TAMURE
The photo above of the launch – Tamure comes to us via Mitchell Hutchings family boating album. The photo was tagged 30-01-1978, and that woodys is all we know about her. Safe to assume its ex Navy, but I’m often wrong.
Do we know more about her and what became of Tamure?
Hopefully lots of boating photos tomorrow from my Labour weekend sortie in / a around Kawau Island.
A Pot-Pourri Of Woodys
Today’s collection of classic launches come to use from a collective of woodys photographers that are cruising the Hauraki Gulf and outer waters – thanks to Angus Rogers, Murray Deeble, Colin Pawson and Lindsay McMorran.
And if you need a reminder of the cleverness of Chris McMullen, check out the link below to the story of his Herreshoff steam launch – just updated with shed photos post her ‘pretend’ (waterline check) launching. https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/26/chris-mcmullens-herreshoff-steam-launch-2/
TAMURE
Have been asked by woody Chris Leech, to help dig up some more intel on the John Woollcott designed, John Gladden built (Milford) launch – Tamure, pictured above.
All we know is whats on the builders plate e.g. the above + a build date of 1974. Anyone able to help out with details?
Input & photo (of Tom & Phyllis Williams) from Baden Pascoe
Built for family friend Tom Williams who moved to Whitianga in the mid 1970’s. Dad (John Dory) and Tom fished in tandem at the inner Mercury Islands, Hole in the Wall passage. Before Tom died he gave me a video of her launching. Built from recycled kauri from an old church. I did a profile on Tom’s life in professional skipper if any one is interested. From memory she was designed by Woollacott.
When Tom retired he sold her to Tony Boyce who used her for game fishing.
Tom spent his life in the industry, he was partner in the Scow Lena, then bought Beverley (Dafodil) has skipped for Sanford and Sealord.
15-02-2018. Photo below ex Baden Pascoe. Who commented “She is a remarkable little boat, carried a big laod, fantastic sea boat. Where dad and Tom fished would not be for the faint hearted. I hope the new owner cleans her up , would be nice to see Tom’s fishing reg still on her.”
John Bullivant – The Big / Small Boat Builder
John Bullivant owns an impressive collection of boats, even more impressive is he built / restored them himself – how you may ask? – they are radio controlled models of real boats, taken off detailed plans.
The black & white double image above shows John’s model of MTB49 & the real thing, illustrates the amount of detail John achieves.
John took over the bridge-decker he has named ‘Tamure’ as an unfinished project from the previous owner, as seen in the images & installed the present motor & associated equipment. We see the restored Tamure above.
John’s major build has been the W1 project, which we have seen on ww before as work-in-progess. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/05/w1-junior/
W1 is now complete & will feature on ww next week. (photos above ex John B & Ken Ricketts)
John also owns 2 real yachts in the 12′>16′ range, which he has also rebuilt/restored featured here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/26/small-woodys-sailing-sunday/
Max Carter & His Boats
details & photos from Chris McMullen, edited by Alan Houghton
(remember to click on photos to enlarge)
Max Carter was responsible for building a huge number of boats of all sizes in a relatively short time, refer lists below. Chris believes that Max producing his modified H-28 /29ft was the first serious attempt at building stock keel boats in New Zealand. Back then there were no fibre glass boats, no marinas and no travel-lifts in NZ. The industry was experimenting with epoxy resin & glass cloth.
Max was supported by Consolidated Chemicals (Epiglass), the Colmore William’s Bros & their ceo Trevor Geldard. The P-Class & other small boats listed below in big numbers were kit sets for amateur construction. These boats also used up what would have been waste wood in the yard. The idea was to introduce young people to sailing & ensure a future for the marine industry. It certainly worked, but Max never benefited from his effort.
When Chris was reviewing Max’s files he found a copy of a 1989 New Zealand Power Boat Magazine, which he had never seen it before. There is an article on Sandy Sands and Sea Craft. It talks about how Sea Craft increased their productivity by using methods learned by Sandy Sands while working for Uffa Fox. Chris’s previous observation about a possible Fox connection was right. Sandy Sands commented in the article “without people you have nothing”. Max realized the value of his skilled staff and treated them as friends. He stayed in contact with many for almost fifty years. There was a list of his ex employees and their addresses amongst his files.
