WINSOME (#3)

Today’s story features a launch by the name of Winsome, there are already x2 Winsome named launches featured on WW (Winsome & Winsome II), today’s one is a 3^rd.

I was contacted by Sonny Gough on behalf of their friend Lois Wood. Lois remembers her father’s launch, Winsome, being moored at Cox’s Bay Auckland in the 1950’s & Lois is curious to know if it still exists.

The above photos, although low quality, are the only ones she has of the vessel.

Input from Janet Watkins (Nee Pickmere)

“Attached (below) is a photo of Winsome in 1909 from a copy of the NZ Yachtsman, Dec 3. Looks like the same hull. She featured in those early magazines as an “Oil Launch” and racer and was owned & raced by Mr Cooper? When she was altered is unknown. 

My Grandfather, A.R. Pickmere, bought Winsome in 1924, A.H.Pickmere inherited her in 1943 and she is still owned by my brother in Whangarei (& currently in the Bay). We have not been able to verify when she was built and launched but from old records it was prior to 1918 possibly as early as 1914. Thanks to old diaries her story is well recorded with photographs from 1924.”

Input from Harold Kidd

The Pickmere WINSOME was built by Bailey & Lowe in 1918 for J H Foster. W A Wilkinson bought her in 1921 and renamed her WILMA. She soon reverted to WINSOME. Wilkinson sold her to Dr Phil Andrews of Russell in 1923. Janet’s grandfather A R Pickmere of Whangarei joined the delivery voyage North in June 1923 and bought her from Andrews in 1924. She had a 20/35hp Sterling from new.
The WINSOME pictured in NZ Yachtsman in 1909 WINSOME was a torpedo-stern 34 footer built in November 1907 by Bailey & Lowe for F J Cooper with a 12hp Hercules originally. Cooper sold her to C A Whitney of the Colonial Ammunition Co in 1920. Then there’s a name change I guess because she soon disappears under that name. It looks like she reverted to WINSOME later. There’s little doubt that the pic above is of the 1907 WINSOME.

I mentioned the other day the amount & size of wood floating around in the Waitemata Harbour. Barbara Cooke sent me the photo below of this monster log that was towed into Opua boat ramp earlier this week. The recent king tides and storm have more than likely released this thing from a beach or the likes. Oysters and other marine life were flourishing over it so would have been submerged for some considerable time. Scary stuff. Imagine hitting that…even at anchor would be enough to do a spot of damage.