Korora
Moana (middle)
Paihia Wharf Launch Hire
Photo above of the shed on the wharf at Paihia advertising the various boat rides available, most likely taken in the early > mid 1940’s.
The signs lists Korora, Aroha, Moana for hire. I have photos of Korora & Moana – do not have one of Aroha – any woodys able to help out & also confirm the correct boats/photos?
Photo ex A Turnbull Library
2016 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival
Stunning collection of 100+ Photos by ‘Old Salt’. Link sent to me by Scott Taylor.
Click below & enjoy 🙂
Free To Good Home
I mentioned on ww the other day that I had bought a box of old/new signal flags – in the box was 50cm x 30cm British Red Ensign (Red Duster) – cloth not polyester, never been used, made by ‘Shipmate’.
The most deserving woody that wants it,can have it 🙂 email me on waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Nelson Woody Trip
Woody John Sankey sent me the above photos from his early September Nelson visit.
The first photo shows the double-ender Trade Wind & Manana stern on – both very smart, small ships.
The other vessel is Eclipse, we are light on info but do know that she was built by James McFerson in Dunedin in 1907.
Current owner got her off a deceased estate & believes she may have been owned by a Ronny Kingston.
The owner had her out of the water 4 years ago and spent $7k on some new planking.
Apparently always been a cabin boat. A little overdue for a bottom clean 🙂
Any woodys able to expand on what we know about Eclipse?
Harold Kidd Input
There was a Dunedin ECLIPSE in 1907, probably built by Knewstubb. This one was built in November 1922 by James McPherson at Dunedin for W. Webber of Ravensbourne. There was another ECLIPSE in Picton and Blenheim around 1910 owned by Palamountain (10hp Kapai engine) and another on the Kaipara and Wellington. The Wellington and Picton boat were probably the same.
PS I confirm that this ECLIPSE was owned at Lyttelton in 1953 by E.E. Coombes and in 1973 by R.J. Kingston.
HAUITI – 1929
A Call For Help
I was recently contacted by John Ellingham, a kiwi now residing in country Western Australia. Johns inquiry centered on two little ships (Iranui & Hauiti) that were built in Auckland in the early 1900’s. Johns interest is mainly on Hauiti, because of a family link. This Grand father Alf Hassall was a shareholder in this vessel with Faulkners and was killed aboard her off Whakatane in 1931.
John has researched as many avenues as he can but I would like the gaps filled.
Any photos of the Hauiti / Manurere / Morocotcha / Three Kings would be appreciated.
HAUITI – 1929
HAUITI / MANURERE / MOROCOTCHA / THREE KINGS
Built 1906, possibly by Logan Bros, for either the Tolaga Bay Lightering Co., Gisborne Sheep Farmers Company or Messer’s Glover Lockwood and Holder.
Length 47.75′ x 11.75′ x 3.66′ with a 21.32 Gross Tonnage / 5.92 Reg Tonnage. Originally Powered by two Standard Frisco petrol engines each 24 BHP. Used as lighter for transporting wool bales to vessels anchored off shore. Sister ship to “Iranui”
Sold in 1929, according to reports by the Gisborne Sheep Farmer’s Company Ltd to Barley & George Falkner and Albert Edward Hassall of Tauranga -‘Mount Ferry Co’ & renamed – Manurere. Converted from cargo vessel to passenger. Only made one trip found unsuitable. Converted to (a) Seine boat. (b) Trawler depending on which report you believe. Re engined with twin Gardner Diesels.
First registered 1932 – ID 153993 – 13/1932 – 06/12/1932 Port of Auckland (IR). Registered to Esther May Hassall (John Ellingham’s Grand Mother, John’s Grand Father was killed on board Manurere off Whakatane on 29/03/31, dragged into winch by coat tails).
