Build Date
1909
Boat Builder
Davey Darroch
Length
65 Feet
Beam
18 Feet 4 Feet
Kaiaia’s Early Years and Owners
Built by Davey Darroch in 1909, Kaiaia was a ketch-rigged hold scow. Her first owners included her master George King who only owned her for one year, Arthur Berridge, Gilbert William Brown and Thomas Ernest Palmer who owned her until 1911 when they sold her to Frederick Christian Hansen who would own her until 1913. In 1912 with A. Clark at the helm Kaiaia was stranded in Waipu Bay. This happened again in Auckland in 1913 with W.S Davis as skipper.
Also in 1913 Thomas Cowley and Thomas John Wesley Mathews took ownership of Kaiaia. Thomas Crawley was replaced in 1914 by Patrick James Dowling who would become the sole owner in 1915. In August 1914 and April 1915 her 12bhp engine was altered. Also in 1915 Kaiaia had her last stranding in Whakatane with J. McLennan in charge.
In 1919 Kaiaia changed owners again with Frederick Kearsley, Leslie Gordon Scott and A.S. Patterson Co. Ltd., taking ownership. Also in 1919 Kaiaia struck a submerged object in the Mahurangi River with Henry Subritzky at the helm. Kearsley and Scott’s ownership only lasted one year but A.S. Patterson Co. Ltd., held onto Kaiaia until 1925. In August 1920 her two engines were altered again. In 1923 Kaiaia struck another submerged object. This time she was in Whakatane with A. Berridge at the helm. 1923 was a tricky year for Kaiaia as she was also damaged off Bream Head, again with A. Berridge at the helm. In 1924 Kaiaia is said to have exploded in Auckland whilst carrying 1250 cases of fuel with J. Stewart as skipper. Apparently she survived this as she continued on with Frederick Herbert Goodman taking ownership from 1925.
In 1931 Aspden Shipping Co Ltd., added Kaiaia to their fleet until she was lost in 1936. She was now a twin-screwed auxiliary hold ketch used to carry firewood and general cargo. At this time her engines were altered and she had one 24bhp and one 30bhp engine on board.
Draught
4 Feet
Weight
45.06 GT / 24.43 NT
Official Number
127887
Kaiaia’s Tragic End
Kaiaia made her last trip on 24th March 1936 with Captain H.S. Aspden at the helm. They left Auckland for Opotiki with a load of general cargo on board. At the start of the trip the weather was favourable but at Cape Colville the wind changed from South-westerly to easterly and then turned to gale force when they reached Castle Rock. The seas picked up with squalls and poor visibility not helping the already dire situation. They aimed to seek shelter at Mercury Bay but at 4am on the 25th March 1936 she had sprung a leak that the pumps couldn’t get on top of. The ship was sinking with the bow digging in. Water was flushing the whole deck and washed two crew overboard. Only when Kaiaia was very low in the water could they launch the dinghy and retrieve the missing crew. All five members of the crew made it into the dinghy and started the 5 mile row to Hot Water Beach. When they were safely on land they were given dry clothing but again set off for Mercury Bay to raise the alarm. It was too late though and Kaiaia was lost to the depths of the sea.
Albert Mokomoko was one of the crew members to be pushed overboard but it didn’t deter him from a life at sea as he would become New Zealand’s first Maori Coastal Master and his son Albi was the skipper of an Auckland Harbour Board tug.
References
To research Kaiaia we used the book A History of New Zealand Scows and their Trades by David Langdon.
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