Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Orari II

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ORARI II (MYSTERY LAUNCH 11-03-2016)
photos ex Robin Elliott

Another mystery launch post & if they are all as cool as this one, there will be more 🙂

Robin has sent me a collection of launch photos from the Whangarei Cruising Club Collection, as far as Robin knows, all are from the 1940’s early 1950’s & and were taken by Palmer Photography in Whangarei (1910-1999). Most by the late Graeme Palmer and possibly some older ones by his father.

So woodys who can ID this one? ITS ORARI II

Update from Robin Elliott

Orari II was featured in Sea Spray August 1960 when owned by Harry Julian. While I see similarities in the hull, the cabin (with venetian blinds – Luxaflex no doubt) is quite different, having been pushed forward right to the mast.
Does this still match with your opinions of those original pix being Orari II?

Orari II

07-07-2018 Input from Ken Ricketts (edit by Alan H)

My parents I knew Harry & June & Harry’s late father Lance, & their children well.  C.1948 we cruised with them, when he used take the BARBARA W, one of his father’s tugs, away for Christmas cruises, photo below of our boat JULIANA tied to BARBARA W, one Christmas in the 1950s.

Harry shepherded 9 of us in our boats, from Kawau, in to every nook & cranny, as far as the B.O.I. Later ORARI II was his first launch of his own, he told us the story of the Fisher owner/builder facts, & that she had been kept in a shed a Whangarei all her life, & he was just her second owner, & she of had the 2 Chrysler Royals, which stayed there, for many years.

He kept her at Okahu / Hobson Bay & only sold her when he replaced her with the HAUNUI, ORAR II passed to Harold Parkinson, who maintained her just as beautifully as the Fishers & Harry, before him. She was always impeccable.

I saw her on a hardstand a few year back post 2000 & sadly the varnish had gone & she was looking quite a  lot the worse for wear sadly, but hopefully sounds as if she has had some much needed T.L.C. more recently.

Also recall is that she eventually had the Chryslers replaced with 2 BMC 4 cyl diesels & if she has Perkins now,  I think these must have been a subsequent replacement.

Update May 2021 – photo below, ex Dean Wright, of Orari II moored at Waitangi, Bay of Islands.

Rongotai

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RONGOTAI – Mystery Launch 09-03-2016
photo ex Robin Elliott

The answer is Rongatai – details in the Comments Section

Long over due for a serious mystery launch post. Robin has sent me a collection of photos from the Whangarei Cruising Club Collection, as far as Robin knows, all are from the 1940’s early 1950’s & and were taken by Palmer Photography in Whangarei (1910-1999). Most by the late Graeme Palmer and possibly some older ones by his father.

So woodys who can ID this one? I’ll give a Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade 2016 Calendar to the first correct answer, backed up with some form of proof & for the record neither Robin or myself know anything about the launch.

Note: Ken R – you only get one attempt, you can’t blast out 5 names & expect to win if one of them is correct 😉

Typhoon – Sailing Sunday

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TYPHOON – Sailing Sunday
photos ex Kerry Pearson, details ex Lin Pardey via Harold Kidd

Typhoon she was built by Fellows and Stuart Shipyard, Los Angeles Harbour, probably 1938 or so, & has been moored in North Cove at Kawau Island for 10+ years, slowly deteroiating. Many have offered advice that due to her fastenings (galvanised nails) the surrounding timber was so badly rotten the vessel was beyond saving. On top of this her cabin sides and deck structures are also rotting.

Sometimes there is a fairy godmother out there & Lin reports that she has been purchased by one of the Kawau Island ferry skippers & he processes  skills & experience to look at her & decide if its do-able or just best to save all the good hardware for the next project. Will be interesting to near the outcome.

Any one able expand on her history?

