New Aukland owner wanted for 1890 kauri classic

[Smacksman]

I received this request via my smack web site and wondered if anyone could help Jeffrey. Any craft built of the 'wonder wood' kauri needs to be preserved.
""
Hi Roger,

I was wondering if you had any contacts or advice that would help me out.

We have a old sailing cutter "Kate" that we would like to find a new owner for. She is an almost identical design to your Colchester smacks, so I thought you may know someone who is interested.

Kate was built in 1890 by the Thompsons in Dargaville, New Zealand. A well known builder of working boats in the area. She is 36 feet long measured along the deck and is constructed from Heart of Gold Kauri with a double skinned hull. Initially built to serve the thriving kauri logging port at Dargaville, an engine was fitted in 1917 and she was employed towing barges inside the Kaipara harbour.

She is still in good sound condition and had extensive refitting in the 1980's. She is currently on Waiheke island, just outside the Auckland harbour but needs recaulking and re-rigging to bring her back to sailing condition as well as work done to the interior.

We would like to find someone with the money and time to look after her properly and further restore her to her original condition.

If anyone would like more information or photos of Kate, pease email me at this address.

yours

Jeffrey Holdaway
""

Anyone wanting to make contact with Jeffrey let me know. I hope Jeffrey will join this forum and then contact can be direct.

Fair winds to you all.

[Wild Dingo]

Aye she sounds a fair beauty :cool: ... but mate your a tad early for the Kiwis... those buggars would still be in the rubbetty eatin fish and chups and drinkin the local brew about now... give em an hour or so and they'll stagger in as noisy and rambuckshus as always :D ;)

[John B]

I'm ashamed to say I don't know this boat.( how peculiar)

[Zane Lewis]

Any chance of seeing some pictures to help the memory?
Hull dimensions, displacement rig etc

[John B]

she'll be at Putiki or Blackpool I'm a thinking.
OO.Something in the old grey matter is stirring.... Blackpool, moored so as to dry out?mmmmmm, come on gwasshopper, think.....

And Shane.... in the pub? I wish mate. I have children 'not of a look after themselves' age. We have no social life.Mind you, last time we played hooky and went to a pub we just about died of smoke inhalation. Had to rub ourselves down with MEK to get rid of the stuff. :D

[Smacksman]

I had a reply from Jeffrey to say that he would send me some piccys. I'll put them up when I get them.

I'm devastated that you Auklanders don't know her. I expected a 'Oh yes, her .... the last owner had a wart on his nose' type of detailed reply.

From what I've read, kauri is a very special wood.

[John B]

Oh KATE!!! o yes I remember her, last owner was an eccentric type, used to sail around with a propeller on his hat, got a forked beard and would roll around couple of big ball bearings to strengthen up his hands for hauling on the 250ft of halyard he has to get his mainsail hoisted.

Yes
No never heard of it. :D but as I said ... through the foggy mist which is my brain, a faint outline of profile/experience is emerging... I can nearly see her... no... gone again.

Look forward to the pics. ;)

[ 06-04-2003, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

[John B]

Ever get those pics Smacksman?

[Meerkat]

New Auckland - will that be what they call Sydney after the Kiwis take over Oztralia? ;)

[John B]

I don't know why I stay in the place.Population is going through the pain threshold, transport infrastructure is shot. we're nearly gridlocked.

yes I do. The gulf.
At least that bloody cup is gone and there's a wee bit more room to move. LOL.

[Johannah]

Yup, the place is goin' all to hell. My husband spent all of 6 weeks on the South Island this Spring and was meeting people who knew people he knew or had heard he was there within 3 weeks. Terrible big place and so anonymous. :D He figured if you stayed for a year, you would meet someone from every family. And all of them determined to show him a good time. Really, you're goin' to the dogs. tongue.gif

[John B]

;) LOL.
Yeah, but the south island is a bit different to Auckland. Problem ith we're an ithmus. 11 miles wide , with all(th) north and south traffic trying to go through a city very inconveniently sprawled right across it and out the ends.1/4 of the population of the whole dang country lives here.Successive city council regimes since the 70's have ignored the brewing problems/issues because it's in the 'too hard basket'..
Auckland is good because of the Hauraki Gulf, but living here, doing business here, is getting hard.

[Smacksman]

No John - no piccys yet.

For all the problems, Kiwiland is a very impressive place, from all the reports I get.

And one of your great exports is people and I have yet to meet a Kiwi here that I wouldn't want in my house.

[Stiletto]

John, it's time you packed up for good and sailed North.

[John B]

Hi Stilletto. Yes we dreamed of it some years back but got hooked by a business and got held up here.
You own a Stilletto? a mate of mine just got one by the sounds of it.
Where are you? BOI?

[Stiletto]

My boat, a Piver stiletto,( Spencer also had a stiletto too I think), is in Mangonui on the hard at the moment. I'm sure you know lots of the coast between the Hauraki gulf and the Far North; great cruising grounds.
Auckland is certainly the place to be if business is your priority.
Cheers.

[John B]

Oh. the Spencer is the only one I knew of. Yes beautiful coast all the way up. Don't see enough of it myself.!!