Mystery Launch – B.O.I.
Today’s photo appeared on the cover of a recent issue of the Property Press in Russell. Scan sent in by Dean Wright. The question of the day is = can we ID the woody on the right? Dean is leaning towards ex big game boat – Zane Grey.
MSUIRE
The launch Msuire was built by W.G. Lowe in Auckland and that folks is all we know about her.Given that very cool canoe stern, someone must know what became of her post launch day. (photos ex Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection)
UPDATE: Nathan Nerbert reminded me Msuire resides these days at the Thames marina.
Input from Martin Howson – (from June 2018 ww )This boat is the M’sieur and was owned by Horrie Mau who lived on the sea front at Bucklands. She was built by Bailey and Lowe and prior to moving North was based in Wellington. After her time at Bucklands she went to Thames and as far as I know she is still there in the mud berths. She was a fine sea boat and had a set of sails as useful alternative in the event of engine failure which happened on at least one ocasion. Mr Mau was not familiar with the Gulf and asked my father in law how to get to Kawau Island ,the instructions were not fully understood because he ended up at Little Barrier instead and could not find Bon Accord Harbour dispite circumnavigating Little Barrier a number of times, he was however a very fine fisherman.
A Face To The Name
We have featured a lot of W. G Lowe woodys of late so its probably appropriate to run a photo of the man himself – very dapper. William George Lowe – died 14 June 1935, aged 68.
INPUT BELOW FROM OWNER – MIKE MILBURN
My wife Sue and I have owned her since 1988. She was built in 1952 by W B Lowe and Son Ltd in Beaumont Street Auckland for a sheep farmer in Marton – William Dudley Willis. He had a property in Marlborough and she made trips across Cook Strait to this property. I think she had a mooring at Paremata. She is a registered ship No. 191808 and Msuire is Swahili for “This is very good” according to a note in the original registry document. Msuire originally had a 4 cylinder Thornycroft R, T, R, 4 engine and now has a 4 cylinder Ford of about 70HP. She is 9.75m length, 3.14m breadth and draws 1.26m. She originally had a mast and had a heavy canvas steadying sail but no mast at present. We have enjoyed holidays with our three children to Great Barrier, Waiheke, Kawau, and the Mercury islands and she has been a safe and reliable ship. She usually sits on a mud berth in Thames but at present is on a mooring near Hannafords wharf Coromandel harbour. About 5 years a German film crew doing a documentary on the Hauraki Gulf were intrigued with the mud berths in Thames and in their film of about 45minutes there is a 5minute section on Msuire trying to venture off the mud – the link to this documentary is:
https://vimeo.com/208470042/e51dead81c
UNA
Today’s photo is of the magnificent Royal Australian Navy sloop Una. HMAS Una was built in 1911 at the Bremen Vulkan shipyard (Germany), named Komat. On October 9, 1914 she and her 57 crew were captured by an Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. She was then sailed to Sydney as a war prize. I have to say a very impressive score 🙂
During the time in which the Una was in service under Australia, the sloop was used as a Patrol and General Purpose Vessel. The sloop was used to patrol the areas of New Guinea, New Britain, New Hebrides and Malayan waters. After World War I, Una was decommissioned and taken to Port Phillip Bay, renamed Akuna and used as a pilot vessel. She was finally broken up in Melbourne in 1955.The small launch in the foreground was named Rex.
SOS at Scotts Landing
I received an email from James Groenhart giving me a heads up re a very smart double ender named Sentosa that is currently on the piles at Scotts Landing, & is at imminent risk of having an outboard well cut into her lovely hull. James commented that he had been told she was a slightly smaller sister ship of “Tuna”, possibly built on the Kaipara circa 1906.
She is for sale, for probably not much money. No engine or prop. Shaft is still in place but has been cut to remove the engine. Interior is basically stripped out. She needs a lot of work, but the hull looks pretty good, & she has some nice original features eg the original D front cabin has a nice profile. Someone save her – Owner is Paul 021 182 8135
WAIROA
Today’s woody is a very salty looking workboat that has several features that step her up from the pure work horses that got thrashed around the Hauraki Gulf. Being a looker is probably why she survived and looks so good in the photos.In top photo she appears to be alongside the wharf at Russell in the Bay of Islands.The second photo looks like the eastern side of Marsden Wharf, Auckland and was taken by Dave Balderston c.1980.
The photos come to us from Dave Stanaway and Dave commented that he thinks Wairoa spent time on the Kaipara Harbour.