Sold again in 1933 to Mrs Bertha Robinson Auckland & renamed Morocotcha. Possible engine change 03/01/1934
Sold again in 1937 to McFarlanes Fisheries (mussel / oyster farmers ) & renamed Three Kings. Reg AK 516 06/03/1937
Registry closed 17/05/1948 – Believed to have foundered in Firth Thames with wreck located 15/12/62. Salvaged by Bert Subritzky 16>30 December 1962. Engines salvaged, hull scrapped.
IRANUI
IRANUI
Built 1900 possibly by Logan Bros, Auckland for a Mr Glover of Tolago Bay. Delivered to Tolago Bay as deck cargo aboard “Flora” 23 October 1900. Records also show the ownership as Glover Lockwood and Holder. Later articles refer to “Iranui” being owned by the Gisborne Sheep Farmers Company. The full title of this company was Gisborne Sheep farmers Frozen meat and Mercantile Co who had a store in Tolaga Bay.
Her use was as a Wool Lighter and Towing. Mainly out from the Uawa River to larger vessels anchored off shore. She measured 42 ft O/A – 10ft beam – Draft 2ft 3 inches aft Carried 10 – 15 tons cargo under hatches. Power came from a 10hp Union Oil engine ( Supplied by Messers Ryan & Co)
The last known reference to “Iranui” is in 1918 (Papers Past Poverty Bay Herald 6 May 1918) where it is reported that she had been slipped at Gisborne and was returning to Tolago Bay.
NOTE: This “Iranui” is not to be confused with the vessel “Settler” wrecked at Tairua. Confusion arises via the article ex NZ Museums web site reference Kelvin engine gifted by David James Mays Mason with comment by Daniel Hicks “MV Settler was ex “Iranui ex “SS Settler“ build 1905 by C. Bailey Jnr Auckland.
Port Townson 2016 Wooden Boat Festival – 50+ photos
Last weekend saw the usual collection of classic wooden craft assembled in Port Townsend, Washington for their annual wooden boat festival. What was not usual was the standard of the photography recording the event. Now you can google search & find 1,000’s of photos from the weekend but to make life easier, just click the link below to see the magnificent work / art of Patrick Downs. Enjoy the 50+ photos – motorboats & yachts 🙂
http://patrickdowns.photoshelter.com/portfolio/G0000dNrGH6fo5b8
MANA ROSE
Bay of Islands professional photographer & woody (MV Arethusa) Dean Wright emailed me the three photos above of the launch Mana Rose, Dean took them last Sunday morning. A very cool looking boat & looks very capable of handling most things that the ocean could throw at her. Dean commented that Mana Rose lives on a mooring close to the Russell side of the car Ferry.
Her anchor winch would get the tick of approval from Dick Fisher 😉
Can you of the woodys supply more details on her?
MV Tiri – Radio Hauraki
I received an email over the weekend from Denis O’Callahan, owner of the classic launch Tasman asking for some help from the woodys – I’ll let Denis tell the story.
“I was sorting some memorabilia recently in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Radio Hauraki when I came across the old newspaper cutting above ex my mother’s scrap book.
As well as the MV Tiri and the Widgeon there is a nice woody and there must have been another vessel from which the photo was taken but I’m damned if I can remember either of them.
So can any Woody identify the launch and maybe even the photographer and his boat?
I certainly remember that day, our first out in the gulf (Nov 1966) before we had raised any kind of broadcasting antenna and here is the true story.
It was glassy calm and Captain Fred Ladd landed nearby with David Gapes and some newspaper reporters on board. Unfortunately when restarting, an engine flooded and cranking it flattened the 12 volt battery.
The Tiri had 24 volt batteries and we had lots of heavy cable on board so two of us rowed out to the plane in a dinghy and I climbed onto the wing. The cable hanging in the water pulled the plane in toward the ship so the guy in the dinghy had to tie the painter around a tail strut and row hard to keep them separated. Captain Ladd directed me to the battery compartment and I signaled to the Tiri crew to connect their end to the ship’s batteries. In a short time we had enough juice in the Widgeon’s battery to start the engines and we cast off the cable and the dinghy. So there I was on the wing with the plane taxiing around ready for take off. I had no option but to dive in and swim back to the Tiri.”
