MANDALAY
photo from Dave Jackson
It is very hard to design a sub 36′ launch (I’m guessing on her length) that looks ‘right’ i.e. that all the bits work together, in proportion. This very smart launch (in my eyes) ticks most of the boxes.
Input from Dave Jackson 16/11/13
Mandalay
Built by Dave Jackson & Graham Christian
Devonport, 1957
For Ken Quinton
Original – 4 cylinder Ford
Designed by Brin Wilson
MAPUNA – yes again 🙂 but I was sent today a wonderful collection of old photos by her current owner (Mark McLaughlin) that he received courtesy of the Robert Brooke family collection.
The young lady breaking the champagne over the bow on launching day is Elizabeth Brooke, daughter of the original owner A.R (Bill) Stephenson. A.R Stephenson was the principal of Avondale College at the time. As mention in the post below, Robert Brooke built her at Snow Waters’ yard and then married Bill Stephenson’s daughter after proposing in the forward cabin during construction!
Mark believes Snow Waters’ yard in the photos was located near where the Mitre 10 Mega store at Wairau Park is now. Jack Brooke is the man wearing the tie walking past Mapuna as she is being extracted from the shed. Snow Waters is crouching down next to the cradle, nearest Brooke.
CYA member Neil Chalmers (Gleam) sent me the Nov. 1963 Sea Spray article.
MAPUNA
Designed by Jack Brooke for A.R. (Bill) Stephenson. Built by Allan (Snow) Waters & Robert Brooke at Snows’ Takapuna yard. Robert later married Bill Stephenson’s daughter,Elizabeth, I understand he proposed in the forward cabin of Mapuna. Fast forward many years & Elizabeth is on the stern in the photo above taken at the 2013 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – which celebrates the work of Jack Brooke.
SEE MAPUNA THIS WEEKEND (5TH & 6TH OCT) ON DISPLAY AT THE CLASSIC YACHT & LAUNCH EXHIBITION AT THE VIADUCT – scroll down 2 postings for details
KARINA
photo & details from Winston Jacob (owner)
Designed by Parsons & built in 1959 in Tauranga. Carvel planked hull, powered by twin 120hp Fords. LOA 38’6″ x B 11′ 6″ x D 3′ 6″. Winston purchased her in 1999, any further info on her past would be appreciated.
If you are at a loose end this weekend I would encourage you to attend the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition.
The Tino Rawa Trust is again hosting the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition at Karanga Plaza (next to the Viaduct Events Centre) this Friday 4th to Sunday 6th October, 10am – 4pm daily. The event is run alongside the 2013 Auckland Heritage Festival ‘Maritime Heritage On The Waterfront (Sept 28 – Oct 13) promotion.
There is an amazing collection of classic yachts & launches, classic dinghies, small yachts & picnic boats on display. Plus some wonderful Robert Brooke line drawings of our classic fleet & models on display. This years event focuses on the acclaimed designers Jack Brooke & Bob Stewart & will include a selection of their vessels. I have included above a few ‘quick snaps’ I took today as the vessels were starting to arrive.
Remember to check out the CYA’s permanent on-the-water display at the CYA Marina, Heritage Landing, Silo Park at the Wynyard Quarter.
Cheers Alan
KARROS
photo ex Dave Jackson
The personal boat of boat builder Dave Jackson, built in 1974 by Dave – all wood, single skin. They do not get much more salty looking than this.
As part of Auckland’s Heritage Festival, Harold Kidd – NZ’s leading maritime historian & waitematawoody spoke at the RNZYS tonight on the topic ” Explore the Waitematā Harbour’s commercial and recreational maritime history”
I have attempted below to summarize Harolds talk – this is just the overview, his narrative & supporting photos made the evening one of the most informative & enjoyable talks I have been to. There was not a spare seat in the room & everyone left with a smile on their face – well done Harold & Pauline.
1. The Early Period – 1840 to 1870, which saw the the european reliant on the maori for fish & produce, the development of the boat building industry & the arrival on the scene of regattas & match races.
2. Between 1870 & 1900 with the first pure yachts (versus work boats) we saw the emergence of yacht clubs & proliferation of ‘organised’ regattas.Competition was fierce in the yacht building industry & the export of yachts was happening. We also saw the increased use of kauri & the arrival of the diagonal construction method.
Open sailing boats & the rise of the mullet boat as a ‘type’ were new to the scene.
3.The 1900’s to 1920 – this period was noted for the racing of mullet boats as a class, the first centre boarders & the building & launching of over 3,000 motor boats / launches. This period was also ‘effected’ by WW1 & the influenza epidemic.
4.The 1920’s to 1945 – a post war boom & bust & then boom again marked this era. We had the rise of the one-design & restricted centre board classes. Launch & keel boat building continued to boom in the 1930’s.
