MOVARIE
story & photos ex Russell Ward
Bridgedecker “Movarie” was built for W Macpherson by W & G Lowe St. Marys Bay and launched in 1938. I was told that she was largely the work of Cyril Tercel (Lew’s brother) who was not long out of his time. The Motor Boat and Yachting 17 June 1938 article records that she was built as a “game fishing vessel and was very successful”. It seems that WW2 got in the way of Macpherson’s plans and HDK elicited that he apparently died in 1953 back in England.
We are not sure of the origin of her name –Macpherson’s house in the UK was called “Movarie”. I had always assumed the name was a contraction of the daughters’ names -as were many boats names– but not so. Doubtless Harold will find out in time.
Macpherson sold “Movarie” to Vic and Robbie Sanders not long after launching and they had the wheelhouse lowered and a dodger put aft. It gave her a purposeful, striking and handsome appearance, but IMHO she is not pretty. Her hull is gorgeous though.
“Movarie” was chartered to the navy and served on offshore patrol duties for the duration of the war. The second picture shows her in this role. .
After the war, the Sanders kept her until 1956 and later bought “Lady Crossley”. “Mpvarie” kept her original 40hp Russell Newberry engines until 1960 when they were replaced with Fords. One of them still survives albeit rather rusty. You can still buy them in the UK though very expensively. Lovely engines and easy to live with, popular with the barge people. Despite what you might expect, her shafts were inward turning –outward turning gives maneuverability, inward gives power. Anyway she would handle as a twin-screw boat but just more ponderously. Our RNZN minesweepers “Inverell”, “Kiama”, “Echuca” and “Stawell” had the same arrangement and were a handful too as many captains found.
We owned “Movarie” for five years from 1996 –you will recall that, in another Woodies entry, I blamed my buying a fizz boat on Andrew Johns and “Ruamano”. I was sad that the last surviving Sanders brother had died not long before. His son John said he would have been delighted to talk about her and gave me a lot of information and a few family photos.
Frustrated by her run down state and machinery, I took her out of the water for a couple of months early ’97. I replaced the flogged out Fords with newer ones and took the opportunity to replace the fuel tanks, the tops of which were rusted through. I put new steering gear in, attended to some interior woodwork and generally tidied her up. I also put her back to the original type masts.
She is a magnificent sea boat we enjoyed her company.
09-04-2016 – photo added – Movarie & unknown game fishing boat. Photo ex Hylton Edmonds via Ken R.
Lady Gay – as always looking like the lady she is.
KARAMANA II
I have always known her as just Karamana, but I guess she has to be Karamana II, as I’ve now read this morning, the original one, which was built for the Cadman family in the 1920s. has been created before her. The name, I read also, is, to quote, a “pig Maori,” interpretation of the name “Cadman.” — lovely name anyway, sounds good.
KARAMANA II is a WW II 105 ft Fairmile converted to a pleasure craft circa 1945-46 by the Cadman family powered by 2 x 6-71 GM Detroit diesels, or the Graymarine version of them, & was undoubtedly, the very best pleasure craft Fairmile conversion, I ever saw. From the outside she was, in my view, aesthetically lovely. I took this pic circa1948 on her moorings in Hobson Bay. She was always immaculate & hardly used, Disappeared from there in the early 1950s, & I never saw her again — I think perhaps she may have gone to the Pacific Islands.
Any news anyone has would be great, just email me at kenpat@ihug.co.nz
story & pic ex Ken Ricketts
Harold Kidd Update
Andy Ryland was my uncle. This Fairmile was sold to his mate Cadman after Andy was killed in the NAC Lodestar crash at Paraparaumu. Bob McDougall’s book tells the story about Fairmiles more than adequately.
Built in 1929, by Chas. Bailey & Son for Mr H R Jenkins, who did well making rubber products for the milking industry. She has had a few additions since then 😦
She had Cummins diesel when new.
The early pic is scanned from the book by Jenkins’s daughter. The other pic is a wartime Navy pic.
ATALANTA (Rotoiti)
Unsure of builder, approx. 40 ft . When Ken Ricketts first saw her in 1946-47 she was called Rotoiti & owned by a Larry Johnston owner of Johnston Blue Motors the airport transport bus service providers for Auckland & she was called the ROTOITI. He owned her from at least the mid 40s through to the 50s, he recalls she had a 6 cyl Kermath petrol engine. Kept in quite good condition & used fairly regularly.
Her original, “real” name, was ATLANTA, & it was not until Ken came in contact with her again many years later, in the 1980s, that he was told by the then owner, that they had removed all the old paint from the hull during a refurbishment, & discovered “ATLANTA” carved in to the tuck, in big letters about 1/2 inch deep. Unsure who changed it, or when the name was changed, but he feels by the look of her, she was probably built between 1933 & 1937, & it was probably changed in the later 30s or early 40s. Ken is pleased to say that the last time he saw her she was ATLANTA
REREMOANA
We know very little about her, except that she is another example of the Couldry excellence of design & build, circa 1936-38 lived in Westhaven in the 40s & early 50s right next to Tiromoana,
Ken Ricketts took this pic c.1948
Last saw her a few months ago, entering Gulf Harbour, sadly the lovely varnish has gone — not looking outstanding, but still recognisable.
Update 12/10/2013 – Colour photos ex Ken Ricketts, on-the- hard at Gulf Harbour. It upsets me when I see what ‘enhancements’ can do to a beautiful design……………. 😦 AH.