Markson > Pacific Sunrise > Last Vintage
I have been contacted by Samuel Wayne who has been working under a shipwright in Tasmania. They recently did many months work on the 110 ft ‘Last Vintage’ which has been renamed twice; originally it was ‘Markson’ & before that ‘Pacific Sunrise’. The reason Sam emailed ww was because this ship was purchased by the New Zealand Government and refitted circa the year ~2000 & Sam was wondering if ww knew any information as to where and who did the work.
While working on Last Vintage they replaced some planks, refastened the hull and rebuilt the rear living area / saloon walls (frame + exterior) to provide solid anchor points for the mizzen mast.
More information on the work done and many photos can be found at lastvintage.com.
Sam will be flying in to Auckland next week and driving around the northern island with his girlfriend and would appreciate the chance to look around and meet some of the people doing similar work on wooden boats or people that worked on the ‘Last Vintage’ while he is in the country. Contact is samdavidwayne@gmail.com
NANCIBEL
The above photos of Nancibel are from the Auckland Museum, Tudor Collins collection, emailed to me by Ken Rickett’s. They show Nancibel leaving Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island c.1940’s. Back then she was in use as a passenger ferry to & from Kawau Island. Harold Kidd advised that Nancibel was built by Bailey & Lowe in 1920 for Dodd & Gibbons of Thames. L. Rolfe of Matakana owned her 1935 and sold her to F. Herring. Gubbs Motors owned her 1941 to 1951 at least, painted red and green. Geoff Brebner also commented on ww that in the later 1950’s, (pre harbour bridge opening), Nancibel was on passenger run from Auckland city to Upper Harbour.
Ken Rickett’s is on record in a previous ww story saying that she was powered with a 4 cyl 4-53 GM Detroit & painted bottle green.
The photos show a group of very well attired people enjoying a fun day out. If we fast forward to 1972 Nancibel had a new life as a dive charter boat working out of Tauranga. Unfortunately on a charter trip to Mayor Island with 30 passengers (skin divers) aboard Nancibel hit a submerged rock & very quickly sank in 45′ of water, everyone aboard was saved. A second boat was dispatched by the insurance assessors to dive on the wreck to survey & photograph it, sadly one of the divers, Henry Laison, died of the bends after surfacing from a deep dive. You can view below an article & photos that appeared in Dive Magazine Vol 11 No3, of 1972. Details & the article were sent in by Don Macleod.
Given that Tauranga divers went out and salvaged the Gardner engine from the Nancibel the week after she sank, I’m assuming she remained in Davey Jones Locker – can any woodys confirm this ?
Harold Kidd Input
She was issued with number 223 in February 1940 and would have carried it throughout the war for reporting to the defence boom at Auckland. During this period she was run as the Kawau-Sandspit ferry by Gubbs Motors.
I think it’s Sir Cyril Newall too. I understand he was sent to the colonies to get him out of any sort of RAF command after the Battle of Britain.
I remember when my father attended an Anzac Day Parade of old diggers at Taumarunui in 1942 where Newall spoke. I asked him what the GG said. “Just ‘haw haw haw haw haw'” Dad replied, imitating the upper class accent and lack of content. Mind you we were expecting the Japs at any moment and weren’t expecting any help from that quarter.
PILOT
Now while the vessel in todays story is a woody, the location is certainly not the Waitemata 🙂
The motorboat in the above photo is another from the Auckland Museum, Tudor Collins collection & was emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.
Are any of the woodys able to ID the location, date etc & possibly ID the vessel? Coconut palms in the background, islanders* helping with the loading – could be Suva, Nukualofa, Avatiu, Apia.
* not sure that islanders is a PC word, maybe I should have used ‘PI’ (Pacific Islander)
Yesterdays Survey
ww ran a survey yesterday around what classic wooden boat activities would appeal to you. Many thanks to everyone that completed the survey- BUT it’s not too late to do the survey, only takes a minute, so go on, just do it. Its anonymous 😉
Scroll down to find it.
Many thanks. Alan
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