When you consider the age of these photos the presence of all the health and safety gear – fluro jackets, disposable overalls & hard hats really stands out. Chris commented that there was the odd accident but nothing really serious.
All Max’s boats were built from medium kauri treated and will last forever (well a very long time). He had huge stocks of timber. At the time most boat builders built hull’s & decks & the owners finished them in their back yard. Max did some hull’s but mainly catered for the few that could afford a finished product.
The shed photos above are more reminiscent of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, Bristol, Rhode Island. While Max was way ahead of his time, unfortunately, New Zealand’s economy and small population was such that his operation could not survive. Sadly but wisely he closed the doors, sold the plant and leased the buildings.
To read the eulogy Chris McMullen gave at Max Carter’s funeral, click the blue link below
https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/26/a-eulogy-to-max-carter-by-chris-mcmullen/
Chris McMullen’s comments about the photos:
The photo with the 1/2 model is Max with Les Holt. Of significance in the photo is that the model was made by Chris. It was the Pipe Dream design featured in Francis Kinney’s book. The new version of ‘Skenes Elements of Yacht Design’.
The portrait photo of Max shows the MY Du Fresne in the back ground. The yacht on the hard stand is the Rainbow II. Max has written on the back of the photo. “Built in seven weeks after lofting.! “
Another photo shows the kit set boat production. No CNC machinery, just a good man (Lindsey Stone) on the spindle moulder shown in the left of the photo.
Another photo shows Max with his long time friend Laurie Davidson.
The Stewart 28 is the Hop Scotch.
Seems there are huge gaps. Photographers were always at the yard. Chris believes some photos were lost.
Orinda and White Mischief were both Max’s designs maybe 40 years apart.
The brand new Northerner struck Bollen’s Rock while racing through Tiri Channel. Her first race! Max was her skipper for the day. She was raised and repaired like new. Capt Warwick Dunsford, Owner Boyd Hargrave with the binoculars. (more photos & press clippings below)
The H-29 was an H-28 with the sheer raised. It was an attempt to build a small(ready to sail) keel yacht that people could afford. Tom Beaton, Bryan
Williams and Nick Panich in the photo.
The Du Fresne was built for Mr J M Butland and the first H-29 for his son Mr JR. Du Fresne was a Laurent Giles design. The Butland Family were a well known boating people Thetis, Titan, Sirdar, Dufresne DurVille, Inverness and the brigantine Fritha were commissioned by the family.
The Ta Aroa was a 60 foot Sparkman and Stephens design. A beautiful yacht built for Mr Doug Bremner. She had one of the first imported aluminium masts. A single spreader rig.
The Calypso shown being launched with a crane was built for Max’s own use.
The same design shown under construction is the Tamure. This was a Max Carter
design & the second NZ yacht to do a circum navigation of the world. She
was owned by the late Jerry Challet & Mac Nell. boatbuilder, Dave Baxter
was on the crew. From memory (marine engineer) Terry Burling was part owner
or crew.
All the big Carter boats were launched by the A.H.B floating crane. There were no travel-lifts. Note the ships in the background.
The Sinking, Re-floating & Repair of Northener
Article below from the New Zealand Exporter magazine that tells the story about
the H-29 better. In the photo of the three builders bending steamed ribs on a H-29 they are from the left – the
late Eric Wing, Chris McMullen and Peter Sowman.
Check out the 1967 Prices
09-08-2016 A Tribute To Max Carter – by Nigel Armitage
Below is a link (in blue) to a downloadable file of rather nice tribute to Max Carter by Nigel Armitage. Nigel worked with Max on the replica scow ‘Ted Ashby’ project that he and Max were very involved in together at the Hobson wharf, Maritime Museum. Its an insight into the amazing work Max did.
