New Zealand Scow

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

  1. rayman
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    rayman Senior Member

    Macpower, Bo (gordon allen)Stanaway went from "Alma" to "Seagull" (Parry Bros) which he lost shortly after on Elizabeth Reef, (wide berth islands) he lost his life when the small berthing tug he was driving for AHB was rolled by a ship . It may have been the "Mana" but am not sure now. The crew were on deck and escaped but Bo was trapped in the wheelhouse and drowned. Alma was sold to Kieth Wright, Whangarei Sand co., he had sold "Oleo" and barge "Big Tree" to buy Alma. It was Kieth who removed the fore mast and gear after nearly loosing her on Cape Brett one afternoon, and installed the Priestman grab crane. I do remember her carrying sail but the topmasts were out of her and the mizzen reduced when the wheelhouse was built. The "Laird" grab was more like 5/8 or maybe 3/4 cu. yd. capacity, the shingle barrows were 1/3 yd. cap. Alma did not go to Gerry Williams Harbour Transport.Tga. until early 70's when Kieth bought tug "Mona's Isles2" and had the 500 ton barge "Kiwa" built by WECO.
    skinelli, you are playing with yourself again, forget all those silly ideas, just build one composite, steel framed, steel bulkheads, solid timber planking, forget the plastics and snot stuff, and the largest at 130ft. were 3 masted so your 160ft. would have to be X 4--too big.
     
  2. Skineli
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Skineli Junior Member

    Very interesting, thanks Rayman.
     
  3. Macpower
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    Macpower Junior Member

    Bo stanaway

    Dad said he was the youngst skipper ever on Pamir at the age of 19 took her around Cape Horn .Other contempares of my father on Alma-Frank Aspden, ,Roy Aspden,Doug Rushton,Aurthur Ratten, Stick Williams.Bill Aspden had a engineering shop under his house in Bell vue rd Northcote and used to do repairs aswell.Aspdens owned Sumatra and Dad worked on her when Alma was on the hard.The Aspdens spent a bit of money on Alma at the time installing bridge controls to the gearboxes and engines .[Kelvins].One trip we did up the Waihou river with aload of fertiliser and stayed over nite returning with a full load of butter from Kerepahi Dairy co on a out going spring tide after heavy rain which flooded the paddocks,a heavy fog persisted also with clear patches.We had lost our way into the paddocks and used oars out of the long boat to find the channel again.A message was arranged to open the rotating section on Kopu bridge with a eta.When we approached the bridge doing about 7-8knts on out going tide she was hard to steer and the bow glanced the pilings leading into the center of bridge .However the anchor was hanging over the gunwail and fluke caught the timber resulting in ALL the chain pulled out of the locker til it reached the end and she fetched around with a bang and groan .It took some time to winch back in and using a axe to free flukes from pile.Other times we would go up Whitianga harbour on spring tide [Carey would pilot up] also with fertiliser turn around with bowsprit and rudder cutting through toitoi and reeds at Te Kauanga wharf [now derilect].Following morning load butter again at Whitianga wharf and back to Auckland.Dad said Alma was a good scow because she hadnt been abused to shingle pushing a great deal therefore not stressed.A good day we could get 6-7knts fully loaded
     
  4. rayman
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    rayman Senior Member

    Mac, Kieth Wright served as AB in Alma for several years before taking over his fathers sand business (Oleo and Big Tree) so knew just what he was buying. It was about 1935 when the Laird grab and winches were introduced so they were able to keep off the beaches and toss the barrows away. It was only special material like in the pic I posted in an earlier thread of Dominion loading while dried out on Chamberlains Is. with a dozer pushing up to the grab. That pea gravel occured between high and low water lines. Alma was one of those ships that everyone admired and so was never abused but towards the end of the 60's she had outlived her usefulness, was too small, tugs and barges were more powerfull and larger, Mohala-1000 hp towing HTB14-1500 tons came on the coast and Marine Dept wanted to pull thru bolts in Alma so Kieth had no option but to quit her. When he sold she was reduced to river limits trade only and had to get a permit to run to Tga. Her last days in Tga. she was out of survey and was and still iss a private launch with a passenger license. Somehow I think her days are numbered now. I think too you have foregotten the "Portland" still afloat down in the deep south beyond Invercargill. Tommy Walker jnr. still owns Oleo up in Awanui and she is in immaculate condition too. I believe he took her down to the Mahurangi regatta last year.
    Skineli, here is one of the smaller 3 masted scows built for the trans-Tasman timber trade and one of Alma on the beach unloading general cargo. Korora is the maori name for the little blue penguin. I think she was 123ft L.O.D.
     

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  5. tom kane
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Hamilton.New Zealand.

    tom kane Senior Member

    When ever I look at this old block I think of old scows and think of the the work carried out by the sailors and the stories I have read.

    Instructions on the block.
    Patent 244. TO LIFT
    4/20 TONS SINGLE WHIP
    _ '' UPPER BLOCK
    8/20 " LOWER "
    TO REEVE 2" ROPE
    I tried the NZ Patent records and this is what I got
    Interllectual Property Results Search.Trade Mark No 244.Current Status Expired.TM search text. Mitchells Old Heather Whisky..Filed 18 June 1891.
     

