Category Archives: Launches

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.”

Castaway (Islander) & Alofa comparison

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Castaway (Islander)
Alofa

Interesting comparison Castaway (Dick Lang) was launched in 1947 as “Islander”. Her sister ship Alofa was built by Sam Ford. Note the different bow, “Islander” has a clipper bow. photos – Castaway ex Alan Houghton, Alofa ex Ken Ricketts

Apache

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Apache 1
Apache 2

APACHE Had a 90 hp Chrysler Crown petrol engine, amateur built, in Captain Springs Rd Te Papapa in 1939, by the original owner, circa 1949 in Islington Bay, owned by Harold Parkinson a monumental mason of Symonds St Auck City.

text & photos by Ken Ricketts

Update 10/04/13 –  Harold Parkinson bought Orari II after selling Apache. A very nice boat and a bit unusual being such a large sedan launch. Most boats that size tended to be bridge deckers.