Lady Mae (Antipodes)

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Lady Mae

LADY MAE (Antipodes)
photo & details ex Evening Post (paperspast) via Peter Loughlin

The above press clipping shows Lady Mae moored at Port Nicholson just after her arrival from Auckland in late November 1939. She was purchased by a Mr L Boielle, who renamed her Antipodes. At the time of her trip from Auckland to Wellington, under the command of Auckland yachtsman Mr D Wellington, she probably set a record for the passage for a craft of her size. Powered by a 38h.p. Ailsa Craig diesel engine, she did the journey in 76 hours. In my eyes a very pretty & sensible  launch.

Anyone able to enlighten us on what became of her in Wellington & later years. And if she is still around today?

Harold Kidd Update

I don’t know her origins (yet) but she was owned by Herbert Walker in Auckland in 1938 as LADY MAE, obviously then a recent rename. Walker sold her to Boielle of Wellington and he commissioned Dick Wellington to deliver her to Wellington. Dick had just got back from a Pacific cruise in his ketch SEAWARD and was waiting to go into the RNZAF. He was later killed on operations over Germany.
Boielle renamed her ANTIPODES but sold her to the Police in 1941 for use by the waterfront police at Lyttelton and sailed down in November. In 1943 she was chartered to the RNZN for boom defence work at Wellington . After WW2 she was retained by the Gorvernment, renamed ROTOMAHANA and used as by the Tourist Dept on Lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera.
She was 34’x9’6″.

PS Herbert Walker was a well-known dentist in Auckland. With his brother J.M. Walker, Herbert owned several launches including the 27ft DRAYTON built for them in late 1912 by H.N. Burgess of Judges Bay and the second 35ft DRAYTON built in 1916. In 1939, Herbert Walker was Commodore of the NZ Power Boat Ass which changed its name that year to the Auckland Motor Yacht Club.
I still can’t figure out the builder of LADY MAE, but she did have that name as early as 1935.
I suspect that LADY MAE is involved in the complex swapping and renaming of launches between the Walkers, with their DRAYTONs, David Teed, with his MAUDE T’s, W A Wilkinson, with his SPEEDWELLs and H.D. Heather, with his ROTHESAYs which is a nightmare.
Herbert Walker married Mary May Henderson in 1927. Just maybe she’s named after her?
Work in progress…..

A Salty Little Place – Port Motueka

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A Salty Little Place – Port Motueka
photos ex Daniel Renall

Dan, owner of the very beautiful & slippery classic yacht Jonquil* sent in the above gallery of photos from his recent trip south. They showcase a collection of the classic craft moored at the Port Motueka marina. As I jokingly commented to Dan, if you owned the varnish franchise for the area you would go broke very quickly 🙂
Some have been featured on ww before but if a southern woody is looking in on ww today, it would be nice to ID some of the vessels.

* check out Dan’s recent re-fit of Jonquil http://classicyacht.org.nz/cyaforum/topic/jonquil-winter-work-2015/

Remember to drop into ww on Sunday, I have a great post on the history behind the Okura gigs. A great read & lots of photos.

St Ayles Skiffs

You may recall a few weeks ago that ww featured the recent Raid NZ that took place in & around the greater Auckland area. The event featured the increasing popular St Ayles rowing skiffs. One of the international rowers was Murdo Macleod – click the link below to see Murdo’s photo essay of the event. You will quickly discover that Murdo is a professional photographer. This essay appeared in the UK newspaper/online ‘The Guardian’, some great coverage for the event & NZ.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2016/feb/25/coastal-rowing-new-zealand-kiwi-st-ayles-skiff-raid

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OLIVE (Tokatea > Enna De > Waitika)

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OLIVE (Tokatea > Enna De > Waitika)
photo & details ex Baden Pascoe

Today’s post is of the very stunning small seiner, Olive, built for Morgan Hayward by Ernie Harvey. Morgan owned or was a partner in one of the Thames “Fish Sheds” as they called them in the old days. (Shortland Fish Co Ltd). Olive was later purchased by Sanfords.
Baden thinks in the above photo, Ernie is the man under the boat with braces on.

I’m not sure if she was christened Tokatea when launched or if that was a later name change. Tokatea is the name of the mountain ridge between Coromandel town and Kennedy Bay. In the 1870’s Tokatea was the site of extensive gold-mining activity.

