Ngarunui – 1967 Whangarei > Noumea Yacht Race Start The above launch appeared in a series of photos the Lew Redwood had on his fb, all taken in the days leading up to and including the 1967 Whangarei to Noumea yacht race.The boat looks very familiar to me, but before I make a fool of myself (again) I’ll call for input from the WW readers as to its identity.
The other day, Bay of Islands woody – Hylton Edmonds draw my attention to the May 2021 issue of the UK magazine Classic Boating and the editors (Stefan Meyric-Hughes) page 5 editorial column. Which I have reproduced below. I’m sure you will all agree with Hylton’s comment to me – “It’s succinct, brilliant, and a poignant reminder for all wooden boat “nutters“ around the world not least us in NZ who persevere under, at times seemingly, never ending odds, to final success and that long dream of re-launch day…“
EASTERN STAR DOUBLE OOPS The photos above, dated 1961, from the Nelson Photo News (via Lew Redwood) show the Nelson based launch Eastern Star after she was re-floated following a double collision with a rock off Harding Point. The vessel, owned by V. McAuley at the time, hit the rock and was holed. The crew managed to beach the boat but during the salvage operations, she hit again and sank – remember folks this was in the days before GPS, but still – twice!
Sitting in 30’ of water a team of divers assisted in bringing her to the surface where a temporary patch was done to the bow. Eastern Star was then towed back to Nelson where she was slipped for what was described a ‘extensive repairs. The photos were taken by Mrs. McAuley.
Do we know what became of the vessel and any details on her?
B. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Late 1980’s B. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Easter 1986B. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Late 1980’s
B. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Easter 1986B. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Early 1990’s – Re-power underwayB. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Early 1990’sB. Siegel – Kaipara Harbour – Mid 1990’sB. Siegel – with Freedom (Anzac) – Kaipara Harbour – Late 1990’s
History & Demise of Waiana
The launch Waiana is somewhat of a mystery boat – her design / builder and launch year are unknown, purely speculation but possibly c. 1929. Waiana’s probable ownership log and history (pulled together by – Murray Plunket, Bob Siegel and Ken Ricketts) is below:
1. ?? > 1950’s – Mr Lowndes – kept at Okahu Bay, Auckland
2. 1950 > 60’s – Tom Plunkett – kept at Okahu Bay, Auckland
3. 1970’s – Owner unknown – commercial longline fishing, based at Thames
4. 1980’s > early 1990’s – Hendon Pierce (+ one other) longline fishing, based at Tutukaka, Northland
5. Mid 1990’s > c.2008 – Bob Siegel – Kaipara Harbour, pleasure use
6. 2008 > 2015 – Bob Siegel – hauled out at Dargarville property
7. 2015 – broken up
(photos ex Murray Plunkett + Bob Segel)
When the Plunkett family bought her, she was fitted with a WWII war assets Scripps converted, Ford V8 petrol engine, , many of which were installed in to NZ boats from 1947 to the mid 1950s, which probably replaced her original engine.This was still in her when the Plunketts sold her (1970’s) into commercial fishing out of Thames. Around this time she had a coamings change, to increase the cockpit, for the long-lining. During the 1970’s > 80’s period she acquired a 4 cyl Ford diesel engine.
When Bob Segel purchased her ex Tutukaka, after repairs to get The Ford running and make her seaworthy, he motored Waiana down to Whangarei, and then trucked her to the Kaipara Harbour. Then in 2008, he took her to his home in Dargaville, with a view to rebuilding & restoring her, however a combination of the elements and lack of funds saw Waiana gradually deteriorate to the point that she was chainsawed up for firewood c.2015.
While Waiana is no longer around, it would be nice to be able to put a name and date to the design / builder and fill in the blanks in her early years.
INPUT EX HAROLD KIDD – WAIANA is obviously another rename. I have no record of her as WAIANA until 1957 when she was listed as an auxiliary by NZ Coastguard. Then in 1961 she is listed with APYMBA under 251 and owned by Gerald Clark with a 40/50 Fordson diesel. Her dimensions were given as 31.1′ x 9′ x 3.3′. When R.J. Siegel wrote to me in 1997 her dimensions were close at 31.4′ x 8’10”. Sometimes you can get at a launch’s provenance by searching the APYMBA number but no luck this time…..but who is Gerald Clark?
