W C Daldy was last years Winning Tug Boat! Can we do it again? Come along and support our crew, especially the Stokers!

Click Here to book online now!

VICTORIA WHARF, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
30th January 2012

• Depart Devonport 8am
• Depart Princes Wharf (Downtown) 9am
• Return Princes Wharf (Downtown) 12.30pm
• Return Devonport 1.15pm

Please Note: You may embark or disembark in either Auckland City (Princes Wharf) or Devonport. (Victoria Wharf)
Times of events may change closer to or on the day.

PRICES:

• Adults $75
• Children $40 (up to and including 15yrs)
• Family (2 Adults, 2 Children) $200

All Prices include lunch of Sausage, Pattie, Bread Roll and Salad

Tea and coffee are only $2.00 each, we do NOT have eftpos on board

A fabulous day on the water is promised as Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour comes alive in one of the world’s biggest one-day Regatta’s.

Contact Bevan to reserve a seat and pay on the day or Click Here to buy a ticket online and secure your booking! Please book early as this is one of our most popular sailings. Book now and make sure you are at the boat in plenty of time to pick up and pay for your tickets, because your place on the tug will be sold to someone else 10mins prior to sailing if not paid for by then.

Ph: (09) 309 7526
Mob: (021) 801402

For more details E-mail: bevanct@yahoo.com

Monday 30th January 9.00am: Tugboat Parade
Tugboats young and old will gather at the entrance to the Viaduct Harbour and parade up to their start line off North Head.

10.00am: Tugboat Race off North Head
Watch this amazing display of maneuverability and speed as these wonderful craft roar up the channel, round Narrow Neck Buoy and return to finish off Devonport Wharf – best vantage points are North Head, East Coast Bays beaches, Devonport and Devonport Wharf.

• 11.30am Firefighting display off the Viaduct followed by a Parade through the Viaduct.
• 11.00am: First Start off Princes Wharf

Races start off Princes Wharf, Downtown Auckland at 5 minute intervals from 11.00am.

• 11.35 & 11.45am: Classic division starts
• 11.55am: Tall Ships and Waka start
• 12.00noon: Harbour Blast starts off Orakei Wharf
• There will also be aerial displays by the War Birds and the Red Checkers 

See some of the fastest boats on the water ‘blast’ off in a vision of colour and speed as they head off around the harbour.

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The Auckland Heritage Festival has been a great success for both the Ports of Auckland and William C. Daldy Preservation Society!

A BIG THANK YOU to our passengers, the Ports of Auckland and to the volunteer crew members who went out of their way to make this a fantastic success with all sailings fully booked!

Over the weekends of September 19 to October 3, the Daldy ran Saturday trips around the Ports of Auckland wharves and to the harbour bridge as part of the Auckland Heritage Festival. The Ports of Auckland chartered Daldy Megan & Debbie from Ports of Auckland, Jessica-Lee and our own Barry Parsons gave the commentary during the sailings for these trips to give people a closer look at the Port and provided a commentary on its history.

All trips had a full complement of about 120 passengers plus crew and we threaded in and out of the wharves, the commentators explaining the development of the Auckland Harbour and each wharf’s history and use. As we went up past the harbour bridge, the passengers were told about Daldy’s part in the construction of the bridge.

From comments made by the passengers, they thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the Port and the experience of being on an operating steam tug which has been part of the Port of Auckland’s history.

Was there a down side to the three trips? We don’t think so! The crew worked really hard to make the trips enjoyable for the passengers and the William C Daldy gained a great deal of exposure that should help to raise our profile with the people of Auckland.

Below are some images taken from the Auckland Heritage Festival. All images are copyright to their respective owners.

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MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 2 September 2009

Vintage steam tug brings history to life

Ports of Auckland is inviting Aucklanders to experience a ‘living’ part of the city’s maritime history through a series of free heritage tours during the upcoming Auckland Heritage Festival.

This year, for the first time, the tours will be hosted on board the historic steam tugboat, the William C Daldy.

“We are very excited to offer the Auckland public a chance to experience a part of their city’s history firsthand,” said Managing Director Jens Madsen.

Built in 1935, the William C Daldy was one of the Auckland port’s first tug boats, and worked welcoming and departing ships on the Waitemata Harbour for more than 40 years.

The hour-long, family-friendly tours will cruise through the commercial wharves, providing a close-up view of port operations.

The trip will also include a special stop at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, where the William C Daldy proved its might salvaging a runaway piece of the bridge during its construction in 1958. Click Here for the full story!

