Harold has been trying to ID the above launch & to date had no luck, so Woodys the question today – can any one put a name to her or even the location, that would be a big help in the process.
AN APOLOGY
For some reason the ‘WordPress’ platform who I host the ww site on has been having a few hiccups & keeps re-setting its internal clock – end result is that a few posts that I have had loaded into the system have appeared at random & then disappeared – don’t worry, they will be back 🙂 Cheers Alan Houghton
The floating art work, Lady Margaret (Dick Lang), was hauled out last week at Okahu Bay for some serious bottom cleaning. The X-Foul-E-8 team were applying their magic to her, that kauri looks as good as the day she was launched in 1940. A little birdie tells me we will not be hearing the purr of her Fodens for much longer, some open heart surgery is on the cards – the Lady always was very quick so will be interesting to see how she performs with 2 new light weight zoomers 😉 The Foden installation was a sight to behold so expect no-less with the transplant. (Peter B would kill me if I did not point out that the pile of mussels alongside LM came from another vessel)
CYRENA photo ex Mac Taylor Collection. Details ex Harold Kidd
Cyrena (on the left in the photo above) was built by Peter A Smith, the Alpha marine engine agent in St. Mary’s Bay for himself in 1923. Like W R Twigg, Smith contracted to build launches, his input being the engine which usually cost over half the total price. He contracted out hulls to local builders, usually those handy to his premises in St. Mary’s Bay. This hull was built by Dick Lang before he left for Sydney during the transition of his business to Sam Ford so Sam Ford took some credit in advertising. She was 37ft x 9ft and was fitted with a 25hp Alpha (Danish) engine. Smith named her Cyrena and she was launched around Christmas 1923.
Smith sold her to the Manukau in September 1924. F G “Boy” Bellve of Herne Bay bought her and brought her back to the Waitemata in January 1926 and had her until he commissioned the keel yacht Cyrena from Collings & Bell in late 1938.
Bellve sold the launch Cyrena to A M White of Ngatapa, Gisborne who renamed her Maritza and had her trucked over to Lake Waikaremoana on 6-7 October 1938.
Whats say the woodys re the dark hulled launch on the right on the photo above? And the yachts E24 & A17 ?
The photo below ex classicboatsnz shows her being launched at Lake Waikaremoana.
Harold Kidd Input
E24 is LOLOMA, my old boat and Jason’s too. The twist in her counter is quite evident. She got it when she was teeboned in a race at Whangarei in January 1915 and cut to the waterline. The repairs to her double-diagonal hull starboard amidships were botched. It took me a lot of effort to (almost) get rid of it 70 years later. She was built by J.J. O’Rorke as WARATAH at Arch Hill in late 1909 as a transom-sterned 26 footer with a varnished hull but had a solid counter fitted shortly afterwards, A17 is NGA TOA built by Colin Wild for the Winstone brothers in 1926. Oddly enough, Boy Bellve, who owned the launch CYRENA and later the Collings & Bell yacht CYRENA, bought NGA TOA with A.G. Taylor in 1946 and owned her almost until he died.
25-09-2016 – photo below from the Tudor Collins collection, emailed to me by Ken Ricketss.
photo & details ex Pam Cundy, Harold Kidd & Zac Matich
Awa Manu is 32′ loa, built by Dick Lang & powered by a Perkins P6. One of her previous owner, Neil H would like to know a little more about her & her current whereabouts.
Neil sold her approx. 20 years ago. When Neil had her, paper work on board led them to believe she may have been previously named Pasadina.
She was owned by the Going Brothers and game fished out of Tutakaka.
In a post in the ww comments section, Zac Matich advised that she is owned by Royce Powell of Whangarei & in a shed at Kauri (Kauri Point, Tinopai ??)
The above photo of Aloha was taken in Bostaque Bay. Aloha was built by Dick Lang at St Mary’s Bay c1928 see below
What more do we know about her?
Harold Kidd Update
ALOHA was built at St Mary’s Bay in 1926 by Charles Robinson, not Dick Lang. Robinson had been building at Ohinemutu, Rotorua for many years from about 1909, for a time with Percy McIntosh, who moved to Whangarei in 1911. Robinson carried on at Ohinemutu until the 1930s. He built the keel yacht MAHOE at Ponsonby in November 1894. He worked with James Clare for some years and went to Tonga with him after building MAHOE. A most neglected builder (and a very fine one).
