Category Archives: Launches

Mapu

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MAPU

photos & details ex Mark Lane
I recently received some more images from the past of the Lane Motor Boat, Mapu. AH
The b/w photo is pre WW2 & when she was ‘in her hey day’
The shed photo was ‘as purchased’ by Mark Lane prior to commencing the restoration,late 1990’s.
The ‘restored’ photo was taken during an Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, work boat race, c.2003

Naiad

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Naiad

NAIAD

photo & words ex Russell Ward

The photo above is of Naiad, Russell Wards’s fathers boat. She was a sister ship of Gayella & Georgella (and one other?)
Ward snr. owned her from 1966 –70. She had the 60hp Ford Lees Marine diesel like most of the boats around –you could hear them start up all over the anchorage, the sound was agricultural but OK.
The family had a lot of fun in her.

Harold Kidd Update:

Norm Beetson design built by Stan Blake. Sistership to GAYELLA and GEORGELLA (later KAKARIKI) and based on Beetson’s 32ft ACQUIESCE. I have an undated cutting of Blake launching her after 3 years’ work. Were there any other Beetson designs built?

Rehutai (the steamer)

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REHUTAI (the steamer)
 story & photo ex Russell Ward
Here is a ship with some class.
The steamer Rehutai built for and owned (and I guess engineered) by Seagars. Who built her and when she was launched, I will leave for Harold to advise. There were several Rehutais. Scroll down to the previous post to view another.
I would imagine that she had the old faithful tandem/steeple compound that was Seagars’ stock in trade and they would have been quite capable of doing the boiler too, so I guess they did.
The first of the two pictures show her embarking and taking Lord Plunket for a jolly on the harbor. He was Governor in 1905 so that is as good a date as any. The next shows the container ship Iris moored in the harbour. You can see the craneship Mahua and some good ships around the Iris.
BUT what is this on the foreshore? A steamboat funnel? Is it the Rehutai of my dreams?
A chance glance at one of the pictures in the Matakohe museum revealed that the Rehutai was burned out at Whangaruru and lost. The records show that there was a Rehutai that was diseaslied with 50hp engines in 1934 –not sure if it is the same ship.
Bear in mind that there was an other Rehutai that became the Hauraki –looked a little like the steamer in passing. Again, I will leave to Harold to unravel.
Harold Kidd Update:
There were 3 Seagar Bros-owned REHUTAI steamers. The first was a 36 footer built for them by Bailey & Lowe in 1905. The second was a 45 footer built in April 1905 by Chas. Bailey Jr. (the one in the images above) which was sold the Government in 1910 for work at Thames and the Piako River. She had a 30hp steam engine designed and built by Seagars. The third REHUTAI was a 50 footer built by Chas Bailey Jr in December 1909 with a 35hp compound tandem engine. She was dieselised in 1926. The image on the Devonport foreshore is REHUTAI (II) with the Logan launch KARORO in front of her.

Of course it was this launch (REHUTAI II) that became HAURAKI in the ownership of the Government Lands Dept. and got dieselised in 1934.
Update from Chris Leech:
The floating crane picture looks more like the Auckland Harbour Boards floating crane – Hapai. Seen below uplifting the Devonport Ferry Co.’s Ticket office before relocating it to its new home as the Devonport yacht Club , clubrooms. C.1927. photo ex DYC centennial year book
Pages from DYC Cent Club PDF

Rehutai (Wellington)

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Rehutai (Wellington)

REHUTAI (Wellington)

story & photo ex Russell Ward

Rehutai (this one) was (according to Harold) built in 1926 by Sam Ford at St. Mary’s Bay for C.C. Ross of Wellington and had a 50/75 Stearns engine.
Ross owned her at least until 1933. In 1957 she was owned by R.N. Barton of Featherston.
I would have sworn she was a Lanes boat. Just shows you.

