KINGSTON

Another photo from Nathan Herbert’s recent Southern trip – this one shows the launch Kingston berthed at Havelock.

Putting aside the ‘block-of-flats’ addition, there is an interesting hull hiding there – possibly an old whale chaser ?

If you look at the bow & stern photos of Rorqual below, it could be – what say the woodys?

Input from Harold Kidd

She was in Havelock in 1942 owned by Dr. Jacobson who used her to get around his patients in the Sounds. see “A Labyrinth of Waterways” by Frank Ponder, p134.

Comment was “converted whale-chaser” but alas not which one.

Great Input from Mark McLaughlin below

As per Harold’s comment, Kingston was used by Dr Vic Jacobson through to the late 1980’s to get around the Pelorus Sound for his motor launch medical service. He used to cover up to 150 nautical miles per day, 6 days per week on his rounds.

Kingston is 37ft long and powered by a big GM diesel. Dr Jacobsen used to wear earmuffs and his patients could hear him coming long before the boat came into view. She was built in Australia and was originally used as a whaler at Norfolk Island. I don’t believe she was never part of the Perano fleet. She had a black hull when used by Dr Jacobson and a small pilothouse at the rear of the boat. The cabin extensions were completed in Havelock in the early 1990’s after Dr Jacobson’s ownership.

I understand prior to the Kingston, Dr Jacobsen used the old Perano whalechaser Balaena (1910) for the serviced, which is also still in Havelock.

There was a two part RNZ interview series with Dr Jacobson onboard Kingston in 1973, which is available online and can be googled for anyone interested. The jimmy is humming away in the background!

17-03-2018 Input from Kelvin Petrie

The Kingston is definitely an ex whale chaser.
She and ‘Cascade’ were imported from Norfork Island to the whaling station at Whangaparapara, Great Barrier Island in the early 60’s their power was a Hall Scot engine.
They joined the Suprise and Oria (might have the spelling of Oria wrong ) The Suprise and Oria were powered by V12 Ford Scrips engines.

I spent time on them all as a 8-10 yr old and have some photos taken by my father of them.