AROHANUI (mcgeady) A Peek Down Below
Arohanui was built in 1952/3 at the McGeady’s Ponsonby yard. Specs are 42’ x 11’9” x 3’11” and powered by what appears to be a 6cyl Ford diesel engine.
She has made several appearance on WW, the link below to the Jan 2014 story has lots of details and photos from her past. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/01/08/arohanui/
(thanks Ian McDonald for the tme heads up)
RAHIRI L16
Today’s photos of the Mullet Boat L16 were sent to me by Cheryl Hill who was having a lock-down tidy-up and came across a collection of sailing photos that belonged to her father Ian Hill. Cheryl doesn’t know whether the yacht was a family boat or just one that one of her Dad’s mates owned.
The top photo was tagged – ‘Tiri Passage Easter’ and may have been 1947.
Jason Prew pointed me in the direction of the Ponsonby Cruising Club’s 2000>2001 Year Book, which had a ‘Mullet Boat Register’ at the back and the sail # L16 is alongside the 22′ Mullet Boat named – Rahiri. So we have confirmation Rahiri was still on the scene in the early 2000’s.
Can any of the Muttet Boat crowd enlighten Cheryl as to Rahiri’s past and present where-abouts ?
Update On Melodeon Restoration
Back in June 2020 we had a wonderful insight into Dick and Colleen Fisher’s latest project – the restoration (rebuild) of the ex work boat – Melodeon (link below to that story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/04/06/the-restoration-of-melodion/
Melodeon was built in 1934 by Chas Bailey & Sons in Auckland. She has spent most of her life fishing all around NZ, except when she saw service in the Pacific during WWII with the US Navy.
When Dick bought Melodeon she was powered by a T8 Kelvin that is only her 2nd engine, which has seen 100,000 hours. The engine was in remarkable condition and is also getting a ‘holiday’.The ship measures – 57’ length x 15’6” beam x 7’ draft.
The scale of the project is immense but that is what spins Dick’s wheels. The photos above are from June 2021, so no doubt things have moved along even further – Enjoy 🙂
Input Below From Robert Nola
"I have often wondered what became of the Melodeon on which I spent much of my boyhood. It was owned by my father Bob (Boze) Nola and his partner was Jack Raos (who did not fish) from 1950s to early 1970s…In those years they fished for Pearl Fisheries in Auckland. Now I see that it has been fully renovated. But then It used to be very different when we owned it. The wheelhouse was much narrower and the bunk area was in the bow. It was very stylish then.
It anyone would like to get in touch with me I would be glad to hear. The Melodeon was very much part of my youth. Glad it still survives. And is being looked after. It cannot be the same Kelvin engine my father installed?"
CARIAD
Todays woody come to us from Garry Ralls via Lew Redwood’s fb and shows the launch – Cariad berthed in Whangarei c.1950’s. At the time she was owned by L E Ralls (Maunu Rd, Whangarei).
Cariad is a newbie to me and even Nathan Herbert has commented that she is unknown to him – and that woodys is a rarity 😉
I Suspect a very early name change – can anyone help out with more details?
Thanks to the input of Robin Elliott and Patrick Xavier – we know know the launches name was spelt – Cariad (corrected above). Check out the comments section – links to more intel there 🙂
24-07-2023 UPDATE –
Thanks comments from Harold Kidd we learnt some of her history, refer below. It always amazes me how craft that have had no/low profile come to the surface, a great sign that our classic community is in good shape.
HDK comments – “Cariad was owned by D. Glenys-Jones of Whangarei in 1949. When he joined the Army in that year he sold her to L.E. Ralls of Mauna Road who had owned Valencia since 1946 and Argo in 1957. In 1966/7 at least Cariad was owned in Auckland by H.F. Harkins of Court Crec., Tamaki.” “I have an idea that the saloon in Cariad was stripped out and a tank put in to convert it to a fishing boat. Caraid and Valencia were kitted out with deep sea fishing outriggers in the early days. You can see the base of the outrigger just behind the rear porthole.”
We also learnt from Garry Ralls that in their early days both Caraid and Valencia were powered by Scripps marinised V8 engines.
JULIETTE
Today’s woody is – Juliette , seen above on the slip at the W.G Lowe & Son yard, just prior to launch day. Another photo from the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection.
Anyone able to tell us more about Juliette and what became of her post launching?
I spotted the illustration below of a concept house / day boat, based on the iconic VW Kombi. Each to their own but I think its very cool – perfect for our lakes.
MOANAROA
Today’s woody – Moanaroa was designed by Jack Taylor and built c.1949 by McLeon Brothers. Unusual hull construction being carvel Totara planked (and sadly glassed) She measures approx. 34’4” and is powered by a 67hp Fordson Major diesel engine.
Based on the design and construction of the stern davits, someone has had access to a metal shop, you could left the QEII with those 🙂
Mystery Launch – B.O.I.
Today’s photo appeared on the cover of a recent issue of the Property Press in Russell. Scan sent in by Dean Wright. The question of the day is = can we ID the woody on the right? Dean is leaning towards ex big game boat – Zane Grey.
