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SS PUKE: early Kaipara taxi service A lthough smaller than many of the steamers once used on the Kaipara, Puke is typical of the myriad of small craft that were once used there for general local transport until the advent of the Brynderwyn Hill road in the mid 1940s. Until this road was constructed, the main route to Dargaville was by train from Auckland to Helensville, and by harbour steamer to Dargaville. The competition for this, and other routes on Northland's harbours and rivers, was fierce and many fortunes were made and lost in pre-road transport. She is a beautiful little tender that Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum tells us was built of kauri by E Thompson and Son at Aratapu, towards the end of the 19th century, for the Kaipara logging trade. Her original name was Wai Awa. She was built with two skins of kauri planking: the inner diagonal, and the outer fore and aft, and she has a plumb bow and counter stern. Her large propeller is typical of launches of the period with a 23in diameter, and a pitch of 28in. SS Puke's boiler has a vertical fire tube with a working pressure of 100 PSI (7 bar). There are 61 tubes, including seven stay tubes in her boiler, which has a heating surface of 45 sq ft. Her single cylinder, double acting, reciprocating engine was made by A and G Price, and puts out 6hp at 180 rpm. The engine bore is five inches, and has a stroke of four inches. In 1977 she was salvaged from the Tamaki River and a steam engine and boiler installed. She worked for several years on the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers from Paeroa, and on the Mahurangi from Warkworth. In 1988 she carried passengers across the Brisbane river for the six months of the Brisbane World Expo. She was purchased by the Union Steam Ship Company in 1989 and gifted to Voyager NZ Maritime Museum, and her livery colours are now that of the USSCo. In 1993 the Boat Yard at Hobson Wharf carried out a major rebuild and this smart little boat still looks very sharp today. SS Puke is in Safe Ship Management and as part of the museum's heritage fleet she can be seen steaming from the Maritime Museum, around Auckland's Viaduct Harbour with her distinctive little toot, on regular weekend sailings. She is available for charter for special occasions and has attended many wedding parties as a memorable alternative to modern transport for the bride and groom. ■ spec's SS Puke gives us an insight into a bygone era when the Kaipara harbour and its multitude of tributaries were the lines of communication between the Kaipara's fishermen, farmers, settlers, and forestrymen, and the rest of the country, and – the rest of the world! Length overall 26ft Beam 6ft 2in Draft 2ft 6in Weight 2.4 tons Engine A & G Price Service speed approx 6-7 knots Owner Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum Footnote: New Zealand Workboat Review acknowledges all the support and information and images offered by so many in the compilation of the maritime heritage steam feature. NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2013 21