Lady Margaret – but which one ??certainly not #1

27/04/2014 Update from Garth Broadhead

She was owned for many years by Gordon Brown of Brown & Nuttall (sic?) and I spent many great holidays cruising the Gulf aboard and alongside her as a teenager and while at university and many (perhaps not so great, but at least instructive) times under her and in her bilges scraping, sanding, painting and assisting with minor repairs when she was slipped at Gordon’s marine railway in front of his house at 97 Sarsfield St. Gordon had spent a lot of time racing cars and tended to navigate her as though on a racetrack – flatstick in all directions and hard between ahead and astern (Snow Telford once commented in his typical dry style while watching Gordon throw her hard astern while manoeuvering alongside Almarie II – “I don’t want to be nearby when he finds no one home”. I don’t recall it ever happening though!). Gordon also famously was once cutting corners on the way into Russell, eeking 13.5 kts out of his twin 120hp 6-cyl Fords (I recall he replaced the petrols she had in her when he bought her and the Fords that went in were reconditioned but gave and may still be giving (?) many years sterling service) when he caught the end of a reef. Lady Margaret reared up and came hard down on her keel. The tide was outgoing, friends and others were summoned and a nervous wait commenced – she had just caught the last couple of feet of the reef and all efforts were being made to ensure she laid over to port as the tide ebbed and didn’t roll over the edge of the reef to starboard. At the last moment, after reluctantly making up her mind, she laid the correct way and floated off on the flood. She was immediately hauled at Opua to find (miraculously!) no damage other than a few minor dents and scratches and a bit of lost paint. She was back in the drink the next day and Gordon was off. Gordon sold her approximately 10 years ago and I’m not sure if the current owners are the same as purchased her. However my younger brother tells me that he often sees her in Drunks (which looks like where this photo may have been taken?) and that she is looking in fine shape. I have lived in Rarotonga for some time and haven’t seen Gordon for many years, although I hear he is still going well into his 90s at a rest home in West Auckland – Sadly no longer at 97 Sarsfield – he sold the house to a fellow called Fisher in the 90s on the condition that Fisher incorporated a flat into the house that Gordon could live in for the rest of his days – this part of the deal being done simply on a handshake which was, as ever, good enough for Gordon. The flat was perfect for him and he lived there very hapily until just a few years ago, when I hear he, quite literally, outlived his welcome and was moved on. All that knew Gordon well knew more or less the deal he had and it was so deeply sad and disappointing to see him shoved off the land he loved and lose his view over the harbour that had given him and so many he knew and cared for so much pleasure over so many years. It is very good though to see that Lady Margaret is in good hands – Gordon I’m sure is aware of this and well pleased for it.