Category Archives: Launches

Rahemo #1 Post

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RAHEMO #1 Post

Described as a Laing bridge decker & built in 1935, her kauri hull is 42′ long. Powered by twin 4 cyl. Volvo 130hp engines she has no trouble cruising at 10>12 knots. Her 4 sale listing states that she has had one owner from new.

Any one able to confirm & expand on what we know about Rahemo ?

Harold Kidd Update

RAHEMO was built in Auckland in late 1936 by Dick LANG (not Laing) at St. Mary’s Bay for R.W. Butcher of Hamilton as STRATHMORE. She was 42’x10’9″x3’6″ and powered with twin 90hp Chryslers. In 1938 she was bought by the Todd family of Wellington and motored down via Tauranga and the east coast in December 1938. The Todds renamed her RAHEMO. She was in NAPS out of Wellington in WW2 as Z76 and fitted with diesels. One TradeMe recently she was advertised as “one family from new”…………………….. not really.

PS R.W. Butcher sold ALCESTIS/RAIONA to Alf Seccombe when he had STRATHMORE/RAHEMO built and had RAWEA built when he sold STRATHMORE/RAHEMO. When RAWEA was  requisitioned for RNZN patrol work in 1940 he bought RONGO. You can’t keep a good launch man down!

Photo below ex Paper Past – 15 Dec 1938 just prior to departing for Wellington, insert photo i of A. R. Clarke who skippered her.

Strathmore (Rahemo) 15 Dec 1938

Valerie

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Valerie launch day 29 Aug 1929
Valerie 2007
Lady Dorothy (L) Valerie (R)

VALERIE

Photos from Alan H & Papers Past.
Details from Harold Kidd & Robin Elliott

Valerie was built by the Lane Motor Boat Company & launched on 29 August 1929. Her owner was Mr. M. G. King of Whangarei. She is 35′ with a 9′ beam. When launched she featured two cabins & had a 35hp St Lawrence engine.

These days Valerie is kept at Whangaroa Marina and currently owned by John Briers and Jackie Te Hore of Cable Bay. Valerie was for many years owned by the Reynolds family, close friends of the Pickmeres, who owned her up until the late 1960’s. Apart from a short period in Auckland during the 1960’s she has spent almost all her life in Whangarei and the Far North. It is believed Valerie was sometimes used by H. Pickmere when he was charting the far north

In the colour photo above Valerie (r) is anchored with Robin Elliott’s Logan 33 replica, Lady Dorothy (l), off Milford Island in Whangaroa Harbour, Jan 2013.

CYA NZ Classic Register 2014/15 Edition

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CYA NZ Classic Register 2014/15 Edition

At long last its out. Chris Miller & myself craft this book every season. Each year we say “never again” 🙂

Click the link below to view 200+ classic boats – note the link takes you to the CYA website so if you want to return to the ww site you will have to re-log in. Also the on-line addition does not show owners contact details for obvious reasons 😉

http://classicyacht.org.nz/demosite/wp-content/uploads/Classicreg2014/mobile/index.html

 

Rehutai

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REHUTAI
details & photos ex Vinings Brokers ex Ken Rickets

If you believe the brokers listing Rehutai was built by Lanes in 1960…………….  She is 43ft x approx 13ft 6in, carvel kauri hull, powered by a 120hp Ford diesel. Currently based in Waikawa.
Ken questions the 1960 launch date as he recalls her from the 1950’s & she was not ‘new’ then. Open for discussion but Kens view is she looks early to mid 1930’s & could even be earlier than that??
Any input / details would be appreciated.

Note – there was several steamers called Rehutai

Harold Kidd Update

Thank goodness Ken has learned to be more cautious with his prognostications. The owner should add not a “II” but probably a “VI” to her name to satisfy Ken’s obsession over names, because REHUTAI was a popular name for NZ launches, up and down the country.
I have told the owner of this boat her provenance, but he doesn’t believe me. He believes his own myths and maybe you can see why when the full facts are revealed.
This particular REHUTAI started life as an amateur-built 35 footer, partially built  by a chap called Elley in Ponsonby who sold her to J.P. Aldred of Ponsonby. He had her finished off (most likely by Collings & Bell) and launched her in December 1919 as IRIHAPETI (maori for “Elizabeth”) powered by a 30hp Doman supplied by Collings & Bell. Aldred sold her to H.F. Butler of Remuera in November 1921 to commute to his property on Browns Island. Butler changed her name to NOMAD and kept her until about 1929, having repowered her with a 56hp Ferro around 1925. He sold her to Nops who sold her to W.E. Fullerton of Remuera in 1931. Fullerton sold her to Stan Parker in 1935 and he had her converted to her present configuration by Lidgards who added 7 feet to her amidships, taking her out to 42ft., renaming her ARAWA and having a 65/90 Deutz diesel installed.
After WW2 she was renamed REHUTAI.
Now who would believe that??

