Category Archives: Launches

Avalon

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Avalon

AVALON
I do not know anything about the above launch other than she was actively engaged in the game fishing sport.
Any help re more info much appreciated.

photo ex classicgameboatnz

Harold Kidd Update

AVALON was built by Collings & Bell in December 1927 for Peter Williams of Russell for use as a game fishing boat in the Bay of Islands. She was one of Collings’ typical concave-convex square bilge designs, 36′ x 8’6″ x 3’6′. She had a 85-100hp Redwing engine and was designed for 16 knots. She was often chartered by Zane Grey who took her to Queensland in 1936 for game fishing there. Some few years ago she was exported to the US to the Zane Grey Museum, somehow avoiding the then Antiquities Act.

And more

OOPS Zane Grey chartered AVALON to chase sharks at Bermagui, NSW, not Queensland. She came back to NZ after the expedition of course. And I may have made a glib assumption that she was square bilge to his “concave-convex” design like the other Bay of Islands game launches he built like ALMA G and ZANE GREY (later ALMA G II) for the Arlidge brothers etc. I am doubting that somewhat and wonder if anyone can post a hull shot of her?

And more

All’s well. I’ve turned up a pic of AVALON clearly showing that she’s square bilge, like ALMA G, MANAAKI, LORNA DOONE and ZANE GREY also built for the Zane Grey game fishing circus.

Valsan

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VALSAN

Poped out after the fog cleared yesterday to give Raindance a run. Spotted the 1938 Lidgard built  Valsan leaving Orams yard (Westhaven) on-route to the CYA dock at Heritage Landing. Looking very smart after some enforced surgery due to another wee oops & what appeared to be new paint & varnish. I was impressed to see the CYA burgee flying. In one of the classic wooden boat clubs in the USA if you are not flying the burgee, no photo’s are reproduced of your boat.

Arab

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ARAB

Now the caption says yacht but she looks more comfortable with the launch tag. The under-power photo is dated c.1900 & the moored one 1915.

photos ex ‘Sir George Grey Special Collections (Auckland Libraries)

Harold Kidd Update

You’ve got to worry about whoever wrote the captions to some of these recent postings. ARAB was built by Collings & Bell in September 1913 for John Ayling of Ponsonby and had a 3 cylinder 15hp Doman engine. She was 32’x8’6″. She used to winter at Henry Thode’s slip in Cox’s Creek.

Ayling sold her to W. Grundy of Onehunga in 1918-19 but she was brought back from the Manukau in the winter of 1920 by Bruce, Ferguson and Maude who raced her effectively with Ponsonby Cruising Club (see illustration on p83 of “Vintage NZ Launches”). In 1922 she was sold to Myrhe of Christchurch and shipped down. Later owners included C G Beaumont, under whose ownership she was in NAPS patrolling out of Lyttelton in WW2 as Z 127. In 1953 she was owned by M Cunningham of Lyttelton. She was alive (but not very well) until quite recently.

Paikea

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PAIKEA

Helped take Trinidad last Sunday to the Sandspit boat shed of Greg Lee Boatbuilder’s last Sunday, spied this classic – Paikea – moored just off the wharf at Sandspit. Can anyone shed some  light on her? Poor photos, facing into the sun.

On the trip north passed 4 different large pods of dolphins, the biggest pod was mooching around the moored boats at Sandspit. Photo (iphone) is of one of the smaller dolphins that kept us company for a while off Tiritir.

Harold Kidd Update

PAIKEA was built by Collings & Bell for A.H. Court and launched on 26th January 1921. She was fitted with a 120-150hp Model M Van Blerck 6 cylinder petrol engine (not a straight-eight Packard as is often said). PAIKEA had Chas. Collings’ “concave-convex” type of hard chine design which he made famous with his various FLEETWINGS and whale-chasers. Indeed she was a refinement of the FLEETWING whose image appears in the Collings & Bell section of WW.

PAIKEA was good for 20 knots and can still do it with her present big Iveco/Fiat, as I experienced not long ago at Sandspit. She goes like hell and stable with it.

Alf Court sold her to Hec Marler in 1925 and he sold her to R B & S S Wilson  just pre-WW2. She was in NAPS during WW2 as Z17. .

 

Tiromoana – a peek into her past

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A peek into Tiromoana’s past

photos ex Ken Ricketts

A collection of photos assembled by Ken Ricketts showing Tiromoana in the 1940’s, 50’s & 60’s.

Photos: In Police ‘grey’ – 1943 / With steam ferry in Tamaki River c1960 / On the slip at Okahu Bay c1950 / Okahu Bay c1950 with Henry & Mrs Allen in cockpit / In her modern livery at Coggan jetty c late 1960 / Rickett family aboard xmas 1945

Grey Witch

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GREY WITCH

Given the budget & a free hand the old masters could create something pretty special, Grey Witch from the T M Lane yard must have turned a few heads + 24 knots. Would have look amazing at that speed.

photo ex ‘Sir George Grey Special Collections (Auckland Libraries)

Update ex Harold Kidd

This image is reversed. T M Lane & Sons built her for C.A. Whitney of the Colonial Ammunition Co in December 1905. CAC had done rather well out of supplying .303 ammunition for the Boer War. She was originally fitted with a single 50hp (rated) Monarch engine but that was replaced by twin Antoinette aircraft-type V8s of 55hp each in late 1907. They were English-made by Adams & Co and were set up in line to drive in tandem, the forward one being de-clutched for economy running.

In the image, Whitney is taking the current Governor-General Lord Plunket for a blast around the Waitemata. She caught fire in her shed at Ngapipi Road in December 1916 and was completely destroyed.

Update #2

She did 17 knots on the Monarch, 24 knots on the two V8s (reputedly). The forward V8 was taken out and kept as a spare but she still did 17 knots with just one. I am sad that there is no recording of the sound she made at max (1400) revs on the two 7 litre side valve 90 degree Antoinettes, 2 V8s wuffling away like caged lions.The Adams-built Antoinettes had a reputation for breaking crankshafts but that doesn’t seem to have afflicted Grey Witch.

PS The Antoinettes had an early form of fuel injection which makes sense in an aircraft engine.

Gay Dawn

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GAY DAWN

The 34′ Lidgard designed bridge decker, built by Bill Waters 1953. Very similar to Monterey & like Monterey started out with varnished coaming, have to say I think they suit her (& Monterey) better than the paint.

12-01-2016 Photos below from during the build & launching period c1947>1953.

Note refer comments section for more details on her past

(L>R) Bill & Bryan Waters c1947/48
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn building
Gay Dawn launch day
Gay Dawn just launched c1953 Okahu Bay

In the days before travel lifts & floating docks

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In the days before travel lifts & floating docks

In the days before travel lifts & floating docks

Boat maintenance was a lot cheaper in the early days, you could just head into Judges Bay, point the bow to the shore & power up, a couple of lengths of 4″x2″ & just wait for the tide to go out.

Launches & Yacht at Tauranga Regatta

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Launches & Yacht at Tauranga Regatta

Would be interested to hear if anyone has another view but pretty sure these photos are from the Tauranga Regatta that used to follow the Auckland to Tauranga race in the late 1920’s – 1930’s.

The Guthrie family launch Alcestis (now Raiona) can be seen heading towards the bridge between the white hulled yacht & the bigger dark hulled steamer??. What made the ID easy was that Roger & Graham Guthrie’s grandfather (Hugh Douglas Guthrie) always wore either a captains hat or as in the case here – a white Panama hat.

 photos ex Roger Guthrie