Tag Archives: Arab

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ARAB

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ARAB

I stumbled across todays woody photo during a search of the the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection – the photos is ‘credited’ to the McLeod Collection, date and photographer unknown. The location is probably – Kopu Wharf, Thames.

What we do know from previous WW stories on ARAB (links below), that she is 32’ in length and built / launched in 1913 bu boatbuilders Collings & Bell.

Lots more re past owners and photos in the links .

WW Aug 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/23/3911/

WW March 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/03/30/arab/

VERY COOL MARITIME AUCTION – check out at link below https://auctions.mccormackandmckellar.co.nz/208/catalogue?page=1#0051

CLASSIC LAUNCH ARIZONA 

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Arizona moored between Mushroom Rocks, Whna
Arab (L) and Arizona at Awanui, 1914
Arab (L) and Arizona at Haruru Falls, Waitangi, 1914

CLASSIC LAUNCH ARIZONA 

The classic launch – ARIZONA as made a couple of brief appearances on WW – back in Dec  2022 we were trying to track her down – link below to that story and then in May 2023 we learnt that there was a rolling restoration underway on her- that story also linked below.

Fast forward to last week and ARIZONA popped up in a link ex Nathan Herbert to the McLeod collection at the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection – there we saw her on what appears to be a 1914 (ish) Northland Cruise. Given she was launched c.1914 could have been a shake down cruise. 

In the photos above according to the captions we see her with the launch – ARAB, not 100% sure the captions are correct at times, I have tagged the photos so the woodys brains trust can review and comment.

WW Dec 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/12/08/arizona-where-is-she-cya-heritage-basin/

WW May 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/05/arizona-gets-a-happy-ending/

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Arab

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ARAB
Today’s woody is the 32’ Arab built in 1913 by Collings & Bell, pictured above in the above 1915 photo, at the time owned by Alfred Grundy. She is seen here moored in the Hopua Crater > Geddes Basin > Onehunga Basin. The photo comes to us via Maurice Sharp’s fb (Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection).

A quick wikipedia search provides background on the area – located in Onehunga. Its 300 m wide, sediment-filled explosion (maar) crater was used as a boat harbour in early European times and known first as Onehunga Basin then as Geddes Basin. It was reclaimed in the 1930s and named Gloucester Park in 1935 after the visit to New Zealand by the Duke of Gloucester in that year. From 1975 into the early 80’s the South-western motorway was built right through the middle of the park and crater. The southern side was turned into a sports ground, and the western side as a wetland with activity space for Aotea Sea Scouts who took ownership of the Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club (MYMBC) club house, in 1977 (refer the white building in the 1910 postcard below).
Thanks to Harold Kidd and Matt  Urquhart in a previous WW story we know a lot about Arab (WW link below, read comments also) but keen to learn what became of Arab post the mid 1980’s when she possibly went to Tauranga?  

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/23/3911/

Arab

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ARAB

Now the caption says yacht but she looks more comfortable with the launch tag. The under-power photo is dated c.1900 & the moored one 1915.

photos ex ‘Sir George Grey Special Collections (Auckland Libraries)

Harold Kidd Update

You’ve got to worry about whoever wrote the captions to some of these recent postings. ARAB was built by Collings & Bell in September 1913 for John Ayling of Ponsonby and had a 3 cylinder 15hp Doman engine. She was 32’x8’6″. She used to winter at Henry Thode’s slip in Cox’s Creek.

Ayling sold her to W. Grundy of Onehunga in 1918-19 but she was brought back from the Manukau in the winter of 1920 by Bruce, Ferguson and Maude who raced her effectively with Ponsonby Cruising Club (see illustration on p83 of “Vintage NZ Launches”). In 1922 she was sold to Myrhe of Christchurch and shipped down. Later owners included C G Beaumont, under whose ownership she was in NAPS patrolling out of Lyttelton in WW2 as Z 127. In 1953 she was owned by M Cunningham of Lyttelton. She was alive (but not very well) until quite recently.