Tag Archives: Wairuama

WHERE IS THE CLASSIC LAUNCH WAIRUAMA

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WHERE IS THE CLASSIC LAUNCH WAIRUAMA

Back in November 2014 (the very earlier days of the site) WW ran a brief story on the classic wooden launch -WAIRUAMA. Over the next 3 years the comments and photographic input just mushroomed. There was a lot of debate as to who designed / built WAIRUAMA, link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/29/wairuama/

Then in late 2017 we went into radio silence and nothing since.

Until yesterday when I was contacted by a gent who advised that he had an item engraved with the message – ” With best wishes from the skipper and crew of the Wairuama 26.5.43”. Given the date we could safely assume the ‘skipper and crew’ were her war time NAPS crew.

So woodys do we know where WAIRUAMA is today, would be nice if we could reunite the item with the boat. Ps Given the price of gold these days, have not disclosed what the item is – joke 🙂


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Wairuama

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Wairuama 1948

Wairuama 1946

WAIRUAMA

photos ex Allen family & Ken Ricketts (+ details) edited by Alan H

Wairuama was possibly built by A. Couldrey c.1936 -38.  During the 1940-50’s she was owned by Ted Ward (brother to Perc. Ward of Mataroa). Originally powered by a petrol engine (possibly a Kermath), now no-doubt long since replaced with a diesel.

Anyone able to fill in the gaps of her post 1950 history?

note: the earlier 1946 photo is from the Allen (Tiromoana) collection. The 1948 photo was taken by KR c1948 in Mansion House Bay

Update – addition photos below

30/11/2014 – A more recent (Jan 2010) photo

17/12/2014 – 4 photo ex Harold Kidd from Roland Lennox-King of WAIRUAMA. click to enlarge

05-06-2016 Update ex Ken Ricketts
Photos below of her hauled out at Gulf Harbour. KR spotted that she has had a wing motor at some time, in the photos below you can see a shaft log still in place blanked off, on the port side.
She is presently owned by a Jim ‘somebody’ ??.

11-06-2016 Update
photos below & details ex current owner(via Ken Ricketts) edited by Alan H

Presently owned by Dick & Val Richards of Red Beach, who have owned her since c.1975/76. They bought her off a Mt Roskill builder by the name of Huggins who was an  avid fisherman & kept her at Ti Point. The Richards believe Huggins owned her for a number of years, however there is evidence that she may have lived at Waikeke Island at one time, because of gas bottles with Waiheke addresses on them & other notes relating to Waiheke. These references would almost certainly have been before the Huggins era. These days she lives at Gulf Harbour.

When the Richards bought her, she had a 4 cyl Ford diesel with a side exhaust. They replaced this with a privately* marinised 6 cyl 150 Hp Isuzu diesel, mid 1991 — (* Lou Shilton, an engineer & friend, did the conversion) at this time they also moved the exhaust to the tuck. Lou Shilton’s son, Jim, currently helps the elderly Richards with the day to day care of Wairuama.

We now know most of her history, except for a period from the early 1960s, to perhaps around 1970ish, any woodys able to fill that gap & possibly comment on the Waiheke connection?

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13-10-2017 Update – 4sale terrible listing. photos below