CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TUWHARETOA AT LAKE TAUPO

Last week WW was contacted by Sharron French who during a review of her parents photo album and came across a couple of photos of her Dad on a boat named TUWHARETOA  at Lake Taupo. The date would have been in the early > mid 1950s.Sharron did a quick google search and up popped the WW site and an article mentioning a boat of this name.

Reviewing the WW stories, the first one from June 2014, there was speculation that TUWHARETOA in a previous life may have been named – DAWN, but at the time Harold Kidd commented “I reckon TUWHARETOA could have been a different launch because she was owned by Sam Crowther who advertised her for hire only from February to May 1923, although it may have been a brief change of name.”

Then in June 2020 in another mystery launch story Paul Drake identified the launch in that story as being named RHODESIA, HDK commented that there had been talk that RHODESIA may have been TUWHARETOA, Paul relied “The idea that RHODESIA became TUWHARETOA is very interesting and quite possible. I remember her in the 1950’s. She had a raised cabin, to the full width of the original cabin, which was very well done. To my eye, she was a looker.” 

Well looking at todays top photo, the launch certainly is a looker.

So woodys – the question today, probablybest answered by Paul Drake is – does today’s launch photos answer any of the confusion re DAWN / RHODESIA / TUWHARETOA.

Input ex Paul Drake – According to the book ‘Boats of Taupo’, published by the Taupo Museum, RHODESIA did indeed become DAWN and then TUWHARETOA. These photos are really interesting and show TUWHARETOA possibly when under the ownership of Ralph Ward, who purchased her in 1939. Ralph had come to Taupo for his health in 1918, having been gassed (and having contracted tuberculosis) in WW1. With no petrol being available for pleasure boats during WW2, Ralph replaced the petrol hungry 6 cylinder Studebaker with a single cylinder San Francisco Standard salvaged from the local boatyard, and converted it to run on unrationed kerosene. Ralph was clearly a good keen man. The previously quick DAWN became the very slow TUWHARETOA, but meant that the Ward family could spend days in the Western Bays, without encountering another boat. Later, a twin cylinder version of the San Francisco Standard was installed. Also able to run on kerosene, this heavy beast meant that she could achieve ‘about 8 knots’. That is what it says in the book, but 8 knots is unlikely, in my view. Sold by Ward in the 1950’s, she remained at Taupo until the late 50’s or early 60’s and then disappeared – said to have gone to Napier for refurbishing. Someone must know more! Thanks to Sharron French for sharing the photos. They have made my day.