Blog Archives

Alice

Image

3

Alice

ALICE

photo ex classic launch nz

Seen here on her trials at Auckland : The new launch, Alice, which was built for the use of the Inspector of Fisheries in the Bay of Islands.

Interested in any more info – designer, builder, year etc + what happened to her.

Harold Kidd Update

Looking at her you can tell

1. she was built as a commercial vessel because of her dee front cabin; no fancy raised foredeck for workboats at this point

2. from the background buildings she was built in Auckland

3. she was built post 1920 because of the dodger

4. she looks like a Chas Bailey Jr workboat and the name ALICE was a favourite of his for yachts and launches he built.

In fact she WAS built by Chas Bailey Jr. and launched on 20th September 1921 for the Inspector of northern fisheries, Flynn. She was 36ft oa and had an Auckland-built 30hp 3 cylinder Twigg engine.

I don’t know what happened to her afterwards, but what a cracker!

Update #2

I had another look at my database. She was superseded in fisheries work by COLLEEN but continued to be used by the Government in the Bay of Islands for servicing Cape Brett lighthouse etc until August 1942 when she came ashore at Russell in an an extremely heavy easterly gale and may have been a total loss then. Not sure of that….wartime news censorship and all that.

Ana Maree

Image

10
2013
As launched

ANA MAREE

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts

Built by Oliver & Gilpin in 1965 for Sir William Stephenson for his lakeside property at Lake Rotoiti.

She was built for the Queen to use, whilst she stayed at his property, for the Royal Visit of that time, according to Roy & Shona Markovina, the present owners.

They are unsure as to whether or not the Queen actually went on the boat, but are fairly confident she did so.

As one can see, she is a very classic & original Oliver & Gilpin, with the possible exception of the flying bridge, which may have been added later.

The boat was sold to a gentleman, unknown at this stage, who took her to Auckland, who sold her to a Mr & Mrs Graham & Margaret Radford, who had her for a number of years & kept her at the Sandspit. They eventually sold her to the present owners, who have had her for 21 years & she has been moored at Gulf harbour for all of that time.

She presently has a 6 cyl., 135 HP Ford Diesel, but originally had a Chrysler petrol engine, in her early days on the lake, according to info Ken has been given by Roy & Shona.

She is presently (Nov 2013) on the hardstand at Gulf Harbour in the process of a hull repaint.

Harold Kidd Update

I spoke to my cousin Ted Gilpin about this boat, as so many launches were built in the Oliver & Gilpin style and claim O&G provenance and she’s not on the list he prepared for me some years ago of true O&G launches. Ted does remember building her for Bill Stevenson but doesn’t remember her under that name and doesn’t think the Queen ever went on her.

PS I got a shade worried about Ted’s recall so rang his younger brother Jimmy to find that Ted is actually going into a home today, and has lost a lot of his memory. Jimmy clearly remembers the commission. They had built JOANNE for Bill Stevenson which impressed him greatly. He ordered a smaller version for his Lake Rotoiti property. Ted and Jimmy went to the Lake and measured up Stevenson’s boatshed and Ana Maree (he thought she was called ANNE MARIE) was built to fit it. She was launched in May 1965 with a 220hp V8 Chrysler Crown. Jimmy is sending me up a press cutting of her launching which I’ll post.

B/W Photo added ex Brian Worthington of Ana Maree / Anne Maree / Anna Marie (spelling?)

SS Romp

Image

7

SS Romp

SS ROMP

photo ex classicboatnz

Now I know nothing about this vessel but I’m sure Russell Ward (Mr Steam), our waitematawoody of the month, will chip in with some more info.

Over to you Russell 🙂

Harold Kidd Update

Russell, where art thou?

I don’t want to steal his thunder but she’s too nice a little thing to be left in the lurch.

Percy Ginders, her long-term Ngunguru owner, thinks she was built by Robert Logan Sr around 1885. That’s certainly possible. She was a 25ft launch used on the Tauranga Harbour between 1910 and 1918 by Soljak & Rosenfeldt for bringing in flax gathered by maori workers in the various estuaries. She appears in Whangarei in 1927 as an under 5hp motor launch. Percy secured her around 1969 and did a lovely job of restoring her shapely hull and installing her steam plant which I understand is an A.C. Mumford unit.

Percy ran her on tourist trips up and down the Ngunguru River for many years (and may still do so).

Now, come on Russell, bring us up to date?

Maiebe

Image

3

Maiebe

MAIEBE

photo & details ex Harold Kidd

The ex-Mary M, ex-Regina, built by Lanes in December 1912 as a flushdecker which had a “bridgedeck”, tramtop and dodger put on in the latter part of her life. She went ashore and broke up in the violent storm of early February 1936 when owned by Bert Prosser.

Meander

Image

7

MEANDER

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

photo & details ex Harold Kidd

A classic Sam Ford bridge decker of the mid-30s, Meander, seen here about to be craned into the Waitemata on 31st August 1937. She was built by Sam Ford at his Ellerslie property for Syd Guest of Whangarei, 32’ x 9’6” x 3′ and powered by a Graymarine 6-91 de luxe.

She was a stock Ford 32 footer of his “streamlined class” and had been on display at the Auckland Winter Show.

She took part in NAPS out of the Bay of Islands and Whangaroa in 1942-4, skippered by Syd Guest with deputy skipper Murdoch McDonald and crewmen Dick Hutchings, Kelvin Lacy, Jack Cumming, Chris Rogers, Bert Young and Will McNaughton. She had patrol number Z33.