WW contributor – Scott Taylor, sent in the link to the above short film – titled ‘New Zealand’s Deep-Sea Fighting Fish’. The film comes to us via Archives New Zealand, and was originally produced by Neuline Film Studios, Auckland for the Dept. of Tourist and Health Resorts.
The film isn’t dated but both Scott and myself believe it is from the early 1950’s, can any one date the film from the footage?
There is an impressive collection of woodys featured, all looking very ship-shape, and most still afloat today.
WHO OWNS DEODAR – Looking for the current owner of the ex Auckland Police launch Deodar – can you contact WW at the email address below – trust me its worth your while 😉 waitematawoodys@gmail.com
In early 1961 Auckland hosted the British Medical Association conference, with attendees from all over the Commonwealth attending. Included in the conference was a ‘break’ day where the delegates and wives were taken on a picnic to Motuihe Island.
In the photo above we see the launches that were transporting everyone to the island, assembling off Westhaven. At the time it was one of the biggest organised gatherings of pleasure craft seen in New Zealand with over 66 laid on.The weather gods smiled on the day and Arnold Baldwin’s launch – Valsan was the convoy flagship.
There are a lot of woodys in the photo that still grace the Waitemata today. The photo and details come to us from the April 1961 Sea Spray magazine via Angus Rogers.
Bay of Islands resident Greg Philpott has a passion and its tracking down and recording the fate of what he has tagged ‘Boats of the Bay’ (of Islands). Greg contacted me recently re the vessel named Comet III (later changed to Xharisma), he had hit a brick wall and was trying to contact the last known owner – one Morton Brown. Now via the WW site I was able to make contact with Morton’s son Jeremy Brown and the flood gates opened. So today we share with you Greg and Jeremy’s stories / photos. It’s a cracker read, I’ll let Greg tell it 🙂
So woodys the challenge is can anyone enlighten us on what became of Xharisma (Comet III) post 1986.
Comet lll was designed by A J Collings of the famed boat-building business, Collings & Bell and may have been one of Collings last designs as he died on 8th November 1967.
The boat was built for Lionel Bulcraig’s Bay of Islands operation, Hi Speed Comet Cruises. That business was already operating Comet ll (ex Queenstown’s Meteor ll) also an A J Collings design. Construction of Comet lll was undertaken by John Guzzwell at Deeming’s Boatyard at Opua. Guzzwell was a world renowned sailor and boat builder. His reputation was established when he built his own boat, Trekka, and during the late 1950’s completed a circumnavigation of the world in her, then the smallest boat to ever do so.
The original design and intention was to engine the boat with lightweight twin V8 Chrysler marine petrol engines; heavier diesel engines would have added to the displacement thus severely limiting the “fast” aspect of the boat. The Marine Department’s regulations specifically excluded petrol engines in commercial launches which could carry more than 12 passengers. This resulted in a stand-off for a number of years. As a result of the inactivity it is understood that Comet lll sat at Bulcraig’s car yard in Kawakawa.
A valuation undertaken by Ted Leeds in March 1971 stated; ”Comet lll is 44ft. overall and was constructed in 1967, but has never been used. It has not been fitted with engines or seating accommodation. There is some equipment on hand for it including rudders and hydraulic steering gear etc. It is very strongly built to Marine Department survey standards with a hull of two-skin glued kauri planking on multiple stringers and closely spaced frames further reinforced with strongbacks. The entire hull, deck and cabin have been sheathed with Dynel.”
Comet lll was 44ft long, 14ft wide with a full flare, 10 degree deep V and planning chine; a hull similar to a torpedo boat.
