Southern Star: 38ft Fishing Boat Built By Ernie Lane
Build Date
1935
Boat Builder
Ernie Lane
Length
38 feet
Beam
Unknown
Building the Southern Star
There are a few Southern Stars but this one was built by Ernie Lane in Picton for Tom McManaway in around 1935. Tom McManaway was also from Picton. It is unknown how long Tom McManaway owned Southern Star but she was later owned by Len McManaway who sold her to May and Pat Hope after 1943. At the time Southern Star was a bit lacking in equipment but they installed a 471 GM in her in around 1947.
The Southern Star was the first big boat the Hope’s owned and they used her for line fishing and trawling. They caught snapper and a bit of groper off D’Urville where they were getting twopence a pound for their efforts.
Later Oliver Gausel returned to NZ from the middle east and joined Pat Hope as a partner in the boat. They remained partners until around 1949 when they were persuaded to join with Charlie Topliss and Newton Nalder in purchasing the larger vessel, Konini. To make this purchase they sold Southern Star to Allan and Charlie Guard in around 1949.
The Guard Brothers Buy Southern Star
Before purchasing the Southern Star, Alan and Charlie Guard had been fishing on the Wells built Silver Dawn. But at the time the licensing regulations for commercial boats meant they could only land fish in French Pass on the Silver Dawn. They wanted to move to Nelson with their families so they needed a boat that could land fish in Nelson which was to be the Southern Star.
They would go onto to fish with the Southern Star for the rest of their careers. When Charlie Guard died in 1976, Alan continued with Southern Star until his retirement. In this time, Alan changed the engine and fitted a new wheelhouse.
It is unknown who owned Southern Star after the Guards but in 1999 she caught fire and sunk off the coast at Westport.
References
To research Southern Star we used the book Voices From The Sea: The stories of some Nelson and Marlborough fishing families.
Related Posts
Southern Maid – 42ft Ernie Lane launch built out of carvel planked kauri with Oregon pine on the topsides and interior.
Sea Raider II – 36ft whale chaser and later fishing boat owned by Pat Hope.
La Reine – 44ft double-ender cray fishing boat owned by Pat Hope in the 1960s.
Doris – 32ft fishing boat built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1915. Coming Soon!