Old Jack II: Blind Bay Hooker built in 1867
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Build Date
1867
Boat Builder
Length
Beam
Blind Bay Hookers and Building Old Jack II
Built as a ketch in Port Underwood for John and Edward Guard, Old Jack II became one of the boats known as the Blind Bay Hookers. Blind Bay was the name for Tasman Bay at the time and ‘hooker’ comes from the Dutch word hoeker meaning a two masted fishing vessel that fished using a hook and line. The term Blind Bay Hookers became both a term of affection and a derisive name, but they were perfect for fishing in the shallow coast of Tasman and Golden Bay. Old Jack II became one of the oldest hookers to live past its peak. Although the Port Māpua Maritime Museum has a picture of her stuck-on rocks at Astrolabe so she almost didn’t make it.
Old Jack II was built as a cutter using kauri timber. She was fitted with an engine in 1912 and renamed Kyra. She was renamed again later in Westport where she was working as a fishing vessel. This time her name was Marilyn.
At some time she was converted to a steamer and she was ultimately laid up a hundred years after her build.
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References
To research Old Jack II we used the Port Māpua Maritime Museum exibition and Te Ara.
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