Meander spent most of the intervening years in the North but was bought by Aucklander David Vaasen in 2005.

Photo update (2x colour) from Mark McLaughlin (Mapuna) of Meander underway near Westhaven in 2007.

Ken Rickitts commented that she was an example of Sam Ford at his best, particularly the varnished tuck, very rare in those days, Ford only ever did 1 or 2 that Ken knows of. Fantastic to see her again after over 50 years, a beautful boat – Ken R

Harold Kidd Update

Ken is right about MEANDER, she’s a gem.

Sam Ford is sometimes sneered at for lack of build-quality and poor materials. In fact, you got what you were prepared to pay for and his top-quality boats were top-quality boats. Nobody, however, sneers at his designs which were “state of the art” by their contemporary international standards. Most have lasted, as-built, over the many years since their construction and are still stunning examples of motor-launch design.

I have been researching Sam intensely for some months and am continually impressed by the man.

Unknown Launch 08/11/2013 (probably Antares)

Image

17

Unknown Launch 08/11/2013

Unknown Launch 08/11/2013

Arcturus b

Arcturus b

Arcturus a

Arcturus a

Arcturus c

Arcturus c

Alcyone

Alcyone

photo from Helen & Richard Andrew’s family collection (grand daughter & her husband of Henry Allen -Tiromoana) ex Ken Rickitts.

Given the chat on the previous post re McGeady boats I have posted this c.1950 photo that is ‘tagged’ as a McGeady launch, interested in your views as to if this is correct & the vessels name & anymore details.

Also interested in ID’ing the launch in the background.

17/03/2015 Update
Ken R is confident that the mystery has been solved , the launch is Antares – In the photo above & you will see the white peaked cap always worn by Cyril Parker every time he went to sea, the cap was evident in all pics, also the mast & placement thereof, is identical, although the lower half of the coamings had been painted by the time the photo in question was taken & therefore Ken tends to think in the later 1950s for this one.

Kenya II (777)

Image

2

Kenya II (777)

KENYA II (777)

photos from Helen & Richard Andrew’s family collection (grand daughter & her husband of Henry Allen -Tiromoana) ex Ken Rickitts. Build & war service details ex Harold Kidd

Kenya II was built for Len Heard by Lidgard Bros and delivered in early 1940 & was in NAPS service in Auckland during the war as Z29. She was also in Fiji between March & July 1942 doing patrol work. She kept her original Fairbanks Morse diesel until at least 1962 when Len Heard re-engined her with a Gardner.

It appears to be Heard in the cockpit of Kenya II. Len owned the confectionary manufacturer ‘Heards of Parnell’. Ken Ricketts remembers him from when he was 11 years old as given his business, Heard always had lots of lollies on his boat, making him very popular with all the young children in the bay.

Also of interest is the unknown older bridge decker in the background to “777” Kenya II. Anyone able to ID her?

B/W photo below taken by Ken Ricketts in Issy Bay, Labour weekend 1948. She was painted light blue at the time.

KENYAII

Tuirangi

Image

8
C35 – pre doghouse
F35 – with doghouse

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H

Tuirangi’s original sail number was C35, but changed to F35 when the federation created the new “F” class, she remained F35 until the current system was created.

Built by A. (Bill) Couldrey & originally owned by Jack Allen, son of Henry Allen, (Tiromoana, the 1938 37′ Couldrey designed & built launch). Jack owned her from the late 1930’s until well into the 1970’s (even possibly the early 1980’s). Jack was a fitter & turner by trade, who was trained by Ken’s father, who said Jack was the best apprentice he ever had.

During WWII Jack was called up to join the war effort, in the Airforce, overseas, so Tuirangi along with a number of other yachts & launches, was pulled up on the sand at Judges Bay beach & covered with what was effectually a custom built hull fitting shed, of very strong timber & boarded up for about the next 5 or 6 years & she eventually sailed back on the world again in 1945.

Jack was a very traditional yachtie, of the highest order, adhering to all the best & oldest traditions of yacht racing. He refused for a great many years to even have an auxiliary engine, preferring to “row” the Tuirangi to her anchorage or moorings, when entering a crowded bay, or when there was no wind, (or both), with her dinghy. It was well into the 1950’s before Tuirangi had her first Ford 10 car engine conversion fitted.

When Jack married his wife Doreen, in the mid later 1940s, many thought he would soon replace Tuirangi with a launch & follow in his father Henry’s footsteps (Tiromoana). But no, not even when their children came along, did he falter in his love of sail.

It was only after the children arrived he actually fitted the engine, Ken recalls on many occasions seeing perhaps a dozen or more, pure white “pennants” flying from the stays & halliards in the late 1940’s & 50’s. Jack made one further concession to marriage & children when added the “dog house ” to the rear of the cabin top, to make for more comfortable family cruising.

While Jack passed away a year or 2 ago its hoped that Tuirangi maybe still alive & well – any more info on her past & current whereabouts would be appreciated.

Update from Neil Chalmers

Tuirangi is currently moored at Mahurangi . New photo shows her before Jack Allen fitted the doghouse.

And Neil – also pointed out the correct spelling of Tuirangi (now corrected). I used to think I was a shocker but Mr Ricketts is worse than me 🙂

Harold Kidd Update

Jack Allen had already ordered TUIRANGI from Bill Couldrey when war broke out in September 1939 with the intention that she would be launched before Christmas. However, she wasn’t finished and launched until after March 1940, understandably. Her first race appears to have been the Combined Clubs race to Matiatia in November 1940. Jack raced her consistently in the 4th Division with the Squadron for many years and did well with her.