Tag Archives: Norm Fairlie

Commander One

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COMMANDER ONE – #4 Fairlie launch in a series of 4
photo & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H

Built in 1967 by Allan Williams, she was 42 ft when built & extended at the back end to 52 feet a few years later by the original owner. She was extended by Percy Vos c.1969-70 for Norm Fairlie.

Fairlie lived at No 5 Fife St Westmere at that time & was a successful Auckland businessman. Fairlie was a passionate big game fisherman for many years & fished extensively off Mayor Island in her. His son, Brian Fairlie was one of N.Z’s. few international tennis players, back in the 60s 70s era.

Commander One has been berthed in Tauranga most of her life & is now owned by Mr Paul Aitkin, who bought her off the Bradshaw family of Rotorua, around 2004, who bought her off Norm Fairlie back in the 1970s. She is & always has been, maintained to a very high standard, by all owners & still very original as far as the addition to her length allows.

She had a 180 hp 6 cyl. Cummins diesel when new, now replaced c.2000 by Bradshaws, with a brand new replacement 400hp de-rated to 300hp Cummins.

Ken recently spoke to Norm Fairlie who is aged 91, sounding very fit & well & is living on the Gold Coast in Australia.

The story of her ownership is rather unusual.

It all starts with a previous boat Norm F, had built by McGeady, called Challenger, which Norm F. sold to a Mr Brown of Whangarei who later sold her to Bradshaws of Rotorua. Bradshaws later wanted to buy Commander One off Norm H. & he agreed to buy back Challenger, off Bradshaws, as part payment for Commander One. Just after the deal was done, some people known to Bradshaws, discovered Bradshaws deal, & said they had always wanted to own Challenger, so rushed up to Auckland, & bought her straight off Norm H. almost immediately after he had re-inherited her.

Update 06-10-2015
Photo below (ex Ken Ricketts) is of the original owner Norm Fairlie, now Norm is almost 93 years old & he told KR that while the boat was built by Alan Williams, her designer was Mac McGeady. If that is the case, this photo has a little more meaning as the lady on the left is McGeady’s granddaughter – Karen Moren.

Tempest

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TEMPEST – #3 Fairlie Launch in a series of 4
photos & details ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H

Tempest is approximately 30 feet long & is the 3rd of 4 boats that Norm Fairlie had built for him in the 1950s -1970s period.

She was the second by McGeady & built in his Summer Street Ponsonby premises  & purpose built for him in early 1964, specifically to fish for Tuna in the World Game Fishing Competition held in NZ in March of that year.

Tempest’s hull had been started by McGeady to be a boat he had intended to build for himself but he was persuaded by Norm F. to sell her to him &  finish her to Norm’s requirements i.e. for the sole purpose of Tuna fishing as above, which he won in her.

He owned her simultaneously with his other larger McGeady boat the 38 foot Challenger which McGeady built for him in c.1962. He fished for tuna in the contest off the Tempest, & bill fish off Challenger & came second in the overall contest, for his combined efforts in the 2 boats.

He only owned Tempest for a few months & then sold her to his then business partner Mr Bert Grimshaw-Jones, who lived on the banks of the Tamaki River, where he kept her at the bottom of his garden, for a number of years, at least in to the later 1960s.

Now fast forward –  she was bought in the later 1980s  by Des Finlay of Whitianga, who along with his partner Christine Johnson, had bought her in a derelict state at Gt. Barrier, taken her to their home in Whitianga & worked on her for a couple of years on their lawn, then relaunched her & sold her a year or two later to the Bennett brothers of Panmure.

The Bennetts have owned her for approximately 14 years, they love her to death & keep her in the Tamaki River, in great condition, by what we can see in the photos.

Norm F. told Ken that the original engine installation, was done by Bert G-J., assisted by Tracey Nelson, the usual marine engineer, used by McGeady for the majority of his boats. She was originally  & still is powered by a 6 cyl. naturally aspirated Ford diesel & the Bennetts believe she almost certainly still has the original engine.

Challenger

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CHALLENGER     #2 Fairlie Launch in a series of 4

photos & detail ex Ken Ricketts, edited by Alan H.

