Verden: Wakatahuri’s First Square-Stern Boat

Build Date

1913

Boat Builder

Claude Wells

Length

34 feet

Beam

7 feet

Building Verden and Maurice Wells Stories

Verden became the first launch to be built at Wakatahuri by Claude Wells. She was also the first square-stern vessel he built there. Verden was built out of double-skin kahikatea in the style of time with a long cabin and hatch near the bow for steering. Claude built Verden for himself and powered her with a 7hp Scripps petrol engine

In 1914, only one year after her launch Maurice Wells recalls his father Claude Wells using Verden to get to Guards Bay where the anchor winch on the Lou Terry needed some attention. The Lou Terry was a three masted schooner that was fully loaded with cargo and was on its way to Australia. Claude fixed their winch and they were good to go.

Another incident recalled in Boats for a Lifetime by Maurice Wells involved him skippering Verden at the grand age of 10. He was driving the boat home to Wakatahuri from Havelock. Whilst driving round Ketu Bay heading for Post Office Point Verden ran aground. With Claude also on board Maurice was able to get his fathers help to push Verden off the beach and get them going again on their journey home. Luckily Verden was undamaged.

Verden During the War Years and Later

During World War One there was less money for boat work available and Claude had to diversify his boat building business to include the outer Port Gore mail run once a fortnight and a passenger service. Fell in Boats for a lifetime believes Claude used Verden for this work.

After World War One, Claude built Pearl as a replacement for Verden and sold Verden to Chad Wells of Havelock.

Lawrence Hocquard of Saratoga Bay owned Verden next. He owned her for some years but during World War Two Verden was laid up on the foreshore of Saratoga Bay. Later Maurice Wells repaired the damage from her being lain on the ground on the beach. This included replacing rotten boards in her hull. He had the use of Verden for a time and installed a Morris 8 petrol engine and later upgraded it to a Buick engine.

Verden came to a sad end when a boat backed into her in Nelson Harbour. The boats propeller cut Verden nearly in two at the stern and she sunk. She wasn’t deemed worth salvaging and her remains were dragged to a beach where she was burnt.

References

To research the boat Verden we used the book Boats For A Lifetime by Yvonne M Fell.

Pearl – The last boat built by Claude Wells

Glen Lee – 38ft passenger vessel and pleasure launch built by Claude Wells

Noelene – 45ft mail boat/fishing boat built by Claude Wells

Lorna Doon – Claude and Maurice Wells built speed boat. Coming soon!