Purchased by Stephen A. Bell around 1973 /1974, she was moved to the premises of A & G Price at Beaumont Street in Auckland for the purpose of refit and installation of engines. The concept was “to fit the boat out for passenger service in extended river limits”. It was intended to “fit twin 8V71 GM Diesels driving through Walter Vee boxes; such a set up anticipating a speed approaching 25 knots in favourable conditions normally loaded”.
A Ministry Of Transport ship survey preliminary inspection in 1974 “revealed hull in good order and well constructed. Some considerable deterioration of super structure (coamings and canopy) evident although extent not apparent due to linings”. By March 1975, A & G Price stated that “the owner no longer wished to proceed with the project”.
On 5th March 1980, Comet lll was purchased by Morton Brown, a roading supplies and contractor of Green Lane. At the time the boat was sitting in a yard at Glenfield; it was in a fairly sorry state, cabin top wise, but the hull was in exceptional condition.
Brown had Comet lll transported across the Auckland harbour bridge to a yard in Onehunga, where he employed a Dutch boat builder (John) to bring the boat up to pleasure boat standard. The boat was moved twice from Onehunga, firstly to Penrose and then to Mt Wellington, where it was finished before going into the water at McMullen and Wing’s yard, on the Tamaki River. The cabin top was completely rebuilt and a flying bridge added. The design of the remodelling was not considered great but never the less it had plenty of room and was very comfortable.
The engine was a UD/Nissan 2 Stroke V8 9.5L (this engine being a direct copy of the Detroit 8v71). The engine was positioned mid ships, which was not ideal as it took up a huge amount of room. The stern was quite broad in design which would have been better suited for the engine position, with a vee drive.
The boat, now renamed Xharisma was finally re-launched in February 1986. Unfortunately Brown suffered a major heart attack and consequently sold the boat about a year or so later.
The new owner modified the cabin extensively and installed a smaller engine. The new owner and current location Comet lll / Xharisma are unknown.
Omokaroa / Omokoroa Saved Back in August 2018 we reported on the fate of the launch Omokoroa that appeared abandoned, washed ashore in the Whitford River, near the Whitford Boating and Cruising Club. At the time we uncovered a lot about her past , supported by some great photos – read this WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/08/07/amokoroa/
Early this week I was contacted by Lyndon Chambers with the news that the launch had been saved, I’ll let Lyndon tell the story:
“I contacted the harbourmaster late Feb about the salvage of Omokaroa from Wade’s island, found the owner through a small book of notes from on board then after a lot of spadework and the help of 8 airbeds under the scow-like flat-ish hull, 2 plow anchors and a winch combined with a 3.6m king tide she floated out over the mangroves, just requiring some work around the rudder and some time to ‘take up’. It’s now happily on a mooring and part of the Shelly Park Cruising Club where it’s being restored to a comfortable family cruiser.Shes an ailing old hull that’s been sured up with galv nails at some point but I will get it tidied up, Its running a 60hp Ford 2401e on a 2:1 Paragon box, just had to do repair the sump, sort some wiring and a general service of the cooling system”.
NOTE: It some stage the name has been changed / altered from Omokoroa to Omokaroa ?? Or have we two different boats?? There was some chat about this in the Aug 2018 story.
Over the last 48 hours I have had a lot of calls from woodys that spotted the 30’ Lidgard built yacht – Taioma on trademe as an abandoned vessel. Current bid is $10.50 and the reserve has been meet. The auction closes on July 19th. You are bidding on the hull only, and the motor is unknown condition. But the wooden mast and boom + a mainsail have been located and will go with the boat, if wanted (stored in a different location).
Woodys, someone will ’steal’ this boat and as a last resort that hatch has to be worth what ever the purchase price the boat ends up at. I do not do this often – but here is the tme link
Bill Brown commented to me that Taioma was restored in the 1990’s by Gary Underwood and pointed me in the direction of Gary’s blog, details and photos below:
“Taioma is a 1936 Fred Lidgard kauri sloop of 28 ft. We bought her for $5000 in 1995 and did a 60 day full refit at the ‘Bolthole’ in Auckland. She was a great live-aboard for a year alongside our boat shed in Whangarei while we were building ‘BOOTSTRAP’. Note the full bulkhead at the mast which gives an end to the saloon and provides support for the table, which lowers to give us a full double bunk athwartships. Its like a kind of ‘dresser’. The f’csle has a portapotti and bosubs store, access thru the fore hatch. Also stiffens the boat up as she had a big rig.”
