Tag Archives: Kermath

AN INSIGHT INTO NZ’S UNIQUE MARINE ENGINES – Part Four

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AN INSIGHT INTO NZ’S UNIQUE MARINE ENGINES – Part Four

Todays WW story follows on from earlier stories – link below to Part One,Two and Three 
As per pervious stories in the series the content has been pulled together by Ken Ricketts and ‘polished’ by Patrica and Ken’s daughter Corinne Pettersen. As always we have endeavoured to be as factual as possible but there will always by matters others will either know more about or be able to correct errors – so woodys do not hold back on commenting.

PART ONE – https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/04/04/an-insight-into-nzs-unique-marine-engines-part-one/

PART TWO – https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/04/12/an-insight-into-nzs-unique-marine-engines-part-two/

PART THREE – https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/04/18/an-insight-into-nzs-unique-marine-engines-part-three/

PAXMAN V12 VALENTA RP200 – 3030HP MARINE DIESEL ENGINES

PAXMAN RP200 3033hp V12 MARINE DIESEL ENGINE AS IN THE RNZNs 4 COASTAL PATROL CRAFT FROM 1975-1990

 RNZN COASTAL PATROL VESSEL TAUPO, in 1975

 I’m only aware of four boats that used PAXMAN MARINE DIESEL ENGINES. They were all replacement vessels for the WWII HDML and Fairmiles, with the first, the Taupo, going into service on 29th July 1975. The second, the Hawea, arrived shortly afterwards, followed by the last two, the Rotoiti and Pukaki, which came a little after that. They remained in service until 1990 when they were sold off.

 KELVIN OLD MODEL MARINE DIESEL ENGINES

 KELVIN 4 CYL. OLD MODEL DIESEL ENGINE, SIMILAR TO THAT FITTED AT ONE TIME, IN THE MATAROA.

KELVIN 4 CYL MARINE DIESEL ENGINE SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE FERRY MAIRE

KAWAU FERRY MAIRE, WITH HER 4 CYL KELVIN DIESEL c 1950s 

MATAROA POST HER KELVIN DIESEL ERA 

Kelvin diesels are slow-revving, high-torque engines used mostly in commercial fishing and tugboats. The MATANUI is the only pleasure craft I am aware of that has, or has had, one of these beautiful engines, which run like a well-oiled sewing machine with an absolutely silent exhaust out the stern, well above the waterline. In the case of the MATANUI, even at cruising speed, all one heard was a very gentle hissing sound. The engine was painted a bottle green.

I went aboard her during the Joe Kissin era in 1946/47 and she had it then, having had it for a good number of years, notwithstanding that she had several engines in her long lifetime of over 100 years now. 

One unusual thing to note was that her Kelvin started on petrol and then switched to diesel after starting, which is unusual in pleasure craft.

KAWAU ISLAND TO SANDSPIT FERRY, MAIRE. 

The Sandspit to Mansion House Bay Kawau ferry – MAIRE, was built by Roy Lidgard in his boat building shed at Smelting House Bay, Kawau, in the late 1940s for Allan Horsfall, owner of the Mansion House Guest House/Hotel. She was fitted with a 4-cylinder Kelvin Marine Diesel engine and was part of the ferry services to the island right up until the property was sold to the Historic Places Trust around 1977. 

I am personally only aware of two specific installations, I know that quite a number of these engines were fitted to some of the fleet of classic trawlers built from around the 1930s to the 1960s by boatbuilders such as P. Vos, R. Lidgard, Shipbuilders, and others. Some examples , which may or may not have had KELVIN engines include boats such as Eddy Mansfield’s WAIWERA, the Owens brothers’ (Gordon and Jim) KAIWAKA, WAIMANA, FOX II, DALMACIA, and COBRA, among others. I believe the two main engine brands of choice by the owners of those lovely classics were Gardner and Kelvin. Any knowledge of vessels fitted with KELVIN engines, would be appreciated.

The company that produced the KELVIN diesel engines was founded in the UK in 1904 and has undergone a succession of ownership changes over the last 120 years. It is presently owned by British Polar Ltd. However, notwithstanding all the various ownership changes, the name KELVIN has been retained up to the present day.

