Build Date
1925
Boat Builder
Davey Darroch
Length
66 Feet / 20.1 Metres
Beam
18.7 Feet / 5.7 Metres
Building Alwin G/Success
The Alwin G would become the last scow to ever be built in New Zealand. She was built by the prolific scow builder, Davey Darroch in Stanley Bay for Alan and Winifred Glass. They used her for trading to Ngunguru, Parengarenga, and later Whitianga. Her cargo included glass sand, firewood, fertiliser and building materials.
Although the Glass family owned her until 1930, her ownership changed between family members over the years. From 1930 until 1937 she was co-owned. In February 1937 Alwin G’s name was changed to Success though she was then owned by the Alwin Shipping Company. This shipping company would own her until 1950 when they sold her to Jack Hall and Company
In 1963 Alwin G/Success was again sold, this time to Barney Daniels who moved her to Wellington to work as a refuse barge for waste from overseas ships. She would take this waste out to Cook Strait and dump it. During her time here Alwin G/Success was used in the rescue of attempts of the Wahine disaster on the 10th April 1968.
In 1982 she was purchased by Peter Yealands who moved her to Picton and completed a major refit on her. He used Alwin G/Success for barging and then later for the green shell mussel industry.
In 1990 she was sold to Rob Pooley to continue being used in the mussel industry. Pooley also completed a major refit on her,
In 2008 she was sold to a David Skyrme who moved her to the dry stand at Port Nelson where she remained for several years.
Restoring Alwin G/Success
In the mid-2000s the idea of buying and restoring Alwin G/Success started but she was sold to a North Island buyer. Then in 2015 she became available again so the Alwin G Heritage Trust was formed to purchase the scow and restore her to her original condition. Her previous North Island owner also offered up engines and other fittings from another scow that had disintegrated to help the work. In April/May 2023 Alwin G/Success was transported from Nelson to Kaiapoi to the site where she will be worked on.
When the restoration is complete the trust hopes to use her for tourism trips, weddings and youth programes. She will be able to carry 80 to 100 passengers. Alwin G/Success will be one of three scows left in New Zealand. The Jane Gifford is one of these. She has been fully restored and operates on the on the Mahurangi River. Alma is the other remaining scow which is undergoing restoration. To support the trusts work go to their Givealittle page.
References
To research the Alwin G/Success we used Boating NZ and Stuff.
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