Today hopefully, weather permitting, myself and a collection of classic woodys will be docked at the CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB for our annual overnight BBQ cruise up the Wairoa River.
Whilst a few boats I’m sure will be slightly over crewed, none will match the photo of the tourist boat KOTARE that we see above unloading passengers at Kaiteriteri Beach, Nelson. Seriously…… how there wasn’t a capsize I do not know, and you can be sure there wasn’t a PFD for everyone 😦
The photo comes to us from the ‘Memories of Abel Tasman National Park’ fb on a posting dated Nov 2019 by Trevor Norriss, via John Burland.
WOODEN LAUNCH ROYALTY – ROYAL SAXON & LUANA AFLOAT
Last week WW was contacted by Tom Rowling in regard to a story we had run on the yacht BEACONLIGHT. Tom reminded me that he was the owner / custodian of the 33’ classic wooden launch – ROYAL SAXON, built in 1930 by one of New Zealand’s best boatbuilders – Colin Wild.
Now I didn’t need to use the WW search box because ROYAL SAXON is one of the most beautiful woodys afloat and has been on my radar for a long time. ROYAL SAXON is just perfect to the eye, which is a challenge in a sub 35’ craft. She is also probably one of the most photographed classic woodys in NZ, due to being moored off Kaiteriteri Beach, Nelson, most summers. Kaiteriteri is the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park and all commercial tourist craft go past her as they head to the national park.
Tom sent in several photos and commented that the bow-on photo was taken by reporters in 2003 when he retired as Master of the Golden Bay after 30 years in their employ.
The photo of the two ‘gents’ shows the previous ROYAL SAXON owner – Rick McCay (on the left), handing over the register of the ROYAL SAXON in Tom’s cabin aboard the GOLDEN BAY in Auckland on the 5th August 1995. Copies of the register at the bottom of todays story.
Now Rick McCay esq. is a charmed man having owned and owning two of the most elegant classic wooden launches in New Zealand- ROYAL SAXON and LUANA, I would have questioned his sanity selling ROYAL SAXON if it wasn’t to buy LUANA, built in 1920 by M T Lane and seen below in the two Bay of Islands photos.
Back to Tom, he has owned ROYAL SAXON for 30+ years and commented that she is 95 years old and still continues to give pleasure to family, friends and visitors to the bay.
Tom also shared with us another in the Rowling fleet, a vessel he had built in 1994 at the ‘The Boat Yard’ which was attached to the Maritime Museum in Auckland at the time. Tom named her after the first commercial tourist launch that started operations at Kaiteriteri in 1955. The vessel is kauri planked, red gum ribs, teak gunnel strip, masts and spare dragon. She’s rigged as a gaff rigged sloop. In Tom’s words – all old looking to fit in with its owner. She sails beautifully and reasonable dry unless you drive her hard. The plan is similar to the sea scout cutter but reduced in length by 2 feet to make it easier to sail single handed. Photo below on the beach at Karterteri.
ROYAL SAXON CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRY – Click photos to enlarge
Can We ID This LaunchKOTARE Todays photo is dated 1959 and is of Kaiteriteri Beach, Motueka, Nelson – from the camera of J B Rowntree and comes to us via Maurice Sharp. Other than the addition of the commercial charter boats servicing the Abel Tasman National Park, the scene hasn’t changed much.
I have added below a close up image of the launch in the bay, are we able to put a name to her?
Input From Robbie Williams – the launch is Kotare owned by NEWTON NALDER and was the first of the boats offering trips into able Tasman national park she was twin screw powered by two 10 hp petter diesel she later burned and sank in Kaiteri under different ownership
Input From Brian Kitson – Kotare was built by Curnow and Wilton of Nelson and launched in November 1951 and burnt and sank at Kaiteriteri December 1966. 38ft long X 13ft beam X 2ft 6in draught. More than likely she was built of white pine. The ladder on the bow lowers to the beach for boarding and unloading passengers. Photo taken in Kaiteriteri
UPDATE ex John Burland – who sent in a link to a Dept of Conservation (Nelson/Marlborough) booklet on the Abel Tasman Area – screen grab below that confirms the ownership of Kotare by Newton Nalder and a photo of her in Bark Bay.
03-05-2021 Update: John Gander supplied the photo below of Kotare disembarking passengers at Kaiteriteri beach in 1959
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 14+ million views 