DOOSAN 6 CYL 200 HP MARNE DIESEL ENGINES

DOOSAN 6 CYL 200 HP MARINE DIESEL ENGINE AS IN THE NGARANUI

NGARANUI WITH HER DOOSAN 200 HP 6 CYL MARINE DIESEL ENGINE, which replaced a Detroit 6-71 marine diesel engine

NGARANUI SHOWING HER AUXILLARY PROP  

NGARUNUI was built in 1955 by Jim Young and started life, with a 1942 GM Detroit Marine Diesel engine (ex-war assets). It has now been fitted with a late model 200hp DOOSAN Diesel and has a Yanmar 20hp diesel auxiliary engine, with the prop for that engine mounted immediately above the main propeller. 

MERCEDES BENZ MARINE DIESEL ENGINES & M.A.N.& M.T.U.  MARINSATION VERSIONS OF THESE ENGINES.

MERCEDES BENZ MODEL OM321 6 CYL c100HP DIESEL ENGINE WITH 2 FITTED TO THE R LIDGARD BUILT, FLYING SCUD IN 1971, BY KEN RICKETTS

MAN MERCEDES BENZ V12 DIESEL ENGINE SIMILAR TO THOSE FITTED BY LEN SOWERBY TO THE NGAROMA IN THE 1960S/70S 

M.A.N. MERCEDES BENZ 600HP V10 MARINE ENGINES FITTED TO PACIFIC MERMAID WHEN BUILT. 

FLYING SCUD WITH HER 2 OM321 100HP 6 CYL MERCEDS BENZ MARINISED DIESEL ENGINES IN BIG STATION BAY, MOTUAPU ISLAND, IN 1972.

NGAROMA WITH 2 X V12 770HP M.A.N.MERCEDES BENZ MARINE DIESEL ENGINES – IN THE 1970S 

PACIFIC MERMAID WITH HER 2 X V10 600HP MAN MERCEDES BENZ MARINE DIESEL ENGINES.

Mercedes Benz, as the world knows, is a huge conglomerate with many divisions under various names and entities.

In the case of marine diesel engines, they are marinized under their own name and by various other marine engine companies, which have marinized them under their own company names. There is also a huge range of engine sizes and horsepower options. In New Zealand, we have had many installed in new craft built here for offshore owners. Most of these offshore exports, would have been under the M.A.N. or M.T.U. brands, as these brands of engines are typically of the larger horsepower ranges.

Regarding engines used in New Zealand, Im aware  of only five boats however, there are undoubtedly others. Nevertheless the total number of such engines remains quite small. So, if anyone knows of other craft in this group, please add them to the list.

The boats known to me include the PACIFIC MERMAID, a 105-foot super luxury motor yacht, fitted with two 10-cylinder 600HP., intercooled, artificially aspirated engines, with twin exhaust-driven turbines, marinised by M.A.N. She was built entirely in Auckland by Ken Winter and his family in South Auckland, with the build completed in 1989. He owned her until his recent passing, in Auckland. 

Ken W. usually ran her engines at a modest 1400 RPM, achieving a hull speed of about 10 knots.

PACIFICA MERMAID’s galley  distribution & control switchboard – starboard alternator in use. She has 2 x John Deer turbo 6 cyl. diesels driving 2 X 230/400volt alternators to supply her 230volt single phase 400volt 3 phase power supply, when away from her berth, which supply enough electricity for about 12 houses each

‘OHORERE AS AT 2025 WITH HER 2 X 770 HP MTU MARINISED MERCEDES BENZ DIESELS.

MTU MERECEDES BENZ DIESEL ENGINE – POSSIBLY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE OHORERE

OHORERE, was built by Percy Vos in Auckland, for the government of the day, to be a high-speed fisheries patrol craft, and designed by Thornycroft in the UK. However, she never reached anything close to her anticipated speed projections, as required in the order from the government, to the designers, and builders. Large sums of money were spent collectively, by the designers, Rolls Royce, who supplied her original engines, and the builders, to give her better performance, but they failed miserably, and she was ultimately sold to private ownership, where she has been used for many years now, I am told, for fishing charters in Tauranga. 

The 2 x 8 cyl. Rolls Royce’s were replaced about two years ago, with 2 x 770hp MTU marinized Mercedes Benz diesels, and is now capable of around 30 knots.