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    Last edited: Jul 15, 2011
  6. Macpower
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    Macpower Junior Member

    Alma some pics from spending a day aboard march 2003 Hokianga Harbour.
    The man at the Wheel is dad [Scott McCook] reciting poetry with a becket on the wheel.She is hardly a representation of her former sadly at this point.it was first time Dad had been on board for around 40yr
     

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  7. rayman
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    rayman Senior Member

    Tom, those numbers seem big but they are 4/20 =4cwt (20 cwt=1 ton) rope used to be measured by circumference, 2" =2"circ=about 5/8 dia give or take a little.
    another pic of Alma during WW2. the black diagonal band and number 1109 is boom defence recognition for entering or clearing Auckland.
    Here she is lying on the beach outside Ngunguru school unloading general cargo for the owner of wananaki store, he was a flash dude and owner of race horses, hence the covered horse float pulled by a 37 ford coupe. This shows the ships jumbo derrick.
    Also, the "Laird" grab was an Auckland development of a "Priestman" (English) rolling wheel grab, The Roose Shipping Co also built a similar style of thing.
    Before the wheelhouse was built and the second engine installed the ships wheel and pedestal were mounted in the open on the after deck, the Kelvin engine controls came thru the after bulkhead alongside the companionway. I think Jack Cary had the changes done.
     

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  8. rayman
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    rayman Senior Member

    PAMIR- 4 masted barque-Finnish flag, seized as a prize of war in 1941 while lying at Wellington N.Z. Sailed under NZ flag from 1942 till 1948 and made 8 voyages Wellington-Vancouver USA and return. Voyage 9=Well. Lyttleton-Sydney return. Voyage 10=Well.-London via Cape Horn and Antwerp returning via Cape of Good hope =Bass Strait to Auckland N.Z. from Oct.1947-oct.1948. Antwerp-Auckland in 108 days. She once ran Vancouver-Wellington in 48 days. Her NZ masters were
    C.V.Stanich 2 voy.
    D.W.McLeish 1voyage
    A.R.Champion 3 voy.
    D.C.Champion 2 voy.
    H.S.Collier 2 voy. On his circumnavigation his wife was aboard as a super. I well remember seeing her lying off Orakei at anchor fairly close in.
    Her return to Auckland was the first time since 1935. In 1948 she was handed back to her Finnish owners and her former commander, Capt. W. Bjorkfelt was flown back via the USA to resume command. He and his crew had been intered in NZ for the duration of the war. She had been his command since 1937. She sailed in ballast to Australia and loaded wheat
    ( I don't know where) and her return voyage was the last full rigged commercial ship to round the horn in 1949. On arrival in Finland Pamir and Passat were to be scrapped but a German shipowner bought them for South American trade. In 1957 she capsized in hurricane Carrie in mid atlantic with large loss of life. Only 4 crewmen and 2 cadets were saved.
     

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  9. BATAAN
    Joined: Apr 2010
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    BATAAN Senior Member

    Wow, thank you so much for putting up the whole article about these fine and well developed practical craft.
    Since the timber to build them, and for their cargoes is a thing of the past, it's nice to daydream about a steel modern version being built and sailed about but try as I might I cannot come up with a reason to do so other than the joy of it.
     
  10. rayman
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    rayman Senior Member

    Peter, the big 5 masted schooner "H.K.Hall" was also owned for a time down here in N.Z. in the 20's. and also the "Guy C Goss" 4 masted barque ended her days in NZ. Will get the stories out if you are interested. (both timber built)
     
  11. rayman
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    rayman Senior Member

    Forgot to mention, the big 3 masted NZ scows were principly built for the Trans-Tasman timber trade, kauri and other native hardwoods to Australia and backload Aus. hardwoods, mostly for the backbones of other scows and ships as well as bridge and wharf pilings. The railway station in my old home town was sat on piles up to 90ft long (on a swamp filling. for any kiwi's reading it was Mercer, south of Auck.)
     
  12. chris roche
    Joined: Oct 2012
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    chris roche Junior Member

    Ray I have some scraps of information on the H K Hall and would like to know more. What I have isbuilt by Ford, Puget Sound 1237 tons sailed in the Pacific trade to Australia loading pine, hit a rock Mald....? Island towed to Reso...? for temporary repairs sailed to Sydney, sold for $2000 to Capt George...? got a scratch crew together sailed to Peru sold for $15000 crew left on beach and had to make their own way home to NZ. I am happy to be reached on email at: sailor@chrisroche.co.uk I am researching this vessel.
     
  13. chris roche
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    chris roche Junior Member

    The answers to all your questions will be found in the book PAMIR by Jack Churchouse the kiwi author.
    Chris
     
  14. Macpower
    Joined: Jul 2011
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    Macpower Junior Member

    Alma

    Currently up on the hard at Waitpu in Golden Bay awaiting $$$$$s to do whatever.Can be seen on Google Earth Waitapu Engineering, 46 Motupipi Street, 7110
     

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  15. Macpower
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    Macpower Junior Member

    Correction should say 84 waitapu wharf rd for google earth
     
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