Rangiora was built in 1964 at McGeady’s yard in Summer Street, Ponsonby, to a McGeady design by McGeady with considerable input by her first owner Gordon Collie of Paton Road, Howick.
She was a breakthrough McGeady design with the substantial beam of 15ft on an overall length of 52ft. Her original engines were twin Fords.
Tony Vazey bought her in the 1980s and replaced the Fords with twin GM 4/51 supercharged diesels. He kept her at Westhaven, always absolutely immaculate as you can see from these images.
In late 2001 Tony sold her to Nick Tansey of Wellington. These days she can readily be seen from the shore on her marina berth in Wellington, a very beautiful hull with totally aesthetically pleasing topsides.
Designed by Billy Rogers & built in1966 by Chas Bailey. Current owners B & G Diggle.
photo taken in Station Bay, Motutapu Island. 26/10/13
Anyone able to supply more info on her past?
Harold Kidd Update #1
I always thought that FLORENCE ROSE, like her sisterships IOWANA and LOLENE was designed and built by Billy Rogers. Charles Bailey Jr was of course long dead in 1966 but the remnants of the company he founded was staggering on under Winstones, then Dromgool’s ownership. But was that company into building new stuff, to other people’s designs in 1966?
Andrew Pollard will know.
Is this yet another launch myth?
# 2
Andrew was as surprised as I was with the suggestion that FLORENCE ROSE was built by Baileys. I’ll get hold of Geoff Rogers and ask him.
A post for James Mobberley at Moon Engines – he (& I) will like this – a lot 🙂 Turn your sound up.
Back in 1968, Ferruccio Lamborghini ordered a custom Aquarama model from the legendary racing boat/yacht builder Riva.
For Ferruccio’s Aquarama, Riva installed a pair of the 4.0-liter V12 engines that at the time were being used in Lamborghini’s first road car, the iconic 350GT, its power and custom open-pipe exhaust made it the most unique Aquarama ever built.
Following Ferruccio Lamborghini’s death in 1993, enthusiasts speculated over the fate of what is now known as the Riva Aquarama Lamborghini. Most assumed the Aquarama Lamborghini was lost to time, until a Dutch Riva collector found it hidden under tarps in a boatyard. In 2010, the collector sent the boat off to Riva World, a world-famous shop in Holland specializing in the restoration of Riva boats. Now three years, 25 coats of lacquer, and two replacement 350GT V12 engines later, the Riva Aquarama Lamborghini has roared back to life.
The restoration brought legendary figures together from both Lamborghini and Riva’s past. The Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum in Italy had one of the two original Aquarama Lamborghini engines in its collection, but it took the involvement of Lino Morosini, head of Riva’s engine division in the 1960s, and the late Bob Wallace, Lamborghini test driver and developer, to recreate the modifications performed to the V12 engines for maritime use.
Riva World’s Sandro Zani sourced two 350GT engines (one from the U.S.) while his team rebuilt and restored the Aquarama Lamborghini’s wooden hull from top to bottom, and inside out. The twin-V12s carry the Aquarama Lamborghini to a top speed of 48 knots (as opposed to the 40-knot top speed of the standard V8-equipped Aquarama), with peak torque available from 1500 rpm.
The restoration wrapped up early this year, and after a few tests in the Netherlands, the Riva Aquarama Lamborghini returned to Italy this summer. Watch the youtube movie to see the Aquarama Lamborghini in action; if nothing else, it’s worthwhile for the hellacious sound the V12s make when the boat is pushed flat out.
The two black & white photos show Kotanui just after she slid down the railway slip at the Salthouse yard on launch day. The ‘urban’ wharf photo Nathan thinks is at Whangarei. The other wharf is at Elizabeth Brooke’s aunts house in Kerikeri with the Julian’s launch Haunui alongside. And one underway, location unknown.
TIP: If you search Kotanui in the waitematawoodys search box you will find a lot more info & photos on this wonderful example of a Salthouse built vessel.
Photo of the bow set-up, hallelujah for auto-winches 🙂
MAPUNA – yes again 🙂 but I was sent today a wonderful collection of old photos by her current owner (Mark McLaughlin) that he received courtesy of the Robert Brooke family collection.
