Category Archives: Launches

Woody Weekend

Posted on by
1

If you are at a loose end this weekend I would encourage you to attend the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition.

The Tino Rawa Trust is again hosting the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition at Karanga Plaza (next to the Viaduct Events Centre) this Friday 4th to Sunday 6th October, 10am – 4pm daily. The event is run alongside the 2013 Auckland Heritage Festival ‘Maritime Heritage On The Waterfront (Sept 28 – Oct 13) promotion.

There is an amazing collection of classic yachts & launches, classic dinghies, small yachts & picnic boats on display. Plus some wonderful Robert Brooke line drawings of our classic fleet & models on display. This years event focuses on the acclaimed designers Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart & will include a selection of their vessels. I have included above a few ‘quick snaps’ I took today as the vessels were starting to arrive.

Remember to check out the CYA’s permanent on-the-water display at the CYA Marina, Heritage Landing, Silo Park at the Wynyard Quarter.

Cheers Alan

Another Unknown Launch

Image

12

Another Unknown Launch

Unknown Launch

photo ex Ken Ricketts

Venue looks like Milford Creek??
Any ideas on the vessel ??

Harold Kidd Update

I’m sure this pic originated from me. (you are correct Harold, I think you sent it several years ago to Ken R – Alan H)  It’s not a Williams boat as he started building well after WW2 and this launch is 1920s or earlier. It’s not VIVEEN, Percy Mason’s first boat (see my column in this November’s Boating NZ). I suspect it’s MAIEBE, ex-MARY M, ex-REGINA, built by Lanes in December 1912 as a flushdecker which had a very similar “bridgedeck”, tramtop and dodger put on in the latter part of her life.  She went ashore and broke up in the violent storm of early February 1936 when owned by Bert Prosser. That storm was often talked about in my family because my father’s yacht WAKANUI went up on the beach at Waiwera during it, while my mother was at home 8.5 months pregnant with me! He got hell for years.

I’ll check with pics at home tonight. I would think Warkworth River too, and I’m sure the original image I have at home has a Tudor Collins backstamp.

Mystery Launch

Image

3

Mystery Launch

Mystery Launch

photo ex Ken Ricketts

Ok – can anyone ID the launch closest to the camera? The back one is almost certainly the Lady Una. And while you are at it what about the yacht?

Harold Kidd Update

I haven’t a clue about the launch, but the yacht is intriguing. She’s clearly an early 1890’s two and a half rater that’s been bobbed at the bow. The giveaways are the non-faired stem post and the cabin top/cockpit treatment. I’m not really up with what progressive “modernisations” each of these yachts suffered. A pity her underbody comes out so murky. However I would plump for GLORIANA (but I think she’s too fat) or a Bailey boat like DAISY. I would love a high-res image to play with the contrast and brightness and see if the hull below the waterline could be brought up.

Gloriana lines ex HDK

gloriana

Esme

Image

3

Esme

ESME

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts

Esme belonged to Henry Allen in the 1920s & 30s prior to him buying Tiromoana. The above photo was taken in 1924 & was as published in The NZ Aquatic magazine Friday, March 14th 1924. Not sure of her engine at this stage. She was named after his daughter Esme.

H.A. spoke of the boat when ever Ken saw him in the 1940s & 50s. He undoubtedly was very fond of the old boat. Ken never ever saw Esme, always wanted to, & now with this photo his curiosity is answered.

Harold Kidd Update

ESME was built by Joe Slattery for Pop Allen in August 1921. I’ve no info on engine fitted but it must have been fairly potent as she was fast. Allen raised her cabin top and put on a dodger in 1930. She was for sale on TradeMe three years ago in desperate condition. Kevin Hussey had owned her at Half Moon Bay in poor condition for some time before that.

ESME IN AQUATIC MAGAZINE 14.3.24

ESME IN AQUATIC MAGAZINE 14.3.24

Ranginui

Posted on by
8

RANGINUI

photos & details from Harold Kidd

The photos above of the bridge-decker RANGINUI, a good-looking craft.