The engine in the image is used, which because of the huge cost of them new I feel it would be most likely & also most practical to install used engines.

The only other boat I know personally, is my own 1953 Roy Lidgard-built, 31-foot FLYING SCUD, which I bought in 1970, with her original twin Austin Skipper 100 marine petrol engines. 

I replaced them almost immediately with two OM321 100 HP Mercedes Benz 6-cylinder diesels. I sold her six years later, when I started building my 40-foot Vindex, TIARRI, and a later owner replaced FLYING SCUD’s Mercedes Benz engines with two Bedford diesels.

PERKINS DIESELS MODELS “S6” 6YL & 510 C.I. V8 MODELS ONLY 

 PERKINS MODEL S6 MARINE DIESEL ENGINE

TIARRI’S TWIN V8 PERKINS 510 CUBIC INCH DIESEL ENGINES  

TIARRI’S 510C.I. 165 HP PERKINS V8 DIESEL ENGINES IN PLACE

TIARRI AT SPEED OFF RAKINO ISLAND 1982 WHEN OWNED AND NEWLY BUILT FOR KEN RICKETTS BY BARRY JONES & REX COLLINGS OF MATAKANA & WHANGATEAU 

KAIKOURA WIH HER TWIN PERKINS V8 MARINE DIESELS IN BON ACCORD HARBOUR, KAWAU ISLAND c1984

MOANA LUA WITH HER PERKINS V8 DIESEL ENGINE

LADY KIWI (EROS), POST HER PERKNS 510 C.I. V8 MARINE DIESEL ENGINE ERA

VALRAY WITH HER 2 X S6 PERKINS 6CYL MARINE DIESEL ENGINES

Whilst there are many thousands of Perkins engines in use in NZ of various types, the two referred to above are rare. The S6 engine was developed for the military in the UK during WWII, and Ray Hamilton, the harbour master for the Sandspit area at Warkworth, managed to import two of them a few years after the war. He kept them in a big, beautiful shed on his Warkworth farm for a good number of years until he eventually built his dream boat, the VALRAY, in that shed in the 1960s.

The 510 cubic inch, 165 hp V8 Perkins diesel engines are in only four boats that I know of. The Eros (Lady Kiwi) had two fitted when new, the Moana Lua had one fitted around the 1990s, I believe. I had two of them put in my own boat, TIARRI, a modified 40-foot Vindex, (we added an extra 18 inches of beam) when she was being built for me, and launched in October 1979. There is also the P Vos built KAIKOURA, which had her original two 165 hp Kermath Seamate Special petrol engines replaced by the Bridgeford family of Mission Bay, owners at that time, in the 1960s-70s. She has had two Perkins 510 c.i. V8s ever since. 

FOOTNOTE: I have not written about or included very small, very old engines and boats from the very early days of the 1800s to the early 1900s, where engines seemed to me to be mostly New Zealand-made, of one-, two-, and three-cylinder types. I have read some excellent, very knowledgeable writings from Harold Kidd, on these, and as he is an expert in this very specialized field.

INPUT ex ALAN SEXTON – Another great read from Ken and as usual a few comments following Ken’s sequence

Another relatively rare installation in NZ was the Cummins VT-370M, 785 cu.in turbo diesel. These were fitted to John Wiles Salthouse Giovanni II (since replaced with a Volvo), the Pelin Shikaree “Neureus”, owned by Haines Hunter’s Denis Kendall and twins were installed in the Wellington Police boat Lady Elizabeth II (the one that sank). This model engine was superseded by the Cummins VT-903M, approx 450hp, with a pair installed in ~55′ Pelin Eclipse “Trident” in the 80’s

Kelvin diesels – I believe there was a bit of a “Holden vs Ford” mindset between commercial fishermen when comparing Kelvin and Gardner diesels, I remember an ex fisho I worked for many years ago being a strong Kelvin man and very “dismissive” of Gardners

Doosans, Lees were selling these for a while. Another notable installation (a 320hp) was Conrad Robertson’s sedan launch Rampage , originally built for himself. I understand she has since been re-engined (Cummins?) and cockpit has been extended

The MAN V10’s from the 80’s mentioned were derived from a JV between Merecedes and MAN, https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/truck-history-the-man-18-3-liter-v10-the-last-on-highway-turbodiesel-behemoth-in-europe/ so are considered genuine MAN’s. Other notable installations include the Ted Ewbank designed “Kiwi Challenge” support boat for the 87 cup challenge and Neville Crighton’s Alan Warwick design Countach, both I believe 750’s. By the way Pacific Mermaid is advertised as being built by Salthouses.

