Tag Archives: Lake Taupo

Queen Mary

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QUEEN MARY

photos & details ex Alan Craig. edited by Alan H.

Alan owns this Sea Craft 19′ in Rotorua named ‘Queen Mary’. The Queen Mary is a very lucky boat because Alan is a boat builder at Tony Mitchell’s yard in Otaramarae at Lake Rotoiti.
When Alan caught the ‘wooden boat bug’ he started looking for a project and found the Queen Mary on trademe in Rotorua.

Rumour has it that it was built as one of three to take the Queen Mother trout fishing on Lake Taupo for her visit in 1966.  Alan has been told her visit was proposed in 1964 as she fell ill. She came in 1966 but there was no time for fishing apparently.

The build date of the boat is unknown but the below Sea Spray article from April 1964 talks about the 17 footer and smaller ones built, but no mention of the 19′. It may have been the ‘privately owned’ boat mentioned? Alan guessed that there would have been a certain amount of secrecy around them. Alan has dated the engines (1500 Ford Cortina) at 1963 via the serial numbers.

The Queen Mary was a deviation by Sea Craft from the production boats at the time and was right up there with style also. Her hull is beautifully built double skin kauri, being diagonal inside and longitudinal outside (varnished)
It was owned by Internal Affairs and it was only put up for sale in the 1980’s. To who, we don’t know?

Alan is slowly bringing her back to life after having been left outside to rot away for the last few (10?) years. The photos are as found and progress through the rebuilding of side decks to recently painted deck and a bit of varnish inside. The side and aft deck were worst affected and parts of the cabin sides, but the hull remains in very good nick. She sits on the original trailer.

Alan’s not sure about ‘Queen Mary’ being her original name and is very interested to know about the yellow registration sticker for the Port of Tauranga that is in the window?

Someone else must have seen her around somewhere, perhaps Taupo? Of particular interest would be clarification of the royal link.

Included below are photos of two boats, Arohanui (x2 being launched) which was once owned by Nathen Herbet’s father and the one with the three blokes that was sent to Alan by Lionel Sands from when they had one at Waihaha Lake Taupo in the early 1960’s. None of these can be Alan’s as they both have painted hulls.

More photos of Arohanui (ex Nathan Herbert)

Mystery boats at Lake Taupo

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MYSTERY BOATS AT LAKE TAUPO
photo ex Ken Ricketts

Ok, one for the train spotters today – Ken sent me the photo above but has know idea the location or date. His guess on the date is late 1930>1940. He also believes that Lady Ava is 3rd from the right on the hard stand.
What say the rest of you on where & which boats?

Update from Paul (& Nigel) Drake

In consultation with brother Nigel, here are some more details. Starting from the left, we have ROTHESAY – previously discussed on WW. This is Don McLeod’s “new” ROTHESAY. Behind her is MOANA (Sam Ford). Don’t know the next one. Then we have DESTINY (Coulthard) – then MOANA ROA, locally built of totara and now in Whangarei. On the slip is ARCADIA, still at Taupo. Then WAIHAHA now AVALON, now at Rotoiti as previously discussed.
Across the river we have VICTORY, built locally by Jack Taylor during WW2 without power tools, and still at Taupo (Kinloch Marina). Astern of her the 1907 Logan double ender PONUI, On the hard behind Jack Taylor’s house is EL ALEMAIN, now RANUI, built at Rotorua for a rehab hospital for returned servicemen and still at Taupo. Astern of her is ROMANCE (Bailey and Lowe 1914). In the water, second from the right, is NOMAD, now thought to be at Rotorua. Further upstream, above ARCADIA, is CHAMPION, ex IONA,, now in Brown’s Bay, Paremata, Wellington, under another name.
A remarkable photo – thank you Ken!

Lake Taupo c.1950’s

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Lake Taupo c.1950’s.

photo ex Paul Drake

This photo appeared on a postcard & shows two boats that have recently featured on ww – Lady Pat & Moana.

Also in the picture, on moorings, in line astern are  – Kotare (steel), Arcadia and Kahurangi.

Arcadia is still on Lake Taupo – with new cabin. Kahurangi was last seen at Mana, Paremata, also with new cabin. KOTARE is still at Lake Taupo.

The vessel poking out of the boat shed is Water Nymph now restored and at Lake Rotioti.

Whizzbang

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Whizzbang

WHIZZBANG

waitematawodys has been contacted by Graeme Johnson, the grandson of Harold White, a previous owner of Whizzbang, who is seeking more information on her past & current whereabouts.
Graeme was able to supply the sepia photo above of Whizzbang from his grandfathers photo collection, the only image he has of the boat.

Harold Kidd believes that Whizzbang is now ‘Ruahine’ & like Graeme is keen to shed more light on the old girl.

I have also included below some photos of Whizzbang on Lake Taupo.

Percy Vos Lake Taupo 16' Boat + Whizzbang (middle) Picture%201 Whizbang480a

Harold Kidd Update

A few thoughts, probably wrong.

1. Because of the name, I guess Harold White was a returned soldier with experience of the German shells popularly called whizzbangs in the trenches in France.

2. There was a 25ft x 6ft 6in launch hull plus 17-25hp Sterling engine for sale by auction at Collings & Bell in June 1922 at the instructions of the “Taupo Steamship Co. Ltd”. Could this be WHIZZBANG?

3. If so, who built her, Collings & Bell or Bailey & Lowe who would have at least supplied the Sterling? Either builder is a possibility from the look of her, although I would pick Collings & Bell.

Update from Paul Drake (11/12/2013)

WHIZZBANG is going strong at Taupo, as RUAHINE, and is in the marina at the north end of the lake. She is in very good order. She is almost unrecognizable, having had a bow lift and new cabin some years ago – about 1960 – and was sold to Taupo man Ray Perry in the early 70’s as an abandoned vessel by the local boatyard to defray storage costs. Presently owned by local man Rod Campbell. My father used to tell me that the name WHIZZBANG related to her single.cylinder engine and the way it sounded.

Currently (15/03/2014) for sale on trademe

Romance

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Romance

ROMANCE

Romance is the older and smaller sister of Romance II. She was built August 1914 by Bailey & Lowe for W.C. Mils of Devonport who replaced her with Romance II in 1919. Romance was 26ft oa and fitted with an ohv 4 cyl petrol engine. W.E. Utting owned her for many years after Mills.

She then went to Napier and was bought by Sydney Hole and was the Holes family boat for many years on Lake Taupo. Pictured is Ken Hole(Sydney’s son) and Belle Hole standing beside Romance)

In 2006 she was in charter on the lake.

photo ex Alan Good, words Harold Kidd & Alan Good.