Tuesday, May 11, 2021

ships at Gisborne, circa 1910

Says maritime historian David Newton: "The tender at right is the Union Steam Ship Co’s Tuatea which was built in 1905.  She was later used as a whale mothership for a number of years by Perano’s of Tory Channel.  The vessel at left is also owned by the Union Company.  Looking at my copy of Ian Farquhar’s ‘Union Fleet’, it seems to me that she is Hauroto which was sold out of the fleet in 1915.  Hauroto was one of several similar vessels built during the 1880s.  Most if not all of these ships underwent fairly extensive refits over their careers, so their appearance changed quite a lot.  So, photo can be dated between 1905--pre-WW1.  If you have a copy of Union Fleet there is an illustration of Hauroto on page 20, but it is an early one of her with crossed yards on her foremast.  These were removed during the 1890s, and it may well be that she was fitted with a bigger funnel as well."

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