The Perkins S6 was developed in the 1930’s for heavy trucks and was an enlarged version of the P series. https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/21st-october-1939/26/perkins-ii-ices-new I believe the first installation in NZ was in Alan H’s “favorite” launch, the original Vindex. Wasn’t there for very long, replaced by the lighter and more powerful T6.354 in the mid 60’s

There was another launch written up in Sea Spray in the late 60’s which had a 160hp Perkins 504, cannot remember her name

Moana Lua has had quite a few engines in her life, I believe the current engine is a John Deere. When she was owned by Ken Burrowes from the late 60’s to early 80’s I understand she was originally equipped with twin petrol engines and then Ken replaced them with a “Torpedo” brand diesel engine (I thought he was pulling my leg when he first told me this), which i assume was from this factory https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/Torpedo_(Rijeka)

Another quite common installation was the petrol Chrysler Crown, a marinised flat head Dodge. Eastern Star, Shipbuilders 32 previously featured here was built with one. This was replaced with a 75hp Ford in the early 80’s.

09-05-2025 INPUT ex JIM LOTT on Kelvin engines – Around 1981 I removed a Kelvin diesel from a yacht and replaced it with a Yanmar 2 cyl. The Kelvin had a crank start fitted and I don’t think there was an electric start at all. I am pretty sure it was 2 cyl. It was fitted in the 34ft Ladybird design (Bert Woolacott) named “Aorangi”. 

Aorangi was built by Ron Evans who lived at Bucklands Beach and Ron was a commodore at BBYC and later on manager at John Burns and Sailors corner. He built Aorangi late sixties or early 70s using full length kauri planks. The owner of Aorangi who I worked for was AAH Schulte, known as Hubert. The bottle green Kelvin was tucked under the cockpit driving through the quarter.

I was more interested in the new Yanmar I had to fit so I did not take too much notice of the Kelvin but I recall Hubert telling me he had given it to a transport museum. The Yanmar worked out fine and I moved the shaft to the centreline.

INPUT 04-08-2025 Perkins T12: A Wartime V‑12 Diesel Prototype

Purpose & Origin – Designed just before WWII, the Perkins T12 was intended for naval craft (motor launches, gunboats, torpedo boats) to replace petrol engines and free up Rolls‑Royce Merlins for aircraft use  .

Design & Specs A 55° V‑12 (two inline‑6 banks on a single crankshaft) with 6″ bore and stroke, giving roughly 33.3 L capacity. Each bank had independent systems (water, oil, fuel injection), enabling one half to run if the other failed  . Featured an unusual centrifugal supercharger driven from the crankshaft. Only 5–6 prototypes were built, with two installed in a Royal Navy launch (ML 570) from late 1942 through WWII  .

Performance & Fate It achieved the target ~1,000 bhp, but production never followed due to the availability of cheap American petrol engines  . After the war, one engine served as a stand‑by generator at the Peterborough factory into the 1980s  .

🔗 Links with Rolls‑Royce

Direct Association: The design was meant to replace Rolls‑Royce Merlin petrol engines in marine craft—similar size and layout for direct substitution  .

Personnel Connection: Perkins was founded by Frank Perkins and Charles Chapman—the latter previously worked closely with Rolls‑Royce founding engineer Henry Royce  . Chapman’s expertise evidently carried influence from aero‑engine principles into the T12 design.

Summary The Perkins T12 was an ambitious, Rolls‑Royce‑inspired diesel V‑12 project to militarize petrol-dominant craft space. Built quickly (~14 months) under Charles Chapman’s leadership, it showcased clever redundancy and performance—but never reached mass production, sidelined by US petrol engines. There does not appear to be any direct Rolls‑Royce technical design partnership—rather, the association comes from the T12’s role as a diesel counterpart to the Rolls‑Royce Merlin, not from a joint development.

