Category Archives: Launches

Juanita

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Juanita

JUANITA – 36 ft built by Allan Williams at Milford Creek for Cyril Bertrand of Bell Rd Remuera in 1950/51 had Osco converted Ford V8 originally — now 6 cyl Ford. Supposed to be sister ship to Aoma also built by Williams.Photo Ponui Island c.1952.

Update from Ken Ricketts (01/06/2013)

JUANITA; ( Pronounced jew-a-neat-a, by the original owners)
 A sister ship to Aoma, built a year or 2 later, circa 1953, also built at Milford Creek, by Alan Williams, for Cyril Bertrand, a clothing retailer of Auckland City, who lived in Bell Rd Remuera. She was originally powered by a mid blue painted, Osco converted, Ford V8, under a box, as with Aoma, in the same position, which perhaps may have been just a tad too far forward, as she tended to look as if she was perhaps burying her bow just slightly, at speed.
The Bertands were family friends, & we cruised most weekends with them, for 4 or 5 years, when I was a lad, until they sold her. As you will see, in the above pic., I took in North Harbour Ponui Island, circa 1955, She did not have a sweep in the deck, but interior layout was almost identical, to AOMA.
When she was sold, she lived for a good number of years, at the Sandspit Warkworth, had a 6 cyl For Diesel fitted, & was maintained I believe, by Lees Boatbuilders, for the then owners, in very original condition, as at that time.
Have not seen or heard of her, for a number of years, so perhaps others could fill in the gaps, & drop me an email to kenpat@ihug.co.nz
Update 18/06/13
Juanita was owned by Ernest & Rae  Blumenthal from circa the mid
60s to the 1990s I was told today, by a friend who knew her very well, when they had her.
She had a 6 cyl Lees Ford the entire time of ownership by the Blumenthals.Mr  Blumenthal died, & Mrs Blumenthal retained her for a period after his
death, & then sold to a butcher called “Nick” …??? & she moved to
Mahurangi.She appears to have later moved to Taupo, because she was seen for sale on Trade Me,” at Taupo, post 2000, & was seen not too long after that, passing through Warkworth on a transporter, going North, & I now suspect, she is in the B.O.I area. — Have a sleuth keeping an eye out up there, for me.

Faye (LADY FAYE)

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FAYEFaye

FAYE – 32 ft Owned & built by Fred Steel of Bayswater in 1948 (one of 2, the other, Adara, owned by Des Donovan & (Andy’s brother). Both were built by “20th Century Boats” (Steele & Donovan) in Sydney St Takapuna. Adara was later lengthened by 6 feet.

Faye originally had a Willys Jeep 4cyl petrol engine which F. Steel later replaced with a 6 cyl Hercules diesel. He owned her for many years. Very roomy for 32 ft. We cruised with them most weekends in the 50s when my parents had Juliana.

photo & story by Ken Ricketts

Faye & Adara

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Faye & Adara

FAYE & ADARA – The twins, as mentioned above. Together c1954 in Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island. They were 2 of the biggest volume, roomy, & well planned for living, 32 footers I have ever seen, that sat well in the water & slid along beautifully tidily in the water at about 8 knots cruising speed.

The interior living space was unbelievable. — FAYE even had a large full boat width, owners stateroom, with full double bed in the aft end of the boat, — a rare luxury in that day & age of vessels under 40 ft, in my experience. a wonderful comfortable boat for longer cruises. Both were built by “20th Century Boats” (Steele & Donovan) in Sydney St Takapuna. Adara was later lengthened by 6 feet.

Kaikoura

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KAIKOURA BON ACCORD KAWAU CIRCA 1984Kaikoura

KAIKOURA, Built by P Vos to a Hacker design in1952 for Alf Crawford owner of E Le Roy canvas goods retailers. Originally had 2 x Kermath Seamate Specials 165 hp each — went very quickly (I had a trip one day Easter 1954 when I was 18 years old — see pic of me on board, pic also of the original owner Alf Crawford & his son Cameron & my parents & me on deck Easter 1954). Engines were replaced by Bridgefords of Mission Bay, who bought her later, with 2 x Perkins 165hp V8s — colour pic was taken with Perkins engines in Bon Accord, Kawau Island, c1985.

