- ALWIN G HERITAGE TRUST -
Scow Success
Reviving the legacy of scows trading with the port of Kaiapoi through the restoration of this sister ship.
- The Alwin G Heritage Trust -
Our Maritime History matters!
The Alwin G Heritage Trust has been established with the aim of acquiring the historic scow Success and restoring it to its original condition as an auxiliary schooner-rigged deck scow. Eventually the intention is providing heritage experience passenger excursions on the Kaiapoi and Waimakariri Rivers, in a manner similar to the lost MV Tuhoe.
Success is consistent with the vessels that operated on the Kaiapoi River before World War II, and is a direct sister of the Ngahau, a scow that worked the port of Kaiapoi during the 1930s but no longer exists in recognizable form. Of the roughly 130 scows of similar construction that once sailed New Zealand's waters, only three remain, including Success and the Jane Gifford, which currently operates on the Mahurangi River in Warkworth, north of Auckland.
It is planned that Success will be utilised for tourism, weddings, youth training, and special events, and will become the flagship vessel of Kaiapoi.
Success is consistent with the vessels that operated on the Kaiapoi River before World War II, and is a direct sister of the Ngahau, a scow that worked the port of Kaiapoi during the 1930s but no longer exists in recognizable form. Of the roughly 130 scows of similar construction that once sailed New Zealand's waters, only three remain, including Success and the Jane Gifford, which currently operates on the Mahurangi River in Warkworth, north of Auckland.
It is planned that Success will be utilised for tourism, weddings, youth training, and special events, and will become the flagship vessel of Kaiapoi.
Scows were originally constructed to navigate narrow tidal rivers, estuaries, and creeks, where early communities settled. The first scow was built in Whangateau in 1873, with the last (Alwin G) built in Auckland in 1925. Due to their flat bottoms, scows were capable of sitting upright when high and dry, making them easy to load and unload freight and stock.
New Zealand scows were a modified version of the San Francisco Great Lakes Scow Schooners and were initially only found in the region north of Auckland. As their practicality became more evident, they began to appear all over the country, especially in Nelson Bays and later on river ports such as Kaiapoi and Hokitika. However, most of these vessels were utilized extensively and often suffered from abuse, being either wrecked, transformed into barges, unceremoniously broken up, or simply left to rot on beaches.
New Zealand scows were a modified version of the San Francisco Great Lakes Scow Schooners and were initially only found in the region north of Auckland. As their practicality became more evident, they began to appear all over the country, especially in Nelson Bays and later on river ports such as Kaiapoi and Hokitika. However, most of these vessels were utilized extensively and often suffered from abuse, being either wrecked, transformed into barges, unceremoniously broken up, or simply left to rot on beaches.
Jane Gifford under sail.
Only three original scows remain: -
- The Jane Gifford is fully restored and in survey.
- The Alma is in private ownership and under restoration.
- The Success is the only other surviving scow left that is suitable for restoration.
- The Vessel -
Success (formerly Alwin G)
The vessel known as Success, with dimensions of 66 x 18.7 x 4.1 feet (20.1 x 5.7 x1.2 meters), was constructed under the name Alwin G by the skilled shipbuilder Davey Darroch at Stanley Bay Auckland in the year 1925, commissioned by Alan and Winifred Glass.
Over the course of her illustrious career, Success was utilized in the transportation of an array of goods, including glass sand, firewood, fertilizer, building materials, and other general cargoes, trading to locales such as Ngunguru, Parengarenga, and later Whitianga. Within the Glass family, she changed hands a number of times until 1930, at which point ownership transitioned to a succession of others, with her name changed to Success in February of 1937.
In 1963, Success was purchased by Barney Daniels, subsequently relocating to Wellington where she was employed as a refuse barge, collecting mainly from foreign vessels and discarding in Cook Strait. Later, the refuse was conveyed to Evans Bay for incineration. Notably, Success was involved in the valiant rescue efforts associated with the Wahine disaster on April 10th, 1968.
