Boating New Zealand — January 2018

(Rick Simeone) #1

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the Charles Collings-designed Emerald of 1902. She remained
in Auckland as a racer, going through the hands of a number of
prominent yachtsmen until Fuzzy Ellis bought her and took her
to Russell. Celox has remained in the North ever since.

MAJESTIC
MAJESTIC was a straight stem, counter stern 32ft launch,
one of the last of the type which became known as a ‘settler’s
launch’, built in very large quantities by Charles Bailey Jr and by
his younger brother Walter’s firm, Bailey & Lowe.
They were well suited to be the carriers of cargo, stock, farm
produce and people for the farmers who had settled around
the sheltered waters of the many estuaries, rivers, lakes and
harbours of both islands where roads were years in the future.
They were the trucks of the time and built well for the
job, usually with two or three diagonal skins of kauri timber.
Caesar Roose had established a water transport business on the
Waikato River, based at Mercer. In the winter of 1911, Majestic
was the third launch that Bailey & Lowe built for him.

His foreman, W.H. Oliver, had served his time with that firm.
Majestic was used for carrying passengers and freight as well as
taking fishing and duck-shooting parties to the Waikato Heads.
Roose sold her to the Hokianga around 1923.

ROBINSON & MCINTOSH LAUNCH
An unknown little ROBINSON & McINTOSH clinker launch.
Charlie Robinson and Percy McIntosh were in partnership as
boatbuilders at Ohinemutu on Lake Rotorua from 1905 until 1911.
During those six years they built many lake launches
including the 50-footer Reremoana for the Government Tourist
Bureau in 1907. Robinson was well-known in St. Mary’s Bay
too, building the little keel yacht Mahoe there in 1894 and, in
1926, the 38ft launch Aloha.
McIntosh set up in the Whangarei Town Basin in 1911 where
his business flourished until the outbreak of war. After a period
as an instructor, he went overseas as Regimental Sergeant
Major to the 40th Reinforcements. After his return from France
he set up business in Tauranga.

MAJESTIC

ROBINSON & MCINTOSH LAUNCH
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