Build Date
1933
Boat Builder
Norman Wells and George Woodroofe
Length
22 Feet
Beam
6 Feet
Everything We Know About Murabel
The Wakatahuri School teacher built Murabel with Norman Wells during his tenure in the bay in 1933. To power her they borrowed a 6 Cylinder Cleveland Petrol engine from Norman’s brother, Bernard Wells. Murabel is also thought to have had a Grey Petrol engine at some time. With this engine inside she got speeds of 25 knots.
A farmer from Beatrix Bay called Nathan Webb purchased Murabel in 1935 for 100 pounds but this didn’t include the engine. Webb installed a 6 cylinder Coninental Petrol enineand used as his general form of transport. Webb was also known to enter Murabel in races which would get him a trophy from time to time in the late 1930s.
In 1946 Webb sold Murabel to the Picton ferries where she was possibly licenced to carry passengers. After this Murabels story is a mystery.
References
To research Murabel we used the book Boats for a Lifetime by Yvonne Fells.
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