Tag Archives: Korama

CLASSIC WOODEN MOTORSAILER – ASTROLINDA

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CLASSIC WOODEN MOTORSAILER – ASTROLINDA

WW was recently contacted by Matthew Montgomery regarding his 34’6” motor-sailer – ASTROLINDA, and whether she passed the classic woody test – short answer yes.

ASTROLINDA is an Athol Burns design, built for charter at the Morgan yard in Picton in 1966. Matthew has owned her for approx. 8 years.
Matthew commented that he doesn’t know if ASTROLINDA has been north of Wellington, but there are charts of Otago on board , so maybe she’s been south.  Matthew bought her ex Nelson, at the time her exterior was in reasonable condition but a worn interior and an engine bay that was a nasty rusty mess and engine not working.

Current home is Waikawa marina, but there are plans to get to Northland and Auckland later in the year.

Matthew has good woody credentials being a past owner of PIKO in the 1970’s in Auckland , KORAMA in the 1990’s (brought to Picton). He was also a broker at Vinings in Picton and sold THETIS to Paul Harris in the late 1990’s, who asked if Matthew would use her to keep her functioning while he was away flying airplanes for Royal Brunei, before relocating her to Auckland with  Paul.

INPUT ex MARK MCLAUGHLIN – Below is a design article by Athol Burns from Sea Spray for Astrolinda. She was built to the alternative configuration by Jack Morgan:

INPUT ex JOHN GANDER (via Dean Wright) – ASTROLINDA was designed as stated by Athol Burns for Trevor Johnson of Wellington. Built by Jack Morgan and launched as MANUTAI in 1966.

In about 1970 she was purchased by Bill Rutherford and Jack McMath who petitioned parliament for a law change regarding surveyed vessels to enable them to hire her as a sail yourself charter vessel, the first vessel to do so in New Zealand. Her survey certificate was for 15 passengers but reduced to 6 when hired to an uncertificated master.

Wife Bev and I together with Frank Derbyshire,  purchased her in 1973 and along with the yacht ASTROLABE ran our business as ‘Charter Yachts Ltd.’ 

When launched ASTROLINDA was fitted with a Coventry Godiva 4 cylinder 30 hp engine, we changed the engine for a Volvo Penta in about 1975.

There are many boat owners around who’s first boating experience was on ASTROLINDA or ASTROLABE.

KORAMA (THETIS)

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Wade River 2014
Mansion House Kawau Is c1950
c1980
c2004
Wade River
2004
2004
Kawau c2000
Off Manly Beach
As original c1920

KORAMA (THETIS)

photos & details ex ken ricketts. edited by alan houghton & supplemented by harold kidd

Some fine detective work by Ken has uncovered that the launch Korama is in fact Ronald William Grant’s (b1897-d1984) launch Thetis. Grant named the launch after his wife Thetis Maud Grant nee Braund (b1896 d 1985), a daughter of famous rugby player and yachtsman Albie Braund who named her after his friend Reg Masefield’s steel 5 rater of 1895. Albie named his first launch MAVIS B, after his daughter Mavis (b1899). To complicate matters the vessel has changed name numerous times across her life. More on this below.

Korama is 34feet overall with a beam of 9 ft 6inches & cruises at 8-1/2 knots with a top speed of 14 knots.

She is presently owned by Leo Comesky, who bought her in October 2012 off Gus & Kelcey Gager who had brought her up from Tauranga c.1999. Comesky & Gager  have provided tech. & historical data & info., to Ken.

According to Comesky she was designed by Logan & built by Fred Mann, in 1922, in St Mary’s Bay. She was built for a Bob Knox of Grey Lynn, who apparently, along with his son, used to walk down to see her during construction, every evening. The Logan claim is questionable as she does not look like a Logan & if Arch Logan had designed her its highly unlikely that he would have allowed Fred Mann to build her. Mann was very much a spare-time builder at his John St., Ponsonby home, and nothing he built attracted much attention. His main job was looking after the horses for the Cashmores’ timber mill in Cox’s Creek and maintaining their craft.

Her original engine was an Ailsa Craig petrol engine & is presently powered by a 120hp Ford diesel.

Knox apparently owned her for 15 to 20 years & other owners include a Mr Dickson of Pakuranga (could be Jim Dickson an ASB manager of Pakuranga, who later had a sedan top 34 footer built by Owen Woolley who Ken knew well in the 60s & 70s), Bill Ridley of Pakuranga, Cyril Parker of Mission Bay (for approx. 6 years in the 1980’s – powered by a 110hp Ford diesel), Gary & Fay Lowe of Whangamata, Reg Hodson of Tauranga, & then she went to Picton. She was owned in Picton by a Mr M Montgomery (refer survey letter) & later returned to Tauranga where she was purchased by the Gagers

Leo Gager says that when Bill Ridley owned her, he changed her name back to Thetis. When Cyril Parker bought her, he discovered ‘Korama’ carved in to the tuck & changed her back again to Korama.

The Gager’s sold her to Comesky in October 2012.

In Grant’s day she had varnished coamings which no doubt were original, perhaps one day, someone may reinstate her to her absolute original concept.

What kindled the discovery:

Ken’s shape eyes & a good memory combined with Harold Kidd’s knowledge & wicked database combined with the following elements confirmed the discovery.
1. Both had Ailsa Craig 24h.p. engines
2. The common position of the their engines & exhaust i.e. well forward
3. The common rounding at the waterline at the tuck
4. The reference to Bill Ridley having owned her

07-01-2016 – photo ex Harold Kidd of Korama (c.1970?)

KORAMA221a

01-05-2017 Update from Leo Comeskey – hauled out at Weti River

Korama @ Weiti April2017