Tag Archives: Collings & Bell

Raema

Posted on by
11

RAEMA

Raema a 1940 Collings & Bell bridgedecker, has just changed hands & is now berthed at Port Motueka. She is 34′ LOA, 9’2″ Beam, 4’3″ Draft & powered by a 120hp 6cyl. Ford diesel.
On board there is a plaque saying ‘Raema RNZYS’ & she is rumored to have been once own by a past rnzys commodore.
Her owner would love to know more details on her past & see some early photos if they exist.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Harold Kidd Update

RAEMA was built in late 1923, not 1940. Her first owner was Gordon Bartleet, who had REHIA built by Colin Wild in 1939. I can find no contemporary reference to her builder, but Collings & Bell is almost certainly correct because she had a 4 cylinder Doman engine for which they were agents.
In March 1924 Bartleet sold her to Moller who was then Commodore of the Takapuna Boating Club and bought her back from him in September 1928. In October 1930 Percy McGill of Rotorua bought her, keeping her until the winter of 1933 when Horsley bought her. She then appears on the Kaipara in 1938-9 owned by Bo Bogle and then R. Smith (unless that’s another RAEMA). Then nothing in Auckland. She does not appear in the RNZYS records up to the mid 1960’s (which is where I’ve got to in transcribing them).

PS The only photograph I know of is at the Matakohe Museum and numbered PAHI 88. It shows her at the 1938 Pahi Regatta.

Resolution

Posted on by
14

RESOLUTION (Rio Rita)

1. Want to go cruising on a classic launch this Christmas?

2. Don’t have a spare $1,500,000 for a beach front holiday home.

If the answer was yes to either of the above then the phone call I received last week could make today your lucky day 🙂 Read on

NZ Kauri Carvel construction traditionally built 12.8m launch, from Collings & Bell shipyard in St Mary’s Bay, Auckland. Launched in 1929 and originally named “MV Rio Rita” this Ex survey vessel was tasked for 40 years as a tourist passenger ferry and royal mail vessel in the Marlborough Sounds.

Loads of history associated with this traditional timber launch. See waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/20/a-mystery-boat-200514/  . There’s further discussion regarding “MV Rio Rita” serving in 1942 for a period as a Battery Artificer for a gun crew in the Sounds out from Picton.

Renamed “Resolution” in 1971 when she relocated to Resolution Bay, Marlborough Sounds. For approximately the last 15 years she has been owned and maintained by a former boat builder in Omokoroa, Tauranga. Resolution has spent these long summers engaged in extended cruising up the coast between Tauranga and the Bay of Islands. This owner maintained her well and installed beautiful cabinetry throughout the interior, with materials in keeping with the vessels vintage and pedigree.

“Resolution” was recently acquired from this estate, as part of a “boat & berth” package in Tauranga’s Sulphur Point Marina. As traditional and beautiful as she is – Resolution is now surplus to requirements and seriously on the market following a significant price reduction. While Resolution requires a small degree of ongoing maintenance, nothing is urgent & work can wait until after the coming summer boating season.

Her new owner (boat & berth purchaser) has had a pre-purchase condition survey (dated Nov 2014) completed by Pacific Rim Marine Survey’s Limited, which will be made available to any prospective purchaser. Owner needs to sell her to make space for his existing boat so the price reflects this, I understand offers around $58,000 will buy her. Click the blue link below to view the extensive inventory & read more.

MV Resolution

Contact details – Warwick Bray Mob  021 288 6643 – Tel Hm  07 579 4043   Email : w.bray@aucgroup.co.nz

Wenna

Posted on by
17

WENNA
photo & details ex Harold Kidd

A new photo of Wenna has surfaced from Bob Wiley of Boat Haulage, whose father did a lot of cruising on Wenna when she was owned by Willie McWhirter during the 1950s and 1960s.
Willie McWhirter (1902-1983) was a long-term Auckland Harbour Board employee, son of Tom McWhirter, brother of Jack, of the well-known yachting family of St. Mary’s Bay.
He lived at 61 St. Mary’s Road. Dave Jackson knew him well.
When McWhirter owned Wenna he carried a food safe on the dodger which was most unusual and characteristic of the launch during his ownership.
Harold commented this is now a  a missing chunk of Wenna’s history accounted for.

Back then the crack was “Wenna you going to buy me a beer?” 🙂

ps excuse the fly poo on the photo – HDK was worried that cleaning it might have damaged the original print 🙂

To view more photos on Wenna old & current – enter Wenna in the ww search box.

