CLASSIC WOODEN BIG GAME BOAT – OZONE

CLASSIC WOODEN BIG GAME BOAT – OZONE

Back in July 2016 we ran a WW story on the 1914 , Percy McIntosh built game boat OZONE, linked below, then last week a woody reader – Stuart Windross posted a comment that he had come across a great photograph of Ozone with a swordfish across her transom, pictured above. 

Accompanying the photo on line was an article on the Anich family, it would appear that OZONE may have been owned for a time by the family fishing out of Sandspit.  If so her catch would be supplying the famous Tony’s restaurant and fish shop in Warkworth. On the same web page (not in English) were the photos below – first time I have seen a sword fish weighed in like that.

WW July 2016 story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/29/ozone/

For a more recent view of OZONE check out the WW Nov 2023 story linked below https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/11/22/ozone-3/

Ozone

OZONE

The launch Ozone was built by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei for Harold Vipond Silverdale for the Wade River <> Auckland trade (thank you Harold Kidd – WW story link below)).

Then in the early 1920’s Ozone was taken to the Bay Of Islands for the big game fishing trade which as just starting. Then we have a big info hole until she popped up in the late 1980’s in the Mahurangi Harbour, where she is today, as a fishing / pleasure boat.

What we know about her from her recent tme showing (thanks Ian McDonald) – built c.1914, 32’ in length, 8’6” beam and powered by a Ford 90hp engine.

Keen to learn more about the missing years. Would be nice to see her return to a configeration closer to her early days – photo below

WW 2016 story link – https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/29/ozone/

UPDATE 25-11-23 photo below sent in by Linus Fleming.

Ozone

OZONE

The above photo was sent in by Scott Taylor, son of the late Mac Taylor, a prominent marine broker based in Westhaven. The caption reads – H. Vipond, Silverdale, 32’ x 8’6”. Scott commented that it would most likely have been – Mr Vipond of Vipond Road, Stanmore Bay, Auckland.

In a WW story back in July 2016, Harold Kidd commented that Ozone was built by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei in 1914 for a Harold Vipond for the Auckland-Wade River trade. Then he took Ozone north to the Bay of Islands in 1925 or perhaps a tad earlier for game-fishing, which she was very successful at. Link below to the 2016 story

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/29/ozone/

In the photo above we see her before her helmsman ’turret’ and mast were added. Any guesses on the photo location – I’m always wrong, but my guess would be Whangaroa Harbour. (to confuse maters HDK advised that there were two launches named Ozone around the same time – the other was built by Collings & Bell and wrecked at Takatu in Jan 1930) 

I’m helping Scott re-purpose some woody goods – check out the photo below of the pair of pohutukawa knees, quite large but maybe a little thin for a big sailing woody but a nice launch………… 

Ozone

ozone

ozone 2

OZONE

I do not know much about the launch Ozone other than Harold Kidd has commented previously that there were 2 launches built named Ozone & the above is the one built by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei in 1914 for Harold Vipond for the Auckland-Wade River trade but which Vipond took north to the Bay of Islands in 1925 or perhaps a tad earlier for game-fishing. Looking at both photos she was obviously a successful game boat, in each photo she has a fish on board.

Do we know anymore? HDK also commented that it was rumoured Ozone was now at Mahurangi……… Russell Ward……. are you able to input?
The photo is from the Auckland Museum, Tudor Collins collection.

ps loving the turret* for the helmsman. (* whats the correct term?)