New Zealand Scow

[sltak]

A MARITIME HERITAGE The Lore of Sail in New Zealand by Clifford Hawkins (This is a revised version, with new and larger pictures, of OUT OF AUCKLAND)

CENTURY OF SAIL Official History of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron by Noel Holmes (has a small section with photographs and a few pages of text on NZ Scows)

Request: Can anyone provide me with contacts who hay have information on the building, sailing and current situation of the scow replicas Revival, Milliways and Pahiki ??

[sltak]

Referring back to previous discussion on scow bows, note the soft shoulder chine of the Jane Gifford, and the more simple hard shoulder chine of the Ted Ashby, in the photo just posted by Cut Once.
(Can you please refer me to the source of this photograph? Thanks.)

[Dean Smith]

I often steered the scow owned by Les Subritsky back from Barrier in early 70,s she had one Kelvin and one Ford a very odd pair Forget the name Okiwi or something I did a trip on Jane Gifford once
This is in the days we had the Guesthouse at Fitzroy we would load it up with live lambs and cattle. Sometimes we would get a boat once a month, made stores ordering tricky

[sltak]

Hi Dean. I expect the name of the scow you are trying to remember is possibly Owhiti.
Fitzroy is a lovely harbour.

[Dean Smith]

Originally Posted by sltak

Hi Dean. I expect the name of the scow you are trying to remember is possibly Owhiti.
Fitzroy is a lovely harbour.

yes!!!!! of course I am Ancienne!!! Les was a charecter
I was on another scow up north this guy baught her for shifting scrap metal, the name alludes me too
It was so slow coming up from Tryphena against the wind and tide

[rahiri restore]

Tom Kane. where is the oil motor in the mud?? on waiheke??

[sltak]

Here is a newspaper article with a photograph of four scows at Diggelmann's wharf, Katikati, in the Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand.
Can anyone identify any of the scows, and provide any more information about the use of scows up that end of the harbour? (I grew up there and sailed on the harbour, but never knew anything of the history of shipping there. All I can say is, it would be ideal territory for scows.)

[rahiri restore]

hi

the scows in the picture seem to be Jane Gifford,Rahiri and the Owhiti. i cant tell for the number 4 scow.

[tom kane]

Originally Posted by rahiri restore

Tom Kane. where is the oil motor in the mud?? on waiheke??

No it`s not on Waiheke Island. I would like to see it in a good place but just removing it would probably cause the taker some problems.I have been offered a covert operation to remove it to a safe place but not sure that would be a good idea.I tried myself but tide and wind stopped me. Do you have any suggestions.

[rahiri restore]

all i can really think of is to hire a barge and a winch. but that is not really possible.

what is the beach because i would like to check it out.

[tom kane]

Just four stout men and a solid pole and rope is all that is needed. I think it would be under 80Kg.

[rayman]

I think the scow loading may well be "Albatross" a Geo Niccol build ketch hold scow. The exagerated bow in the masts and beakhead do not look like a Darroch boat. The bigger one broadside on could be "Rimu" with single topmast only on main, bluff bows and plumb stem. Both Rimu and vessel far left are dedicated log haulers (no bulwarks)The mill may have been choked with timber that was neede in Auckland. Jane G was built for Coro. Granite Co. and at that time I doubt very much she would have been tramping. Owhiti was not even built when that pic was taken and "Daphne"(rahiri) was full time in the Ngunguru coal trade. I would like to see the original picture.
Tom K. be careful of the Kereopa boys, and an "oil engine" was anything other than steam.

[rahiri restore]

it could be the Rimu.

[sltak]

Thanks Rayman, for your reply and for you logic. The scan here was done from a newspaper photograph, which does not have very high resolution. There is a better version of this photograph at the museum in Katikati. The scow on the left (stern-to) has name on transom but I could not make it out in the museum photo. It is thought that the original photograph may be in the archives of the BOP Council, or in the BOP Times archives. Next time I am at Katikati I will have another look and, with your information, it might be possible to figure out the name.

[rayman]

Whara Whara mill was the southernmost kauri stand and mill on the east coast and Cashmore Bros. also owned the rights to the southernmost stand on the west coast in the headwaters of the Opuatia Stream. In the 1920,s they sold the rights to Caesar Roose of Mercer who logged it over a period of years and rafted the timber down the Opuatia,across Whangape lake then down the Waikato to his mill at mercer. This kauri, grown in the limestone country of "Limestone Downs" a very large holding belonging to Alma G Baker, proved to be very "carroty" very short in the grain and not at all suitable for boatbuilding so most went into furniture and house framing. For many years now Des. Thomas of Pukekawa has been excavating swamp kauri from all the swamplands between the two coasts, some many thousands of years old.
"Albatross" does not figure in any history books, built about early 1890's by Geo. Niccol, a little smaller than Alma but with a hold, was working the west coast when Caesar Roose bought a controlling interest in her to ship his freight from Onehunga to Port Waikato (you can not ship breakstow on a deck scow) then tranship by barge to Hamilton. During a slack period the skipper picked up a cargo for Marakopa, between Kawhia and Mokau, and Albatross came to grief on the bar there, this was about 1915.
Bert Subritzky did not get into scow ownership untill the very late 1960's when they were all on their last legs and were limited to Hauraki Gulf Trade, Parry Bros, were running Pearl Kasper as a barge, Ngahau had been cut down,Owhiti and Jane-G were just hanging on and both Rahiri and Jock were on their last legs. Ethel Wells was in top condition only because we had gone ashore just north of Whakatane one night (thanks to a bloody FR Lister breakdown) and recieved a huge insurance rebuild and Alma was Kieth Wrights baby and treated like a royal yacht.(I have doubts about her survival now) regards ray