John Street’s legacy lives on at Auckland Wooden Boat Festival
We were sad to hear of the news of John Street’s passing during the holidays but we are delighted that, thanks to the Classic Yacht Charitable Trust, so many of the vessels he returned to New Zealand, will be on display.
Larry Paul (left) pictured with Dave Giddens (middle) and John Street (right) at a haul out in 2020.
John achieved many things in his life but importantly, he recognised the importance of New Zealand’s maritime heritage, and formed the Classic Yacht Charitable Trust in 2002 to help ensure that key vessels could be bought, restored and maintained, and that sailors and the general public could get onboard these glorious wooden boats, making the most of the opportunities available to them.
John’s work and support brought boat lovers, historians, and the general public together.
Today, under the helmsmanship of Larry Paul, the Trust owns seven boats that it cares for and shares with all New Zealanders:
Larry explains:
“We have seven boats in the fleet: two are excellent examples of vessels owned by farmers who used them as farm to market vessels. The big boats in the fleet are all purpose built race boats with legendary performance history which John Street recognised and recovered from offshore.”
Classic Yacht Charitable Trust vessels recovered and restored by John Street are:
· The 1906 Logan Bros gaff cutter Frances was owned by the Shakespear family and operated between Whangaparaoa peninsula and Auckland.
· The 1896 Robert Logan Snr gaff cutter (later converted to a yawl) Ethel was owned by Col Herbert Dawson, who had purchased Mercury Island in 1893, to transport produce and supplies between Mercury Island, Whangapoua and Auckland
· The 1894 Robert Logan Snr gaff cutter Waitangi - returned from Melbourne in 2003
· The 1895 Bailey gaff cutter Ida - returned from Sydney in 2018
· The 1897 Logan Bros gaff cutter Thelma- returned from St Tropez in 2007
· The 1892 gaff cutter Gloriana was the first purpose built race boat designed and built by the Logan Bros. She was an immediate success and the base from which their hugely successful boat building career was built on.
· In 1966 the Olin J Stephens designed and Max Carter built One Ton Cup boat Rainbow II was launched for and campaigned by Chris Bouzaid. Chris and his team produced a three year winning record of 121 races culminating in winning the One Ton Cup in Heligoland Germany in 1969.
Several of these vessels will be on display at the Auckland Wooden Boat Festival, Heritage Landing and the New Zealand Maritime Museum, 1-3 March 2024. Details will be announced soon.