AN INSIGHT INTO NZ’S UNIQUE MARINE ENGINES – Part Three

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AN INSIGHT INTO NZ’S UNIQUE MARINE ENGINES – Part Three

Todays WW story follows on from earlier stories – link below to Part One and Two 
As per pervious stories in the series the content has been pulled together by Ken Ricketts and ‘polished’ byPatrica and Ken’s daughter Corinne Pettersen. As always we have endeavoured to be as factual as possible but there will always by matters others will either know more about or be able to correct errors – so woodys do not hold back on commenting.

PART ONE – https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/04/04/an-insight-into-nzs-unique-marine-engines-part-one/

PART TWO – https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/04/12/an-insight-into-nzs-unique-marine-engines-part-two/

ROLLS ROYCE MARINE DIESEL ENGINES

ROLLS ROYCE 275 HP MARINE DIESEL ENGINE

ONE OF THE 2 ROLLS ROYCES THE ORIGINAL ENGINES IN OHORERE

KUDU WITH HER 137 HP ROLLS ROYCE ENGINES IN 1966

OHORERE WHEN NEW, WITH HER 2 X ROLLS ROYCE 6CYL. 275 HP DIESEL ENGINES

OHORERE AS AT 2025 WITH HER 2 X 770 HP MTU MARINISED MERCEDES BENZ DIESELS

MANAIA, WITH HER 2 X 6 CYL. 275 HP ROLLS ROYCE ENGINES

MANAIA INSTRUMENT PANEL

These are, as one would expect, a brand of engine that is quite rare, resulting from the cost of the engines to buy and the cost, equally, of parts for all maintenance. Also, while Rolls Royce has the name synonymous with perfection in all respects, it is my view that, in fact, Gardner engines are far superior in every respect, including noise, smooth running, longevity, maintenance necessity, and costs thereof. However, there are a few that are in the boats of today and yesterday. I personally know only three.

There is the KUDU, a large launch that, at one time, in mid to late 1966 to perhaps somewhere around the 1980s, belonged to the late Harry Julian. She is 63 feet long and powered by 2 x 137hp Rolls Royce 6-cylinder diesel engines. She was designed and built under Lloyd’s supervision in the UK in 1964 and sailed out to NZ as the end of a 20,000 km journey. However, the last time I saw her was on a visit to the Gold Coast in Australia, anchored in the middle of the center of Sanctuary Cove Marina.

Another of the RR-powered boats is the OHORERE, built by Percy Vos in Auckland for the government of the day to be a high-speed fisheries patrol craft, and designed by Thornycroft in the UK. However, she never reached anything close to her anticipated speed projections as required in the order from the government to the designers and builders. Large sums of money were spent collectively by the designers, Rolls Royce, and the builders to give her better performance, but they failed miserably, and she was ultimately sold to private ownership, where she has been used for many years now for fishing charters in Tauranga. As of now, Rolls Royce’s were replaced about two years ago with 2 x 770hp MTU marinized Mercedes Benz diesels and is capable of around 30 knots.

There is one more pleasure craft, an ex-Whangarei pilot boat and that is the MANAIA, which has had from new, 2 x Rolls Royce 8-cylinder inline 16-litre diesels. 

UNIVERSAL BLUE JACKET 6 FLAT HEAD PETROL ENGINES.

THE UNIVERSAL RANGE OF 4 & 6 CYL BLUE JACKET RANGE OF MARINE ENGINES

OTAZEL WITH HER UNIVERSAL BLUE JACKET 6 PETROL MARINE ENGINE. MANSION HOUSE BAY, KAWAU ISLAND c.1951

I am aware of one of these in New Zealand, which was in the OTAZEL, owned by Arch Tucket, in the late 1940s to the 1960s. He was the head of the patrol craft section for T.E.A.L. at that time in Mechanics Bay, and he fitted it to her on the hardstand at Okahu Bay in the winter of 1950.

G.M. ALLISON 1450HP, HOME MARINE CONVERTED, V12 AIRCRAFT PETROL ENGINE.