LIDGARD 1/2 MODELS – Help Needed Saturdays story on the 48’ Lidgard launch – Ngaro, link below, promoted Donna Lewis to contact WW re three 1/2 models that she purchased from a garage sale on Kawau Island, when she and husband Norm were living at Schoolhouse Bay. At the time she was told all three were Lidgard vessels. The painted one is obviously Ngaro, the writing on the back, supporting this.
Donna and Norm live in Australian the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and took the models with them, hopefully one day they will find their way home to NZ.
The challenge is that Donna doesn’t know which launches the other two models ‘belong’ too, so woodys – big ask today. Maybe an ex Lidgard worker can suggest suitable candidates. Or maybe one of the more talented WW readers recognizes something in the 1/2 model that is specific to a particular Lidgard design.
I suppose I should put a reward to the woody that provides the most credible suggestion. So a WW cap is on offer. For once, let’s do entries / suggestions via the WW comments section. I think the answers will be via a collaborative approach.
12-03-2022 UPDATE The models have arrived back in NZ from Australia, thank you – Donna Lewis, obviously the painted one at the bottom is Ngaro, there was comment on WW that the other two would be
TOP > TAILSMAN
MIDDLE > MELODY
Are we able to confirm the likelihood of this provenance and if so can anyone supply contact details of the current owners ?
Waikawa early 2000’sHobsonville Aug 2008Hutcheson Boat-builders 08-11-2011
ORANUI – Part Two Yesterdays request for more intel on the yacht Oranui, hit the jackpot when Marl McLaughlin opened his WW email yesterday. Mark sent in the above and below selection of photos. If you missed yesterdays story, might be best to scroll down first and read /view it then read Mark’s input – reproduced below.
“Further to the “what became of her story” on Oranui, I have sent in some extra info and photos. The obituary details are for her builder and original owner Eric Tomkies, taken from the winter 1988 edition of the RPNYC magazine “The Rip”. Eric Tomkies was a distant relation of mine (he and my grandfather were cousins) and I know Oranui well.
Previously brothers Eric, Clinton and Horace Tomkies built the 47ft Burns designed RAKOA and sailed her extensively. I have included a photo (below) of Rakoa from the Gisborne Photo News, June 1954. Unfortunately Rakoa was later lost when working as a fishing boat at Stewart Island and what remains now rests on the seabed in Foveaux Strait.
Oranui was sturdily built in strip planked kauri on a hardwood backbone. Heavy scantlings are typical of Athol Burns’ style and it is notable in the magazine article that of the six boats that came ashore in the Wahine storm, it was only the two Athol Burns boats (Hinemoana III was the other one), that were re-floated.
Oranui has spent most of her life in the Wellington and Marlborough Sounds regions. Her 3cyl Volvo Penta diesel was re-powered with a 4cyl 52hp Yanmar diesel engine in 1999 and she circumnavigated the South Island in the early 2000’s. She was then sold to a New Plymouth based owner who cruised her extensively between New Plymouth and Nelson/Marlborough Sounds and also up to Auckland. I have attached a photo of her on the hardstand at Hobsonville Marina during this time. She was then sold in 2011 to a Wellington based Doctor who sent her to Hutcheson Boatbuilders in Tauranga for a refit before taking her back to Wellington. I spotted her motoring around Picton Harbour in January this year looking as good as new.
As per most Athol Burns designs she is functional but beautiful, and very sea-kindly for Cook Strait conditions. “
FOOT NOTE: Mark believes the RPNYC article is confusing the Wahine storm in 1968 with the storm in 1966 which the Sea Spray article about Oranui and Hinemoana III relates to. However, Eric’s brother Clinton Tomkies did tell him that Oranui came ashore in the Wahine storm as well, but he could have been confusing it with the 1966 storm too 🙂
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