MOTAT Society – Sailing on the Ted Ashby

The March excursion was an hour-long harbour cruise on the Maritime Museum’s Ted Ashby, a ketch rigged deck scow, an example of the fleet of scows that covered the Hauraki Gulf and northern New Zealand waters in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. They had flat bottoms and would sit on the sand at low tide for loading off beaches where necessary.

The cruise was up the harbour under the harbour bridge on a lovely day, but with not much wind. The trip relied on the engines. There was a very interesting panorama of Auckland harbour scenes from the water.

The trip has a couple of curious typical Kiwi connections. I knew the old scow master Ted Ashby whom the ship was named after as I boarded with Ted’s sister Olive in Mt Albert when a student. Greg Pittams, from the Military Section Head, helped install the diesel engines on the vessel, and had a quick re-connection with his work under deck.

Another great outing and supporting a kindred heritage institution.

by Bill Rayner