GM ALLISON V12 AIRCAFT ENGINE

REDHEAD, IN THE SOUTHWARD TRUST VEHICLE  MUSEUM IN PARAPARAUMU, AS SHE WAS LIFTED FROM THE SEABED IN WELLINGTON HARBOUR, AFTER HER  PROPELLER LOSING A BLADE, WHILST RACING & SINKING AS A RESULT.  

REDHEAD RACING A FLYNG BOAT ON WELLINGTON HARBOUR

The only boat I’m aware of that had one of these was Sir Len Southard’s champion racing boat, REDHEAD, which won, at one time or another, most of the cups and awards, as well as a huge number of races in her time. She was a real champion, designed, built, and raced by the late Sir Len Southward of Wellington, a brilliant engineer and philanthropist. John Bullivant tells has advised there was a second high-speed hydroplane racing boat built with a marine-converted V12 GM Allison petrol engine in the same era.

STERLING MARINE PETROL ENGINES

STERLING 6 CYL 1920 MARINE PETROL ENGINE PROBABLY SIMILAR TO THAT 

IN LADY STIRLING

STERLING 115 HP U.S. NAVY WWII FLAT HAD PETROL ENGINE

KERMATH 1928  225 HP SEA WOLF ENGINE IDENTICAL TO THAT IN THE TASMAN IN 1947

LADY STERLING IN QUEESNTOWN

TASMAN IN 1948 IN SCHOOLHOUSE BAY KAWAU ISLAND  

STERLING BUILT IN 1926 BY ERNIE LANE IN PICTON

LADY STERLING

The 52-foot, 105-year-old Bailey & Lowe-built ocean-going yacht, built in 1920 is named LADY STERLING. This yacht had one of these engines originally, and there were other boats that had them in the earlyish 1900s. 

LADY STERLING has, in recent times, been in the Queenstown area, but she has traveled many thousands of sea miles, with numerous crossings of the Pacific Ocean in her long life. 

Around the end of WWII, she belonged to Stan Waters. She passed shortly after to Lloyd McIvor, a dentist, who sailed her several times a year to Fiji and other Pacific islands to attend to the islanders’ dental issues.

TASMAN WITH A STERLING 6CYL DUAL IGNITION 115HP WWII U.S. NAVY PETROL ENGINE.

A reference in part 1 of this series was made in the comments section by Denis O’Callahan, related to the TASMAN having had a WWII ex-US Navy 6-cylinder flathead Sterling petrol engine at some stage, pre-1975. I have researched this engine and found the following information and images related to it, which I am confident may well be the engine he was referring to.

A quote from Tom Ball in 2016: “I have acquired this engine recently. It is a six-cylinder marine engine with dual ignition. It is 115 HP with a water-cooled exhaust. These Sterling petrol engines were made in Buffalo, New York. The engine supposedly was in a naval ship of some sort and may have come from the naval yard there.” – unquote

As I also said in part 1, I was aboard TASMAN, Christmas 1947 with my father one day & owner, Jack Brooke, lifted the bridgedeck floor & showed us her huge bottle green 225 hp overhead valve Kermath Sea Wolf  petrol engine, identical to that in the above image.

I could see by its size & overall concept, it was a fairly old engine, & perhaps the original, & in the circumstances, I have taken what to me, is a logical view, that this engine was probably replaced around 1960ish by the Sterling, due to old age , &/or perhaps maintenance issues, as well as huge quantities of petrol it must have consumed. Also, it was usually pushed at high speed most of the time by Jack B who was a speed fiend, when it came to his boat, which must have given the engine a hard life.  

19-04-2025 INPUT ex RUSSELL WARD – “I have a little input into Tasman when she had the Stirling engine in the early -mid ’60s. We used to describe it as a “Sterling Dolphin” in the day. My mother had a business connection with her then owner Dr Jim Sprott and I had the chance to see over Tasman and especially to view her engine. It was a four cylinder T head type engine -two blocks of two and quite tall. Certainly painted green with lots of brass -It ran delightfully smoothly and the owner averred that it was not too thirsty if throttled back. His suggestion was that the Americans installed the engine during the war to get more speed out of her. It certainly was a very old vintage- looking engine and had none of the looks of the more modern engines.

Dr Sprott later decided to replace it because of the petrol it used and maintenance. It was offered to MoTat who refused and my father wouldn’t allow me to have it and the word was that it was scrapped. RIP.”

