Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Rehutai

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REHUTAI
details & photos ex Vinings Brokers ex Ken Rickets

If you believe the brokers listing Rehutai was built by Lanes in 1960…………….  She is 43ft x approx 13ft 6in, carvel kauri hull, powered by a 120hp Ford diesel. Currently based in Waikawa.
Ken questions the 1960 launch date as he recalls her from the 1950’s & she was not ‘new’ then. Open for discussion but Kens view is she looks early to mid 1930’s & could even be earlier than that??
Any input / details would be appreciated.

Note – there was several steamers called Rehutai

Harold Kidd Update

Thank goodness Ken has learned to be more cautious with his prognostications. The owner should add not a “II” but probably a “VI” to her name to satisfy Ken’s obsession over names, because REHUTAI was a popular name for NZ launches, up and down the country.
I have told the owner of this boat her provenance, but he doesn’t believe me. He believes his own myths and maybe you can see why when the full facts are revealed.
This particular REHUTAI started life as an amateur-built 35 footer, partially built  by a chap called Elley in Ponsonby who sold her to J.P. Aldred of Ponsonby. He had her finished off (most likely by Collings & Bell) and launched her in December 1919 as IRIHAPETI (maori for “Elizabeth”) powered by a 30hp Doman supplied by Collings & Bell. Aldred sold her to H.F. Butler of Remuera in November 1921 to commute to his property on Browns Island. Butler changed her name to NOMAD and kept her until about 1929, having repowered her with a 56hp Ferro around 1925. He sold her to Nops who sold her to W.E. Fullerton of Remuera in 1931. Fullerton sold her to Stan Parker in 1935 and he had her converted to her present configuration by Lidgards who added 7 feet to her amidships, taking her out to 42ft., renaming her ARAWA and having a 65/90 Deutz diesel installed.
After WW2 she was renamed REHUTAI.
Now who would believe that??

Sir Francis

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Sir Francis Lake Taupo 2013

SIR FRANCIS

photo & details ex Paul Drake

The above photo of Sir Francis was taken at Taupo in 2013. She was built by Collings and Bell in 1916. Sir Francis is 22′ in length & is powered by a  Universal Utility Four, dating from 1937. She is a very lucky boat as she lives in a boat shed on Lake Taupo.

One of the amazing things about Sir Francis is that she has had the same owners (the Drake Family) for 75 years.

Mason Marlin

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MASON MARLIN
photos ex Sven Baker

Following along from the recent Mason Clipper posting we had, todays boat is a Mason Marlin that Sven restored in 2013.

Any more of these classics hiding out there? Photos & details please.

ps Sven previously owned the rather nice Ranui – a 1947 Lidgard. Enter Ranui in the ww search box to view.

click photos to enlarge

Lake Taupo c.1950’s

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Lake Taupo c.1950’s.

photo ex Paul Drake

This photo appeared on a postcard & shows two boats that have recently featured on ww – Lady Pat & Moana.

Also in the picture, on moorings, in line astern are  – Kotare (steel), Arcadia and Kahurangi.

Arcadia is still on Lake Taupo – with new cabin. Kahurangi was last seen at Mana, Paremata, also with new cabin. KOTARE is still at Lake Taupo.

The vessel poking out of the boat shed is Water Nymph now restored and at Lake Rotioti.

Woody Report From A Far

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Woody Report From A Far

At great expense to the ww budget I have one of my cub reporters currently swanning around the USA at present. Todays report is from the Sausalito Marina in San Francisco.
The shed photos are from the Spaulding Wooden Boat Centre, feed back from Colin Pawson is that like NZ there are very few wooden boatbuilders and not a lot of new work, mainly maintenance.
The sign on the bow of the yacht is interesting – click the photo to enlarge.

ps sorry for the late post- in a bay with no cell coverge 🙂

Awaroa

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Awaroa at Rawene c.1950’s
Awaroa at Thames 2014

AWAROA

photos & details from Geoff Brebner

This old ship has a long history. Unsure of the dates but she was built by Joe Fell on the Hokianga and was owned by Bert ( H. A. ) Subritzky for many years. She is pictured at Rawene in the 1950’s, that is Bert Subritzky you can see at the wheelhouse door. Bert moved to Auckland in 1956 with Awaroa and the barge Maggie and set up Tamaki Water Transport at Pakuranga, later becoming Subritzky Shipping Line.

Awaroa is still alive and well at Thames in a ‘berth’ on the Kauaeranga River just downstream from the road bridge going into town.