Update 26/06/2013 Launch Day photo ex Papers Past ex Harold Kidd referral.
A rare photo of Reremoana below as launched in November 1938, as a 28 footer, prior to being lengthened by 6′ & having a wheelhouse & raised top added by Lanes in September 1939.
Read the comments section, lots more info there.
I have to say, these Couldrey launches are starting to grow on me 🙂
12-01-2016 Photos below of her at Te Atatu Boating Club yard
07-08-2017 Photos below re-launched at TBC
Sept 2017 Out again at Te Atatu – photos ex Ken Rickets
Coquette, 1912 Logan designed . Coquette was used to take a mould off for the popular Logan 33 f/glass replicas e.g. Lucille, Lady Dorothy, Lynette.
The early shot ( with number 201) with dodger would have been taken c. 1926
Update from Robin Elliott
Coquette was launched as Doreen in 1912, built by Arch Logan for his brother Robert, who named her Doreen after their sister.By 1915 (??) she was named Haku & renamed Coquette c1923.That b&w photo above was taken c1942 or so and carries her wartime number.
Around 1945 Bill Couldrey (one of Arch Logan’s preferred boatbuilders) was asked to modernise the cabin and superstructure and this is what we see on her today. He got the curves and proportions just right. This revamped design of Bill Couldrey’s was also copied for the GRP Logan 33’s.
MATAROA. Owned by Ted Ward in the 1940s & 50s, photo taken in Matiatia in 1948 by Ken Ricketts. Possibly a Baileys boat, had a 6 Cyl Graymarine petrol engine. Not been seen for many a year – anyone able to advise her current status, location?
She appeals to me, looks as if she was fast.
Harold Kidd Update
MATAROA was built by Joe Slattery as KENYA for Len Heard of Parnell in 1928 with a 40/60 Ailsa Craig. So this pic is probably taken during Heard’s ownership ie 1938 or earlier. He sold her to Seagar and replaced her with KENYA II built for him by Lidgard Bros and delivered in early 1940.
The RNZAF took her to Fiji in1943 for towing at Lauthala Bay and put a 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown in her as the Ailsa Craig was thought to be on its last legs and for spares rationalisation.
08-01-2015 Updated Info from Kevin and Jan Price.
We owned her for a few years after purchasing her from Maurice Reynolds (of Auckland Coast Guard). I believe she is now in Wellington.
She was originally names Kenya. She was nearly named Kenya Mist after a book title that was popular during her build, but the name was considered too long so shortened.
She was designed to fit into Len’s boat shed and had a droopy sheer line forward to fit under the door lintel, but it looked horrible and false works were built to improve her forward end appearance.
When Len Heard (Heard’s Barley Sugar) sold her to the Seagers, Len kept the name for his new bigger launch and the Seagers named her Mataroa after a much enjoyed cruise on the liner Mataroa.
She saw war service in Fiji as RNZAF No W71 and was employed in the construction of the Lauthala Bay breakwater to shelter the flying boats and also the metalling of airfield hard standing for warbirds. To achieve this she towed three barges totaling 90 tons. I was told that some of her trips down the Suva river fully loaded was sometimes a finally tuned effort to keep her lined up and thru the bridge. I was told her engine was only a 30hp Ailsa Craig at that time. Her Cox was a young 18 year old with a Fijian boat boy. Somewhere at home I have a tape recording of his wartime exploits.
Under her paint forward are scribed roundel circles.
Under that paint on the transom is the imprint of a brass bowsprit star received when towing a string of yachts home following the Suva annual Pacific yacht race.
She was offered back to the Seagers after the war. When they went to look at her at Herald Is she was not in good order and considered not taking her back, but did.
I think the engine was replaced by a Crown then later by a 90hp Ford wet sleeve by the Reynolds. 8knots at 1900rpm. (One day in a fit of exuberance I pushed the throttle to the wall and the GPS recorded 14knts)
After a mishap when an accompanying launch lost her steering and rammed Mataroa broadside amidships and split her open from deck to waterline she was run up on a nearby beach. The hull was propped out with an array of timber posts and she was motored back for repairs by matching the waterline wave curve with the bottom of the broken planking
She underwent repairs and refit. During this refit her rear house top was raised 4” and her vertical shaft steering column and flat “ bus drivers” wheel was replaced with the current more conventional setup. The round ports in the saloon where changed to oval for improved interior lighting. The saloon was relined with oak paneling. The overhead was lined in white Seratone as trying to maintain any sort of finish on the underside of the cedar deck was not possible due to it’s continuous movement. This refit was during the Renold’s time.
Under the forward cabin sole is/was a large admiralty anchor, possibly an original. Under the cockpit sole is/was a spare five blade prop.
1” Carvel Kauri.
Spotted gum ribs.
Possibly Pohutakawa stem.
Cedar deck / cabin tops for light weight.
Cedar sole floor boards screwed one Kauri floors.
No frames.
Mid and aft bulkheads removable, to allow engine to be taken out aft.
Log is kauri boxed and pitch filled.
Her capstan motor was an aircraft starter motor and reduction box that finally gave up the ghost when we owned her.
300trl copper diesel tank at the transom. Copper water tanks under cockpit seating.
No ballast.
That’s all for now. When I eventually get home ( we haven’t been home for seven years) I will look for some old photos I have tucked away.
Regards,
Kevin and Jan Price.
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