26-04-2025 INPUT ex DENIS O’CALLAHAN – below further information regarding the Sterling engine in the launch – TASMAN

In 1970, TASMAN was purchased from Dr.Jim Sprott by my friend Allan Tyler and his dad Eric.

She had a Sterling 6 cylinder petrol engine with dual ignition and we were told that the original engine may have been a Kermath.

We had many adventures with this engine. One time at Tryphena she would not start and we found the Bendix Spring was broken. To our relief we found several spare springs in the locker so it must have happened before.

The Sterling was replaced in 1976 with a Lees Marine 6 cylinder Ford diesel. New stainless steel fuel tanks amidships replaced the old copper tanks under the aft deck which became the water tanks. The old Sterling engine went to scrap but we retained the name plates which were passed on to the new owner of TASMAN, Stephen Cashmore.

Photographs of these plates are below and the following is my interpretation:

Silver badge “Sterling”. THE ENGINE OF REFINEMENT FOR THE FINEST BOATS THAT FLOAT.

Small Plate. US NAVY. BU. ENG. NO. (Bureau of Engines Number) –  11725

Large Plate. STERLING ENGINE CO.

                        BUFFALO NY USA

            BUILDERS OF MARINE ENGINES

                       SERIAL NUMBER

                            US L61678

           ROTATION AT FLYWHEEL C.C. (Counter clockwise)

         C.W. HAND SCREW PROPELLER

                 HORSE POWER 220

                RPM MAXIMUM 2200

        WITH PROPELLER LOAD AND

            FULL OPEN THROTTLE

     ENGINE REVOLUTIONS MUST

     EQUAL OR EXCEED 1900 RPM

               FIRING ORDER

                 1 4 2 6 3 5

          TAPPET CLEARANCE

           INLET 020 THOUSANDTHS

    EXHAUST 025 THOUSANDTHS

In 2019 I visited Buffalo New York on a cruise through the Erie Canal and Great Lakes and looked for the old Sterling works.

I found that Sterling had been taken over by Phillips Petroleum in the late 1950s and the assets moved to Kansas.

The Sterling Company dates back to about 1903 and many speed records were held by boats with Sterling engines.

STERLING TEE HEAD 4 CYL PETROL MARINE ENGINE SIMILAR TO THAT AS DESCRIBED BY RUSSELL WARD ABOVE THAT HE COMMENTS WAS INSTALLED IN TASMAN IN THE 1960’S AFTER HER ORIGINAL KERMATH SEAWOLF

THE LAUNCH STERLING

I have researched extensively but have been unable to source an image of the 3-cylinder, 27 HP Sterling engine, as referred to below by Harold Kidd and in the launch STERLING as pictured above.  

Input from Harold Kidd: This STERLING was built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1925 for L.J. Steele as a passenger vessel to carry 60 passengers and had a 1924-built, 3-cylinder, 27 HP (rated) Sterling marine engine with a bore of 4.5″ and a stroke of 5.5″. Dimensions are 34′ x 9′ x 3’9″.

HALL SCOTT DEFENDER V12 PETROL 630HP MARINE ENGINES

NGAROMA WITH HER 1 HALL SCOTT DEFENDER V12 PETROL ENGINE, & 1 GLENIFFER 8 CYL INLINE DIESEL ENGINE, WHEN OWNED BY JIM LAWLER

These Hall Scott Defender petrol engines were used in all Fairmiles during WWII wartime service. When sold into private ownership after the war, all were immediately replaced by diesel engines of various types, brands, and sizes, except for one privately owned Fairmile called the NGAROMA, owned at that time by Jim Lawler. This vessel retained one Hall Scott engine for around two years before replacing it with a second, opposite-handed, 8-cylinder inline Gleniffer Diesel to match the existing Gleniffer 8-cylinder engine he fitted when he purchased the NGAROMA, creating a matched handed pair.

There were also two RNZAF MIAMI CLASS American patrol craft bought by the RNZAF around 1948. One, W275, was sent to Lauthala Bay, Fiji, by the RNZAF, while the other, W276, remained here. W276 had two Hall Scott Defenders mounted in the stern and vee driven.

