Tag Archives: Guthrie family

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

Shenandoah Cruising in the North

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Shenandoah Cruising in the North
Over the 1931/2 xmas holiday period Shenandoah cruised in company with Alcestis & Lady Margaret. Two of the photos above show Shenandoah off the settlement of Mangonui, one tied up alongside Alcestis (Guthrie family launch) at the Mangonui Store, now the site of the famous (in the Far North) fish & chip shop. The other photos are possibly on-route to Haruru Falls.

Alcestis Northland Cruise Xmas/NY 1931/2 – Post #2

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Alcestis at sea
Shenandoah from Alcestis – Whangaroa Heads in background
Alcestis
Alcestis & Lady Margaret @ Mangonui
Lady Margaret & Alcestis @ Mangonui
Alcestis Northland Cruise Xmas/NY 1931/2 – Post #2
 
Alcestis punching thru a little bit of a sea, love that the skipper must have called ‘all-hands on deck’. Other photos show Alcestis & Lady Margaret doing a water stop at Mangonui Wharf. Lady Margaret at an unknown wharf & another of LM astern of  Alcestis.

Alcestis Northland Cruise Xmas/NY 1931/2 – Post #1

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Photo 4 – Alcestis nosing into the falls
Photo 3 – Lady Margaret (L) & Alcestis at Haruru Falls
Photo 5 – Alcestis forefront, Lady Margaret rear
Photo 1 – Shenandoah from aboard Alcestis
Photo 2 – Lady Margaret (L) & Luana (R) at Haruru Falls

 

Alcestis Northland Cruise Xmas/NY 1931/2 – Post #1
In December 1931 / January 1932 the Guthrie family on their launch Alcestis headed north in convoy with Lady Margaret & Shenandoah, one of the highlights was an inland cruise from Paihia to the Haruru Falls*.
Photo 1 – Shenandoah from aboard Alcestis
Photo 2 – Lady Margaret (L) & Shenandoah (R) at Haruru Falls
Photo 3 – Lady Margaret (L) & Alcestis at Haruru Falls
Photo 4 – Alcestis nosing into the falls
Photo 5 – Alcestis forefront, Lady Margaret rear
*Haruru Falls are 3k inland from Paihia, the area was New Zealand’s first river port, a key hub for the many trading Maori tribes in the area. When the first ‘white’ boat (missionaries) came inland, they counted over 100 maori canoes on the banks. As part of the settlement a hotel was built & was one of the first hotels in NZ to have a ‘Traveller’s License’, which allowed irregular drinking hours (due to the tide). When the hotel burnt down in 1937, it was then over 100 years old.

 

Mothers Day

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Mothers Day

Mothers Day

ALCESTIS

Today is all about mums, past & present + families. What better photo to remind us about family life than the one above taken during the Guthrie family 1931/2 Xmas / NY Northland cruise on their launch Alcestis.
Over the next few days I will post some stunning photos of Alcestis (now Raiona), Lady Margaret & Shenandoah cruising around the far north.
Enjoy today.

special thanks to Graham Guthrie for sharing his grandparents photos

The launch Caprice & Silver Bay, Waiheke Island

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The launch Caprice & Silver Bay, Waiheke Island

In the 1950’s the Guthrie family leased a beach house + 10 acres (the only house in the bay) at Silver Bay, Waiheke Island. According to Roger Guthrie it cost one pound a week on a 20 year lease. The house sat right on the foreshore & still stands there today (& still the only house in the bay). The family would haul their launch Caprice out on the beach, right in front of the house. In the photos above the starboard side is being cleaned in Silver Bay, then a few days later the port side is done in Arran Bay, Wirihana is seen in the background, its a great photo of both boats with Ruth Passage seen in the background.

Thanks to Roger Guthrie for the photos & background info.

Isle of Arran

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Isle of Arran

Now here is a question for you – how many boats did Colin Wild build twice?

Answer = one – the ‘Isle of Arran’.  Roger & Graham Guthrie’s uncle – Douglas, who had a house in Arran Bay, commissioned Wild to build him a launch but unfortunately Wild’s shed burnt down just before completion & Wild had to start again. Photos above show her (#2) on the slip in front of the remains of the shed before launching, c.1951/2. Also one of her c.1953 at Elephant Cove.
Thanks to Roger Guthrie for the photos & background info.
Updated 30/04/13
She is owned by Mike Guthrie (Graham’s cousin) and had a major rebuild about approx. 20 years ago. I think Salthouses did the job. New Volvo engine as well. The cabin was also sympathetically re-styled at the time. Mike still owns the property in Arran Bay and the boat can frequently be seen on the mooring in the bay.
Updated 25/05/13
Photo added of her c.1990 with rebuilt topsides.
Updated 08/01/2015
Copy of May 1989 Sea Spray magazine article on the Salthouse ‘rebirth’ project. Click blue link to view/read.
Isle of Arran

NOTE: If ww has broken any copyright or offended anyone by publishing the article, please advise & we will remove it 🙂

3 girls on a 1930’s boating picnic. Filmed on Waiheke Island, Auckland, featuring the classic launch Waitangi

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I930’s movie filmed on & around Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand. 3 girls row to a bay for a picnic but are surprised & captured by pirates. Great footage of the classic motor launch ‘Waitangi’ playing the role of Coastguard rescuer & the motor boat ‘Pelican’ as the pirates boat.

Thanks to Roger Guthrie (brother of CYA member Graham) for forwarding this footage to waitematawoodys.

Great 1930’s movie featuring the launch Waitangi

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Fantastic 1930’s movie footage of the launch Waitangi & another motor boat doing close maneuvers between the rocks east of Hooks Bay. The first 1/4 has some great aerial footage of Waiheke Island back then. The skipper must have known the area like the back of his hand because remember there were no gps or depth sounders in those days. All boats I believe were owned the the Stein family.
Waitangi certainly had a bit of zoom zoom in those days -petrol Kermit engine, replaced c.1955 with a diesel.

The movie is titled ‘Beautiful Waiheke’ & I suspect was a promotional movie for Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand. Filmed c.1930 by Alex Lambourne. Features the classic launch Waitangi. The white dinghy in the rowing sequence is called ‘The Beagle’.
Starring Peter Stein, Dean Ellingham, Alan Lambourne, Joan Woollams, Arthur Nicholson, Cynthia Restall, Shirley Vicary + others

Thanks to Roger Guthrie (brother of CYA member Graham) for forwarding this footage to waitematawoodys.