Trawler Marilyn Has Been 118 Years In Service

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30811, 24 July 1965, Page 17

Trawler Marilyn Has Been 118 Years In Service

“The Press'* Special Service WELLINGTON, July 23. The trawler Marilyn, fishing out of Westport, is 118 years old and is believed to be the oldest vessel in active service in the world today. The Marilyn was built in 1847 at Kakapo Bay, Port Underwood, as the Old Jack. In her day she has been a cutter in the coastal trade, steamer, launch, houseboat, and latterly a fishing vessel.

Mr Edward Guard, grandfather of Mr J. Guard, a Nelson boat-builder, built her of heart kauri. She has been described as a masterpiece of shipbuilding and has a single kauri skin fitted to a rata frame. The Guards, a well-known family of Marlborough, have been in the boat-building trade since they first settled in New Zealand in the 1830’s. During the last 135 years they have built hundreds of vessels and there is scarcely a port in New Zealand that has not seen one of their trawlers. The old Jack was first registered at the Nelson Customs in 1848 as a sailing vessel of eight tons with Mr J. Guard, a brother of Edward, as owner.

For many years she traded between Wellington and the South Islatid, and was then passed on to Mr G. Smith who owned a sawmill in Kenepuru Bay, Pelorus Sound. He used her for transporting timber to PiCtoh but soon afterwards she suffered her first mishap by running ashore. She was then taken to Nelson, fitted with a boiler and steam engine, and worked out of that port for a Mr E. Davis until laid up in 1919.

A Captain Bowden then bought her and removed her machinery to install in his steamer, the Gannet. The Old Jack was left to swing idly at anchor.

But she' did not ret away, being bought by a Mr T. Daken, who fitted her with sails and sent her back to Port Uhderwood. A kerosene

motor was later installed and until 1945 she was used for transporting bait from the Sounds to Wellington fishermen. In that year she passed to Mr A. Hutcheson, of Havelock, who wanted to convert her into a huseboat. This was never completed, as she lay idle for another period and was then acquired by a Westport fisherman, Mr J. Thompson. In 1954, the Old Jack was given an extensive overhaul at Nelson and fitted with a

diesel engine and trawling gear. She was renamed the Marilyn. Two years ago she was acquired by Westport Trawlers, Ltd. Still in service as a crayfish boat, she still has the original kauri hull, felled from the bush 118 years ago, and one of her original masts. Test bores were recently carried out on her timbers and revealed no trace of rot. There appear to be many years of service left in the old boat yet.