Acquired by Peter Yealands in 1982, Success underwent extensive renovations and was utilized in a variety of barge-related pursuits before being utilized in the green shell mussel industry. Later, she was sold to Rob Pooley in 1990, where she continued in the mussel industry with additional modifications during this era.
Ultimately, Success was retired and sold to Dave Skyrme in 2008, at which point she was moved to a Nelson dockyard.
Over the course of her illustrious career, Success was utilized in the transportation of an array of goods, including glass sand, firewood, fertilizer, building materials, and other general cargoes, trading to locales such as Ngunguru, Parengarenga, and later Whitianga. Within the Glass family, she changed hands a number of times until 1930, at which point ownership transitioned to a succession of others, with her name changed to Success in February of 1937.
In 1963, Success was purchased by Barney Daniels, subsequently relocating to Wellington where she was employed as a refuse barge, collecting mainly from foreign vessels and discarding in Cook Strait. Later, the refuse was conveyed to Evans Bay for incineration. Notably, Success was involved in the valiant rescue efforts associated with the Wahine disaster on April 10th, 1968.
Acquired by Peter Yealands in 1982, Success underwent extensive renovations and was utilized in a variety of barge-related pursuits before being utilized in the green shell mussel industry. Later, she was sold to Rob Pooley in 1990, where she continued in the mussel industry with additional modifications during this era.
Ultimately, Success was retired and sold to Dave Skyrme in 2008, at which point she was moved to a Nelson dockyard.
- Kaiapoi -
Scow Legacy
During the late 1800s, scow type ketches and schooners were recorded to have operated out of the port of Kaiapoi. Nevertheless, the emergence of steamers resulted in the displacement of these sail vessels, and it wasn't until the mid-1930s, amid the depths of the Depression, that the first motorized scow surfaced on the river. Despite being rigged with full sails, the Ngahau, sister-ship to the Success, was the pioneer vessel of this sort.
Ngahau was a prominent vessel responsible for transporting live sheep from Banks Peninsular to Kaiapoi, operating in collaboration with the Motor Vessel Foxton on occasion. She even aided in the salvage of the Foxton from the treacherous Waimakariri River Bar in 1934, though Ngahau herself foundered there a few months later.
In 1936, Ngahau became the last fully-rigged sailing vessel to trade out of Kaiapoi, having made her final departure for Wellington, where she dropped off her cargo before returning to Auckland to resume carrying glass sand. After spending several years as a dumb barge, Ngahau was eventually laid up on the beach at Houhora in Northland before being broken up.
Eighteen years later, the scow Kohi, making four separate trips, provided relief for the coastal vessel Ranginui. However, soon after, the Kohi was condemned following its sinking at a Picton wharf and was ultimately repurposed as a landing stage at Westhaven, located at the top of the South Island's West Coast.
Other scows believed to have briefly visited the area include the Talisman and the Echo, which stopped over while en route to Lyttelton for slipping in 1966
Ngahau was a prominent vessel responsible for transporting live sheep from Banks Peninsular to Kaiapoi, operating in collaboration with the Motor Vessel Foxton on occasion. She even aided in the salvage of the Foxton from the treacherous Waimakariri River Bar in 1934, though Ngahau herself foundered there a few months later.
In 1936, Ngahau became the last fully-rigged sailing vessel to trade out of Kaiapoi, having made her final departure for Wellington, where she dropped off her cargo before returning to Auckland to resume carrying glass sand. After spending several years as a dumb barge, Ngahau was eventually laid up on the beach at Houhora in Northland before being broken up.
Eighteen years later, the scow Kohi, making four separate trips, provided relief for the coastal vessel Ranginui. However, soon after, the Kohi was condemned following its sinking at a Picton wharf and was ultimately repurposed as a landing stage at Westhaven, located at the top of the South Island's West Coast.
Other scows believed to have briefly visited the area include the Talisman and the Echo, which stopped over while en route to Lyttelton for slipping in 1966