MSUIRE
The launch Msuire was built by W.G. Lowe in Auckland and that folks is all we know about her.Given that very cool canoe stern, someone must know what became of her post launch day. (photos ex Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection)
UPDATE: Nathan Nerbert reminded me Msuire resides these days at the Thames marina.
Input from Martin Howson – (from June 2018 ww )This boat is the M’sieur and was owned by Horrie Mau who lived on the sea front at Bucklands. She was built by Bailey and Lowe and prior to moving North was based in Wellington. After her time at Bucklands she went to Thames and as far as I know she is still there in the mud berths. She was a fine sea boat and had a set of sails as useful alternative in the event of engine failure which happened on at least one ocasion. Mr Mau was not familiar with the Gulf and asked my father in law how to get to Kawau Island ,the instructions were not fully understood because he ended up at Little Barrier instead and could not find Bon Accord Harbour dispite circumnavigating Little Barrier a number of times, he was however a very fine fisherman.
A Face To The Name
We have featured a lot of W. G Lowe woodys of late so its probably appropriate to run a photo of the man himself – very dapper. William George Lowe – died 14 June 1935, aged 68.
INPUT BELOW FROM OWNER – MIKE MILBURN
My wife Sue and I have owned her since 1988. She was built in 1952 by W B Lowe and Son Ltd in Beaumont Street Auckland for a sheep farmer in Marton – William Dudley Willis. He had a property in Marlborough and she made trips across Cook Strait to this property. I think she had a mooring at Paremata. She is a registered ship No. 191808 and Msuire is Swahili for “This is very good” according to a note in the original registry document. Msuire originally had a 4 cylinder Thornycroft R, T, R, 4 engine and now has a 4 cylinder Ford of about 70HP. She is 9.75m length, 3.14m breadth and draws 1.26m. She originally had a mast and had a heavy canvas steadying sail but no mast at present. We have enjoyed holidays with our three children to Great Barrier, Waiheke, Kawau, and the Mercury islands and she has been a safe and reliable ship. She usually sits on a mud berth in Thames but at present is on a mooring near Hannafords wharf Coromandel harbour. About 5 years a German film crew doing a documentary on the Hauraki Gulf were intrigued with the mud berths in Thames and in their film of about 45minutes there is a 5minute section on Msuire trying to venture off the mud – the link to this documentary is:
https://vimeo.com/208470042/e51dead81c
RANGI -Sailing Sunday
In the top photo we see the B Class yacht – Rangi on the slipway at the W.G Lowe shipyard in Auckland, just prior to the start of the first Trans-Tasman Yacht Race in 1931, I believe there was only 3 yachts entered – Oimara (Australia), Teddy (Norway) and Rangi (NZ) – Teddy won.
In the second photo we see her being towed to the start line, and in the bottom photo, on the left is Alan Leonard, owner of Rangi, alongside Alan, steering the yacht is Master Lowe, the grandson of the builder of Rangi. The occasion is welcoming Rangi back into Auckland after the return voyage from Sydney.
The race was held again in 1934 with only two boats entered – Te Rapunga (Germany) and the legendary Ngataki, with Johnny Wray at the helm – won by Te Rapunga.
The photos comes to us from the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection.
UPDATE: John Newsham has advised that Rangi was originally named ‘Schopolo’ and was built as a ‘schnapper’ boat for the inshore fishing trade – see photos below (ex Little Ships) . She was driven ashore at Cascade Bay, Norfolk Island when the crew was ashore after a wind change (1951)
UPDATE: Photo below, ex John Newsham, of Ngataki and te Raupunga at the state of the 1934 race. Ngataki (photo ex Century of sail) was sailed to Tahiti in the 1930s – John’s father’s cousin – Nip Colebrook was in the crew. John often used to see Wray cruising around Waiheke in his pre-war launch. He would always gave him a big wave – mid 1960s.
UNA
Today’s photo is of the magnificent Royal Australian Navy sloop Una. HMAS Una was built in 1911 at the Bremen Vulkan shipyard (Germany), named Komat. On October 9, 1914 she and her 57 crew were captured by an Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. She was then sailed to Sydney as a war prize. I have to say a very impressive score 🙂
During the time in which the Una was in service under Australia, the sloop was used as a Patrol and General Purpose Vessel. The sloop was used to patrol the areas of New Guinea, New Britain, New Hebrides and Malayan waters. After World War I, Una was decommissioned and taken to Port Phillip Bay, renamed Akuna and used as a pilot vessel. She was finally broken up in Melbourne in 1955.The small launch in the foreground was named Rex.
SOS at Scotts Landing
I received an email from James Groenhart giving me a heads up re a very smart double ender named Sentosa that is currently on the piles at Scotts Landing, & is at imminent risk of having an outboard well cut into her lovely hull. James commented that he had been told she was a slightly smaller sister ship of “Tuna”, possibly built on the Kaipara circa 1906.
She is for sale, for probably not much money. No engine or prop. Shaft is still in place but has been cut to remove the engine. Interior is basically stripped out. She needs a lot of work, but the hull looks pretty good, & she has some nice original features eg the original D front cabin has a nice profile. Someone save her – Owner is Paul 021 182 8135
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