Thames has a interesting collection of old launches – Inverness, now firmly hemmed in by the rampant mangroves. She was formerly Awhitu and Geoff recalls her as a passenger launch on the Manukau Harbour. Geoff worked for Subritzky for a number of years mostly on the vehicular ferries and became very familiar with the wooden Romo and Maro.

07-01-2016 photo of Awaroa at Manaia, Coromandel ex Peter Croft. Those windows would have to win the TV1 and TV2 award e.g. widescreen TV’s 🙂

Awaroa

17-10-2018 Input from Geoff Brebner -, who sent in another photo, below, of Awaroa, seen here recently in Thames. She is powered by a 4cyl. Ford diesel.

Awaroa 003

 

Maristella

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MARISTELLA

Info from Harold Kidd & Mark McLaughlin

Maristella was a 40 footer, built by Sam Ford in December 1936 for Mr R.W. Wills of Epsom and fitted with a 50hp Ailsa Craig diesel. During WW2 RNZN patrol service she was fitted with a Gray for spares rationalization purposes.

Maristella was for sale recently and was advertised as having a 4-71 Detroit. She was renamed “Faye Michelle” for a time and has now reverted back to Maristella.

The b/w photo shows her on launch day & minus the flying bridge.

New photos – 12/08/2014

20-09-2023 UPDATE ex John Wicks – Maristella spotted berthed at Hobsonville Marina

Lanai

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LANAI

photos & details from trademe

LANAI was built by Lanes for Frank Pidgeon of the Ace Tyre Company in 1949. Frank was shifted from Christchurch to run their Auckland operation in the late 1920s and had a succession of great launches. Frank owned her until 1953 when Vic Bedford bought her. In 1965 R E Thomas and J S Menzies owned her. She was first registered with the APYMBA with a single 106hp Graymarine and with dimensions 32’6″x 31’6″x10’6″x2’9″.

She originally had 2 x 6 cyl. Graymarine petrol engines, but is now re-powered with 2 x 4 cyl. Leyland diesels.
She is  presently berthed in Tauranga, owned by a Mr Neil, previous owners include Owen Johnson, who had her for many years & kept her at Coromandel & sometimes at Ngatea, where he was a panel beater. Owen Johnson sold her to  Rotorua owner, who sold her to Mr Neil.

In her original form, there was no fly bridge & the coamings were a fairly light coloured varnish. Another great example of the Lane craftsmanship

12-09-2016 – Updated photos

Freelance

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FREELANCE
Photos & details from Nigel Drake (owner)
Freelance was designed and built in 1964 by Owen Woolley for Ken Williams, an Auckland builder (Nigel thinks from Papakura).
She lived on a mooring in the Clevedon river but spent the summers in Tutukaka where she was well known with the game fishing fraternity. In 1978 Ken built Freelance II, a 45 foot Salthouse design (now also in Tauranga) and sold Freelance to Richie Hoban of Tauranga. Richie owned her for 32 years until his death in 2010. During the 32 years the family owned her they spent nearly every summer on the boat in the Mercury Islands and Great Barrier.
In 2010 she was put up for sale and Nigel purchased her in 2011. After a major refit she now continues to live in the Tauranga Marina at Sulphur Point and cruises the northern coast during the summer.

as always click photos to enlarge

Is This The Future?

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Is This The Future?

ESC. KEY

Esc.Key is a new solar electric riverboat recently launched by Denman Marine Australia.

The initial design brief was for a river launch that was similar in concept to the early 20th century Noosa River putt-putt boats which had a hard top to keep the harsh Queensland sun at bay.

The boat is constructed from strip plank western red cedar on celery top pine structural timbers. Fit out is Tasmanian blackwood and Huon pine. Decks and sole are laid teak. The hard top is 25mm core cell foam/western red cedar and celery top pine. She has a beautiful birds eye Huon pine table aft that lowers to form a day bed for those lazy afternoons.

She is powered by a Mastervolt Drive Master ultra 3.5kw 48V AC motor which pushes her along at a nice cruise speed of 4.5kts with max speed 6.5kts. She has a 450Ah 48V AGM battery bank which is fed by 1000 watts of thin film, high output Solbianflex solar panels on the hard top. At full charge, the boat is energy neutral at 4kts.

The engine was small enough to have it completely below the sole and the set allows you to cruise along with no noise/fumes or the smell of diesel, definitely the way of the future.

DESIGN SPECS

LOA (feet): 23′

0″
Beam (feet): 8′

4″
Type/Rig/Power: electric powered river launch
Home Port: Noosa, Queensland , Australia
Designer Name: David Payne/Imagineocean Yacht Design/Denman Marine
Builder Name: Denman Marine
Launching Date: February 18, 2014