W276 WITH HER 2 HALL SCOTT DEFENDER V12 PETROL MARINE ENGINES  

JUNKERS GERMAN DIESEL AIRCRAFT ENGINE TO BE HOME CONVERTED FOR MARINE USE 

JUNKERS DOUBLE ACTING DUAL PISTON 6 CYL estimated at c.1000HP GERMAN AIRCRAFT ENGINE.

This boat (W276) as featured above, was sold in the 1960s to a Mr. Canavan, a retired senior Air Force officer. He employed two marine engineers to convert two German two-stroke Junkers aircraft diesel engines (probably the same or like those in the image above), which, as far as I can interpret, seem to have been around 1,000 hp each. He acquired and converted them for marine use, replacing the two Hall Scotts with these engines. 

This was a long and very expensive task for Mr. Canavan. During this process, she was moored adjacent to the up-harbour end of the Naval Base and was still painted air force grey. During the installation she acquired four very large exhaust pipe holes near the deck line at the stern.

These engines, like the engine in the hydrofoil MANU-WAI, required hot engine oil to be pumped through them for 20 minutes before cold starts. The two engineers, as mentioned above, eventually finished the project and went off to find Mr. Canavan so he could be present for their first start. While they were away looking for him, he turned up, went out to the boat, saw that they were ready to go, and pushed the buttons. They started but immediately seized up as they had not had the hot oil process completed first.

When the two engineers came back, they were naturally furious that after all their hard work, it had all come to this. So, as one would expect, they just picked up their tools and walked off the job. Eventually, Canavan got two more engineers to rebuild the engines, and while they were in the process of this, one day, when they were brazing with bottled gas, the stern end of the boat caught fire, and the aft 20 feet or thereabouts was destroyed. 

The insurance company sold her “as is, where is,” and someone bought her, chopped off the burnt-out back end, and fitted her, in her now shortened form, with two 6/71 GM Detroit diesels, added new pleasure craft-type coamings, and called her the LADY SOMETHING? or SOMETHING LADY?. This work was all done on the hardstand at Half Moon Bay Marina.

With her back end chopped off and her new coamings fitted, she looked very short and fat.

WAUKESHA HESSELMAN, LOW COMPRESSION, SPARK IGNITED DIESEL ENGINES.

WAUKESHA HESSLEMAN, SPARK IGNITED, 6 CYL DIESEL ENGINE.

WAUKESHA HESSELMAN SPARK IGNITED  LOW COMPRESSION DIAGRAMATIC VEW OF ENGINE DESIGN.

AWARUA WITH HER 6CYL WAUKESHA HESSELMAN DIESEL ENGINE.

LADY RAE, STANDING IN, FOR IDENTICAL SISTERSHIP, GALA LASS.

There were only two boats fitted with the 6-cylinder version of these engines, which had around 100+ hp. 

They were Ted Cooper’s built and owned AWARUA, which for the first couple of years had a Redwing petrol engine. He later replaced this with a Waukesha Hesselman 6-cylinder diesel, which she had for the remainder of his stewardship. A later owner, replaced it with a Ford diesel.

The other boat was the GALA LASS, which had an identical sister ship, the LADY RAE. 

GALA LASS had a Waukesha Hesselman diesel from new for the entire time of ownership by the original owner, Tony Hurt.  The LADY RAE had both one and two engines at different times, both with petrol or diesel, as was appropriate during her early years. I have not been able to locate an image of GALA LASS. I have substituted an image of LADY RAE in place of GALA LASS. 

Kermath 182

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KERMATH

I saw the above photo of Kermath on Lew Redwood’s fb & immediately thought of the 2018 Rudder Cup launch race – so todays post is a big nudge / reminder to get your entry in.
What do we know about Kermath, race #182 ? This photo was tagged ‘Winner of the Big Tree Handicap at the Ponsonby Regatta, March 3 1923.
Harold Kidd Input – There were several KERMATHs built for C E Mackie, of 25 London Street, St Mary’s Bay (the house in which I lived as a toddler) just behind Collings & Bell. Mackie was the Auckland agent for Kermath marine engines. The earlier boats were built by Collings & Bell but I think this is the one built by Leon Warne in December 1920 which, by the time of this race, had a Cadillac car engine installed which made her quick. I think she’s the KERMATH that went to the Bay of Islands soon after.