11-12-2015 Update ex Bert Boswell
The Aloha was bought from the Wilkinson family in 1965 or 66 by Tom Wood. Tom had crewed on the Aloha as a youngster and had been told he would have first choice if she ever went on the market. He was given the choice years later when Mr Wilkinson died. When Tom bought her she was powered by a power kerosene motor which had to be started by filling priming cups with petrol. I think the motor was a Commodore. Tom changed the motor for a diesel which was still in her when he eventually sold her. He used to tell the story of how as a young crew member he and his mates would swap from kerosene to petrol when they were racing in a regatta in the Whangarei Harbour – much to the skipper’s annoyance as he thought petrol was too expensive! Tom was a bachelor and my late wife’s, cousin. For many years he took me and my family of three youngsters and one or the other of their cousins cruising every Christmas. We cruised from Whangaroa to The Barrier for many wonderful cruises. She was a large part of my young family’s life after my wife died shortly after Tom bought her. What wonderful experiences for my kids who grew up with a love of the sea. Most years we cruised in company with Aumoe owned by Selwyn Wilkinson. The two boats ofter made a great sight cruising together or rafted up together for the night. Tom lavished a huge amount of care on the old girl and I was sad to see her a few years after Tom died looking sad and bedraggled as some sort of fishing smack. However I saw her again some time later moored in the Whangarei Town Basin looking her old smart self. She was renowned for her long saloon table but I understand it was removed at some stage. That’s a pity. The boat shed shed she lived in still remains as one of a group of three at the entrance to the Town Basin, The Aumoe’s shed was next door and also remains. They are all that is left of historic buildings at the Basin. I am so thrilled to see someone is recording the histories of these lovely old ladies of the sea. I have a few photos of her if you are interested. The photo of the Aumoe alongside the Tiri was taken from Aloha. We called on the Tiri on our way back from the Barrier and were invited on board. I remember the radio crew played a request for us after we left them – and a crate of beer, for which they were very grateful! Bert Boswell
12-07-2019 Input from Deb Green (Bert Boswell’s daughter)
The photos below are from during the Tom Wood ownership period. Tom was Deb’s uncle.
Update – 09-10-2020 photo below of Aloha c1960’2, in the Bay of Islands. When owned by Tom Wood
Ethel Clare photos ex Baden Pascoe
Ethel Clare is currently on the hard at Te Atatu, post a wee trip to the bottom. Her subsequent hauling out revealed a ‘few’ bits missing. Lets hope this time she gets the attention she deserves & needs 😉
MY GIRL photo & details from Jason Prew, Harold Kidd & Ian Gavin
At ww we love restoration projects, anyone that commits to saving one of your old girls is a good friend of waitematawoodys.
Todays classic launch is My Girl, built by Dick Lang in late 1925 for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade who commuted with her. The square-bilge design was based on one by W.H. Hand. She was fitted with a 6 cylinder 100hp Scripps that pushed her along at over 18 knots. Waldron later took her to Whangarei and she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2. She survived at Te Atatu owned by Trevor Davies.
The photos above show her in days gone by & being transported from Te Atatu Boating Club to her new home where her new owner Jason Prew , who recently purchased her from the Davies family, will commence her restoration. Jason has both done himself & supervised some of the best restoration projects in the CYA fleet so we will follow My Girl with great interest. I think I might need to re-power Raindance to keep up with Jason (My Girl) & Nathan Herbert (Lucinda).
You can follow the project here http://www.my-girl.co.nz
Interesting statistic – there are 9 CYA members on the CYA General Committee, myself being one of them, of those 9, 6 of them are now launch owners. Owning a classic wooden launch is the hot new boating trend 🙂
Lady Jule was built in 1939 for the Pollard family ( Henderson & Pollard ?) of Auckland by Dick Lang. I understand that she was built just before Lady Margaret (Peter Boardman’s stunning Dick Lang launch).
Kerry Clarkson purchased her in 2008 and along with a friend brought her down the coast from Houhora to Clevedon in August of that year.
She is 38ft plus duck board making her 40ft LOA. Her beam at the widest point is 11ft 4inches making her a very beamy old girl for her age. She is an extremely seaworthy and strongly built vessel of single 1.1/4 kauri plank carvel construction.
She is powered by a 6 cylinder 120hp Lees Marine Ford, installed new in 1976, and will cruise all day at 18-1900 rpm. (8-8.5 knots).