photos & story ex Ken Ricketts

EL CAPITAN

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EL CAPITAN

EL CAPITAN. This boat has a fascinating story. A genuine Chris Craft design & specs, built of 2 skins mahogany in 1960 on his farm, by the owner at Ohakea. Still has original 2 x 6cyl 90hp Chrysler Crown Petrol engines (still only done 750 hours since new). Was used on Taupo & at the Sounds from 1960 to 1974 & then put back in shed at Ohakea for maintenance & never moved until owner died & she was sold to Tony Mitchell a professional self employed boat builder at Lake Rotoiti 8 years ago who has restored her beautifully in his spare time. She was relaunched Dec. 2012 & had been in the water 3 minutes when this pic was taken — I was at the relaunching at Lake Rotoiti.
She had never had a call sign, as the original owner was radio ham & used his ham call sign for marine use. —
I was instrumental in Radio Spectrum Management allocating ZMEC to her for life.

photo & story by Ken Ricketts

Barbara W & Juliana

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Barbara W & Juliana

Barbara W & Juliana tied to Russell Wharf c.1952, on deck of Barbara W are Harry & June Julian (owner of Barbara W’s son) at that time, Fred & Agnes Steel owners of “FAYE” at that time & Ralph & Wyn Ricketts owners of JULIANA — 2 of 9 boats doing a Northern cruise in company under the guiding hand of Harry J who was a commercial skipper on his family tugs plying the coast mostly for sand & he was an absolutely brilliant seaman – he died a few months ago in his 80s (Barbara W had an 8 L3 Gardner Diesel & Juliana had a 6cyl Leyland Diesel)
photo & copy by Ken Ricketts

Juliana

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JULIANA; Built 1930 by Sam Ford owned by Ralph & Wyn Ricketts from 1946 to 1956. She originally had a 4cyl “T” head Thornycroft petrol engine circa 1920s, this was replaced by Ralph in 1947 with a 6 cyl Leyland Cub Diesel, & again in 1956  with 4 cyl Buda Diesel. She went to Whangarei for a few years when sold & then to the Algie family at Algies Bay from about 1972 to 1995 — they replaced the Buda with a 6 cyl Ford. She was sold to a fisherman in New Plymouth for several years & ended up back at Tamaki River about 2006 as a bare hull absolutely nothing in her. Bought by present owner Fraser Wilson who is in the final stages of major restoration /rebuild on her with an unbelievable transformation. One pic of her is taken in Judges Bay by the Parnell baths in 1947, by Ken Ricketts, a few months after his parents bought her & had given her a fairly major refurb at that time & the other is of her a few months ago during her restoration, in the boatbuilders, Tony Mitchell’s shed at Lake Rotoiti where she will live, when back in the water.
photos & copy by Ken Ricketts

Waitangi – the motor launch

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Waitangi - the motor launch

Waitangi, the motor launch was built by Bailey & Lowe as Karamana in late 1923 to a design by Hacker and originally had a Green 6 cylinder aero engine. As you can see from the photo she was one of the ‘quicks’.

Photo as Karamana below – read H Kidd reply for details

Karamanaa

Zoom Zoom – Hogan runabout

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Garth Hogan restored Runabout Jan 29 2013Zoom Zoom - Hogan runabout

The runabout above was built by Ted Hogan & recently restored by his grandson Garth Hogan. The Hogan family including Garth’s Dad Ron, have a long history of preparing the Ford flathead V8 engines that power the boat. In the past most of the go-fast speedway race cars at Western Springs & Waikaraka Pack were running engines tuned by the Hogan’s.

Harold Kidd commented on the CYA forum that his “1930 Ford roadster pickup was putting out 85 bhp at the back wheels on a dyno with standard carb and exhaust manifold. Unbelievable power and torque for a side-valver. It had a wild cam, lightweight invar strut pistons and huge valves and looked like a bog standard 40 bhp Model A engine at a casual glance (apart from the finned alloy Hogan head) but had that really magnificent Model C truck block with fully circular webs. I had it balanced at Air New Zealand so it revved like a banshee and was turbine-smooth.”