Connie V

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Connie V

Connie V a Connie V

CONNIE V
She is one of 3 sister ships WANDA II (for Fred Porter) & DOREEN ( for Gordon Mace ) later renamed TANGAROA. DOREEN had & still has as far as I know 1 x 6LW Gardiner & WANDA II had 2 x 6cyl Scripps petrol engines later replaced of course with diesels.

photo & story ex Ken Ricketts

modern photos ex current owner – Gavin Cook

Photo below of Connie V (Feb 2015) ex Harold Kidd

01-03-2016 photos ex trademe ex Ken Ricketts

Juanita

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Juanita

JUANITA – 36 ft built by Allan Williams at Milford Creek for Cyril Bertrand of Bell Rd Remuera in 1950/51 had Osco converted Ford V8 originally — now 6 cyl Ford. Supposed to be sister ship to Aoma also built by Williams.Photo Ponui Island c.1952.

Update from Ken Ricketts (01/06/2013)

JUANITA; ( Pronounced jew-a-neat-a, by the original owners)
 A sister ship to Aoma, built a year or 2 later, circa 1953, also built at Milford Creek, by Alan Williams, for Cyril Bertrand, a clothing retailer of Auckland City, who lived in Bell Rd Remuera. She was originally powered by a mid blue painted, Osco converted, Ford V8, under a box, as with Aoma, in the same position, which perhaps may have been just a tad too far forward, as she tended to look as if she was perhaps burying her bow just slightly, at speed.
The Bertands were family friends, & we cruised most weekends with them, for 4 or 5 years, when I was a lad, until they sold her. As you will see, in the above pic., I took in North Harbour Ponui Island, circa 1955, She did not have a sweep in the deck, but interior layout was almost identical, to AOMA.
When she was sold, she lived for a good number of years, at the Sandspit Warkworth, had a 6 cyl For Diesel fitted, & was maintained I believe, by Lees Boatbuilders, for the then owners, in very original condition, as at that time.
Have not seen or heard of her, for a number of years, so perhaps others could fill in the gaps, & drop me an email to kenpat@ihug.co.nz
Update 18/06/13
Juanita was owned by Ernest & Rae  Blumenthal from circa the mid
60s to the 1990s I was told today, by a friend who knew her very well, when they had her.
She had a 6 cyl Lees Ford the entire time of ownership by the Blumenthals.Mr  Blumenthal died, & Mrs Blumenthal retained her for a period after his
death, & then sold to a butcher called “Nick” …??? & she moved to
Mahurangi.She appears to have later moved to Taupo, because she was seen for sale on Trade Me,” at Taupo, post 2000, & was seen not too long after that, passing through Warkworth on a transporter, going North, & I now suspect, she is in the B.O.I area. — Have a sleuth keeping an eye out up there, for me.

Faye (LADY FAYE)

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FAYEFaye

FAYE – 32 ft Owned & built by Fred Steel of Bayswater in 1948 (one of 2, the other, Adara, owned by Des Donovan & (Andy’s brother). Both were built by “20th Century Boats” (Steele & Donovan) in Sydney St Takapuna. Adara was later lengthened by 6 feet.

Faye originally had a Willys Jeep 4cyl petrol engine which F. Steel later replaced with a 6 cyl Hercules diesel. He owned her for many years. Very roomy for 32 ft. We cruised with them most weekends in the 50s when my parents had Juliana.

photo & story by Ken Ricketts

Faye & Adara

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Faye & Adara

FAYE & ADARA – The twins, as mentioned above. Together c1954 in Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island. They were 2 of the biggest volume, roomy, & well planned for living, 32 footers I have ever seen, that sat well in the water & slid along beautifully tidily in the water at about 8 knots cruising speed.

The interior living space was unbelievable. — FAYE even had a large full boat width, owners stateroom, with full double bed in the aft end of the boat, — a rare luxury in that day & age of vessels under 40 ft, in my experience. a wonderful comfortable boat for longer cruises. Both were built by “20th Century Boats” (Steele & Donovan) in Sydney St Takapuna. Adara was later lengthened by 6 feet.

