Tag Archives: Joe Slattery

Silver Spray

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SILVER SPRAY

Today’s post has links back to yesterdays post that involved the Ravenhall family.
It starts back in 1926 when Silver Spray was built by Joe Slattery for Charles Ravenhall of Remuera. Silver Spray is 26′ LOA, 7′ beam with a 2’6″ draft, These days she is powered by a 4108 Perkins & has been beautifully restored & maintained by her owner & craftsman Mark Stapleton. Mark also maintains several other immaculate classic launches – Lady Margaret & Kailua for there owners.
The Ravenhall connection goes deeper in that Silver Spray is today housed in one of the Ngapipip Road boat sheds & back in 1930 Mr Charles Ravenhall was responsible for the shed sites in Ngapipi Rd being surveyed off for the construction of the sheds, with Silver Spray being the first vessel to be housed there. The Ravenhall shed was a small building , with a small window on the streetscape. The sheds were built as a result of the construction of the railway bridge across Hobson Bay.

Mark Stapleton had the pleasure of taking Charles Ravenhall’s son, Leslie & his family for a day trip on Silver Spray to celebrate Leslie’s 81st birthday.

The history of Silver Spray includes lives on Lake Rotoiti , Lake Taupo & homed twice in its 90 Years in Ngapipi Rd.

History is a wonderful thing but its now 2015 & Mark is retiring from boating due to health reasons & he has asked ww to help find a new minder for the old girl. To quote Mark “I would like to find another carer for her as I am confident in the right hands this boat has decades more life left in her. She is a delightful little boat & I have had many fantastic adventures with her “. Given the skills of Mark & the attention he has lavished on her, that is an understatement.

Silver Spray comes with a crated complete spare engine &  extensive new parts inventory.
She is in running order with full inventory of kit including – radio, fire extinguishers, life jackets, flares, Epirb, lines, anchors , dinghy, mooring .
Silver Spray is presently housed in her own shed and can be viewed on the hard by appointment. Mark can be initially contacted on email at   stapleton.restoration@gmail.com

The boat shed is also for sale separately. That should excite a few people, these things are like hens teeth & very rarely change hands.

So woodys, who is looking for or knows someone who is, a smaller classic wooden launch with wonderful provenance & maintenance history? This is the perfect boat, size wise in terms of easy maintenance & while I would hate to see her leave the Waitemata, she does have lake boat written all over her.

As an aside – Silver Spray is fast, she has blown the socks off my Raindance & other classics launches twice her size, in numerous CYA Patio Bay Rudder Cup classic launch races. Mark is always trying to squeeze an extra knot out of her – hence the sails in several photos, which he always told the race handicapper were there for safety (steadying) reasons – yeah right 🙂

02-08-2015 Photos ex Lynette Hatrick (nee Ravenhall)

The photos below of the Silver Spray during restoration were taken in the August 2003 before my Dad – Ronald and my mum – Bev Ravenhall went for the birthday cruise on the Silver Spray.

Mark Stapleton was passionate about restoring this boat and we all had a great time looking over it in the shed. That is my Dad in the photos.

 

Manuia

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MANUIA
photos & details ex owner Tony Butcher

Manuia was built by Joe Slattery in 1930, according to Harold Kidd (but Tony has 1928 in his mind). Tony bought her in 2010 off Julian Richards, a retired boat builder of Bayswater, Auckland. Tony is a serious woody with an impressive past of classic ownership – Linda which he brought off John Salthouse & he also had 1/4 share in Lady Gay which was brought off Joe Wilson.
I note from the above photos that since buying buying Manuia Tony has done a lot to her, but thankfully for such a pretty launch, she still looks the same as when purchased. Tony told me he likes his home comforts & a good roast so an upgraded galley in the cockpit, water pressure system, main saloon table where on the list. Tony has also re-powered Manuia with a 100 hp Yanmar diesel and done all the brightwork inside.
Tony has been told Mr Henley senior (of Henley Prop’s) had her at some stage. Apart from this & the Richards ownership period Tony is light on her past & ownership details – so woodys can we peel back the layers?