TAMURE Now the question is – whats going on here? a wee spot of ‘Impact Hydrography’ or some roadside maintenance? There was lots of work going on down aft. One of the woodys snapped the photo yesterday from his house in Mahurangi (west). Anyone able to supply some more info on her, enlarging the photo tells me its not the Tamure built (supposedly) by Dick Lang in the 1920’s. You can view this one by searching Tamure in the ww search box.
ROTHESAY
photos & details from Paul Drake
Paul Drake has suppled the above photos of the ‘old’ & the ‘new’ Rothesay. The ‘new’ photos are as Paul knew her as a child in Taupo when she was owned by Don McLeod. Paul thinks she was about 40 feet. She is fairly distinctive forward and to his eyes the wheelhouse is perfection. The dodger sides were canvas in those days and she had a mast. Don McLead owned two Rothesays. The first was a 32 foot Bailey and Lowe, ex “Government” boat which Don bought as a near wreck when he returned from WW2 and ran commercially before upgrading to the larger Rothesay. Paul thinks the ‘new’ has survived as Tamure. Enter Tamure in the ww search box to see more on her & possible links to Rothesay.
The ‘old’ Rothesay was last seen c.1960 on the hard up the Tamaki River looking very sad & unlikely to be still going.
Photo A – New Rothesay, Western Bay, Lake Tauto, probably late 1950’s > early 1960’s
Photo B – ‘Old’ Rothesay with a full load sporting additions to her cabin and a sponson
Photo C – ‘Old’ Rothesay with Don McLeod at the helm, operating as a commercial boat at Taupo, post WW2
Photo D – ‘Old’ Rothesay on the hard at Taupo in the 1940’s, probably whilst still the ‘Government Boat’& most likely not named Rothesay. Probably a Bailey & Lowe, 32 feet
Harold Kidd Update
H.D. Heather had 5 ROTHESAYS. That doesn’t of course mean that there may have been other launches named ROTHESAY. His attachment to the name was that it was the name of his mansion in Mt. Eden Road Auckland.
ROTHESAY (1) was built by Bailey & Lowe for W.J. Jaggs as MAVIS in 1909. She had a Holliday engine. Heather bought MAVIS in July 1911 and renamed her ROTHESAY. I have no dimensions and no image. Heather sold her to E.D. Holt of Cape Runaway in September 1912.
ROTHESAY (2) was built for Heather by Bailey & Lowe in December 1912 as ROTHESAY MINOR. She was 32’/32’/7’8″/2’6″ and had a Sterling 18-25hp Model B. There is a launching pic of her in the MM”s Bailey & Lowe collection which I’ll have to go and see. No trace after this.
ROTHESAY (3) was built by Bailey & Lowe at Sulphur Beach for Heather and launched in early December 1914. Heather used her as a dayboat for fishing in the inner Gulf. She was 26’/26’/’6’6″/1’6″ and had a 6-10hp Sterling Kid engine. Image is attached. This was a typical 1914 launch with a raised foredeck and flush-decked but with a steering position in a neat house amidships, ultra-modern at the time. My eldest son Simon rescued her from the boneyard in front of Dave Jackson’s yard at Sulphur Beach about 1993 when she rejoiced in the name AFRICAN QUEEN. We stored her at a friend’s farm but she was destroyed by a Transpower bulldozer along with another treasure that I don’t want to think about.
ROTHESAY (4) was built by Lanes in 1915 but didn’t do much during WW1. She was a bigger boat at 35′ oa and had a 6 cylinder Wisconsin engine. Heather sold her top David Teed in March 1921. Teed renamed her MAUD T but sold her to W A Wilkinson in July 1923 and he renamed her SPEEDWELL. She’s pictured at p.93 of Deacon and my book “Vintage NZ Launches” and is now in Auckland as ROSEMARY M.
ROTHESAY (5) was built for Heather by Bailey & Lowe in early 1922. He died in April after only one trip in her. She was a big launch at 40’/40’/9’6″ and had a Sterling Model FH 4 cylinder engine. She was put up for sale immediately and disappears, obviously after a name change.
