Former RNZN vessel, 96 year old MV Tuhoe, destroyed

[TS]

No problems. I would love to get my hands on one and have it painted up in the Black and Grey they look so cool. I used to be in RNZNVR and was on 55 I think, here in Akl. My Father was in the Navy for many years from the early 50s. He was a Stoker ( marine engineer). He told me, when he was a Chief PO he was incharge of 65 doing the Tamaki Tram Duties. He would get the junior stoker to come on the bridge, my father would go down below and unwind the governors to increase the power so he could get back to Devonport quickly.

He remembers seeing a rooster tail coming out the back and was going well over the 12 knts that it normally does. When he got to North Head he would wind them back down and cruise into port as if nothing happened.

[nuuumannn]

Very cool. I was reading on that website the fate of the Tarapunga, which burned off Nelson last year I think if you want one, you're gonna have to act fast!

[Dave Homewood]

I'm not sure but this may be one of the old RNZN Fairmiles seen between Herald Island and Hobsonville yesterday. What do the boat experts say?

[komata]

FWIW: In the late 1960's there was an ex-RNZN motor launch (described to me as a 'Fairmile') moored at Algies Bay, Whangaparoa Peninsula (Auckland). It was distinctive by virtue of the fact that it was painted a most appallingly-bright yellow overall; a colour which had faded and weathered over time to give it a look that was, to put it mildly, 'unique'. No idea what it actually was ('Fairmile or HDML) but it doesn't seem to have made its way into the conversation so far, I bring it to the forum's attention.

Perhaps someone knows what it actually was and its eventual fate...?

Thanks.

[TS]

Fairmile Launches | ink eats man



inkeatsman.wordpress.com/tag/fairmile-launches/

[TS]

Jan 14, 2016 19:58:48 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I'm not sure but this may be one of the old RNZN Fairmiles seen between Herald Island and Hobsonville yesterday. What do the boat experts say?

Dave that is an old HDML. She has been there for years, slowly deteriorating. Can't for the life of me remember her name or number. The ML's are smaller than Fairmiles as you will see in my resent post.

[davidd]

NZ5218,
Remember that the descriptions "Fairmiles" (correctly described as "Type Bs") and "ML's" are exactly the same thing - 110 foot long. The smaller HDML's (later SDML's) were the more numerous (16 versus 12) but were just 72 feet long. As a small lad living on Banks Peninsula (late 50s, early 60s), we were always thrilled when a very smart looking SDML (from the Canterbury Division) would arrive in Pigeon Bay with its keen young crew on their occasional voyages to our creaky old wharf (since extensively rebuilt). This was in the days of the black hulls and white uppers, with a nice narrow white hull stripe for effect. The HDML's were always described as an "Admiralty" design, and were definitely nothing to do with the Fairmile organisation.
David D

[TS]

Thanks for that. The one Dave has shown is the smaller 72footer. I used to serve on the last one that HMNZS Ngapona (RNZNVR) had in the early to mid eighties I think 67 or 55 was it's number.?

[tbf25o4]

Yep the pic shows a 72' HDML. As a young Telegraphist at Wigram in the mid 1960s we often went out on HMNZS "Pegasus" the local RNZNVR HDML as Radio Operators. Was great fun with the local "rockies" and cruising around the harbor. Not great seaboats as they were a bit short!!
There was a Fairmile at Shelly Bay in 1968, had been used to run urgent freight from Wellington to the Chathams. On 10 April 1968 in the Wahine storm it broke free of its moorings and was lifted up
by a huge wave and dumped over the piles that served the jetty immediately outside Base HQ. I have photos of it sitting on the bottom with a pile sticking up through the centre of the boat.

[davidd]

tbf2504,
Is that you Paul? The ML which was finished off by the Wahine storm (Hurricane Giselle was its official name from memory, although this name hardly ever used in NZ for obvious reasons) was the ex-ML 405, possibly still known by the name MARLYN adopted in 1947. Information from R J McDougall's excellent NZ Naval Vessels, page 88.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

That would be Cyclone Giselle, we do not have Hurricanes in the southern hemisphere. Cyclones rotate in the opposite direction from hurricanes.

[harrysone]

Hmm...High Pressure systems could be called cyclones in the northern hemisphere !

[TS]

www.facebook.com/savingkuparu

Just been talking to the chap that owns HDML Paea. Plus another Gent that is restoring Kuparu at Helensville. The above link is to his FB page. Worth a look if your interested. We may see two HDML's out on the gulf soon.