The young lady breaking the champagne over the bow on launching day is Elizabeth Brooke, daughter of the original owner A.R (Bill) Stephenson. A.R Stephenson was the principal of Avondale College at the time. As mention in the post below, Robert Brooke built her at Snow Waters’ yard and then married Bill Stephenson’s daughter after proposing in the forward cabin during construction!
Mark believes Snow Waters’ yard in the photos was located near where the Mitre 10 Mega store at Wairau Park is now. Jack Brooke is the man wearing the tie walking past Mapuna as she is being extracted from the shed. Snow Waters is crouching down next to the cradle, nearest Brooke.
CYA member Neil Chalmers (Gleam) sent me the Nov. 1963 Sea Spray article.
Designed by Jack Brooke for A.R. (Bill) Stephenson. Built by Allan (Snow) Waters & Robert Brooke at Snows’ Takapuna yard. Robert later married Bill Stephenson’s daughter,Elizabeth, I understand he proposed in the forward cabin of Mapuna. Fast forward many years & Elizabeth is on the stern in the photo above taken at the 2013 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – which celebrates the work of Jack Brooke.
SEE MAPUNA THIS WEEKEND (5TH & 6TH OCT) ON DISPLAY AT THE CLASSIC YACHT & LAUNCH EXHIBITION AT THE VIADUCT – scroll down 2 postings for details
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
While down at Milford CC over the weekend ‘supervising’ the painting prep on Rorqual, the launch Kotanui was being hauled out. A little bit of a tight fit 🙂
I have also posted a photo of her being hauled out at (a long time ago) on the beach at what I think is now ‘Gulf Harbour’. Nathan Herbert will correct me I’m sure, it is after all his photo.
Kotanui is a slightly scaled down version of Trinidad & differs in that she has twin engines/screws.
30-10-2016 Hauled out again – this time at Gulf Harbour (photo ex Ken Ricketts)
20-05-2020 Update ex Glenn Martin – photo below of Kotanui at Milford Marina
Launched in 1965, designed by Bob Salthouse, built with 3 skin kauri planking at John Salthouse’s Greenhithe yard. She featured on the cover of the September 1966 edition of ‘Sea Spray’ magazine.
Powered by a 6LX Gardner diesel she cruises comfortably at 8.5>10 knots, with a cruising range of 1000miles. In my mind there are a few things that make a boat a ship, one of them is an ‘engine room’ versus an engine compartment & the second is a ‘workshop’ & the last is a galley that is a separate room – Trinny sports all three of these.
Trinidad is a very spacious vessel with 6’9″ headroom & her wheelhouse enjoys excellent visibility & is one of the most used areas on-board.
Trinidad is a true blue water ship with passages to Australia & a circumnavigation of NZ.
Her owners, Barbara & David Cooke maintain her to a standard that some would say is better than new & she is much admired where ever she drops anchor. AH
Named after the original owner’s farm and adjacent island, was designed by Bob Salthouse for J.N (Jack) Hobbs of Hobbs bay Whangaparaoa and built at the Salthouse Greenhithe yard in 1964. She is 44 feet in length and was powered by twin Lister 60hp diesels cruising at 10 knots and pushing her to around 12 knots with mechanical gearboxes, later replaced by twin Fords on hydraulic gearboxes but retaining the original gear levers. She is a motorsailer with main and headsail of almost equal dimensions.
Her design is modelled from Jack’s previous launch the Pacific, which his father had built by Joe Slattery. Layout is practical with galley in the aft dodger area, long settee berths in the saloon coming up to a flat- floored wheelhouse with engines beneath (a bonus of the bridgedeck layout) and master accommodation and head for’d.
Before the Gulf harbour marina was built she would be hauled up at the eastern end of Hobbs Bay on a purpose- built slipway, operated by a winch driven from a Fordson Major tractor. Pacific had the same setup alongside her. Kotanui was the first boat to enter and berth in the new Gulf Harbour marina, followed by the Pacific.
A fixture of the Auckland cruising fleet from her launch until Jack’s death in 1991 at age 84, Bob Salthouse notes that her presence “opened a few eyes” leading to further commissions of fine, large launches.
Kotanui is now berthed on the marina in Milford, with very few alterations (refer 2012 photo ex Alan Houghton)
