ORINDA II
photos & details ex Grant Gillett, Wayne Williams & Ken Ricketts – edit by Alan H
Built in 1964 by Max Carter, she measured 36′ x 12′ x 3′. her first owner was Roley Gillett of Howick & he kept in the Tamaki River, adjacent to Lane Motor Boat Co. & Joe Coggan’s Tiromoana during his stewardship.
Below is the transcript of the text found on the back of an original framed photo of her, in Gillett’s own handwriting. Refer photo above, given to KR courtesy of his son, Grant Gillett.
“Roley Gillett, ORINDA II Registered ship, built by Max Carter in Penrose 1964 36 feet x 12 feet x 3 feet. Powered by Graymarine 4 port down draft carburetor, 8 cyl. 285 h.p. Petrol engine. Speed 24 M.P.H. at !8 Gal per hour at 4400 R.P.M.. Cruises at 3200 R.P.M. 16 M.P.H. 130 gal. high octane petrol 160 gal. Water. Alcohol cooking, 15 cu. ft freezer, 8 cu, ft refrigerator, from 5 h.p. Italian compressor.”
The Graymarine was replaced with a 6 cyl., 155 h.p. turbo Ford diesel in 1977. This reduced her speed to 12 knots, according to the British Registry documents. She must however have had another engine change somewhere along the way, as she now has a 240 hp Ford diesel.
Grant Gillett told KR his father named her after a small town in America, where the Gillett family had close friends.
She is presently owned by Wayne & Glennis Williams of Whangaparaoa & is moored at Gulf Harbour, & I have perused her 2 registration certificates courtesy of Wayne W.–
She was originally registered as a British Ship Registry vessel, from when she was new, which was replaced the under the “New Zealand Ship Registration Act 1992” with a “NZ Certificate of Registry”, on the 27th January 1994 & all, or almost all, of her substantial pedigree of historical ownership details, are fully recorded.
A précis of the contents of these certificates is as follows:
Official number under British registry 317591.
Built for Roland George Gillett in 1964 by M C Carter at 36 Hallifax Ave Auckland S.E.6. Registered as a British ship on 5th November 1965.
On 19.10.1967 ownership was transferred to Derek Agar of Kohimaramara Auckland, & transferred again on 24.1.1976, to Earle Yandall, a real estate agent, of Blockhouse Bay Auckland. The next transfer recorded, was on 5.12.79, to Stuart & Sally Morrison, Motel Proprietors, of Tauranga, & on 16.5.1980, transferred to Stuart Morrison, as a real estate salesman, alone. The date of 2.12.1985, saw her transferred to Video City Tauranga Ltd, who transferred her on 19.3.1986, to Graham Heron, of Whitianga. He transferred her to T.G. Paterson Contractors Ltd, of Red Beach Auckland, on 5.12.1988, & then on to the next one, which was to Ian Anderson, a builder, of Arkles Bay Whangaparaoa Auckland, on 15.11.1989, who moved & transferred his address to Stanmore Bay Whangaparaoa, on 18.8.1993.
The British Ship Certificate Registry was cancelled, & the registry closed in N.Z., on 27.1.1994. – I quote – “& transferred to a New Register book for Part A (or port A – handwriting on cert. unclear), of the New Zealand Register of Ships & new Certificate of registry Number 317591 was issued under the Ship Registration Act 1992.”
Ownership of ORINDA II, was reregistered to Ian Anderson, of Stanmore Bay Whangaparaoa, on 17.1.1994 under the new N.Z. Registry of Ships, with the official number as above, of 317591.
This was transferred to Wayne & Glennis Williams, of Matakatia Bay Whangaparaoa, on 29.4.2005, who still own her as at today.
Ken commented that this is probably the most extensive recorded history of any launch he has ever researched. Ken would also like to acknowledge Grant Gillett & Wayne Williams for the input of their valuable time, family photos &copies of documents.
