TEAL Boats

[Dave Homewood]

Does anyone know if any of the TEAL boats used to tender and maintain the flying boat airliners in Auckland and Wellington Harbours still exist? Were they sold off to the public when the Solents retired? Do any from the Empire days still exist?

Just curious.

[merv]

There was one on Lake Te Anau for many years during the 1960's

[davidd]

I think you will find that many of the vessels used in conjunction with TEAL flying boats were in fact owned by the NZ Government (Civil Aviation Branch, or CAB) rather than TEAL. However TEAL may well have owned the boats which ferried passengers and crews, tradesmen etc, between the flying boats and shore. For instance CA44 (originally ordered by Air Department for the RNZAF as W44) was a 40 foot launch (sister of W45, W46, W88, latter as replacement for '44) used by Civil Aviation Branch at Mechanics Bay after completion in 1942, then later to Evans Bay for support of TEAL Solents from 1950 to 1954, after which it was tfd to the RNZAF as W44. Generally, as a rule of thumb, CAB was repsonsible for maintaining the moorings, flare paths, air traffic control, and flying safety (checking for drifitng debris, fire fighting, etc.), while TEAL would look after the aircraft and passengers.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Merv and David.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

This appears to be the boat used by TEAL on Evans Bay to transfer crew and passengers to and from the Solents prior to the braby pontoon being installed....



(click on the photo to open the thread it is posted to)

[merv]

I am still trying to help further here. Only today did the person return my call with regard the vessel I vividly recall being on Lake Te Anau. She said they bought the boat c1956 and used it regularly until it got parked up in their farm shed at Mossburn. c1970 two young fellows bought it but found it too far gone. She can't recall where but she said they ended up setting fire to the hull and burning it. She is looking out a photo to send to me, so that is still to come. The name in big chrome letters was simply TEAL.

[merv]

With regard the photo shown. This is a different design to the one I refer too, however I have just checked an old 8mm movie film and the tender boat shown is identical to the one shown.

[planecrazy]

I am pretty sure one of the boats used to service the Ansett Boats on Sydney Harbour still exists, I'm sure I have a pic somewhere. They were made by Halvorsen, the RAAF also used them, interesting construction laminated diagonal ply sheeting. I know the last crash boat used on Lord Howe still exists as a fellow I know owns her, will post a pic when I take one soon.

Probably off topic, took this pic in 2005 at the RNZAF Museum Wigram, would imagine somebody
knows her story, was she used to support the RNZAF Cats? (Note, she also has diagonal sheeting!)

[Dave Homewood]

That is W88, and yes it was used with the Catalinas and Sunderlands at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, as David mentions above.

Thanks for the info Merv.

When I was at Hobsonville in 1990-91 there were a couple of ex-military boats moored there, now privately owned, I suspect they were ex-RNZAF flyng boat tenders but they were grey like Navy boats.

[ngatimozart]

They might've been the old HDMLs Dave, because the last to use them were the RNZNVR.

[AussieBob]

Dave,
Off the topic but on the theme.
In Oz, Halvorsen was a well known quality boat designer/builder. Remembered more for the luxury cabin cruisers and motor launches in my Sydney young days. Gretel, the first Aust America's Cup challenger was theirs.
They designed and built a number of flying boat tenders for the RAAF and Qantas.
There is a bit of history at the Aust Maritime Museum with some images and drawings here -
www.anmm.gov.au/webdata/resources/swfs/kiosks/www_halvo/
It is likely some were for Catalinas
These for the RAAF

This is one of the Qantas ones - 1941


Doesn't answer your Akl- Wgtn question but add a bit to the history trail.