All Harold knows about her is that she was owned in 1952-3 by H D Hall, in 1973 by L A Boswell who sold her to Keith and Betty Bankart.

Does anyone know more about her, particularly who built her and where she is now?

Update from Ken Rickets –  RANGINUI was built for the Halls, who were building contractors, in the late 1930s or early 40s & as you can see in the 2 pics, she was lengthened in the later 40s & am almost certain the addition was done by Roy Lidgard -but it may possibly have been Shipbuilders – the Halls had her for many years & she was a regular at Kawau at Christmas. The tuck had a special shape as I recall — looked a lillte bit long &narrow after being lengthened I thought.

Harold Kidd Update

Betty Bankart thinks she was built in 1947 by Chas. Bailey & Sons Ltd, which seems plausible.

07-01-2016 Photo ex Peter Croft of Ranginui at Ponui

Ranginui

08-05-2017 Update – Peter Croft the owner of Ranginui was working on her & uncovered this ‘note’ written on the hull, in the loo (head). As Ranginui was launched in 1946 or 1947 it could have been written by one of the boatbuilders, or someone who didn’t rate one of the builders 🙂

Ranginui Message

Tawhiri

Posted on by
5

TAWHIRI

photos & details below ex Ken Ricketts

Built c.1946 by Roy Lidgard in their shed, at Smelting House Bay, Kawau Island. Note similarities to Ted Coopers Awarua. Tawhiri is a little shorter at approx. 36ft. & AWARUA 37ft. Unsure who she was built for, Harold Kidd might be able to help here?

Tawhiri originally had a 4 cyl Lister diesel, (painted bottle green) installed in a box which formed the table in the middle of the main cabin area. Roy Lidgard installed Listers in quite a few boats of that era, another went into the Wainunu for Clive Power, to which Kens father later fitted an electric self starter system for Clive c.1949-50.

At one stage she belonged to a Euan Berger, ex Air NZ cabin crew, whom Ken knew in the1970s-80s. Berger replaced the Lister with a 6 cyl. Ford diesel, (after which she floated about 6 inches higher in the water in the bow, the Lister must have weighed a thousand tons) Tim Lees may have done the engine change.

Ken last saw Tawhiri a couple of years ago, in a scoria & building merchants yard in Karapiro Drive at Whangaparaoa, where she sat for a few months.

Ken took the photo in the water at Christmas 1948, in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island. The other was taken on a slip, adjacent to the Panmure Yacht Club, by the look of the background, (which Ken can identify well with, as his father was commodore of that club), Ken recalls the photo was sent to him for I.D. , possibly by Harold Kidd & is not sure when it was taken but it was long time ago as the area is quite different there now.

Ken is interested to hear if anyone knows anything more of Tawhiri’s life.

Harold Kidd Update

Lloyd’s Yacht Register says she was built by Lidgards Shipyards in 1947 and was named TAWHIRI II. However I think 1946 is right as because her first owner,  Jim Inkster, registered her with the Squadron in the 1945-46 year. Jim Inkster had owned the yachts DAISY, SCOUT and had the 38 footer TANGAROA built by Percy Vos in 1936, so TAWHIRI was TANGAROA’s postwar replacement. Her original engine was a 1945-built 3 cylinder 30hp Lister diesel, about all you could get at the time, and that stayed in her until at least 1964. Her official APYMBA dimensions were 35’x33’x10’6″x2’9″ which vary from the Thames Measurement dimensions given in the LYR entry. In 1964 Stuart Clark registered her as a British Registered Ship under #191807 from which I have drawn her engine details.

Jim Inkster sold her to A.J. Noakes in 1950-51. Later owners I know of were D.D. Brown (1962), Stuart G. Clark (1964) and Muir (later Sir Muir) Chilwell QC (1970). Berger must have been after Muir.

Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – Tino Rawa Trust – Oct 4>6

Posted on by
Reply
CY&LE 2012
CY&LE 2012
CY&LE 2012
CY&LE 2012

Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – Tino Rawa Trust –  Oct 4>6  

Tino Rawa Trust is again hosting the CYA Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition at Karanga Plaza (next to the Viaduct Events Centre) from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th October, 10am – 4pm daily. The event is run alongside the 2013 Auckland Heritage Festival ‘Maritime Heritage On The Waterfront (Sept 28 – Oct 13) promotion.

There will be an amazing collection of classic yachts & launches, classic dinghies, small yachts & picnic boats on display. This years event focuses on the acclaimed designers Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart & will include a selection of their vessels.

Remember to check out the CYA’s permanent on-the-water display at the CYA Marina, Heritage Landing, Silo Park at the Wynyard Quarter.

For details on all events click links below

http://www.yourwaterfront.co.nz

http://www.tinorawatrust.co.nz

http://www.classicyacht.org.nz

Tamure

Image

15

Tamure

TAMURE

photo ex ken ricketts

Looking for any details on the above, for once even Ken has drawn a blank.

Update from Harold Kidd

She’s been called TAMURE in this configuration at least since A R Gifford owned her in 1952 and is allegedly Lanes-built. Subsequent owners were F Innes-Jones of Pakuranga, Keith Archer of Takapuna and Steven Ford who told me she was built by Lanes c2000. There was an earlier TAMURE, built by David Reid as WAIATA in 1913 and renamed TAMURE in 1920. She spent some years in Whangarei, I think. It’s possible that this is the same boat, modernised and attributed to “Lanes” generically. After all, who remembered David Reid after he left for Queensland to cure his asthma?

Update from Dennis Rule -Tamure is berthed at Pine Harbour and is owned by Stephen Ford.

Update from Paul Drake – I remember this boat as Rothesay at Taupo in the 1950’s and 60’s. Owned by a Don McLeod and operated commercially. I always thought she was a Collings and Bell, but am not sure why I thought that.

Harold Kidd Update #2

I checked photos last night. Unless there were massive changes, she’s not the former TAMURE, ex-WAIATA. However, the ROTHESAY comment by Paul opens up a new line of thought. If this TAMURE is a 40 footer then she could very well be the very last ROTHESAY built for H D Heather (there were 4 of them) by Bailey & Lowe in 1920-1. Heather died in April 1922 which obscures her subsequent movements

#3 

The site “HISTORY SITE FOR BOATS OF TAUPO” says that the ROTHESAY that Don McLeod had during the 1950s was a 32ft 1911 Bailey & Lowe-built boat. Heather did own a ROTHESAY in 1912 which had been built by Bailey & Lowe in 1911 but as MAVIS. Heather sold her to Cape Runaway in 1912 and it may have been this ROTHESAY that is now TAMURE. There were 4 other ROTHESAYs so my head is spinning…….

There are some comments on the site which are highly dubious such as “during WW1 she was used as a patrol boat by the Navy”. That didn’t happen.

I wonder what the dimensions of this TAMURE are? That would help with the minefield of information, much of it conflicting.

An update from the current owner – Stephen Ford

Tamure was named Belinda when we brought her but we put her back to the original name. We have owned her for 29 years and we have only changed the aft deck shape by squaring it off instead of a semi circle and lengthen the dodger sides. She was supposedly built by Dick Lang in the mid to late 1920’s and the wheel house or focsal were added post build. We have been lead to believe she spent a good part of her early life game fishing around  Mayor Island. The people we brought her off, found and used her on the Kaipara for a number of years before relocating her back to the Waitamata. We found her in the Tamaki River as a very run down old girl.

Paul Drake Update #2 – I am overseas at the moment but when I get back to Taupo I will dig out an excellent photo of Rothesay at Taupo for consideration! I think she was about 40 feet. She is fairly distinctive forward I would say, and to my eyes the wheelhouse is perfection. The dodger sides were canvas in those days and she had a mast. Don McLead owned two Rothesays. The first was a  32 foot Bailey and Lowe, ex “Government” boat which Don bought as a near wreck when he returned from WW2 and ran commercially before upgrading to the larger Rothesay.