Can anyone tell us more about Wairoa and hopeful where she is today.
Lock down has seen the paint brushes coming out and my better half emerged from the spare room with a very cool (I think so) painting of Raindance 🙂
12-09-2022 UPDATE ex Sharyn Rogers – photo below Wairoa. When Sharyn’s father, Hugh (Val) Valentine was the fishery officer running her out of Whakapirau.
VICTORY – A Peek Down Below
Back in June 2016 we ran a story on the 1939, 40’ bridge decker – Victory (link below) now thanks Ian McDonald and tme we get to have look below decks. In the WW link there is some great history on the launch from Paul Drake.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/06/13/victory/
We know that she was designed and built by Jack Taylor in Nukuhau, Taupo. Victory is powered by a 80hp Ford Diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8 knots. As per a lot of lake boats, Victory has a 12hp Yanmar auxiliary engine for trolling .
From 1939 to c.1973, Victory was used as a commercial charter boat by Jack and his two sons. She remained within the family until 1982 when she was sold another Taupo resident.
TE RATA
More photos from the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection, this time it is the launch – Te Rata built by W.G Lowe & Son’s, Auckland.
In the launch day photo we see Bob Adams, Tom Blackie and Jean Dickenson. An axe is being used to break a bottle across the bow.
A very smart looking launch, so as always – what became of her?
KIRIANA MYSTERY LAUNCH 14-09-2021
Todays photo comes to us from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection, many thanks Tim Barnett. Can we ID the boat and uncover some of her past – unless she has gone south, in the above configuration she isn’t known to me. Possibly named Ritunha or Rihuria.
UPDATE – correctly ID’ed by Nathan Herbert as Kiriana
And to my fellow Auckland woodys – another week of Level 4 lock-down …………. I try to steer clear of politics on WW but this is too much – open the borders and lets get on with business and life, Covid is here to stay, we just have to live with it.
LEEWAY
Back in late 2020 I had an email from the owner of Leeway, Dick Knegt , and I asked former details / photos on the boat, but never heard anything back. Fast forward to last week and being ‘ so over lock-down’ I was chasing up some unanswered emails and I gave Dick a nudge – bingo back came the above gallery of photos.
What we know is that Leeway is a Donavan built bridge-decker. Built Dick thinks in 1958 in Auckland. She stayed there a while then went to Tauranga where she had a duckbill added to her and became a charter vessel for a number of years. Then went to the Malborough Sounds and then to Nelson. Dick and Vicki Knegt purchased her there and she now resides in Motueka.
Can anyone enlighten us more on her past
LEITNER
Leitner the 1913 Harvey & Lang built launch has just popped up on trademe, thanks Andrew Pollard (via Jason Prew) for the heads up. She last appeared on WW back in Sept. 2013 and that story has subsequently been updated numerous time with details and photos. Link belowhttps://waitematawoodys.com/2013/09/21/leitner/
Back in the 1940’s she was a real looker (b/w photo above) and in recent times while her appearance has been altered a lot, she was still a very smart woody (3rd photo above) from the listing it appears she has fallen back a little but at an asking price of $7,000> that is a lot of classic launch. Who’s looking for a project?
Clean Out At Thames Marina
See below – seems they are moving on some of the squatters 🙂 The notices appeared in the Set 10th. issue of ‘Thames – Neighbourly’.
KOMURI
Today’s photo comes to us from Heather England’s fb and shows a very smart looking steamer. The photo was originally sent to Heather’s grandmother in 1912 when she was 12., and has a Dunedin post mark stamped on the rear, so the possible location surprise surprise is Dunedin. The photo is tagged Komuri on the back, which is the maori word for ‘fine weather’ which kind of sounds like a good name for a boat.
Would love to learn more about the vessel and what became of her – she is a real looker.
Input from Harold Kidd – KOMURI was built in Dunedin in 1913 by Austen Jenkinson to a design by McRae for James Johnston. She had a 2 cylinder Bolinder semi-diesel crude oil engine. She was sold in 1916 to the lessees of Campbell Island for whaling. On the trip down she had an engine breakdown and was abandoned at sea, the crew took to the surfboat. Long story. (thanks Nathan Hebert for the advising the correct spelling)
And On A Lighter Note
I was sent the image below by a WW follower, whose daughter has too much spare time during lock-down. I have enlarged a section to help you see the blatant breach of copyright 🙂
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