CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH QUANDO AGROUND – What Happened Here
Recently woody John Dawson contacted WW regarding the top two photos of a launch named QUANDO, as we see in the (oldish photo) photos the vessel has ‘come ashore’.
On face value it appears to be not* a major mishap , maybe skipper miscalculated the tide when anchoring or dragged anchor. *(Unless the port-side tarpaulin and dinghy is covering up a major oops.)
Can anyone enlighten us as to what happened, the date and location.
A search on WW popped up the 3rd and 4th photos above ex Jason Prew and Nathan Herbert , who spotted QUANDO berthed at Sulphur Point Marina, Tauranga, in February 2015.
Sadly she has acquired a second story and lost the varnished coamings.
In the WW search the name QUANDO also popped up on a story on the launch KARINA (photo below & story link), where Adam Jane-Rashleigh commented that KARINA was a sister ship to his launch QUANDO.
We now know thanks to Greg Philpott & Lew Redwood that KARINA was originally built as MERLIN by Dick Lang in Auckland in 1939. The commissioning owner is unknown.
MERLIN was apparently based in Auckland in her early years and may have been used to deliver mail to Great Barrier Island during World War Two.
She went to Lake Rotorua in 1945 and then in 1947 to Lake Okataina. MERLIN was sold in May 1957 to Les Tetzlaff who took the boat to Kawhia where she was operated primarily for fishing charters. Jim Storey, a long established Taupo based launch operator, purchased MERLIN in 1961, relocated her to Taupo and on arrival there, renamed her KARINA. Her last survey (to enable commercial use) was in 1965.
Anyone know what became of her beyond 1965.
(Photo of KARINA as MERLIN when on Lake Okataina, courtesy of Beamish-White family archives)
As regular readers of the waitematawoodys site know the last weekend of January is always a biggie on the wooden boating calendar. The Mahurangi Cruising Club year-on-year pull off the biggest wooden boating event in New Zealand – {the} Mahurangi Regatta. If you type that into the WW search box your day will be ruined – hundreds of classic wooden boating photos.
I’ll apologise upfront for the lack of sailing photos – these days there are a lot of other happy-snappers recording the racing – when and if I get photos or links, I’ll add them to the story.
It was a sub 24hr up and back trip to Mahurangi – I had an important family event that I have been dodging for years, and this year the message was – “be here” 🙂
I came away from Mahurangi feeling very upbeat for the health of the classic wooden motor boat movement – there was in excess of 50 classic woodys in the Mahurangi Harbour and from that fleet 32 skippers participated in the classic woody launch parade. A record turnout, so I say thank you those that took part and specially those that dressed their craft.
I was particularly heartened to see the return of several craft that had drifted away from the scene due to relocations, long tern refits and frustration with the community. Of note was Florance Dawn, Kumi and Raiona.
People linked to the supposedly organisation of the the parade (I’m not talking about the MCC) need to wake up to the contribution that the classic launches make to the event – 50+ craft is a mighty powerful visual vista. So fingers crossed the housekeeping improves to ensure the loyalist keep turning up.
After the speed bumps at the start, the parade got underway and a good time was had by the skippers, crews and spectators afloat and ashore at Sullivans Bay.
Enjoy the gallery of photos – some (most) boats appear twice, some I’m sure missed the camera, can’t be everywhere:-) Thanks to Steve Horsley for the photo of Raindance and Murray Deeble for the race start photo.
As always click on photos to enlarge 😉
A reward – first woody to tell me which boat in the above photos has the largest WW flag – wins a normal size WW burgee – enter at waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Todays woody – Karina, was built in 1959 by Brin Wilson, kauri planked she is 36’ in length with a 10’ 11” beam and draws 2’11”. Forward motion is via newish 75hp Yammer diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8 knots. Her owner must like hot showers as her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) states she has 600L water capacity.
Can anyone tell us what Karina has been up to for theist 60+ years.
Input ex K Ricketts – Top photo (b/w) below ex a Ford Dealership advertisement in Sea Spay magazine 1961. 2nd photo (colour) c.2014 ex B Worthington.
Mystery Lake Okataina Launch – Can We Now Confirm Her ID
Back in February 2022 we ran a story, link below, on an unknown launch (2nd photo above) at an unknown location. At the time the location was ID’ed as Lake Okataina, Rotorua. The was a couple of potential ID’d on the launch from the two of the WW wise men 🙂
Harold Kidd suggested it may have been the bridgedecker – Merlin, owned by Beamish-White, that later went to Kawhia
Paul Drake was keen on her being the launch – Karina, that was in commercial service at Taupo in the 1960’s, owned by Jim Story.
Today thanks to Greg Philpott uncovering the top photo from the Archive NZ collection – taken by JG Duncan, we get a much better view of the launch, which was tagged 1951, Lake Okataina – so hopefully we can confirm her name and builder etc
photos & details ex Dean Wright & current owner Winston Jacob
Designed by Parsons & built in 1959 in Tauranga. Carvel planked hull, powered by twin 120hp Fords. LOA 38’6″ x B 11′ 6″ x D 3′ 6″.
Karina was a gamefishing charter boat operating out of Paihia during the 1970′s and 80′s. Owned by Alan Limmer. She once caught a black, a blue and a striped marlin all in one day. The first time it had ever been done in NZ. Possibly never been repeated.
Anyone able to ID the blokes in the cockpit with the thresher shark ? The owner / skipper Alan Limmer is on the right in the white t-shirt.
Winston Jacob has owned Karina for 14 years (1999)
Update 02-08-2017 – Photo below ex Dean Wright
27-03-2018 Update from Lee Wilkinson
“I came across my Grandparents old boat on your website today, I posted a wee comment, but since have found a couple of photos which I thought you might like to add to the story of Karina. The owner prior to my Grandparents was Les Henry, (i couldn’t remember his surname when writing the comment) – and quite possibly the original owner. Not sure of the dates my Grandparents owned her, but my mum recalls going down to trial her 1961, as she was pregnant with me at the time (the memory of morning sickness!!) Les Henry lived in Pukekohe but had the boat based in Tauranga i believe. My grandparents moved her to Maraetai, where she was on a swing mooring just below their home there.
Below are a couple of photos with my Grandmother, Janet Jones, with her catch of a Thresher shark in 1964 off Karina. Quite a biggie of the day I believe, and especially for a female angler.
The first one has Les Henry (the very tall man with the folded arms), my Grandfather Harry Jones, (with his hands on his hip), and then my Grandmother Janet Jones. (don’t know the two in the background.”
Designed by Parsons & built in 1959 in Tauranga. Carvel planked hull, powered by twin 120hp Fords. LOA 38’6″ x B 11′ 6″ x D 3′ 6″. Winston purchased her in 1999, any further info on her past would be appreciated.
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