5.1945 – 1965 – period marked by the postwar boom & the arrival of new materials. This saw a boom in keel boat construction for racing & offshore cruising. Yachts clubs continued to proliferate. Designers took advantage of the new materials. We started to become more involved in International contests.
6. 1965 + Increasing sophistication in design & use of materials. International racing success. The America’s Cup. All this saw NZ at the forefront of the worlds yacht design & construction.
Unknown Launch
photo ex Ken Ricketts
Venue looks like Milford Creek??
Any ideas on the vessel ??
Harold Kidd Update
I’m sure this pic originated from me. (you are correct Harold, I think you sent it several years ago to Ken R – Alan H) It’s not a Williams boat as he started building well after WW2 and this launch is 1920s or earlier. It’s not VIVEEN, Percy Mason’s first boat (see my column in this November’s Boating NZ). I suspect it’s MAIEBE, ex-MARY M, ex-REGINA, built by Lanes in December 1912 as a flushdecker which had a very similar “bridgedeck”, tramtop and dodger put on in the latter part of her life. She went ashore and broke up in the violent storm of early February 1936 when owned by Bert Prosser. That storm was often talked about in my family because my father’s yacht WAKANUI went up on the beach at Waiwera during it, while my mother was at home 8.5 months pregnant with me! He got hell for years.
I’ll check with pics at home tonight. I would think Warkworth River too, and I’m sure the original image I have at home has a Tudor Collins backstamp.
Mystery Launch
photo ex Ken Ricketts
Ok – can anyone ID the launch closest to the camera? The back one is almost certainly the Lady Una. And while you are at it what about the yacht?
Harold Kidd Update
I haven’t a clue about the launch, but the yacht is intriguing. She’s clearly an early 1890’s two and a half rater that’s been bobbed at the bow. The giveaways are the non-faired stem post and the cabin top/cockpit treatment. I’m not really up with what progressive “modernisations” each of these yachts suffered. A pity her underbody comes out so murky. However I would plump for GLORIANA (but I think she’s too fat) or a Bailey boat like DAISY. I would love a high-res image to play with the contrast and brightness and see if the hull below the waterline could be brought up.
Gloriana lines ex HDK
LADY JOAN
Ken Rickets took the b/w photo of Lady Joan c.1948>1950, owned at the time by Mr Stan Headland, an insurance broker, whom Ken knew.
In the mid 1940s she had a Ford flathead V8, with 2 side exhausts initially, which were sited well up each side of the hull, below the bridgedeck, with no mufflers. The engine sounded terrible, as you could only hear 1 at a time & as all V8 engines must fire 2 cylinders from the same bank one after the other, it sounded as if the engine was missing badly. The set up was later replaced by 1 stern exhaust in the late 1940s.
Headland then bought Lady Claire in the1950s & sold Lady Joan. She is now in the Sounds, owned by Tony Ryalls who purchased her from Nelson. Currently powered by a new 3cyl. Lombardini which replaced an old 4cyl. Ford. There was a recent write-up on her in Boating NZ.
Any more details from her past would be appreciated.
Update (& photo) from Zach Matich
Lady Joan was on the Kaipara, owned first by the Mockett family then by Cyril Powell.
Unsure on the dates but I can find out as I know Cyril and his son Royce.
She was powered by a 4 cylinder Ford Ebro and had a good turn of speed.
Going off the photo’s Royce showed me of when they did her up she was
a pretty classy old ship.
Harold Kidd Update
Lady Joan was taken over by NAPS in 1942 with the following crew; CPO Stan Headland (owner and skipper), PO Max Vipond and Stan Thomson (deputy skippers), A.V. Hardley, R.A. Johnstone (AB6690), H.Rees, T. Taylor. Her number was Z11. Her duties were Boom Patrol and Boom Control vessel. Her early history is somewhat enigmatic. I think it’s likely that she was a pre-WW1 34 footer renamed Lady Joan post-WW1.
My first record under that name is in 1921 and there are sporadic entries from then on with owners like J. J. and F. Mackay of Bayswater (1926-1936), the Cashmores some time in the 1930s (although that may have been Lady Jean) and then Stan Headland just before WW2. Headland converted her from a straightstemmer to a raised-foredeck, flared-bow bridgedecker.
Headland kept her until at least 1950. During his ownership she had a 95hp Palmer marine engine (probably a conversion of the Ford Mercury V8 by Palmer). Later owners include W.L. Beattie, J Caulfield, and then on the Kaipara, Bill Woodcock, Pouto (1968), Ivan Mockett, Ruawai (1975) and Cyril & Doug Powell (1985). She was in Helensville as recently as 1995.
Unfortunately there were at least 2 Lady Joans in these parts, which confuses the trail somewhat. I have no images but the National Maritime Museum has some wartime movie footage of her.
