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The Fishing Fleet
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In 1922, "Countess", under the command of Captain James Holt, reportedly became the first Auckland-based trawler to cross the Manukau Bar and discharge its catch at Onehunga. The 1919-built Strath class Admiralty trawler "Thomas Currell", with Captain Fred Johnston at the helm, wasn't far behind her - she is pictured below.
 Many more trawlers have followed in their wake, so much so that for many years, Onehunga was second only to Tauranga as New Zealand's biggest fishing port. Indeed, on 21 January, 1993, there were no less than 85 trawlers in port at Onehunga - the busiest day in the fishing basin in living memory! (Just as well it had been dredged at the time!)
In those heady years, barely a day went by without a trawler or three heading past my windows, even when the weather wasn't what it could be - they're hard cases, those trawlermen! Mind, they need to be if the "Wicked Tuna" programme on the Discovery Channel is anything to go by. Not a job for the faint of heart, that's for sure!
NZ's Ministry for Primary Industries maintains an online listing of all the inshore fishing vessels which ply our waters - you can find it HERE.
In addition, the following iceboats which occasionally (or frequently, in one case) call at Onehunga hold high seas permits:
Sanford Ltd vessels have been a familiar sight at Onehunga over the years, with four trawlers in particular very much part of the furniture throughout the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. They merit a page to themselves - refer to the link above!
As well as this quartet, a host of trawlers built at the Vos & Brijs Shipyard in Jellicoe Street, Auckland, were regular visitors to Onehunga. Among them were "San Christine" and "San Rosalind" (both built in 1969), "San Jennifer" and "San Susan" (both built in 1972).
"San Bernadette" and "San Louise" were built at Auckland's A&G Price Ltd in 1971, while other names of note from days gone by include "San Marie", which worked out of Onehunga in the 1950s, 1960s regulars "San Elizabeth" and "San Rosa", "San Alexandra", which was in operation from 1966 to 1978, "San Caroline", which operated out of Onehunga between 1967 and 1976, "San Christopher" and "San Francis".
And one can't possibly forget "San Christobal", which caused a bit of a stir on New Year's Day, 1960, when she was found alongside Onehunga Wharf with just the mast and the top of the wheelhouse visible above the water line! A seacock failed, and the engine room flooded overnight. Don't ask what the repair bill was, but she was fixed up and returned to the water, much to the despair of the fish she subsequently caught!
While they're the prime fishing operators at Onehunga, Sanford's vessels regularly share the wharf with Moana Pacific's fleet and fellow inshore operators. Frequent visitors from days gone by include "Gay Maree", "Jay Elaine", "Marie Louisa", the legendary "Norseman", and "Jay Belle", another trawler which sank alongside the wharf at one stage, on 31 August 1975.
Information from "The Story Of Sanford Ltd" was used in this section
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