[emron]

Jan 19, 2016 7:12:03 GMT 12 tbf25o4 said:

Yep the pic shows a 72' HDML. As a young Telegraphist at Wigram in the mid 1960s we often went out on HMNZS "Pegasus" the local RNZNVR HDML as Radio Operators. Was great fun with the local "rockies" and cruising around the harbor. Not great seaboats as they were a bit short!!
There was a Fairmile at Shelly Bay in 1968, had been used to run urgent freight from Wellington to the Chathams. On 10 April 1968 in the Wahine storm it broke free of its moorings and was lifted up
by a huge wave and dumped over the piles that served the jetty immediately outside Base HQ. I have photos of it sitting on the bottom with a pile sticking up through the centre of the boat.

Q405 was the eighth NZ Fairmile built and the third completed by Associated Boatbuilders. After the war it was named “Marlyn” and put into service ferrying cargo between Wellington and Lytellton. It completed approx. 600 trips during 1947-56. It was laid up for a couple of years and then was trialled in a crayfishing venture in Fiji which proved unsuccessful. By 1962 it was in use at Stewart Island as a wharfside coolstore for the fishery. Later it was used for fishing off the Otago coast and finally converted to a trawler and operated at Chatham Islands, from where it had returned to Wellington by 1968. After the Wahine storm it was salvaged by floating crane and hauled out on a slipway at Shelly Bay with the intention of repair. There are four colour photos that can be viewed on the NatLib archives site which show the recovery and damage. It must have been later assessed as beyond repair because in 1969 is was towed to Whakatahuri in the Marlborough Sounds where it was stripped and burnt.

[melbkiwi]

I am new at this...but does anyone know what is happening to the upgrade of the ANZAC Frigates. There is another delay...and by the way the Aussie have just about completed their upgrade of the ANZACS.

[nuuumannn]

we do not have Hurricanes in the southern hemisphere.

There's one in Australia and reproductions in Auckland, Wanaka and Omaka.

[emron]

When the Admiralty were planning production of the Fairmiles there was no marine engine available that suited the special requirements to propel a vessel of that size to it's maximum speed. So they commissioned Hall-Scott to quickly develop the Defender for the purpose. When it came to sourcing engines for the smaller HDML's there was no similar problem as there were numerous brands of diesels around 200hp to choose from. The Gray Marine model 64-HN9 was specified with two to be installed in each of the NZ launches. This was a marine conversion of the Detroit Diesel 6-71, a 2-stroke 6-cylinder in-line engine (7-litre) developing 165hp.
The first 12 launches to be delivered, ML1183-94, were fitted with Gray Marine engines. They were built in batches of 4 by three separate yards in west coast USA: Madden & Lewis, Sausalito, CA. ; Everett Marine Ways, Seattle, WA. and Grays Harbour Shipbuilding Co.,Aberdeen WA.
The final 4 launches of the total 16 ordered, ML1348-51, were built by Ackermann Boat Works, Newport Beach CA. By then there was a shortage of Gray Marine engines due to priority demand for use in landing craft construction. So alternative engines were used in them: two Hercules DNX-6 4-stroke 6-cylinder in-line diesels each of 275hp. After the war these engines were still reliable and economic to run and the Navy continued their use in the fleet until the late 1950's when they were replaced by Foden 6-cylinders.

[John L]

Jan 17, 2016 14:06:01 GMT 12 TS said:

Thanks for that. The one Dave has shown is the smaller 72footer. I used to serve on the last one that HMNZS Ngapona (RNZNVR) had in the early to mid eighties I think 67 or 55 was it's number.?

Ngapona had Paea and Koura in 1980-81 when I was there, so it'd be one of those - probably Koura.

[rone]

Discussion of the Fairmiles brought back a few memories for me. Without being critical of the decommissioning dates of a couple of them, there appears to be a gap of a few years missed concerning 3 Fairmiles I went out into the gulf fishing on several occasions. The Iris Moana was the first I went on about 1950 or 51, the Navy bought it back in 1953. The other 2 were the Ngaroma, this was very well known around the Gulf for cruises and fishing trips, the third was La Reta, not sure but I think it was owned by the same person who owned Ngaroma. Again I am not certain, but I think he was a Captain Sowery or some name similar. I do know I was cured of seasickness after standing at the tip of the bow hanging onto the flagpole while heading out into the Gulf in rough, rough weather. The bow was going up about 12feet across the swell. Did no fishing that trip, but never been seasick ever again either.