ANCIENT WHALEBOAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1939, Page 9

ANCIENT WHALEBOAT

RELIC OF THE OLDEN DAYS. GIFT TO NAVAL BASE. An old whaleboat, a relic of the days of whaling off the North Auckland coast, reached Auckland recently from Houhora on the Northern Company’s motor-vessel Clansman. The boat, which was the property of the late Mr John Mclntosh, of Pukenui, has had an eventful history, and, on the death of Mr Mclntosh, the members of his family decided to offer it as a gift to the Devonport naval base. The boat is thought to be the last of the American-built whaleboats in New Zealand, as well as one of the last remaining links with the days when American whale ships were regular visitors to the Bay of Islands. The craft was built in New Bedford, United States, and was originally acquired by Maoris in the Bay of Islands from the American whaler Cape York. Mr Mclntosh bought it from the Maori owners in the eighties, the purchase price, with all gear included, being £25. The craft was named the Tainui. Following his purchase, Mr Mclntosh entered the coastal whaling industry and operated from the North Cape to Cape Karikari. The last time the craft was used as a whaler was about 30 years ago. When the Huddart-Parkcr steamer Elingamite was wrecked on the Three Kings in 1902. word was received that a boat was required to intercept the Zealandia off the North Cape. As the only coastal vessel available was at Awanui and could not leave until high tide. Mr Mclntosh volunteered to make the trip in the Tainui. Leaving Houhora in a hard breeze, the boat reached the North Cape in three hours. A course was set off the cape and the Zealandia was intercepted several miles out to sea. The Zealandia immediately proceeded to the Three Kings and many survivors of the wreck were rescued. The whaleboat is 30ft 6in in length, with a sft Gin beam. As far as can be ascertained it is 80 years old and some of the original timber is still in the craft, although the keel and gunwales have been replaced with kauri.