Baden does not know her launching date & is keen to learn more about Olive & what became of her.

Input from Harold Kidd

Lovely image of OLIVE. According to Chris Rabey, who knew her well, and please amplify these comments, Ray, Ernie Harvey built OLIVE in 1934 at Thames (I would have thought a shade earlier, perhaps). Anyway she was registered as suitable for wartime purposes as OLIVE in 1940 No. TS21 owned by L.M. Hayward of Thames with a 44hp Kelvin and dimensions of 43’x11’x4′.
She became TOKATEA much later when bought by the Government as a Fisheries Patrol vessel. Later again (about 1965) Bert Subritzky bought her and renamed her ENNA DE after his wife, the former Enna De Vera Davenport. I think it was then that Chris was on her.
I identified her, with Chris’ help, derelict at Lake Dunstan in 2008 and later at Oamaru in 2011, renamed WAITIKA.

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Below is a photo of Ernie Harvey on his 80th birthday.

Ernest-80th birthday

Photo of Olive/Tokatea at Thames c.1950’s ex Geoff Brebner

Tokatea

05-03-2016  Input from Baden Pascoe

Fore foot is exactly same profile as boat in photo. Just remember she has been built up, note the change in angle of tumble home, a sure sign of an extra plank.

23-05-2016 Photo below of Tokatea at Whangarei 1952 ex Geoff Brebner

Tokatea Whangarei 1952

Rautangi

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RAUTANGI
photos & detail ex Nathan Herbert & trademe

Rautangi was built by Collings & Bell c.1935/36 for Mr. L. Steriker. She measures 37′ x 9’6″ x 2’8″ & is currently midway thru a major refit happening at Katikati in the Bay of Plenty. There is a 120hp diesel sitting in her at present. Owner needs to move her on due to ill health, details can be found on trademe.

As launch she was a very smart launch, nice project for someone.

16-08-2018 Update from Nigel Boyd

“Hi all
We have just purchased the Rautangi a kauri bridge decker featured on this website. She has been moved to my property 425 Krippner Road, Puhoi.

She was completely gutted and partly repaired by the pervious owner. I am told that she has been out of the water for 7 years.

We seek as much advice as possible on how to get her back into a usable state again. We have no previous experience in restoring wooden boats and done much reading on the internet. However, many conflicting views on how to do this properly has left us undecided on the way forwards.

I would much appreciate any guidance and advice on this project.

We welcome any visits from those who would like to see her and share their wisdom.

Regards
Nigel and Kim Boyd
0222596472

Quest II – Sailing Sunday

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QUEST II – Sailing Sunday
photo & details ex Dean Wright

The above photos were taken by Dean in August 2012, at the time Quest II had been moored in Opito Bay for a couple of seasons.
What she is & where she is now is a mystery – anyone able to contribute ?

ps I know I’m stretching the sailing angle but there is some canvas on her 😉

Thames Mystery Launch

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Thames Mystery Launch
photo ex Gwenyth Herbert

Gwenyth took the above photo back in April 2015 of this launch ‘resting’ in the Thames mud.
She looks to be biggish old girl & has a serious case of the live-aboard look 🙂

So woodys anyone out there able to shine some light on this vessel?

Dietrich

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DIETRICH
photos & details ex John Burland

Todays post features the vessel Dietrich, moored at Marahau. To save you google earthing it – Marahau is a small settlement approx 19km north of Motueka in the South Island. In fact its the gateway to the Able Tasman National Park.
Dietrich is owned by Mike Perry & is supposed to be around 100 years old. There’s a story that she was owned by a woman of Maori royal heritage on Durville Island, who on the morning after her wedding night and after being pushed out of bed by her new husband and told to make breakfast, swam 2km across the channel to home. Reconciliation and 13 children supposedly followed
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Almost definitely a name change at some stage, if you zoom in you’ll see an illustration of Marlene D on the exhaust stack.
There is a lovely canoe stern hull under that cabin & while a later addition its not too OTT.

Anyone able to shed more light on Dietrich?