Personalities Afloat

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 320, 3 April 1928, Page 16

Personalities Afloat

Mr. CHARLES SEAGAR Nearly 45 years’ acquaintance with the Waitemata and the Gulf may be claimed by Mr. Charles Seagar, of Devonport. He is a principal of the firm of Seagar Bros., engineers, of the city. _ t Mr. Seagar has been more fortunate than some boat-owners, for he has been connected with the ownership of four sailing boats and five launches; his present launch, Rehutai is being fitted with semi-Diesel engines with a cruising capacity of 600 miles. His sailing boat, Waverley, was built in the old shed belonging to the late

Charles Bailey at Devonport; the next venture in craft was a complete change, the centre-board Cygnet; also a steel job. A 50-footer steel launch was tho succeeding experiment; she later went to Westport. Casually picking up the old- timer Toroa after she had been sold by auction, Mr. Sea gar found himself entered without his sanction for the Ponsonby Regatta by the late Reg. Masefield. The chaffing he was subjected to made him resolve to “give the race a flutter.” A suit of sails was borrowed, and after an all-night job cleaning the boat on the hard she was ready in time to start in the race. Mr. Seagar still holds the massive coffee pot that was awarded as first prize. Next he built for Mr. Reg. Masefield steel keeler, Thetis. Classed a freak boat in her day, she proved a fast racing competitor. Her crew at first were afraid to let her “go over,” but once they mastered the art of driving her the list of wins began to grow quickly. She still reclines on the chocks in St. Mary’s Bay and receives an annual coat of paint. Huia was another steel boat, and a previous launch. Rehutai, was sold and renamed Hauraki. Mr. Seagar can recollect the battles of the giants of the past when Chas. Bailey, with the Daphne fought for supremacy against boats from Niccol’s yards, Waymouth yard, and later Logan’s yard. When he was on the committee of the squadron that body met in the Harbour Board offices, where a room was rented. Other men then controlling boating on the Waitemata were Tom Alexander, Reg. Masefield, Archie Buchanan, Alf. Seccombe and Chas. Murdoch.