CLASSIC EX WORKBOAT – RATAHI

Recently Chris Leech sent me the above photo of the ex workboat RATAHI. Chris had been out on the Awhitu Peninsula, Waiuku and spotted RATAHI right up in the center of town, in the very tidal basin. 

Chris commented that the Ted Ashbey used to work out of there.

In an unrelated WW story back in May 2014 Harold Kidd mentioned that J.J. O’Rorke who built his former E Class Keeler – LOMOMA, in 1909 in Westmere, Auckland had also built several big workboats. One of them being RATAHI, built for use in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.

Can we learn more about his old girl.

INPUT ex ALAN SEXTON – Write up in Boating NZ a few years ago- LOTS OF DETAILS AND PHOTOS

https://boatingnz.co.nz/2021/03/ferrys-new-manukau-home/