Category Archives: Working Boats

Flying Boats

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FLYING BOATS

I have been sent the above collection of b/w photos that John Bullivant found on a British seaplane site, it appears a lot of the photos are from our national library or similar.  They give a snap shot into the Teal flying boat history in Wellington. In them we see a large clinker launch, a work boat (Wild Duck which has an identical sister), a Civil Aviation flarepath launch (the dark stepped cabin launch to right of jetty) two different Teal launches (one from Auckland for some reason) Len Southwards Red Head racing one of the planes and a few views of the larger Teal launch.

The Teal launch appears to have the engine box towards the stern so may have had a v-drive (more room in the cabin / safety / noise perhaps?) The group of fine gentlemen in the Teal launch (pipes and all) are some of the 1951 All Blacks departing for the test in Australia.

Kaiurunga

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KAIURUNGA – Workboat Wednesday

Kaiurunga is a double ender solid kauri planked launch at 41′ long & built in 1935 by Ernie Lane.

She is an ex-Westport Harbour Board pilot boat. The name Kaiurunga means ‘highest cloud’.  

Rumour has it she has done a lap of New Zealand and often crossed the Cook Straight.  

Zoom zoom is via a 95hp Perkin diesel motor that has her cruising at around 7 knots.  

Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us her current owner has had her for a year and is unable to finish the project.  While looking a little ‘work-in-progress’ there has been a lot of time & money spent on her & she would make a good low cost live aboard / tiny house-boat.
Home port is Mana, Wellington.

Popeye

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POPEYE

Woody Baden Pascoe sent me the above photos of the very salty, 18′ wee ship – Popeye. Baden spotted her on the ramp at Orakei on Sunday morning.
Can anyone tell us  more about ?
Input from Peter Mence – Popeye has just been sold by Bruce Whillans (also ex Fortuna).  Under Bruce’s care Popeye was treated to a good deal of renovation work by Colin Brown (and son-in-law Josh)

Input & photos ex Ken Ricketts – she is 18 feet long & is powered by a small Yanmar diesel. Pictured below under going a restoration at Colin Brown’s yard.

29-08-2018 Update from Bruce Whillans

I understand Popeye was built as a fishing boat in 1941 for use on the Hokianga Harbour. I purchased Popeye off yachtie Sean Connelly in 1998. He found her in a shed in Hokianga and partially restored her. I had Lees Marine (Greg Lees) at the Sandspit do a full refit just after we bought her. In 2012 we installed a new 10hp Yanmar and then in 2015 I had Colin Brown and Josh re-fasten her. We kept her on a mooring in the Whangateu Harbour
Having purchased another boat she wasn’t getting any use, so a good friend of mine Adrian Howitt has taken her into his custody and following a tidy up put her in the water at Okahu Bay yesterday. She will be moored in Whakatakataka Bay.
Update 31-08-2018 Photo of Popeye below ex Bruce Whillans, on her mooring at Whakatakataka Bay.
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Miss Brett Needs A New Woody Owner

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Miss Brett

 

Miss Brett Needs A New Woody Owner

I have been contacted by Donna Lewis, the owner of Miss Brett, who needs to offer the launch up for sale. Donna lives in Australia. Miss Brett was launched in 1927 & built by Dick Lang at Russell  for the Bay of Islands famous Fullers Cream Trip. She measures 40’ x 10’9” x 2’11” draft. Zoom zoom is via a 100hp 6 cyl. Ford Trader Lees Marine diesel. Renamed Knoxie II c.1928, the name coming from her 4 cya Knox engine, when launched.
Below is her edited call for help

“Regrettably I realistically need  to put MV Miss Brett up for sale. I am very aware of her historical significance and have been her owner … caretaker really since September 2015. I would hope in an ideal world that someone capable of enjoying her as we have and enjoys the maintenance  (as I do) might be interested in her.

The top photo above is a recent photo taken last month & shows Miss Brett moored on her own mooring in Kororareka Bay (Russell) Bay of Islands.”

Interested parties can contact Donna for more details, she has had an impressive amount of work done in the last few years – via email at              lewisdn@hotmail.com

Miss Brett features in the video ‘ NZ Marlin’ – at the 1′ 48″ stage & again at 7’24” – link below:
You can view more photos of Miss Brett here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/08/miss-brett/
Details ex Harold Kidd
Photos below of Miss Brett – Russell c.1960

Neptune

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NEPTUNE

Neptune is a 39’ John Gladden designed ex work boat / converted trawler & is now a potential live aboard.

She was extended .6m eight years ago & has a 11’5” beam & draws 5’2”.

Her trademe listing is very light on details, the only other things I can advise is that she was built in 1982 & made of wood.

( thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up)

 

 

St George

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St GEORGE – Workboat Wednesday

