Help needed to ID launch

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Help needed to ID launch

A real mixed bag of vessels here. Must have been a regatta or speed boat racing.

Of interest to waitematawoodys is the fine looking launch in the centre with the canoe stern. Can anyone help ID her?

Harold Kidd Update:
There are numerous candidates for the canoe – sterned launch. I will work on ID-ing  her. It’s unusual to have a combination of a raised forward deck, a clerestory, a dodger and a canoe stern on a launch of what…36 feet? In the meantime, some possibilities are RONOMOR, HAZEL, WAHAROA, ROMA and DIXIE.
The little outboard racer is FLEETUN built by Collings & Bell in November 1928. That’s probably Charlie Collings handling her.
 
What I can advice is –
1.       It’s a NZPBA event
2.       It’s on the Whau River
3.       It’s some time after March 1928 and before they moved these races to the Panmure Basin in January 1930.

 

Royal Visit – Britannia

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Royal Visit - Brittania

Royal Visit 1963 – Britannia

Photo taken by William (Bill) Fletcher, ex commodore of the Devonport Yacht club, Grant Cardno’s step grandfather.
Fletcher was an active photographer.
While Britannia is an interesting backround boat, waitematawoodys is more interested in the wooden launches in the foreground.
Any input on naming them would be appreciated.

Photo supplied by Grant Cardno

Polaris

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POLARIS

Story & photos supplied by Russell Ward

Here is a very interesting little boat that has been out of circulation for a while. I have been looking after her since 2005 and she is a shadow of her former self, but in a stable state.

Polaris, a 25’ pilchard trawler was built for a local fisherman by the name of Pearce by H Pearn & Sons Looe Cornwall 1935. The main engine 2 cyl Kelvin with similar engine as port wing engine. Construction is larch and pitch pine on oak frames. As an economy, the planking was not caulked –just fitted well. Pearce employed crews for both his boats and Polaris fished out of Polperro Cornwall until 1947 when she moved to Penarth Wales –I have one of her life rings with homeport Penrath still visible painted on it. She suffered a bilge fire from wing engine exhaust which was dealt with by sinking the vessel.

She was taken over by a boat builder who converted her into a pleasure boat with a strange cabin. In 1950 she was bought by the coroner  Col Kenneth Treasure of Tenby Wales. We think the good Colonel had her rebuilt with a rather more aesthetic cabin and I have a copy of a post card of her in Brixham

1954 found her in the ownership of one Griff Board with a Lister diesel installed. Board took the ship to Brixham where, in 1956-7 she was spotted by Wally Sharples who had seen her when he went to Brixham to see the Mayflower replica. The vessel had an extensive overhaul.

1958 Sharples, his family and apprentice John Penney emigrated to Adelaide and Polaris was shipped as deck cargo on “Queensland Star” 1960  found Sharples and family with Penney in Auckland along with Polaris which was rigged with a gaff mainsail and moored at Bucklands beach. Sharples cruised extensively in the Hauraki Gulf, Bay of Islands and Whangaraoa. I can remember seeing her round the bottom end in the ‘60s looking as pretty as a picture.

In 1970 Sharples and his wife moved to Opua, Bay of Islands and Polaris was moored there. Sharples died onboard after a fishing trip and the boat passed to his apprentice Penney.  1993 Jack Barber and Faye Christian bought Polaris from Penney. They used her extensively but the years were catching up with the ship and she was brought ashore for extensive hull work. This was well under weigh with the hull timbers almost all replaced when Jack Barber died 30 September 2002.

The son of the first owner was in touch and emailed a picture of her in her original form. Some part of me says she should be finished off like that.

Not often a boat travels so many miles on other boats’ keels. Even more fun is the knowledge of a boat’s travels halfway round the world leaving a lot of people who fell in love with her.

Karewa

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KAREWA
The tugboat (Karewa) was built in 1951 by Lidgards for the Department of Works to push barges on the Piako river for the construction of bridges. From there she went to the Tauranga Harbour Board as pilot/survey vessel, finally coming to Warkworth in the early 1980s, where she has been working tirelessly since at Lees Boatbuilders Ltd. In the above photos she is seen assisting Steve Horsley’s yacht Ngatira.

Silver Spray

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Silver Spray

SILVER SPRAY

Story & photo by Lyn Hatrick

The above boat is the Silver Spray which my Dad has noted as being built by Joe Slattery in Judges Bay about 1925 and was 26ft long. It was powered by an Ailsa Craig petrol engine. This boat is still in existence and has been completed done up and is now moored out by the boatsheds at Orakei. My grandfather owned one of the boatsheds there which he housed the Silver Spray in. These sheds were offered to those affected by the buildingof the pipeline and who owned boats which used to be kept up on the foreshore where the Shore Road/Orakei Road intersection is. The family lived in Orakei Road at the time and then moved to Tuahere Street and loved boating

Note the above was ‘borrowed’ from a facebook page & used based on the fact they we borrowing waitmatawoodys material 😉

Alcestis

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Alcestis

ALCESTIS

I’m yet to see a unappealing photo of Alcestis (Mollie,Raiona), this one as Harold Kidd would say ‘going full chat’, look at the exhaust just above the waterline midship, with a steadying sail up.

Photo supplied by Graham Guthrie

Centennial Rudder Cup Winner

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CENTENNIAL RUDDER CUP
Raindance the floating head office for waitematawoodys picked up another shiny thing at the CYA prize giving last night. Will sit nicely alongside the Motor Launch Trophy won last year.
This year Raindance collected the Centennial Rudder Cup, the trophy donated by Pauline & Harold Kidd to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Rudder Cup Race, one of the most significant events in our motor launch history.
Special mention should be made to my boat boy Simon Yates.

Valray

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VALRAY TAKEN ON OWNERS FAMILY SLIPWAY1975

VALRAY 
Tale & photo supplied by Ken Ricketts
Valray,named after Mr Ray & Mrs Val Hamilton, as one would think, is 38 ft, built of fiberglass Kauri, on the family farm, by the original owner himself, who was the then Harbour Master at Sandspit, Ray Hamilton, a real craftsman & artisan at all he did, or attempted, with his son Andrew, whom I thank so much for making this the photo available to me, having carried on what he started, with the boat building craftsmanship dynasty, & who is at the moment building a fascinating launch, on the same farm in Hamilton’s Rd Warkworth.
I saw her under construction on the farm during the later 60s. I can tell you all, the quality of materials & workmanship was almost better than the best, with beautiful lines as you can see, & a superbly crafted & finished interior.
As is obvious she is of the Vindex concept.
She was powered when built by 2 unusual model 6 cyl in line Perkins Diesels in N.Z., they were the  “S6” model & the only 2 I ever saw, & they may well still be in her today. They ran beautifully.
I saw them before installation, & after, & they were lovely looking large, mid metallic blue painted, naturally aspirated motors, ideal for the job they would be doing, in my view.
She lived right off the main wharf at Sandspit, during Ray H’s stewardship, (surprise, surprise, since he was the Harbour Master), & was used regularly.
She cut through the water superbly, & at a really good turn of speed, sat very flat in the water, & did not push or drag lots of water either end — seemed to cruise circa 18 knots at least, I’d say.
BEAUTIFUL!!
All in all, as far as I know, a great well keep boating secret, until now.
Would love to know where she is now if anyone can help. My email is kenpat@ihug.co.nz
Additional info
Valray was sold in 1978 to a Mr Gilbert.
Ray H imported the engines himself from UK specailly for her & the family still have a complete engine (not running at the moment) & many spares if anyone knows of a home for them.