Category Archives: Launches

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.

The story of the Round NZ Cruise of Karros II

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The Round NZ Cruise of Karros II
told by Jillian Inglis & sent in to ww by Jamie Hudson ex Peter Berrett

Click the blue link below to view the story 😉

Ernie’s gone fishin

The above folks is an exceptional read – 3 blokes – Ernie Seagar, Bill Boulton & Dave Jackson (owner skipper of Karros) in Feb 1985 undertook a 7 week circumnavigation of NZ that they loosely describe as ‘Gone Fishin’.
Its 18 pages long so grab a coffee / tea & find a comfy spot – I guarantee you wont be able to stop reading. Make sure you view the photos on pages 15>18. Teaser below

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I understand the story surfaced for the 80th birthday celebration for Ernie Seagar. In the photo below, Ernie is pictured in July 2014,  on-board Margo & Jamie Hudson’s classic launch, Lady Crossley, holding a photo of LC on her launch day, Ernie’s father had LC built by Colin Wild. Ernie’s grandmother launched LC.

Ernie Seagar onboard Lady Crossley

 

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)

Florence

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FLORENCE
photos ex Clare Jordan

Todays photos of Florence (1910, HN Burgess) are from Clare Jordan. Clare found them in an old album of her  great-grandparents (Jim Turner), they show one at sea, two with the life preserver ring and one that looks like on a creek somewhere, dated early 1920s. Clare’s not sure where the Creek area is,  but commented that it looked like her family spent a bit of time there camping.  They had a batch in Titirangi, but Clare felt it didn’t make sense for Florence to be on the Manukau Harbour area?
Jim Turner spent a lot of time with his best mate (Alexander Lewis) at Jenkins Bay, Titirangi.  Alexander (Sandy) had something to do with the VCC.
Claire’s not sure who the people are, the man in the photos looks like the same person with the captains hat on.

I have forwarded these photos to Florence’s current owner Adam Wild & as expected Adam was rapt to get them, he is currently looking at some subtle rework to the painting scheme of Florence’s superstructure and commented that these photos will assist greatly.

Enter Florence in the ww search box to see more

Harold Kidd Update

FLORENCE spent her years from 1922 in Whangarei owned by J.C. Reynolds but, if the companion pic of JEAN GRAY is anything to go by, the album contains pics of the period before that and associated closely with people in Victoria Cruising Club. FLORENCE was owned in 1919 by F. Price, like JEAN GRAY’s owner, A. Lewis and later A. Hazleman, a VCC stalwart, and was Vice-Commodore from 1920. In fact, the life ring in the lowest pic has “VCC” on the bottom. So the pics pre-date her Whangarei period. Quite where the creek pic was taken is anyone’s guess but I don’t think it could have been on the Manukau unless they fitted FLORENCE with wheels. Just to confuse things a bit, there was a FLORENCE on the Manukau, owned by Pardington, but it was only a 20 footer.
So, these are companion pics to the JEAN GRAY pic, featuring VCC notables of the time.

A Woody Labour Weekend

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Lucille & Ngaio – 2 Logans

A Woody Labour Weekend

The weather split the CYA classic fleet in two this Labour weekend with some heading to Kawau for the opening of the ‘new’ Kawau Boating Club. From all reports it was a blast & well done to those that made the trip. The photos below of Kawau are from the camera of Margo & Jamie Hudson (Lady Crossley).
A selection of classic launches mooched around Waiheke Island & with the weather forecast –  Onetangi Bay was the most popular spot. We had to share it with a rather large number of plastic boats, I think every Rivia in Auckland was there, but for once they behaved & the hum of the gen-sets  was almost bearable 🙂
Waiheke photos ex me (I took a few more ,but they will be ‘Mystery Boat’ posts)

PS If you were away on the boat or at the bach, you may have missed the last 4 ww posts, which featured the boats of Norm Fairlie. Stroll down to enjoy 😉

WAIHEKE ISLAND

Raindance
Sea Fever
Lucille
Ngaio
Happy Dog + a Rivia owner

KAWAU ISLAND

Trinidad – Lady Crossley
Ferro

Somethings wrong here – why is the oldest rowing?

Dick Coughlan

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.

Challenger

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CHALLENGER     #2 Fairlie Launch in a series of 4

photos & detail ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H.

Challenger, 38′ long, was built c.1962 by McGeady & originally powered by a 6 cyl Ford Diesel. She was built  for Mr Norm Fairlie, an Auckland businessman, who was a hugely dedicated & enthusiastic game fisherman, &  who mostly  fished at Mayor Island.

