathen Herbet’s father and the one with the three blokes that was sent to Alan by Lionel Sands from when they had one at Waihaha Lake Taupo in the early 1960’s. None of these can be Alan’s as they both have painted hulls.

More photos of Arohanui (ex Nathan Herbert)

Commander One

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COMMANDER ONE – #4 Fairlie launch in a series of 4
photo & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H

Built in 1967 by Allan Williams, she was 42 ft when built & extended at the back end to 52 feet a few years later by the original owner. She was extended by Percy Vos c.1969-70 for Norm Fairlie.

Fairlie lived at No 5 Fife St Westmere at that time & was a successful Auckland businessman. Fairlie was a passionate big game fisherman for many years & fished extensively off Mayor Island in her. His son, Brian Fairlie was one of N.Z’s. few international tennis players, back in the 60s 70s era.

Commander One has been berthed in Tauranga most of her life & is now owned by Mr Paul Aitkin, who bought her off the Bradshaw family of Rotorua, around 2004, who bought her off Norm Fairlie back in the 1970s. She is & always has been, maintained to a very high standard, by all owners & still very original as far as the addition to her length allows.

She had a 180 hp 6 cyl. Cummins diesel when new, now replaced c.2000 by Bradshaws, with a brand new replacement 400hp de-rated to 300hp Cummins.

Ken recently spoke to Norm Fairlie who is aged 91, sounding very fit & well & is living on the Gold Coast in Australia.

The story of her ownership is rather unusual.

It all starts with a previous boat Norm F, had built by McGeady, called Challenger, which Norm F. sold to a Mr Brown of Whangarei who later sold her to Bradshaws of Rotorua. Bradshaws later wanted to buy Commander One off Norm H. & he agreed to buy back Challenger, off Bradshaws, as part payment for Commander One. Just after the deal was done, some people known to Bradshaws, discovered Bradshaws deal, & said they had always wanted to own Challenger, so rushed up to Auckland, & bought her straight off Norm H. almost immediately after he had re-inherited her.

Update 06-10-2015
Photo below (ex Ken Ricketts) is of the original owner Norm Fairlie, now Norm is almost 93 years old & he told KR that while the boat was built by Alan Williams, her designer was Mac McGeady. If that is the case, this photo has a little more meaning as the lady on the left is McGeady’s granddaughter – Karen Moren.

Tempest

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TEMPEST – #3 Fairlie Launch in a series of 4
photos & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H

Tempest is approximately 30 feet long & is the 3rd of 4 boats that Norm Fairlie had built for him in the 1950s -1970s period.

She was the second by McGeady & built in his Summer Street Ponsonby premises  & purpose built for him in early 1964, specifically to fish for Tuna in the World Game Fishing Competition held in NZ in March of that year.

Tempest’s hull had been started by McGeady to be a boat he had intended to build for himself but he was persuaded by Norm F. to sell her to him &  finish her to Norm’s requirements i.e. for the sole purpose of Tuna fishing as above, which he won in her.

He owned her simultaneously with his other larger McGeady boat the 38 foot Challenger which McGeady built for him in c.1962. He fished for tuna in the contest off the Tempest, & bill fish off Challenger & came second in the overall contest, for his combined efforts in the 2 boats.

He only owned Tempest for a few months & then sold her to his then business partner Mr Bert Grimshaw-Jones, who lived on the banks of the Tamaki River, where he kept her at the bottom of his garden, for a number of years, at least in to the later 1960s.

Now fast forward –  she was bought in the later 1980s  by Des Finlay of Whitianga, who along with his partner Christine Johnson, had bought her in a derelict state at Gt. Barrier, taken her to their home in Whitianga & worked on her for a couple of years on their lawn, then relaunched her & sold her a year or two later to the Bennett brothers of Panmure.

The Bennetts have owned her for approximately 14 years, they love her to death & keep her in the Tamaki River, in great condition, by what we can see in the photos.

Norm F. told Ken that the original engine installation, was done by Bert G-J., assisted by Tracey Nelson, the usual marine engineer, used by McGeady for the majority of his boats. She was originally  & still is powered by a 6 cyl. naturally aspirated Ford diesel & the Bennetts believe she almost certainly still has the original engine.