Currently hauled out for some rib sistering, recaulking, anti-foul & hull paint job. I understand her owners have relocated outside of Auckland & she is for sale & is very well priced. Interested parties could contact Kerry on rooclarkson@gmail.com or on 0274574 756 .
Harold Kidd update
Sorry to rain on this man’s parade too, but that history is not right. LADY JULE was indeed built by Dick Lang in 1939 but not for the Pollards. It was a tumultuous year with the outbreak of war so launch building news was not high priority in the newspapers. My best guess is that she was built for Gordon Hunter and was his first boat. Gordon’s son Don provided that info. Gordon sold her in 1944 to buy ROYAL SAXON. I think the purchaser was Edward Morrison of Herne Bay. The Frankham brothers, Jack & Stan bought her in the early 1960s and kept her until c1984. Their brother-in-law Noel Pollard (of Henderson & Pollard) crewed on her extensively during that time and again when his mate Jack Allen of L.R. Allen Ltd had her briefly. That’s the only Pollard connection, and it’s extremely tenuous. Her original engine was a petrol Buda (for which my father was agent)
23-07-2016 Update – Lady Jule wrecked at Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island
Very sad to report that on July 19th 2016 Lady Jule broke free from her mooring in Rocky Bay & was wrecked on the rocks. See link to story below
Photos of the ‘wreck’ below. When first reported on ww there were no photos available, the below have now appeared, perhaps the term wreck is a little too severe, some (like Jason Prew) would consider that hull a good candidate for restoration 😉
ww was contacted by the present owner of Rahemo & the information & photos the Rod Turner has supplied deserves its own post, read below “The Chrysler Crown 125s I replaced were “mirror” or a contra-rotating handed pair. They were rugged and reliable, dedicated marine engines. No change of rotation occurred in the gear boxes. They were supplied and installed by Todds as New Zealand agents, not the Navy. Rahemo never had diesel engines before 1987. The “one family from new” is my mistake as I was not aware of Mr Butchers 2 year ownership. I thought the Todd family owner her from new. The Trademe listing was done by Vinnings Brokers. Rahemo returned to Auckland in the 1950s to be used for deep sea fishing in the Bay of Islands before making a second trip back to Wellington.“
Richard has supplied 2 photos of Rahemo on the hard showing her under-water hull shape & a stunning black and white is of Rahemo and another family boat, the “Maroro” taken in Onahau Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound in about 1948. Maroro is a Chris Craft from about 1932 still in his families ownership awaiting restoration.
Described as a Laing bridge decker & built in 1935, her kauri hull is 42′ long. Powered by twin 4 cyl. Volvo 130hp engines she has no trouble cruising at 10>12 knots. Her 4 sale listing states that she has had one owner from new.
Any one able to confirm & expand on what we know about Rahemo ?
Harold Kidd Update
RAHEMO was built in Auckland in late 1936 by Dick LANG (not Laing) at St. Mary’s Bay for R.W. Butcher of Hamilton as STRATHMORE. She was 42’x10’9″x3’6″ and powered with twin 90hp Chryslers. In 1938 she was bought by the Todd family of Wellington and motored down via Tauranga and the east coast in December 1938. The Todds renamed her RAHEMO. She was in NAPS out of Wellington in WW2 as Z76 and fitted with diesels. One TradeMe recently she was advertised as “one family from new”…………………….. not really.
PS R.W. Butcher sold ALCESTIS/RAIONA to Alf Seccombe when he had STRATHMORE/RAHEMO built and had RAWEA built when he sold STRATHMORE/RAHEMO. When RAWEA was requisitioned for RNZN patrol work in 1940 he bought RONGO. You can’t keep a good launch man down!
Photo below ex Paper Past – 15 Dec 1938 just prior to departing for Wellington, insert photo i of A. R. Clarke who skippered her.
Have had a request from Riwia Fox on behalf of her aunt who is looking for any details on her fathers kauri launch – The Dawn. Excuse the very low res photo, hopefully a better one will be found. The war time ‘345’ number should help jog some memories. Riwia’s aunt believes it was built by Dick Lang in 1935.
Updated details (25/07/2014) from Riwia Fox – her Aunt has advised her fathers name was Bill Hogan, a member of the Ponsonby Cruising Club & The Dawn was built in 1935.