11/11/14 – Harold Kidd Update

Jack Taylor has given me the good oil on WENNA. He used to work alongside Alf Bell of Collings & Bell and Alf told him some facts about WENNA.
1. She WAS built by Collings & Bell.
2. They took their time over construction so Eric O’Neill, who lived in Ring Terrace a few yards away, kept nagging them, ” When are you going to get my boat finished”, and the WENNA stuck.
3. Eric was known around the waterfront as “Peggy” O’Neill after the song. He was a cheerful bloke and everyone liked him.
4. He knew nothing about boating at the start. He brought WENNA back from Barrier through the bad February 1936 hurricane and complained to Alex Collings that she leaked. 40 boats were lost in Auckland in that blow.
5. However, he got to be good enough to skipper PAIKEA on occasion during her NAPS service.

 

Alma G & Alma G II

Posted on by
23

ALMA G & ALMA G II

photos & detail ex Harold Kidd

Here is the first of a series of game fishing images taken by Tudor Collins at the Bay of Islands, which Harold would guess to be from the period around 1950-55 . The images were bought at a flea-market by Sharon Knight who has made them available via Harold for all of ww followers to relish.
This first one (today) shows ALMA G on the left and ALMA G II on the right.
ALMA G was built by Collings & Bell for E.C. Arlidge in 1922, the first of a series of splendid 35-36ft game-fishing launches built to Charles Collings’ renowned concave-convex planing hull design for the Bay of Islands. Her original configuration was the same as ALMA G II alongside her in this pic. ALMA G II was built as ZANE GREY for Mervyn Arlidge (for use by Zane Grey) in 1927. Other similar launches were MANAAKI and OTEHEI for F. Elliott (1927), LORNA DOONE for A. A. Holmes (1927) and AVALON for Peter Williams (1927). All were fitted with 6 cylinder Redwing 85-100hp marine engines.
Zane Grey’s visits to New Zealand with his mates caused an explosion of interest in game-fishing and added lots of US dollars to the NZ economy, culminating in the Collings & Bell’s commission from Zane Grey to build the 46 footer FRANGIPANI for fishing in Tahiti, launched in 1932.
ALMA G appears to have had a recent modernisation. Does anyone know when this done and who was the builder?

Photo below of ALMA G in her original configuration c1950, before the alterations.

Update ex Bruce Overhill
Bruce spent many hours on the refurbished Alma G in 2004 chasing Marlin. He commented that she can still catch them and was holding her own against all the big boats in the Bayleys fishing competition out of Whangaroa Harbor.

Below are a couple of photo to show the changes that she has had done.

28-04-2016 photo below of Alma G ex Hylton Edmonds via Ken Ricketts

ALMA G II - H Edmonds

Wenna

Posted on by
16
Wenna

WENNA

With ww I try to plan the posts a few days in advance, well yesterday Harold Kidd turned my schedule upside down when he sent in the above photo of Wenna. Earlier this week,
Harold was the recipient (on loan) of a photo album from Margaret Field of the O’Neill* family. One of the photos was the stunning one of Wenna above.

Wenna was recently purchased as  Rangitira & renovated by Pam  Gundy at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard (launch day photo below)

*Eric O’Neill arrived in NZ with his family just after WW1 and lived in Ring Terrace, just above St. Mary’s Bay & Wenna was built for him around 1925. Given his residence, most likely by a St. Mary’s Bay builder, the options being Collings & Bell, Leon Warne, Dick Lang (or Sam Ford who took over Lang’s yard in 1923 and used Ford’s moulds until 1924 when Lang returned).
Now two days ago I was sent a photo of Marua (below), by Dave Jackson via Adrienne, Dave’s father, (David Jackson Snr) was one of the owners of the Marua c.1955-56. Dave commented that Marua & Wenna were very similar in design, with Marua being built in 1915 for E. McKeown by Peter A. Smith who was an engine supplier and contracted out his hulls to St Mary’s Bay builders. Harold would pick Dick Lang as the builder of Marua’s hull, not Leon Warne who was still with Collings & Bell in 1915. It’s likely that Dick (or Sam Ford possibly) built Wenna too. Marua was a total loss as a result of the fire that destroyed the Baileys yard.

There’s always the possibility that Collings & Bell built both boats but Harold does not think they did much (if any) work for Peter A. Smith as they were more interested in selling their own brands of marine engines where the greater profit margin lay and weren’t short of their own orders.

All of the above aside – both Marua and Wenna are best described as typical St. Mary’s Bay – built launches of the period.

Note – when Pam’s partner George (Emtage) saw Margaret Field’s photo of Wenna, he starting looking for his chainsaw – he liked what Harold described as the slinky look – so do I.

Pam on the other hand is happy with Wennna’s tram-top, which according to Dave Jackson was built by Cyril Freeman of Ponsonby. He was working for Shipbuilders at the time, but this job was a ‘homer’. This was during the late 1940’s maybe even the early 1950’s.

