Tag Archives: Lidgards

Awarua Relaunches

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AWARUA RELAUNCHES

The 1947 Lidgard built 36′ launch – Awarua has been hauled out at the Slipway Milford for several months. Her new owner righting some deferred maintenance, enhancing her internal layout to suit ’todays’ expectation re amenities, giving the engine a birthday and getting a JPPJ (Jason Prew paint job).

Awarua slipped back into the water on Saturday morning looking very regal, still a few internal jobs to be ticked off, as there always is. Her owner is a committed woody, this is the 2nd woody in the fleet 🙂

Awarua has appeared on WW numerous times – links below

https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/11/23/36526/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/03/awarua-a-peek-down-below/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/06/mansion-house-bay-c1947/

Mystery Launch B.O.I. 1965 Taiparu > Isa Lei

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Mystery Launch B.O.I. 1965 – Taiparu > Isa Lei

Today’s photo comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb and shows a collection of support vessels assisting in the 1965 (April) National Spearfishing Contest, underway in Deep Water Cove, Bay of Islands.

Of most interest is the launch on the right  – not sure how you would describe her – pilot house launch? , 1/2 a bridge-decker 🙂 Its not Tasman but very similar. Some of the big Colin Wild > Salthouse launches (Lady Crossley, Turongo, Trinidad ) followed this design.

UPDATE – Launch Identified by Ken Rickets as Isa Lei (Taiparu). Photos below ex Ann Hood via Ken Ricketts

Harold Kidd Input – ISA LEI was built as TAIPARU by Lidgard Bros at the Western Reclamation, Auckland for J. Carlton of Sunny Bay, Kawau and launched on 7th December 1939 with a 6 cylinder 90hp Graymarine petrol engine. In 1946 she was owned by C. Pryce Jones. I H McRae owned her in 1953 and it was he who changed her name to ISA LEI. Roughly 1954 to 1975 she was owned by Lloyd and Jim Somner. I think her sistership was WAKATERE which spent a lot of her life in Tauranga.

More photos and details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/30/isa-lei-original-name-was-tauparu/

Almaray

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ALMARAY
Over the last few years the name Almaray has popped up on WW, mainly in reference to being built alongside the Lidgard launch Monterey. The shed photos below c.1946-8 shows Monterey, Almaray and possibly Tangaroa. All three were fitted with 30hp Lister engines when launched. Almaray was built by Lidgard for Stanley Bell-Booth, whose son Nick Davenport recently contacted me last week after uncovering the photos above in an old family photo album.
Harold Kidd commented on a WW story last week on the launch Jean – that the Bell-Booth family name was linked to BERNICE (1922) Stan’s father perhaps?, ATAROA (ex SPEEDWELL II) 1930-34,LADY PATRICIA (1943-48) and ALMARAY (1946 onwards). Nick has commented that his father also owned the launch Jean, somewhere in this mix. 


Nick would like to know what became of Almaray post his fathers stewardship.

TOO MUCH SUN 🙂

I think I must have sun stroke –  I’m writing about a 1980 Vindex………. But despite what a certain debarred lawyer thinks, I’m actually a nice guy. So here goes – I have been contacted by 21 year old apprentice boat builder, Connor Sanderson, who has taken on a project – I’ll let Connor tell you the story”Late last year I was presented with an irresistible opportunity to purchase a very tired and rundown wooden vindex named “Vin Maree” The only information the seller was about to provide was a build year of 1980 and that it had been from Gulf Harbour prior to them moving it down to Whangamata. It is double diagonal kauri planked, resorcinol glued and coated with ample red lead. It is powered by a inline 6cyl ford I believe to be a “Dover” and had Lees marine manifolds, gearbox and V-drive. I have not yet seen another vindex in V-Drive configuration but I’m familiar with it and hope to retain the use of one. I’m eager to know more about this boat.”

Kenya II

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 KENYA II

As launched Kenya II was a sedan launch, built by Lidgard’s in 1940. She is 47’6” long & powered by a 127hp 6LXB Gardner diesel that allows her to cruise economically at 8.5kts. Built from triple skin kauri.

