Tag Archives: Te Rauparaha

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH TE RAUPARAHA FACELIFT GOES ALL WRONG

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH TE RAUPARAHA FACELIFT GOES ALL WRONG

Yesterday WW was contacted by a reader in Hamilton who shared a link for a sales listing for the classic wooden 55’ launch – TE RAUPARAHA was built by Chas. Bailey and Sons Ltd in 1938 for a Harry Mills and back in May 2013 we heard from Pamela Hillyer, Harry Mills’ granddaughter, Pam shared a lot of detail and photos. We also had a great update, below, ex Harold Kidd.

“A true “Express Cruiser”, TE RAUPARAHA was the product of the late flowering of Chas. Bailey Jr’s genius, exemplified too by his design of the 94ft ketch NEW GOLDEN HIND for his old customer H.R. Jenkins (SHENANDOAH, 1929),which was built by Deeming Bros of Opua in 1939 and several outstanding sweet-lined contemporary fishing boats like KATOA, JOAN and MARGARET.TE RAUPARAHA was fitted with twin 110hp Buda diesels which were becoming very popular at the time, supplied by Seabrook Fowlds and fitted by Allely Bros. They were replaced with Graymarines after her extensive wartime patrol work in WW1, often well off the Northland coast. A motor launch to make the pulses race if ever there was one”

Back then Andrew Pollard advised she was for sale in Noumea, New Caledonian – then radio silence – until yesterday when she has popped up for sale in Queensland, Australia. OMG – why do people do this to a classic wooden boat – surely its cheaper to just buy a plastic one than turn such a fine craft into what we see today… words fail me.

Te Rauparaha

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Te Rauparaha’s designer & builders

TE RAUPARAHA

Judith Gardiner sent in the stunning photo above of Te Rauparaha when owned by Mr Harry James Mills of Upland Road in Remura, Auckland. Harry had 4 sons – Adrian, John, Douglas & Robert.

The 55’ Te Rauparaha was designed by Chas Bailey Jnr. and built in 1938 by Chas Bailey & Sons, see read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/22/te-rauparaha/

Judith commented that her father Walter (Keith) Young was friends with Robert Mills. Keith, born in 1925 and a builder, also built boats in his spare time.  Later on, he went farming in Silverdale, just north of Auckland. One such sailing boat was called the Iona.

Judith recalls that Keith would often talk about the Baileys, through his family line, his father’s side he / we are related.  The Baileys, Scotts (From Scotts Landing in the Mahurangi) and Archibald Young ( Judith’s 2nd great grandfather) were all involved in the ship building and related activities.  Archibald was apprenticed to George Darroch and Archibald was at one time the master of the ‘Sovereign of the Seas.’  When he retired from the sea, he worked for George T. Nicol who was also a boat builder.Judith also sent in the 1914 photo of the Bailey family.

I have also posted below photos of Te Rauparaha (named Samara) from her current tme listing, I understand home port is Noumea, New Caledonia. I won’t comment………..

Te Rauparaha QO7 – Gets A Make-Over

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TE RAUPARAHA QO7 – GETS A MAKE-OVER


Back in 2013 we ran a story on the 1938 Chas. Bailey Jnr. designed, Chas. Bailey & Sons Ltd built 55’ launch – Te Rauparaha. The focus then was what had happened to her and where was she. Good chat (link below) uncovered a lot – we discovered in 1979 she went to Noumea, New Caledonia under her own steam to start life as a charter vessel, and was renamed Samara. https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/22/te-rauparaha/


Fast forward 7 years and I get an email from her owner Valk Delevaux from Noumea, included with the email were the photos above. I think I could safely say that the Bailey family would struggle to recognise the boat they designed and built. But any owner has the right to do what they want and its only wood so someone else might one day convert her back closer to original. I understand she is for sale so if you’re looking for a old/new woody………………….

21-01-2021 Update – the engines are 2x300cv Cummins Bt06. Drive is the same but with a all new hydropique system. 


Te Rauparaha

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For Sale in Noumea May 2013

TE RAUPARAHA
Te Rauparaha was built by Chas. Bailey and Sons Ltd in 1938 for Harry Mills and was requisitioned in WWII as coastal patrol on the Northland Coast bearing the insignia of Q07. Te Rauparaha represented a departure to a more ‘contemporary look’ for the Bailey yard, featured in her beam and obvious elegance. She was 55 feet overall (53’4” on the waterline) and her bow was 14ft off the water and sported a magnificent flair, that can be seen on the later, albeit in reduced proportions, vessels that followed Te Rauparaha out of the yard.
Harry Mills turned over the ownership and running of Te Rauparaha to his fourth son Graeme (my father) in about 1962/3 and she was, until the late 1970’s our much-loved family vessel. I was practically bought up on her and still hold a half model of her crafted for my grandfather by Charles Bailey jnr.
Te Rauparaha was, for some years in New Caledonia where they ran tourist excursions with her. Her name was changed to M V ‘Tamara’. I do not believe that she is in New Zealand waters, but stand corrected on that. However, should anyone have any information as to her current whereabouts, and any other information, the Mills-Hillyer family would be very pleased.
The images above of our much loved family vessel are:
a) Sea trials off Brown Bay post launching.
b) As Q07 during wartime.
c) A more contemporary version (from my childhood) moored in Smokehouse Bay, sporting a flying bridge that my father had built in the 1960s.
Story & photos ex Pamela Hillyer, Harry Mills’ granddaughter
Harold Kidd Update
A true “Express Cruiser”, TE RAUPARAHA was the product of the late flowering of Chas. Bailey Jr’s genius, exemplified too by his design of the 94ft ketch NEW GOLDEN HIND for his old customer H.R. Jenkins (SHENANDOAH, 1929),which was built by Deeming Bros of Opua in 1939 and several outstanding sweet-lined contemporary fishing boats like KATOA, JOAN and MARGARET.
TE RAUPARAHA was fitted with twin 110hp Buda diesels which were becoming very popular at the time, supplied by Seabrook Fowlds and fitted by Allely Bros. They were replaced with Graymarines after her extensive wartime patrol work in WW1, often well off the Northland coast.
A motor launch to make the pulses race if ever there was one!
Update 22/05/13 – this is scary, just posted the above & CYA member Andrew Pollard (Aumoe) spots her for sale on trademe, appears to be in Noumea, listed yesterday click link to view http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=595731758
Update from John Senior
Mark williams and myself delivered her from Auckland to Noumea in 1979 to a kiwi owner who lived there and ran a buisnes of taking tourists out to Amede Light. She had extra seating installed and carried 80 pasengers, i think from memory she had two Grey Marine 6 cylinder diesels. It was a good trip taking 4 days to the hour.