Hauturu

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Hauturu

Sourced from Brent Chambers, Ships Nostalgia

Built	1927	Official No.	153970
Gross	290	Net	243
Dimensions	40.57m x 8.38m	Registered	Auckland
First Arrival	18 September 1927	Last Sailing	16 November 1951
Names	Hauturu Estrella Del Mar	Years	1927-52 1952-83

Built in Greenock in 1927 for the Northern Steam Ship Company, she was designed by George Gow and irreverently known as the "Iron Horse", and from 1930 traded from Onehunga to North Island west coast ports initially, expanding this to Picton and Lyttelton.

Northbound cargoes included apples loaded at Motueka, while she carried Railways freight between Onehunga and Nelson. She ultimately replaced "Rarawa" and "Ngapuhi" on the Onehunga - New Plymouth run in 1930.

She had her fair share of fun at the Manukau Bar, damaging machinery there on 25 May 1926, and getting stuck on the Bar on 22 January 1940! She also struck the wharf when berthing on 2 October 1949.

Then came the waterfront strike of 1951, the biggest industrial confrontation in New Zealand's history, which lasted five months. "Hauturu" was alongside at Onehunga for seventy days - 4 April to 13 June. A month later, the dispute was resolved.

Just over a year later, she was sold to New Caledonian interests, but was soon acquired by William Collin and Sons in Brisbane, where she was converted into a powered gravel lighter by Pioneer Concrete of Queensland.

Her original Swedish-built engines were replaced by Gardners engines in 1966, while other changes made saw her masts removed, an extra deck added aft, and a large crane and grab installed on the foredeck.

In late 1983, Frank Curtin purchased the now abandoned vessel for the princely sum of $2 and scuttled her off Moreton Island to form part of an artificial reef on 17 December 1983.

Ships G - K Totals