New Zealand Scow

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by dskira, Aug 9, 2009.

  1. scowlover
    Joined: Jun 2014
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    Location: Paeroa nz

    scowlover New Member

    sorry,just to clarify-I am referring to the scow named either Vixen or Vesper--unsure of name, but I am pretty sure the boat is in the Thames/coromandel area thesedays. cheers.
     
  2. rayman
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    Location: brisbane

    rayman Senior Member

    scowlover, A bloke named Pete Vette built a small (35ft) steel replica scow name "Vesper" loosely based on "Owhiti" lines. I think he used the old K4 Kelvin from "Owaka" for power.It was more a houseboat than a sailer.
    dhic, In the oldtimers, the barndoor rudder was put hard over and the both engines run ahead, If making a port turn-rudder hard over-port engine full ahead-stbd. engine 1/2 ahead and she will turn in a little more than her own length. The barndoor rudder acted like a big kort or Becker forcing the water straight out to the side and also some went under the hull, you would not achieve that with the outer skegs.
    Modern day surveyors did not like that arrangement and insisted on stops at the theoretical perfect angle of 30degrees.


    "Revival" was a 1/3 scale of "Owhiti" taken from the Ashby book.
     
  3. tom kane
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Hamilton.New Zealand.

    tom kane Senior Member

    I watched a tv program last night "Making New Zealand" and some footage I had not seen before about scows and it said that the scow "Echo" was the last of them to still be trading. quite an interesting program on Prime tv. Those helmsmen sure had it rough.
     
  4. Terry Gibbons
    Joined: Aug 2014
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    Location: Auckland

    Terry Gibbons Junior Member

    Vesper this scow was 52 ft. I lived on board for 2 years. She had a K2 engine.

    the Vesper was 52ft long
    Yes i met Pete Vettte at his home Urquats bay. Whangarei
    We had on board a iron framed piano,coal range for cooking.
    She is now in the mud at TeAtatu creek or near there. Terry ph 0220837794

     
  5. Terry Gibbons
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    Location: Auckland

    Terry Gibbons Junior Member

    We sailed around the Hauraki gulf and ended up at Motuihi Is where we stayed for 20 years. Sold the Vesper to a couple of guys to take to Samoa but didnt get far. Ended up in Opua for a while. Was at Herald is for a time where it sank twice. Sad ending.
     
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  6. Terry Gibbons
    Joined: Aug 2014
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    Location: Auckland

    Terry Gibbons Junior Member

    Vesper

    I think that she was under the Greenhith bridge hard to port,where it sank twice. Positive i saw here driving over the bridge .ph 0220837794

     
  7. Terry Gibbons
    Joined: Aug 2014
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    Location: Auckland

    Terry Gibbons Junior Member

    I have worked on Karamu Is which is next to Pahiki. Both islands are owned by McCallums.
    The metal is Jasper (Churt)
    Brought 1000,s of tonne to Auckland on the Moehau towed by the Barbara W now in Wellington and in later years the tug Wainui now owned by Thompson Tugboats .
    All done now by the self propelled Kapua which used to be the BK Subrisky
     
  8. Terry Gibbons
    Joined: Aug 2014
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    Location: Auckland

    Terry Gibbons Junior Member

    ray this boat was 52ft,kelvin k2.
    I lived on board. Photo below i toof off a photo that was taken by Auckland Star at Okahu Bay 1982 ish


     

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  9. jlconger
    Joined: Aug 2014
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    Location: USA/California

    jlconger Junior Member

    Scow Alma in SF Bay

    Note that there is a 60' scow taking tourists around the SF Bay. Here's the link:

    http://www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/alma.htm

    These were mostly used to take food from the local farming areas to San Francisco prior to 1900. Today the Alma sails just about every weekend - seems to do remarkably well in Bay conditions (typically 15-25 knots during the afternoon).
     
  10. Macpower
    Joined: Jul 2011
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    Location: auckland

    Macpower Junior Member

    Havent been here for awhile attached are some old pics of when my father operated the scow "Alma". One pic crossing the bar at Tairua 1960 with "Vindex" on the deck. "Romance came down on deck from Auckland also but motored back under her own.
     

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  11. Macpower
    Joined: Jul 2011
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    Location: auckland

    Macpower Junior Member

    Alma at Mansion House Bay 1961
     

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  12. Macpower
    Joined: Jul 2011
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    Location: auckland

    Macpower Junior Member

    Lifting "Vindex" had max lift of 13 tons on derrick at Te kouma
     

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  13. Steve W
    Joined: Jul 2004
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    Location: Duluth, Minnesota

    Steve W Senior Member

    I had to take a closer look when you said Vindex was on the deck of Alma as there was a scow named Vindex and obviously that was not going to fit, but a Jim Young Vindex fits nicely.
    Ive always thought the Alma in San Francisco has to be one of the ugliest scows while the NZ Alma had to be one of the prettiest.

    Steve.
     
  14. rayman
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    Location: brisbane

    rayman Senior Member

    macpower, that pic of Alma in Kawau must be pretty close to when she was sold to Kieth Wright and went up to Whangarei. He nearly lost her on Cape Brett one afternoon when the wind went into the north and she wouldn't bear up, they scraped around the rocks before clearing. As soon as he got home the rig came out and a nice little "Priestman Cub" crane was landed on deck.Also a sand pump was installed in the place of the old cargo winch.
    The mast and boom was bought by Kerry Ashby at Opua and resawn to build quite a few lovely little clinker dinghy's.
     

  15. rayman
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    Location: brisbane

    rayman Senior Member

    Steve W, a friend of mine in N.Z. has designed and builds cute little "footies" of both the S.F. Alma and the N.Z. Alma. They sail very well too.
     
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