Tag Archives: Leeway

MELANIE – TRACING THE HISTORY OF A CLASSIC GAME LAUNCH

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MELANIE – TRACING THE HISTORY OF A CLASSIC GAME LAUNCH

Thanks to an email from John Dawson we are able to clear up any confusion around the provenance of the classic wooden game boat – MELANIE.

In the top photo we she MELANIE c.1959 as built by Brian Donovan (brother of Andy) at 21st Century Boats.

In April 1965 her owner,Len McCracken, sadly drowned returning to the vessel one evening at Mayor Island.

Late 1960’s her new owner, John Lee had MELANIE refitted as a bridge-decker at the Visser yard and changed her name to LEEWAY. She then went into charter fishing the Mayor Island grounds.

Harold Kidd advised the last he heard of the vessel was c.2015, in Havelock North.

Any update on where she is today.

(Special thanks to Harold Kidd, Brian Worthington & the Andrew Donovan collection)

Leeway

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LEEWAY 

Back in late 2020 I had an email from the owner of Leeway, Dick Knegt , and I asked former details / photos on the boat, but never heard anything back. Fast forward to last week and being ‘ so over lock-down’ I was chasing up some unanswered emails and I gave Dick a nudge – bingo back came the above gallery of photos.

What we know is that Leeway is a Donavan built bridge-decker. Built Dick thinks in 1958 in Auckland. She stayed there a while then went to Tauranga where she had a duckbill added to her and became a charter vessel for a number of years. Then went to the Malborough Sounds and then to Nelson. Dick and Vicki Knegt purchased her there and she now resides in Motueka. 

Can anyone enlighten us more on her past