Harold Kidd Input

MANUIA was indeed launched on 6th February 1930. She was built by Joe Slattery at Judges Bay for Sam Keen of Parnell.
Subsequent owners include Bill Alder c1950 (still with Kelvin), W.R. Croft (1966), Les Vercoe (1973), Jack Nears then Paul Jones of Whangaparaoa 1990. Paul died quite recently.
I make the assumption that Richards bought her from Paul. Paul was a stalwart of the Vintage Car Club with a fine Alvis TC21/100.
Alan might like to print the Auckland Star image? (he has 😉 AH)

 

 

Ocean Queen

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OCEAN QUEEN

The Taupo owner (Paul Stewart) of Ocean Queen would like to find out more about the boat he has owned since a 2003.

She is a carvel sedan approx 30′, built he believes in 1937 in Onehunga. Paul knows no more of her lineage than that. She is currently powered by 4 cylinder Fordson through a Paragon box. Paul believes she probably started life as a Flush Decker and has since had the coach-roof raised to accommodate the windows and headroom.

She was bought off a Pukekohe owner who moored her on the Tamaki river, she now trundles happily around Lake Taupo laughing at the worst of what the lake can throw at her.

Above are some photos of her when first in Taupo, around 2004 and a couple in the current state.

Paul would love to know more of Ocean Queen’s history whilst he enjoys her for this part of her life.

Update – Lots of info / chat on Ocean Queen in the comments section. Check out this story ex Harold Kidd ex PapersPast from the Auckland Star 22 July 1935. She must have been well built 🙂

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Esme

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ESME

details & photos from Harold Kidd & Ken Ricketts

Esme was built by Joe Slattery for Henry Allen in 1921. He owned her in the 1920’s>1930’s. The photo above is from the early 1930’s after Allen raised her cabin top and put on a dodger. Hopefully one of the ww followers can ID some of the children on board.

More info here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/09/29/esme/

Below is a raw photo essay in how our classics were ‘updated’ over a short period (approx. 10yrs). click to enlarge.

As Launched

1st Update


2nd Update

07-04-2017 Photo below ex Ken Ricketts

ESME - 1920's

 

WAINUI (II)

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#2506

WAINUI (II)

There as been a lot of activity in comments section of ww in regard to Wainui. The original story I posted on her back in June 2013 under the headline ‘Getting Hooked’ told the tale of her current owner Phil Parks & how he came to own the classic wooden launch Wainui. Its a good story & can be viewed at the link below  –

Getting Hooked

Last Friday the post popped up again & we uncovered some insight into her past & some wonderful details & photos from Harold Kidd. Phil Parks advised that the restoration project was now scheduled to start in late 2014, aside from other things in life getting in the way, there was a wee oops that saw Wainui sink at her mooring.

Firstly a brief history of WAINUI II 

  1. Built by Joe Slattery c1924 for E.O. Ward.
  2. Wrecked on Rangitoto February 1936 and badly damaged.
  3. Ward sold to Val Maxwell, teacher at King’s College, as a wreck. Maxwell rebuilds probably close to present configuration.
  4. Maxwell sells 1939.
  5. Later owners include Sandy Searle 1967-72, then Dr. Ranginui Walker 1972, gap of 3 years then John Hobden 1977-81, Stan Bayer 1981-84, N Amos 1984-7, Ken Meyer 1987-90.
  6. Capt. John Harrison (ex-skipper of HMNZS TUI), Harold has fond memories of the TUI wardroom, bought her at Sandspit 1990 in poor condition with 40hp Ford Ebro. Orams rebuilt her substantially 1991-2. John renamed her Tilikum and kept her at Parua Bay then sold shortly after and went back to sail.

 

Photo Gallery of WAINUI II

# 2507 was taken in 1928 alongside the Bayswater Wharf. Note the steam trams.

#2507

# 2505 shows her being launched for the season from Bailey & Lowe’s. This pic was used in the Herald on 24/10/30. The yacht on the right is almost certainly Ladye Wilma on Heartseae’s cradle.

#2505

# 2506 shows her on the rocks at Rangitoto in February 1936 (same image as used in the header)

# 2509 she’s at Lees at Sandpit in April 1990 when John Harrison bought her, looking fine but seriously rotten.

#2509

# 2508 at Orams in Whangarei under major reconstruction in April 1991.

#2508

# NZ Herald 4 Feb 1936 (Papers Past) – high on the rocks at Rangitoto. The 6 occupants were washed out of the cockpit, with  2 females being injured.

# NZ Herald 6 Feb 1936 (Papers Past) – showing the extensive damage she sustained.

NZH PP 06/02/36

# Current Photo 2013 (low res image)

 

 

Vulcan – update

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Vulcan (again)

More photos have surfaced ex Harold Kidd.