MARUA

Marua

 WENNA (Rangitira) 2014

Wenna 2014
Wenna 2014
Wenna 2014

07/11/14 – photo of Wenna ex Harld Kidd ex Bob Wiley

 

Wenna (Rangitira)

Posted on by
17

Wenna (Rangitira)

This 32′ early 1920’s Collings & Bell classic launch would have to be one of the luckiest classics around – a few months ago I gave Rangitira, as she was named then, a big plug on ww as she was for sale on trademe at what was the buy of the year price. Then a few months ago she was ‘adopted’ by Pam Cundy at Whangateau Traditional Boats.

To use Pam’s own words she “pushed through a quick paint job and varnished hatch and mast, now for a new name board to come”. Pam will be reverting to her old name Wenna. She slipped back into the water last week. Looks pretty slick to me & Pam has a great eye for colours.

To read / view photos from her past click this link

Rangitira

Update from Pam Cundy

After several years of watching for a suitable motor boat this felt like an opportune time to purchase. After looking her over with the usual ‘check for …’ And with the usual ‘old boat’ problems the only thing that bothered me was this old girl had seemingly lost her real identity. Fortunately shortly after purchasing her and conducting a search Adrienne and Dave called by with some details and Harold contributed also.

Wenna ( Rangitira) – according to Dave Jackson
Dave identified her as being Wenna – 1940’s to1970’s he knew her to be Wenna.
His friends would say “when are you going to shout?”.
1967-68 Dave purchased her to tow his mullet boat down to the Ponsonby yacht club from Birkenhead.
She had a Morris Commodore petrol engine in her then.
1940’s owner was Mr O’Neil of Ring Terrace Ponsonby. He installed the raised cabin. When Mr O’Neil passed away he left the boat to William ( Bill ) McWhirter.
Bill sold it to Mr Wylie (Jacks father – Boat haulage).

Harold on Wenna
Eric Cathbart Fergus O’Neil of Ponsonby (b.1886,d.1957), engineer, owned Wenna from at least 1925.
“Unfortunately” Harold said, ” I can’t connect her back to Collings and Bell but if Dave J says Collings and Bell, that was good enough for me”.
O’Neil did a lot of game fishing with her in the mid 1920s and 1930s.
In March1930 she was attacked by a big mako off the Great Barrier, splintering some planks and then got free.

Wenna – ” maiden” or “white seas”

Thanks also to Tim Jackson, previous owner
See you at the Mahurangi Regatta!!!
Pam
An awesome blog Alan and Harold- Look what it turned up for me : )

Sir Francis

Posted on by
8
Sir Francis Lake Taupo 2013

SIR FRANCIS

photo & details ex Paul Drake

The above photo of Sir Francis was taken at Taupo in 2013. She was built by Collings and Bell in 1916. Sir Francis is 22′ in length & is powered by a  Universal Utility Four, dating from 1937. She is a very lucky boat as she lives in a boat shed on Lake Taupo.

One of the amazing things about Sir Francis is that she has had the same owners (the Drake Family) for 75 years.

Owaka – Find A Classic

Posted on by
14

Screen Shot 2014-07-13 at 9.43.09 am

OWAKA
This ones a bit of a shot in the dark.
Stuart Lewis has contacted ww on behalf of his father who is looking for information on the launch Owaka, built by Collings and Bell c.1927.

Stuart’s fathers uncle, Jack Burdett of Whangarei, owned and carried out extensive work on her (in the 1970’s, he thinks) Jack used her as a work / pleasure boat servicing his farms on the Cavalli Islands and Limestone Island in Whangarei. Jack died in the 1980’s (unsure of exact date).

Any information any of you may have, or details on the later life of the Owaka would be appreciated.

Update from Harold Kidd

OWAKA was launched by Collings & Bell in November 1927 for Lyttelton Ferries Ltd. W E (Edmund) Lane of Russell had her in 1953, Lane”s Sea Services 1961, Bay Sea Services 1963. Fullers had her after (?) that time using her with the barge LORNA. She was advertised on TradeMe last year, moored at Great Barrier, asking price $49,500 ono with heaps of images which I have at home (now in South Island touring).

Update & photos below from Baden Pascoe
Baden tells us that Myra Larcombe, who is now in her late 80’s, father Edmund Lane owned Owaka in the l950’s. She was then powered by a Kelvin K 4, 88hp.
Baden also advised that Owaka is still based at Gt Barrier Island.
Stuart – I have emailed you Myra’s contact details, in case you want to follow up with her.

Baden Pascoe Update 16/07/2014
The photo of Owaka being craned was when she was returned to Auckland from Otago in 1953. For her new owner, Mr. Edmund Lane

16-07-2015 Update from Ray Morey ex Harold Kidd, edited by Alan H

I joined Fullers late 1962 and drove Owaka mostly but also Miss Doris and Miss Ida  and quite a few of the others.

I don’t know when she got the extended wheelhouse and standing top but it must have been in Lanes time.

