Maroro

Maroro
Susie
Maroro (leading)
Susie

MARORO

photos & details ex Harold Kidd & Alan H

This story starts in 1907 when an Auckland family (Matheson brothers) built in St Marys Bay on Aucklands waterfront a 32 ft launch MARORO (flying fish in Maori). Her plans came from the USA Rudder Magazine and she was therefore rather unusual in design in the local New Zealand context. Maroro has a great history but her claim to fame was she won the  Rudder Cup, a night race around Sail Rock & back, held on the 12th December 1908.

Fast forward 100+ years (August 2009) & Harold Kidd, Colin Pawson & myself flew to Great Barrier Island to check out Maroro where she was ‘resting’ at Okupa in Blind Bay, you can view photos from that trip on this link http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=652&hilit=Maroro

Maroro was subsequently transported back to Auckland & is now resting again at Marco Scuderi’s yard in Helensville, while her fate is decided. You will see in the Great Barrier photos she was / is as they say in the real estate game – a little distressed. There are lots of posting on the Classic Yacht Association NZ forum on Maroro if you are interested http://classicyacht.org.nz/forum

The purpose of this waitematawoodys posting is to reveal that at long last the original plans for Maroro have been tracked down by super sleuth Harold Kidd, who obtained a copy of the August 1906 edition of the Rudder magazine off Ebay. Featured were the basic layout /plans of a motor launch named Susie. She was 3rd in the Knickerbocker YC long distance power boat ocean race in June 1906, the 2boats that finished ahead of her were much bigger & more powerful. When you compare the photos of Maroro & Susie , disregard the cabin top & focus on the bow & stern, they are almost identical. It would appear that the Matheson brothers were impressed with Susie’s performance in the Knickerbocker race & built a clone.

The above photos include a shot of Susie , the plans, a photo of Maroro winning a race on the Waitemata Harbour & a rather spectacular close up shot of Maroro. What do you think – peas in a pod?

Note: the discovery of these layout / plans could help decide the future of Maroro.

1 thought on “Maroro”

  1. Great to hear she’s possibly going to be restored!

    I bought her as a project vessel from a George Booth in Leigh 1975/6
    She had oysters growing on her bum, among an assortment of barnacles gribble & toredo etc …looked like about 2 or 3 yrs growth!

    My wife & I needed a home & income as we’d lost our flat in kohi
    We moved on board & began a 3 week work effort day & night, building ice boxes, removing a household head ( with no sea cock), overlooking rotten ribs, etc & concentrating on the essentials to get long lining out of the viaduct.
    George had installed a BMC Commodore & mechanical box.
    The basics complete we spent the next 4 yrs fishing the gulf & grt barrier, moving down to whitianga in the process.
    She was a ‘lucky launch’ lucky to hold tonne of snapper at times & make it back to Port., & lucky to survive some fairly nasty weather!
    Especially down mercury bay, where I frequently sailed out of sight to track down some good hauls of hapuku & bass hand lining out to 240 fathom.
    After a bump from a large mako, I steamed her back to the waitamata to get Bailey’s to replace ribs, iron keel bolts (removed in 2 pieces mostly) shaft log, & no planks required. She had an unusual transom which was still ok.
    It was during this time I found out she had been a passenger vessel for Faulkner s Tauranga for about 40 odd yrs on the matakana island run.
    I believe the navy secured her for the chase for Felix Von Luckner who’d escaped from motuihe
    or rotoroa is. During ww1.
    The maroro failed to find him as he’d stolen the rotoroa’s fast POW vessel Pearl.
    He holed up in Von Luckners Cove, Red Island. (Good yarn about an excellent sea Captain)
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_von_Luckner

    So the maroro’s history is grand indeed.
    Winning the 1st ‘power boat race on Auck Harbour
    About 1908, commandeered in ww1, passenger service Tga, 40 odd years,
    Retired, re entered the work for e as a comm fishing vessel,

    I sold her to a cousin in law who was a new chum.
    He got blown ashore on a bch in Opito Bay during a 60 knot easterly.

    He & partner got her back to Auck, Bailey’s again who replaced her original keel etc.

    They sold her to a family on Grt Barrier who fished her then hauled her out in Okupu.

    I found out she was shipped back to AK on a barge with the view of restoration.

    I really hope this happens as she was my 2nd wife!

    One last memory to share;
    On the return to the port of whitianga from great mercury, where I was heave too in another string easterly blow lasting 4 days, I took the turn into Merc’ Bay a bit close- under a mile off Devil’s Point

    A breaking easterly swell i estimated about 30+ feet, carried me in past the Twins surging me forward at a tremendous speed over revving the old BMC to almost breaking point!
    There’s were a few close moments where we almost broached but once again luck was on our side … I had a few fish. But still ½tonne of ice in her ice boxes.
    Exciting times indeed!
    💕

    Liked by 1 person

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