Tag Archives: Vindex

MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH ON THE MOVE 

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MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH ON THE MOVE 

Todays classic wooden launch looks vaguely familiar but the WW brain draws a blank.

The photo comes to us from Bryan McMurtrie via Maurice Sharp. The photo was tagged  – Burnside Bros, Papatoetoe – International truck traveling from Papatoetoe to Tamaki River. In the photo the rig is rounding the bend on Mt Wellington highway on the outskirts of Mt Richmond Domain in Auckland.

Can we ID the boat – please tell me its not a Vindex………..

INPUT ex ALAN SEXTON – She is a 32′ Vindex, originally named Pai Rawa Atu, very skillfully home built by boiler maker Des Gray (he was a foreman at Steel Tanks and Structures) over a 5 yr period at their Papatoetoe home, double diagonal kauri hull powered by an upright T6.354 145 Perkins. Launched early 1972. I know all this because she was berthed beside us at HMB when my father owned Tarata. She is still around, has been re-engined and renamed, I believe lives at Gulf Harbour these days

CLASSIC LAUNCH RENA – Humble Pie On The Menu Today………

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CLASSIC LAUNCH RENA – Humble Pie On The Menu Today ………

Maybe only a small serving of pie, but let me explain – yesterday I was sent by Marty Gunman the above photo of a very smart looking classic launch named RENA.

Surprise surprise it’s a Vindex, which weakens my view that Vindex are an uncomfortable fit in the big woody boat house. Maybe the boats 29’ length made for a more classic look than her bigger sisters …………. (holding my breath for the president of the Vindex fan club – Murray Deeble to comment 😉 )

The launch was built c.1964 by Jim McKay in his shed in Sunnybrae road, Takapuna (Archers Rd. end). The photo is dated 1967 and RENA was owned at the time by Tom McCauley.

On the bow, no PC rules in those days, the young lads are Tom Birdsall (son of Bo Birdsall and grandson of the owner) + Marty’s brother Kirk. 

The question today is – what became of RENA. Chances are a 2nd layer has been added to her, hopefully not 😄

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Miss Sandra (Kokiri)

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MISS SANDRA (Kokiri)

Today’s woody comes to us via Greg Philipott’s fb page. Greg commented that Miss Sandra was built c.1962, probably in Auckland (tbc).
She was named after Lola and Snooks Fuller’s daughter. Then renamed Kokiri after NZ Shipping / P&O purchased Fullers from George Wooller.
Chris Brittain commented on the fb post that Fullers repowered her with a GM 671.
Nathan Herbert also commented that her hull looked like an early Jim Young design.
Greg is keen to learn more about Miss Sandra. So woodys any details, stories, photos?
Input from Graham Clifford
“I was a full time skipper of Miss Sandra from 1967 – 71 when she was engaged in big game fishing, light tackle winter fishing and occasional runabout duties.  I continued my association with her on a piecemeal basis in the years after she retired from fishing in 1971 and took her new name “Kokiri.”  Under this name she was used variously as a scenic cruise boat,  a pilot boat to and from ships visiting Port Opua and a general roustabout.
Miss Sandra was a 36 foot Vindex hull built of kauri in Fullers new slipway shed at Russell in 1966.  I was present during her construction.  In late ‘66 I took over as her gamefishing skipper.  Together we captured a 547 pound blue marlin.  The following season, in March 1968,  we landed and weighed the biggest marlin caught in New Zealand waters, a blue marlin of over one thousand pounds (1017 lbs)
Miss Sandra was originally powered by a 6-cylinder Fordson diesel but was soon repowered with a Caterpillar turbo charged engine which gave her a top speed of 20 knots light. I used this engine for more than two years.  In 1967 I used Miss Sandra and her speed to assist Police in the transfer of a stabbing victim from a ship which arrived in Doubtless Bay. The victim (Wylie Hanby Roberts) needed hospital treatment and would have certainly died had the ship not diverted to Doubtless Bay.  Miss Sandra had the speed to get from the Bay of Islands to Doubtless Bay in time to meet the ship offshore.   The Caterpillar engine was replaced in 1969 with 6 cylinder Fordson and again with another Fordson.  Her final re-powering was with a noisy GM which coincided with her name change to “Kokiri.”  Her gamefishing days were over.  She became a part time scenic cruise boat fitted with airline-style seats and a small public address system.  This role did not suit Kokiri well and I personally shunned her other than to favour her for pilot duties.  The two principle maritime pilots liked her for her speed.”