I have a pic somewhere………..
To summarise in relation to the 2 Taupo ROTHESAYS; assuming they were ex-Heather ROTHESAYS
1. The “old” ROTHESAY is an early configuration with a dee-front cabin-top typical of 1910, so is possibly MAVIS/ROTHESAY(1). I will look at ROTHESAY (2)/ ROTHESAY MINOR’s pic at the MM but I think she’s likely to be a flushdecker.
2. The “new” ROTHESAY on Taupo, now Stephen Ford’s TAMURE can’t be ROTHESAY (3) (brutally dead) nor ROTHESAY (4) and seems too small for ROTHESAY (5), so she could be ROTHESAY (2). The pic at MM will settle that. I’ll try and get there this week.
13-07-2018 Update from Paul Drake
TAMURE
photo ex ken ricketts
Looking for any details on the above, for once even Ken has drawn a blank.
Update from Harold Kidd
She’s been called TAMURE in this configuration at least since A R Gifford owned her in 1952 and is allegedly Lanes-built. Subsequent owners were F Innes-Jones of Pakuranga, Keith Archer of Takapuna and Steven Ford who told me she was built by Lanes c2000. There was an earlier TAMURE, built by David Reid as WAIATA in 1913 and renamed TAMURE in 1920. She spent some years in Whangarei, I think. It’s possible that this is the same boat, modernised and attributed to “Lanes” generically. After all, who remembered David Reid after he left for Queensland to cure his asthma?
Update from Dennis Rule -Tamure is berthed at Pine Harbour and is owned by Stephen Ford.
Update from Paul Drake – I remember this boat as Rothesay at Taupo in the 1950’s and 60’s. Owned by a Don McLeod and operated commercially. I always thought she was a Collings and Bell, but am not sure why I thought that.
Harold Kidd Update #2
I checked photos last night. Unless there were massive changes, she’s not the former TAMURE, ex-WAIATA. However, the ROTHESAY comment by Paul opens up a new line of thought. If this TAMURE is a 40 footer then she could very well be the very last ROTHESAY built for H D Heather (there were 4 of them) by Bailey & Lowe in 1920-1. Heather died in April 1922 which obscures her subsequent movements
#3
The site “HISTORY SITE FOR BOATS OF TAUPO” says that the ROTHESAY that Don McLeod had during the 1950s was a 32ft 1911 Bailey & Lowe-built boat. Heather did own a ROTHESAY in 1912 which had been built by Bailey & Lowe in 1911 but as MAVIS. Heather sold her to Cape Runaway in 1912 and it may have been this ROTHESAY that is now TAMURE. There were 4 other ROTHESAYs so my head is spinning…….
There are some comments on the site which are highly dubious such as “during WW1 she was used as a patrol boat by the Navy”. That didn’t happen.
I wonder what the dimensions of this TAMURE are? That would help with the minefield of information, much of it conflicting.
An update from the current owner – Stephen Ford
Tamure was named Belinda when we brought her but we put her back to the original name. We have owned her for 29 years and we have only changed the aft deck shape by squaring it off instead of a semi circle and lengthen the dodger sides. She was supposedly built by Dick Lang in the mid to late 1920’s and the wheel house or focsal were added post build. We have been lead to believe she spent a good part of her early life game fishing around Mayor Island. The people we brought her off, found and used her on the Kaipara for a number of years before relocating her back to the Waitamata. We found her in the Tamaki River as a very run down old girl.
Paul Drake Update #2 – I am overseas at the moment but when I get back to Taupo I will dig out an excellent photo of Rothesay at Taupo for consideration! I think she was about 40 feet. She is fairly distinctive forward I would say, and to my eyes the wheelhouse is perfection. The dodger sides were canvas in those days and she had a mast. Don McLead owned two Rothesays. The first was a 32 foot Bailey and Lowe, ex “Government” boat which Don bought as a near wreck when he returned from WW2 and ran commercially before upgrading to the larger Rothesay.
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