Your Harbour Master Nazi’s would have a fieldday if they were around back then, on my count – 16 people & not a PFD insight.

The yacht in the background (H16) is the 26ft mullet boat KOTARE, built by A.K. Butterworth at Manurewa in 1920. She spent a season on the Manukau but was on the Waitemata from October 1921.

I would also like to draw Mr Deeble’s attention to the fact that Vulcan was partaking in the very natty craze of sporting a fender at the ready while underway – a custom still practiced today by the traditionalists amongst us 😉

Vulcan

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VULCAN

photos ex Eddie Vowles

Vulcan, built by Joe Slattery, was owned by Eddie’s grandfather, who had set line fished from her and explored all the tidal rivers in the Harbour and Gulf. Eddie recalls that the above photos of her haul out were just prior to her sale in c.1943.

If you were ever looking for guidance on what a tram-top / doghouse launch should look like -you need look no further than Vulcan 🙂

Harold Kidd Input
Vulcan was built by Joe Slattery at Judges Bay in late 1913 and had a Vulcan engine, which weren’t very common.
Her first owners were T G Parven and Rowe who owned her until c1922 when J W S Penalligen bought her. Eddie’s grandfather Rowland Vowles bought her about 1935 and owned her throughout the war. The pics in question were taken about 1943 when she was hauled up in Ngatataringa Bay at the foot of Bulwer St, off Abbotsford Tce, Devonport.

Any one able to ID the other launch hauled out alongside her?

And the obvious question – what happened to Vulcan?

As an aside I live 4 houses from where Eddies great grandfather, William Thomas Vowles, a fisherman, lived in Devonport – small world. The whole family, great grandfather, grandfather (Rowland), parents & Eddie all lived in Devonport.

Pacific

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PACIFIC

photos ex Shane Anderson 

My ‘eyes’ at Gulf Harbour marina sent me a few photos of one of my favorite launches, the 1917 Joe Slattery designed & built Pacific, undergoing a wee make over.

Each to their own but I have always liked the mint green topsides on Pacific, well as of yesterday thats all changed. Appears that the topsides have been taken back to bare timber & have been repainted with a wood tone paint, this used to be very common on launches. In fact if you enter Pacific in the ww search box & hit enter, you will see some old movie footage of her when she had this finish before. Photo add also from the mid 1980’s ex Nathan Herbert.

Will be very interested to see the finished job, in the flesh.

20-01-2016 Pacific hauled out at Gulf Harbour for some maintenance (photo ex Ken Ricketts)

08-02-2016 Ready for re-launching (photos ex Ken Ricketts)

10-09-2018 Update

Pacific is now in the ownership of Nathan Herbert & getting a major dose of TLC.

The photo below shows a change to her appearance – as you will see from the above gallery, she has sported several looks. The new ‘white on white’ makes her look a lot bigger.

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Salome

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SALOME

Owned by CYA member Ward House (MV La Rosa) between 1957 – 61. She was Wards first boat & according to Ward was 26′ & built by Joe Slattery. Ward purchased Salome from Fred Rothery (market gardener from Mangere) and sold it a Mr Fred Knapper (engineer from Chelsea Sugar Works). When Ward owned her she had an Austin 35 marine engine.

Very nice lines, but that goes without saying if she is a Slattery.

Esme

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Esme

ESME

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts

Esme belonged to Henry Allen in the 1920s & 30s prior to him buying Tiromoana. The above photo was taken in 1924 & was as published in The NZ Aquatic magazine Friday, March 14th 1924. Not sure of her engine at this stage. She was named after his daughter Esme.

H.A. spoke of the boat when ever Ken saw him in the 1940s & 50s. He undoubtedly was very fond of the old boat. Ken never ever saw Esme, always wanted to, & now with this photo his curiosity is answered.

Harold Kidd Update

ESME was built by Joe Slattery for Pop Allen in August 1921. I’ve no info on engine fitted but it must have been fairly potent as she was fast. Allen raised her cabin top and put on a dodger in 1930. She was for sale on TradeMe three years ago in desperate condition. Kevin Hussey had owned her at Half Moon Bay in poor condition for some time before that.

ESME IN AQUATIC MAGAZINE 14.3.24

ESME IN AQUATIC MAGAZINE 14.3.24