Harold Kidd Update:

ALL ROADS LEAD TO LANES! Actually Garth Lane personally built every launch constructed in Auckland from 1905 onwards and licensed/franchised boatbuilders to put their nameplates on them. But seriously, you can tell an Auckland-built launch at a mile; there was an Auckland “look”. Compare images of contemporary Dunedin/Australian/ US/British/French/Italian/wherever launches and there are strong family resemblances within Auckland launches. It’s not hard to figure out; it’s a cultural and fashion thing. So, when Logan Bros went out of business in 1911, lots of builders started building Logan-style double-enders of class. They all built what their owners wanted them to build. I defy anyone to get the provenance of an Auckland launch right just by looking at an image of it, particularly when, like this Sam Ford REHUTAI it has been changed time and time again over the years.

PS Recently I did a count of the “Oliver & Gilpin” launches then currently on TradeMe. There were 9 of which only 4 were built by Oliver & Gilpin, the rest were knock-offs. With the other 5, that distinctive O&G style had been copied so well that their owners were convinced and had no hesitation in claiming O&G provenance (with potentially dire commercial consequences for misrepresentation).

A trip to the beauty parlor

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I poked my nose into the Salthouse yard today to see what David Cooke was up to with Trinidad & you would think you were visiting an old ladies beauty spa.  Two beautiful old girls sit side by side having a yarn about the old days as the beauticians busily grind away the years and reapply a younger, fresher look so the old girls can show off their wares at the coming summer parties.
Finding a boat yard with a railway slip now days is a rarity, the two at the Salthouse yard must have cradled hundreds of classics over the years.
I glanced at the black board & there are still a few vacant spots so if you are going to give your own lady some TLC this winter, best to get your ‘A into G’

 

Rongo II

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Rongo (II ?)b Rongo (II ?)a

RONGO II
photo ex Simon Manning
Pictured here around 1970-71 at what was then Simons family’s place at Curious Cove near Picton
Harold Kidd Update:
Great images! That’s the 1919 Bailey & Lowe RONGO II (ex-GLADYS II) during her period in the Sounds all right.

Lady Karita

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LADY KARITA
story & photos ex Russell Ward
Lady Karita. One of Sam Fords finest.Used to be on the marina off AMYC and Menai was nearby. Both fine ships.
The b/w photo was at a AMYC picnic. Off to the left you can see Monterey. Astern is Lady Faye or her sister ship  (is it –the one without the turtle deck?) Nearby, I think it is Apache before the aft dodger changed her svelte lines. Would have been when Harold Parkinson had her and she was petrol.
Not sure of the boat astern of Karita, but Barney Soljacks Southern Belle is astern of her. Can’t make out who it is astern of her.
The colour photos are at Havelock Marina  and Lady Karita is looking pretty chipper.
Alan H comment –  I was once told that the Slipmaster at Westhaven said that Lady Karita was the best boat Sam Ford made – because the man who commissioned her stood over him while he built her. Those that know about Sam Ford boats will know that this is probably true 🙂
Updated again: Someone also said that having a Sam Ford boat in your marina was ecologically very good as they filtered the water thru their hull everyday – I’m bad, I know 🙂

Ngarimu

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Ngarimu

NGARIMU

story & photo ex Russell Ward
In the centre is Muir Chilwell’s Ngarimu, Russell is sailing past to see if he can ‘catch the eye of’ his eldest daughter 🙂

To the right is Peter Anderson’ boat but before he bought her, name?, she was owned by an old friend of the Wards –Ray Ball who bought her from McMillans who built her. (I think they owned or ran the motor camp at Stillwater or Sandspit). Sadly Ray died in ’62 – they treated cardio-vascular diseases very poorly in those days. Flagpole in the foreground is on Ngakiwa.

Harold Kidd Update:

NGARIMU was built by Fred Goldsboro in 1945, named after Lt. Ngarimu VC. Peter Anderson’s boat was JAN MARIE/MORREE I think?

More details on Ngarimu would be appreciated.

UPDATE 02-08-2025 – hauled out at Thames for some annual TLC