SUZY Q

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SUZY Q

Another Mason – Suzy Q started out as a double diagonal hull, Marlin & later in life got a top chop.  Since these photos were taken a chrome, split glass windshield has been added. Her engine is a brand new V8 Lexus motor. Sounds & looks like she’ll do 35 knots – would be interesting with round bilge, might drift around the corners 😉

She is owned by Ryan from Pine Harbour Electrical, Ryan & his father did all the work.

(photos taken at the 2013 Boat Show at the Viaduct)

Sir Francis

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Sir Francis Lake Taupo 2013

SIR FRANCIS

photo & details ex Paul Drake

The above photo of Sir Francis was taken at Taupo in 2013. She was built by Collings and Bell in 1916. Sir Francis is 22′ in length & is powered by a  Universal Utility Four, dating from 1937. She is a very lucky boat as she lives in a boat shed on Lake Taupo.

One of the amazing things about Sir Francis is that she has had the same owners (the Drake Family) for 75 years.

Romany II

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ROMANY II

photos & details ex trademe & Ken Ricketts

Romany II, a double skin kauri bridgedecker, designed by Roy Steadman &  built in 1964 by Shipbuilders.  A distinguishing feature of Steadman’s designs was the half circle foredeck, which resulted in a very pronounced flare (refer birds-eye photo below). Steadman’s own bridgedecker, the 28′ Nauty Girl (thats nauty as in nautical) , that he built for himself in the early1950s also had this feature & may well have been the first of this concept. Does anyone have any photos of Nauty Girl?

Romany II is 44’x14’6″x3′ & powered by twin Ford 150hp engines.

A WEE TIP
Keep an eye out on Saturday, I have a promotion with a very cool prize. Details on Friday 😉
ps anyone can enter but if you are a ww ‘Follower’, entry will be faster & for this promo – the first correct answer wins 🙂 so sign up now.
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Maibe (Regina)

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Regina
Maibe (Regina) @ Nelson 2014
Cowes Bay Jan 1934

MAIBE (Regina)

photos & details from Harold Kidd & Papers Past

Maibe started life as Regina and was launched by T M Lane & Sons on 14th December  1912 for Maguire & Pountney. The photo above without the ‘2nd story’ is as original from her Regina days.

The photo with the 6 crew topsides was taken in Cowes Bay, Waiheke Island on Jan 4th 1934 during her summer cruise.
The photo with one crew member lying down is unknown but looks to be off Devonport Navy Base ??
The colour photo was taken last week in the marina at Nelson by Harold Kidd.
To the ‘untrained’ eye  you would struggle to recognize them but the bones are there & as Harold would say it’s a good example on how to bugger up nice original boat, but it’s a process that started the instant they hit the water.

Anyone able to add to the history of Regina / Maibe?

Sad News

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Whakari Sinks

Heard a rumour in the weekend that was confirmed last night that the stunning 1925 Sam Ford launch ‘Whakari’ has sunk on her moorings in the Weiti River. Do not know anymore at this stage.
Horrible news, our thoughts go out to CYA member Gordon Cashmore & I’m sure all classic wooden boat owners will be hoping Gordon & family bring the old girl back to life – if they need any inspiration they need look no further than the Nereides post below.

This is the 2nd oops she has had according to Papers Past , 69 years ago (Aug/Sept 1945) she broke away from her Hobson Bay mooring & went ashore on the Orakei reclamation embankment.

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Update from Gordon Cashmore (via Stephan Harris) 23/07/2014

Whakari is now safe and secure at the old Cashmore mill site in Silverdale. She is being repaired by Philip (blue) Holmes. The cause of the dilemma was a broken mooring line in one of the big blows a few weeks back that caused her to swing from the jetty and bang the keel on the papa bank springing the garboard and sinking. The 6.354 has been flushed and run up while at Gulf Harbour. This will be removed for access to the keel bolts etc so repairs/upgrades can be done.
Gordon wants her fixed for her 100th birthday. Stephen Harris, Gordons neighbour in Still Water.

Nereides Repaired & Relaunched

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New helm /dash
Old helm

Nereides Repaired & Relaunched

Received some great news from Mark Lever the owner of Nereides on Friday, she went back in the water last week looking all shiny and sharp. When I first saw the photos of her 1/2 submerged (below) my heart sank, could this be the end of such a glorious ship……….. but having meet her owner I had faith that we would see Nereides returned to her finest again – well folks I’m stunned, she is genuinely better than before.

Aside from fixing the ‘hole’ – Mark took the opportunity to strip all old varnish off the wheel house and replace it with Awlwood MA. She also has been treated to a hull repaint.
Given the H2o she took on board, the engine was pulled out and rebuilt and the interior rewired. Mark also took the opportunity re worked the helm station to a more traditional appearance & to also create more room.
A new addition is a second skylight (modeled on the existing but non opening) which allows more light into the saloon.

Nereides is a special boat to me, she was one of the objects of desire that got me into this wooden boating gig – & is on my bucket list.

Owners like Mark & Sue Lever deserve a medal – the CYA needs more owners as committed as they are 🙂

Nereides Oops 1

Jan 2021 Updated Photo – Spotted at Moturoa Island by Dennis Rule aboard Summer Wine