Challenger, 38′ long, was built c.1962 by McGeady & originally powered by a 6 cyl Ford Diesel. She was built  for Mr Norm Fairlie, an Auckland businessman, who was a hugely dedicated & enthusiastic game fisherman, &  who mostly  fished at Mayor Island.

Challenger was the first of 2 boats built by McGeady for him in his Summer St Ponsonby premises,  the second being the 30 foot Tempest, a purpose built boat, he had McGeady build specifically for him, to fish for tuna, in the World Game Fishing Competition held in NZ in the 1960s. He won this competition with Tempest & sold he shortly afterwards. Sadly he never had any pics of her.

However Fairlie retained Challenger which he used, to fish in the “big game” section of the above event, in which he came second.

Fairlie kept Challenger until she was replaced by the 42 foot Commander One, which he had built by Alan Williams in 1967.

The story of her ownership is rather unusual.

Norm F. sold Challenger to a Mr Brown of Whangarei c1967 when Commander One was built, who later sold her to the Bradshaw family, of Rotorua.

Bradshaws later wanted to buy Commander One off Norm F. & he agreed to buy back Challenger off Bradshaws, as part payment for Commander One. Just after the deal was done, some people known to Bradshaws, heard about the Bradshaw’s deal & said they had always wanted to own Challenger, so rushed up to Auckland & bought her straight off Norm F., almost immediately after he had re-inherited her.

Ken lost contact with Challenger around this time, anyone able to shed some light on what happened to her & where she is now? In the photo above she is an impressive sight on her launch day in the early 1960’s, a launch that size does not disappear behind someones shed, so fingers crossed on more info.

Ken & ww appreciate the input from Norm Fairlie & John Bradshaw which has helped make this post possible.

WORLD GAME FISHING CONTEST 1964  OFFICIAL CLUB RECORDS

Photo (c.1960’s) added 15-06-2015 ex Ken Ricketts ex B Worthington

Screen Shot 2015-06-15 at 9.11.45 AM

17-04-2016 I added the photos (ex Hylton Edmonds via Ken R) below only for the record – I will not comment on whats happened to her. If you must, click to enlarge.

31-05-2016 photos below ex Noel Kelly via Ken Ricketts (c.2000) No comment on the plywood dummy block of flats other than how could you get a peek at what it will look like & still do it?

 

Reelemin II

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REELEMIN (II)   #1Fairlie Launch in a series of 4
photos & details ex Ken Ricketts. Edited by Alan H

Norm Fairlie was a lifelong, dedicated & very enthusiastic game fisherman, having fished extensively, mostly at Mayor Island & started his boating life with a couple of small outboard powered runabouts in the later 1940s & early 50s.

His first foray in to cruising type boats, was Reelemin (II). She was built by Don Norton in Westmere for Norm F., c.1954-55.

She is 26 feet long & was originally powered by a largish petrol engine, which Norm does not recall the details of. She cruised at around 12-14 knots.Norma owned her until  approx 1961 when he sold her & replaced her with the new & larger 38 foot Challenger, in approx 1962, which he commissioned McGeady to build for him & which will be the subject of a later post. This was followed later still by the even bigger 45 foot (llater extended to 52 feet) Commander One, in approx 1968-69  which was built for him by Alan Williams, also to be the subject of a later post.

Fairlie also had McGeady build him a purpose built 30 footer called Tempest, which was built for him in early 1964, specially for the World Game Fishing Contest (March 1964), on which he won the Tuna section, of that contest.

He had retained Challenger & owned both boats at the same time. Challenger came second in the game fishing section, but unfortunately, Fairlie has no pics of Tempest & he sold her shortly after the contest concluded & does not recall engine details of this boat.

Norm is now long retired, at 91 & when Ken spoke to him, sounded very fit & active for his age & living at the Gold Coast.

He was a very successful Auckland businessman & father of one of NZ’s world famous international tennis stars of the 1960s-70s era, Brian Fairlie.

Ken would like to acknowledge the help, input & permission of Norm to make this & the future  posts on his other  boats possible.

The pic below of Gay  Dawn was taken by Norm from Reelemin at Opua Christmas 1960. His in-laws are standing on the stern & a young Brian, outside the portside bridegdeck window.