Home is the Marlborough Sounds & she is 4 sale on trademe. A quick walk around that flybridge with a titanium tipped chainsaw would do wonders for her looks 😉

For more details on her past & photos click the blue link below. When you compare the photos above to the ‘as launched’ you will she that she could very easily be returned to her former glory.
https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Kenya+II&submit=Search

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Lidgard Run-About

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Lidgard15a

Lidgard14a

Lidgard Run-About

The photos of the above Lidgard run-about were emailed to me by John Pryor, a friend of whose is hoping to uncover some details on the boat. She measures 14’3″, with a 5′ beam. All her new owner knows is that she came up to Mt Albert from the Coromandel in the condition you see her in above & the trailer was built back from army surplus and the coil springs are apparently from an Indian motorcycle.
She’s in need of quite a restore but given her Lidgard pedigree is worth saving. The bonus is she’s small enough to be tucked in the garage & worked on i.e. no expensive yard fees

So woodys what do we know about these small Lidgard run-abouts – the year(1940’s?) model, possible owners, copies of the plans etc. Anything would help / encourage her owner to commence the project 🙂

25-08-2016 Input from Roger Guthrie

6x4

You posted a picture of an old boat on a trailer the other day. It was in severe need of restoration. Above is a very similar one we had at Silver Bay Waiheke. It was about 1951. It had a steering wheel and seat at the front. We had the popular 4H.P. Seagull outboard and had to steer from the back. There was a steering wheel but dad never connected it.

We called it the speedboat but there was no speed about it. It did however serve us well for family picnics to Man’o’War Bay and Ponui Island. Neither I or my brother Graham can remember the make. We had the usual collection of clinker dinghy’s which we rowed and two of them had centre board provision and sails. The largest one was 12ft. long and good for going to Connells Bay for the milk and supplies but this to us was the start of something new. This boat was varnished marine ply.

Shown in the boat photo – Ivan Guthrie (my father), myself and sister Prue. The boat was very near to the beach hence dad sitting on deck ready to pull up the motor. Them was the days………and they were wonderful days too.

Lidgard 52′ Launch

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LIDGARD LAUNCH

Built c.1965 by Lidgards, three skin heart kauri & solid teak. Powered by twin 130hp Ford Dovers. Her specs are length – 52’5”, beam – 15’5”, draft – 5’2”.

Underway photo ex Ken Rickets, interior photos ex web. Her name is unknown to me.

Valsan

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VALSAN

Poped out after the fog cleared yesterday to give Raindance a run. Spotted the 1938 Lidgard built  Valsan leaving Orams yard (Westhaven) on-route to the CYA dock at Heritage Landing. Looking very smart after some enforced surgery due to another wee oops & what appeared to be new paint & varnish. I was impressed to see the CYA burgee flying. In one of the classic wooden boat clubs in the USA if you are not flying the burgee, no photo’s are reproduced of your boat.

Miss Lidgard

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Miss Lidgard in 1960.
Fishing in 1978.
2011
2012
2012

MISS LIDGARD

Owned by Whitianga idenity Don Ross who landed alot of game fish as a charter boat. Powered by 2 Austin Skipper 100h.p.. Miss Lidgard was in the Tamaki up to last year in a very plastic looking form. Don thought she was the best boat he ever owned and was a very stable boat to fish from. From what I can remember she had a big open cockpit and she was built to take light cargo to the whaling station at Gt Barrier. Dad extended her cabin aft over the cockpit for Don to give more shelter for passengers and anglers.

1st photo & story ex Baden Pascoe. Remaining photos ex current owner

Update 27/01/2015 from Don Ross via Merv Stockley

“Below is a photo of new Perkin’s 4-154 engines going in Miss Lidgard when the Austin Skippers came out.  Strongman’s from Coromandel did the adaption of the existing Parsons gearbox’s to these Perkin’s engines before they went in. As mentioned under Miss Lidgard on Woodys the Skippers were close together and the Perkin’s were too under a single engine box. These two 4-154’s were manufactured by Mazda in Japan and I always wondered why that was as I don’t know of any other Perkin’s which were manufactured in those days out side Peterborough. Recent research I have done on the internet has showed Perkin’s designed the 4-154 and sister engine 6.231 but they were only produced by licencee Toyo Kogyo (Mazda). Later developed into 4.165/6.247 family of engines”.

 

Monterey

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Monterey with Florence Dawn behind
Christmas 1948
Monterey in Islington Bay Waikehe Island
Photoshop is a fun thing
Monterey
Mark Edmonds at ‘work’ on Monterey
Monterey & crew enjoying the Rudder Cup race

Boat Const. Photos 003 (2)

Monterey , middle centre, top photo, under construction in the Lidgard factory alongside sister ships

Monterey (33’6”x32’x10’6”x2’7”) was built by Lidgards in 1946 for R.T. (Alf) Postles, an accountant, she was one of 3 the same, the others were Almaray (owned by Stan Bell-Booth) & possiblily Tangaroa was the 3rd one, all had 30hp Listers when launched. Postles sold her to Alf E. Hayman of 22 Omana Ave Mt Eden in c.1950 and it went later to John A Hayman of 5 Riverlea Ave Panmure in 1958 (Alf’s son?).
The old photo above was taken by Ken Ricketts, Christmas 1948.
Monterey’s owners Sue & Mark Edmonds are active members of the Classic Yacht Association.