Challenger was the first of 2 boats built by McGeady for him in his Summer St Ponsonby premises,  the second being the 30 foot Tempest, a purpose built boat, he had McGeady build specifically for him, to fish for tuna, in the World Game Fishing Competition held in NZ in the 1960s. He won this competition with Tempest & sold he shortly afterwards. Sadly he never had any pics of her.

However Fairlie retained Challenger which he used, to fish in the “big game” section of the above event, in which he came second.

Fairlie kept Challenger until she was replaced by the 42 foot Commander One, which he had built by Alan Williams in 1967.

The story of her ownership is rather unusual.

Norm F. sold Challenger to a Mr Brown of Whangarei c1967 when Commander One was built, who later sold her to the Bradshaw family, of Rotorua.

Bradshaws later wanted to buy Commander One off Norm F. & 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, heard about the Bradshaw’s deal & said they had always wanted to own Challenger, so rushed up to Auckland & bought her straight off Norm F., almost immediately after he had re-inherited her.

Ken lost contact with Challenger around this time, anyone able to shed some light on what happened to her & where she is now? In the photo above she is an impressive sight on her launch day in the early 1960’s, a launch that size does not disappear behind someones shed, so fingers crossed on more info.

Ken & ww appreciate the input from Norm Fairlie & John Bradshaw which has helped make this post possible.

WORLD GAME FISHING CONTEST 1964  OFFICIAL CLUB RECORDS

Photo (c.1960’s) added 15-06-2015 ex Ken Ricketts ex B Worthington

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17-04-2016 I added the photos (ex Hylton Edmonds via Ken R) below only for the record – I will not comment on whats happened to her. If you must, click to enlarge.

31-05-2016 photos below ex Noel Kelly via Ken Ricketts (c.2000) No comment on the plywood dummy block of flats other than how could you get a peek at what it will look like & still do it?

 

Reelemin II

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REELEMIN (II)   #1Fairlie Launch in a series of 4
photos & details ex Ken Ricketts. Edited by Alan H

Norm Fairlie was a lifelong, dedicated & very enthusiastic game fisherman, having fished extensively, mostly at Mayor Island & started his boating life with a couple of small outboard powered runabouts in the later 1940s & early 50s.

His first foray in to cruising type boats, was Reelemin (II). She was built by Don Norton in Westmere for Norm F., c.1954-55.

She is 26 feet long & was originally powered by a largish petrol engine, which Norm does not recall the details of. She cruised at around 12-14 knots.Norma owned her until  approx 1961 when he sold her & replaced her with the new & larger 38 foot Challenger, in approx 1962, which he commissioned McGeady to build for him & which will be the subject of a later post. This was followed later still by the even bigger 45 foot (llater extended to 52 feet) Commander One, in approx 1968-69  which was built for him by Alan Williams, also to be the subject of a later post.

Fairlie also had McGeady build him a purpose built 30 footer called Tempest, which was built for him in early 1964, specially for the World Game Fishing Contest (March 1964), on which he won the Tuna section, of that contest.

He had retained Challenger & owned both boats at the same time. Challenger came second in the game fishing section, but unfortunately, Fairlie has no pics of Tempest & he sold her shortly after the contest concluded & does not recall engine details of this boat.

Norm is now long retired, at 91 & when Ken spoke to him, sounded very fit & active for his age & living at the Gold Coast.

He was a very successful Auckland businessman & father of one of NZ’s world famous international tennis stars of the 1960s-70s era, Brian Fairlie.

Ken would like to acknowledge the help, input & permission of Norm to make this & the future  posts on his other  boats possible.

The pic below of Gay  Dawn was taken by Norm from Reelemin at Opua Christmas 1960. His in-laws are standing on the stern & a young Brian, outside the portside bridegdeck window.

Jean Gray

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JEAN GRAY
photos ex Clare Jordan

Today’s photos of Jean Gray (above) are from Clare Jordan. Clare found them in an old album of her  great-grandparents (Jim Turner), they show Jean Gray at sea and one that looks like on a creek somewhere, dated early 1920s. Clare’s not sure where the Creek area is, but my guess is it could be Milford Creek.
In the photo of her, hauled out on the slip with the 3 men & a dog,  Jim Turner is the one in the middle.  Claire wasn’t sure who the other two gents are.

I know nothing about this launch so look forward to some insights.

Update from Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard (Pam & George)

Photo below is George Emtage’s father (Albert) boat ‘Joyce’, which in another life was Jean Gray or at least a sister-ship. No board are Albert Emtage (Dad), George & his brother Jim
The photo is from c.1949-50 when Albert used her for commercial fishing (on the weekends)
The boat in-tow is Alberts  previous boat, a 16′ row/sail that he also used for commercial fishing from Panmure out to Motuihe .