Kaikoura

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KAIKOURA BON ACCORD KAWAU CIRCA 1984Kaikoura

KAIKOURA, Built by P Vos to a Hacker design in1952 for Alf Crawford owner of E Le Roy canvas goods retailers. Originally had 2 x Kermath Seamate Specials 165 hp each — went very quickly (I had a trip one day Easter 1954 when I was 18 years old — see pic of me on board, pic also of the original owner Alf Crawford & his son Cameron & my parents & me on deck Easter 1954). Engines were replaced by Bridgefords of Mission Bay, who bought her later, with 2 x Perkins 165hp V8s — colour pic was taken with Perkins engines in Bon Accord, Kawau Island, c1985.

photos & story ex Ken Ricketts

EL CAPITAN

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EL CAPITAN

EL CAPITAN. This boat has a fascinating story. A genuine Chris Craft design & specs, built of 2 skins mahogany in 1960 on his farm, by the owner at Ohakea. Still has original 2 x 6cyl 90hp Chrysler Crown Petrol engines (still only done 750 hours since new). Was used on Taupo & at the Sounds from 1960 to 1974 & then put back in shed at Ohakea for maintenance & never moved until owner died & she was sold to Tony Mitchell a professional self employed boat builder at Lake Rotoiti 8 years ago who has restored her beautifully in his spare time. She was relaunched Dec. 2012 & had been in the water 3 minutes when this pic was taken — I was at the relaunching at Lake Rotoiti.
She had never had a call sign, as the original owner was radio ham & used his ham call sign for marine use. —
I was instrumental in Radio Spectrum Management allocating ZMEC to her for life.

photo & story by Ken Ricketts

Barbara W & Juliana

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Barbara W & Juliana

Barbara W & Juliana tied to Russell Wharf c.1952, on deck of Barbara W are Harry & June Julian (owner of Barbara W’s son) at that time, Fred & Agnes Steel owners of “FAYE” at that time & Ralph & Wyn Ricketts owners of JULIANA — 2 of 9 boats doing a Northern cruise in company under the guiding hand of Harry J who was a commercial skipper on his family tugs plying the coast mostly for sand & he was an absolutely brilliant seaman – he died a few months ago in his 80s (Barbara W had an 8 L3 Gardner Diesel & Juliana had a 6cyl Leyland Diesel)
photo & copy by Ken Ricketts

Juliana

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JULIANA; Built 1930 by Sam Ford owned by Ralph & Wyn Ricketts from 1946 to 1956. She originally had a 4cyl “T” head Thornycroft petrol engine circa 1920s, this was replaced by Ralph in 1947 with a 6 cyl Leyland Cub Diesel, & again in 1956  with 4 cyl Buda Diesel. She went to Whangarei for a few years when sold & then to the Algie family at Algies Bay from about 1972 to 1995 — they replaced the Buda with a 6 cyl Ford. She was sold to a fisherman in New Plymouth for several years & ended up back at Tamaki River about 2006 as a bare hull absolutely nothing in her. Bought by present owner Fraser Wilson who is in the final stages of major restoration /rebuild on her with an unbelievable transformation. One pic of her is taken in Judges Bay by the Parnell baths in 1947, by Ken Ricketts, a few months after his parents bought her & had given her a fairly major refurb at that time & the other is of her a few months ago during her restoration, in the boatbuilders, Tony Mitchell’s shed at Lake Rotoiti where she will live, when back in the water.
photos & copy by Ken Ricketts

Waitangi – the motor launch

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Waitangi - the motor launch

Waitangi, the motor launch was built by Bailey & Lowe as Karamana in late 1923 to a design by Hacker and originally had a Green 6 cylinder aero engine. As you can see from the photo she was one of the ‘quicks’.

Photo as Karamana below – read H Kidd reply for details

Karamanaa