I was sent the above photos of the fishing boat – St George by Tony Borich. She belonged to Tony’s grandfather Ross Kellian.
Tony commented that the ownership period was long before his time, but he recalls that Grandad was very fond of its Kelvin motor.
Ross Kellian was friends with John Walker, the previous owner of vessel Melodeon, both were purse seining out of Leigh and local fishing identities.
Can any of the workboat group supply more details on St. George & what became of her?
As a bonus – read the press story of Ross Kellian’s 26’ fishing boat oops – Lyndon – very lucky to be alive !
Cameron Pollard Input – St George is 75% through a 20 plus year to date pleasure conversion rebirth on an extremely private property in the Thames district.( no expert advisers or health and safety warriors allowed that’s for sure )
So far new decks bulkheads engine bearers wheelhouse and hull splined etc etc. All to a high standard. No engine installed but the current owner has a 5L3 gardner destined for the engine compartment.
Interestingly the shed is half of an old villa converted to boat shed and has no mains power. All lighting and the all important beer fridge is solar /battery powerd with the 230v supplied via generator.
Input from Harold Kidd – Launched 12th May 1934 by Chas. Bailey & Son Ltd for T & M Devcich with a “36hp semi-diesel” replaced in 1936 by a K3 Kelvin. During WW2 she had a 66hp Gardner according to Naval records.
Photo below ex Cameron Pollard from the mid 1980’s
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Just had a cool update from Cameron P. – Bruce McMillan, the owner of St. George has just agreed to share with WW readers a peek at the work underway  – photos taken over a extended period – Bruce commented to Cameron that St George’s rebuild is like the mainland cheese ad. “Good things take time”.
Viewing the photos  showcases the quality of workmanship going into her – very impressive.
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17-08-2018 More photos below from her owner (Bruce McMillan) ex Cameron Pollard. Check out the work done on the 5L3 Gardner (ex FV Heather), stunning & a woody shed to die for 🙂
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Black Watch Sinks off Bayswater this morning

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Just received the photo below of the 72′ HDML sinking of Bayswater marine, early this morning. She has been moored there for the last 10+ years. Will not be an easy salvage, & sadly I suspect this will be the end of her. (photo ex T Foh)

Earlier (2014) photo included.

Remember to scroll down to see todays main story.

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BLACK WATCH NEEDS SOME URGENT HELP TO SAVE HER
This HDML is about to go under the axe tomorrow at the hands of the Auckland Council. This was recently confirmed by the Harbour Master.
This sort of destruction of maritime heritage has to stop. The loss of HDMLs is becoming exponential.
Please get in touch with the Harbour Master, email address below, to at least delay this wanton act while we can at least try to do something.
 
Harbour Master        Gareth.Williams@at.govt.nz
 
She was named Black Watch when the City Missioner had her in the ‘50s and the name was resurrected when she was finally sold out.
Bob McDougall has all the details in “NZ Naval Vessels”
As noted on WW she sank on her moorings off Bayswater Marina – dockside chat is that she was evidently sunk deliberately because she apparently needed no further pumping once re-floated – see video attached.
Russell Ward saw her on the Saturday a day before she sank and she was apparently OK then.
She is hauled out & will be vandalised pretty quick where she is by the looks.

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22-08-2018 Update – Donna Lewis sent in the 2 photos below of Blackwatch. She took the photos of Blackwatch from our then home when her home was also Schoolhouse Bay, Kawau Island and she was in immaculate condition from a very attentive owner.

They are photos of photos so excuse the quality.
The photo bow in is taken in 1997 and photo bow out is taken in year 2000.
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Mizpah

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MIZPAH

The 1st photo above shows the launch Mizpah at a jetty in Crail Bay, Pelorus Sound, dated c.1900’s.
Harold Kidd has commented that she was built in Dunedin c.1904 most likely by Jas M’Pherson for FJ Sullivan. M’Pherson had him also build the hire launches Moana & Maitai around the same time.
Sullivan bought a fishing company in Pelorus in 1905 & shipped Mizpah up there. By 1909 she was being used as a passenger & hire vessel from Pelorus by JW Taylor of Kenepuru. In 1924 she was taken to Wellington & survived there under that name into the 1930’s. She had a 20hp Standard engine around 1920’s but was re-engined in 1929. Her dimensions were 40’x8’6”x3’.
(photo is ex Lew Redwood fb)
24-11-2018 Harold Kidd Input – I thought I would hasten to advise that MIZPAH was built by John M’Lellan in Dunedin, not by James M’Pherson. Any residual stress occasioned to WW followers by doubts about her provenance are therefore resolved, and they can now resume their normal lives, untroubled by this concern.

Te Kowhai

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Te Kowhai

TE KOWHAI

Todays story features the game boat Te Kowhai coming in to the wharf at Russell to weigh their catch.
The photo comes to use from Lew Redwood via ‘BOI Historical Photos’
Can anyone tell us more about the boat & what became of her – she is a very pretty launch.
09-04-2020 Input from Hylton Edmonds -Te Kowhai was one of the lessor known game boats operating in the Bay of Islands (based in Russell) around the time of the 60’s. As the advertisement below, from the 1963-64 BOISFC Yearbook, shows, Des Neal ran it for a partnership based in Hawera, a vague memory is that they were chartered accountants?

I have no idea what became of her, and compared to the other game boats, I do not think she was “on the scene” for that long.

Hopefully info will come to light on what was ostensibly a Bridge Decker (similar to Pirate) in survey, and put to work.

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Harold Kidd has previously commented that she was designed and built by J.G. Cox with a 6-95 Lycoming for Fred Reynolds in 1939. In NAPS in 1943 as Z42.

 

Regards,

Hylton

Zora – A71 – Workboat Wednesday

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ZORA – A71 – Workboat Wednesday
The above photos show Ron & Joy Olds woody – Zora, hauled out at Opua for some below the waterline TLC, sent in by Baden Pascoe. Baden commented that she was built by Lidgard Bros in 1937/8 for Mr Delich & Yuich as a seine boat. Originally powered by a 80hp HMG diesel. She carried the fishing reg AK 71.
And if you want some proof that these old girls can be converted into wow woodys – check out the photo below 😉
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Harold Kidd Input – ZORA helped MELODEON refloat ST VINCENT at Parengarenga in 1940. MELODEON has been bought by Dick Fisher (as probably everyone knows already).
The above mention of Melodeon prompted Russell Ward to send me the two photos below that feature Melodeon. Russell took the first one in the 1960’s. The second one shows Melodeon and some mates, with the bows of Aorangi and Shenandoah and Clematis in the foreground.

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