“Bay Sea Services” was a shelf company set up by Fullers to finance a third person to purchase Owaka and the barge Lorna as there were bad feelings between Fullers and Edmund. Owaka got the Ford engine shortly after I left in late 1963 when the Marine Dept. started to frown on the petrol start engines in passenger vessels. Fullers also had several spare engines in storage. I think Jack Burdett may have put the accommodation and after cabin over the old cargo space in the former aft cockpit because he lived on it when mustering on the Cavalli islands. She was getting a bit nail-sick from the pounding of the Kelvin when I drove her.

A partner and I looked at the Lidgard built “Mairie” then lying at a jetty in the Tamaki River but the K4 put us off. She is a beautiful and well built workboat, would be nice with a Gardner down below. We wanted a workboat that could tow a barge, be hire-able to the W.H.B. for general work, carry a reasonable size party for fishing and have a fair turn of speed as its a long way out of Whangarei. We finally settled on a Picton built launch “Rata”, 4-71 GM powered. I think she went to Fiji as a village boat.

20-03-2017 Input ex Linda Wright
Owaka, was owned by my father, Colin Wright, from approx 1989 to some time in the 1990s after he purchased her from Jack Burdett.

He has given me some stories and info from his time aboard the Owaka, and I have some photos from our visits stored away.

Dad was living aboard Owaka for extended periods and ferrying material from Whangarei to the Barrier, where he was doing some work at the time. A lot of trips were made at night and alone, as Owaka was so easy to handle. Whenever possible, she was under sail or motorsailing.

He would keep marine band radio on all the time, and was sometimes called to assist others in the area by George Mason, who ran the Whangaparapara marine radio on Great Barrier.

When Dad bought Owaka she was painted white, and he did not make any structural modifications apart from installing an electric toilet, as the toilet was rather cranky.

UPDATE 15-01-2019 Photo of Owaka off Tapeka Point, taken by Nathan Herbert onboard Pacific – got to love the veggie garden 🙂

qwaka jan2019

 

A Mystery Boat 20/05/14 – RIO RITA > RESOLUTION

Posted on by
26

A new photo & a question from Chris Manning – is the above photo taken at ‘Curious Cove’ Marlborough Sounds (possibly c1950’s) of the boat with the tyre fender possibly  Rio Rita? The sheer line looks about right, as do the vintage stanchions and the after windows . Can anyone comment on this ?
Screen Shot 2014-05-20 at 9.06.52 AM

A Mystery Boat 20/05/14 – RIO RITA > RESOLUTION

Ok woody boaters – todays post is an enigma to me. The boat is unknown to me, but she is flying a CYA burgee, a check of the CYA database shows no match so the vessel is either belong to a very distant lapsed member or someone has ‘borrowed’ the burgee.

The photo is ex the very talented pro photographer Dean Wright & most likely shot in the BOI.

Anyone able to shed some light on the vessel?

It also appears she is currently in Tauranga & listed on trademe (thanks Andrew Pollard for the tip). Photo added above.

Update
Lots of chat about todays mystery boat in the comments section – check it out. I can confirm it is ‘Rio Rita’ > ‘Resolution’ . I have also added a great photo sent to me by Harold Kidd of her on launch day, 1929, at St. Marys Bay, she was built by Collings & Bell & launched as a tourist passenger boat, note the open cockpit forward. Looked rather grand, quite different now days.

Updated photo– 13/06/14 – ex Harold Kidd of Rio Rita in the Sounds, still with ‘Rio Rota Auckland’ on her transom.

Updated photo – 23/07/2014 – ex Liam Daly on or close to her launch day

Rio Rita lauching 1929

2014 photo below ex Dave Jones ex Baden Pascoe

Rangitira

Posted on by
14

RANGITIRA

Looking for a good entry level classic motor launch? Rangitira is currently for sale on trademe. The listing states that she was built in 1929 by Collings & Bell & as expected of a vessel of this era is kauri carvel plank construction.
At 32′ & powered by a Ford 60hp diesel engine that pushes her effortlessly thru the water & she is therefore very economical to run.
The photos of her were taken over the last few years. While her interior is a little tired, she has good bones & has not been ‘mucked around’ with. Very usable as is, but a restoration would be relatively straight forward.
I do not normally mention prices on ww but at $18,000 it is a good entry into classic boating.

As always – ww is interested in hearing more about her past.

Update & photo from previous owner – Tom Jackson

Stolen from her mooring by  school boys from an Auckland boys school and taken to Waiheke.Garboard plank smashed and she sunk. Then refurbished by Derek Dempster.  Sold to me by a Mr Pack in Auckland in 1989  as a  Dick Lang launch. He purchased it from a Whangarei owner who installed the butterfly hatch. Sold by me in 1991 to an American who took her to BOI. Many fond party memories.A great boat.