Daldy saves Auckland Harbour Bridge

Mr Madsen said the detailed heritage commentary would also offer a unique insight into the history of the port and Auckland.

“The development of the city and port over the last 160 years plus is a fascinating story.”

The tours will be held at 11.00am, 1.00pm and 3.00pm on three Saturdays during the Auckland Heritage Festival, between 19 September to 4 October.

Bookings are essential. To book, phone 0800 AK PORT (0800 25 7678) or see www.poal.co.nz for more information.

The tours are free; however, a gold coin donation to the William C Daldy Preservation Society is appreciated.

For land-lubbers, Ports of Auckland is also running Red Fence Heritage Walks throughout the Festival. Walks will be guided from the meeting point outside the NZ National Maritime Museum on Sunday 20, Thursday 24, Sunday 27 September, and Sunday 4 October, at 3pm. Bookings are not required.

Ports of Auckland is New Zealand’s largest container port by volume, handling around 840,000 TEU (20ft-equivalent units), more than 1,700 ship calls and 3.6 million tonnes of break-bulk (non-containerised) cargo per annum. It is New Zealand’s major import port and a key partner to export industries. Ports of Auckland is 100%-owned by Auckland Regional Holdings.

The William C Daldy is a 38 metre, coal-fired steam tug, built in Scotland for the Auckland Harbour Board in 1935. After an 84 day delivery voyage to New Zealand, the tug began handling ships on the Waitemata Harbour in 1936. Following a 41 year career, the vessel was retired in 1977 as one of the last working coal-fired tugs in the world. Thanks to the efforts of The William C Daldy Preservation Society, the tug is still active on the Auckland Harbour.

The Auckland Heritage Festival, delivered by Auckland City Council, will run from 19 September to 4 October 2009. The two-week festival, comprising more than 100 events encompassing art, architecture, fashion, music, ecology and sociology, is a chance for Aucklanders to embrace and discover everything that is unique about their city. This year’s theme is living heritage – the customs, stories and traditions we keep alive today. For more information and a full event programme visit the events page of the Auckland City website at http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz

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It once pumped two million gallons from Western Springs every day, but for the past 80 years Motat”s beam engine has lain unused and rusting.

On Saturday 19th April, the engine was started again and the public were treated to an authentic piece of history in motion.

Former Prime Minister and Local MP Helen Clark opening the restored working pumphouse

Volunteers including engine enthusiasts from all over Auckland have dedicated hundreds of hours to bringing the engine back to life.

Steam section manager Ken Pointon has led the project.

An engine fitter and turner by trade, Mr Pointon says getting the engine working again has been very rewarding.

“No one ever really thought it would go again, but we decided bugger it. It”s a national treasure of New Zealand, we”re lucky it”s still here.”

Built in Scotland in 1877, the engine was shipped to New Zealand in pieces and assembled at Western Springs, where it has stayed ever since.

Chief engineer Mike Austin says the pumphouse is now Motat”s oldest building.

“This building is the reason Motat is here.”

During it”s 51 years of use, it was the city”s main water supply, pumping water to reservoirs in Ponsonby, Mt Eden and Khyber pass.

It was decommissioned in 1928 after the dam at Waitakere took over as the main water supply.

It has become the biggest operational beam engine in the southern hemisphere.

Mr Pointon says it has been a huge task to restore it completely as parts of the machine had seized solid, requiring hours of piping and plumbing work.

Other work has included rebuilding valve spindles and installing a new cooling tower.

As for actually pumping water again, Mr Austin is optimistic.

Mike Austin with the Scotch Boiler that supplies steam for the pumphouse and the various other engines he maintains!

He says the next phase of work after the open day will hopefully see a pump hooked on to the engine but for now it is “one miracle at a time.”

In the most recent test run in December last year, the engine was able to sound Motat”s steam horn for the first time in 80 years.

Motat”s marketing and events co-ordinator Bridgette Johansen says it was exciting to hear the horn blow.

“People came running out of their offices all around Motat to see what was happening.”

Miss Johansen says they hope to spread some of their enthusiasm to the public on the open day.

“It”s getting people excited about history while tying in a quintessential piece of history, especially kids.”

Mr Pointon says there is a huge educational story behind the engine and the way water pumps work.

“Kids today just turn on a tap and see water come out.

“They don”t know how it got there.”

Miss Johansen says Motat”s April school holiday programme will also centre around water and steam.

The open day was a steam celebration day featuring a Victorian theme.

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