All aboard for family reunion
IT is a story in keeping with the history of a welltravelled vessel — a Dunedin family will celebrate a special family reunion in Auckland today, on board a historic ship built on Stewart Island in 1936.
Tales of Ranui are part of family folklore for Dunedin man Chris Worth — his father Noel served on the vessel and the man for whom the ship was built, Bill Thomson, was his mother Catherine’s uncle.
Despite his parents’ connection to Ranui, their times on the vessel did not coincide.
Built in the style of a traditional Norwegian doubleender, Ranui was used to transport fish to Bluff and tourists to Te Anau.
Commandeered by the New Zealand government at the outbreak of World War 2, Ranui was pressed into service as a part of the coast watch, as well as a supply vessel for remote islands and lighthouses — which was where Noel Worth entered the ship’s story.
‘‘My father came on board when the government took it over,’’ Mr Worth said.
‘‘The only way he could have met my mother was because the ship did used to call in to Stewart Island to repair gear . . . Everyone on Stewart Island knew the boat — she was very well known there — and my mother must have come down at some point to see who was aboard.’’
Ranui — which was also frequently seen at Port Chalmers in this period — was sold by the government in 1949.
Noel Worth became an Otago Harbour Board harbour pilot in 1951, later becoming harbourmaster until he retired due to ill health in 1977.
Ranui began a new career as a supply ship to the Pacific Islands — and occasionally served as a royal yacht for Queen Salote of Tonga.
In 1954 Ranui was sold to the Ellison familyowned Otakou Fisheries and modified to work as an oyster dredge.
Laid up in 1991, Ranui was sold to South Pacific Charters, with current owner Richard Allen using the nowrestored ship as a charter vessel.
Mr Thomson had no children, but three generations of descendants of his sister Emily will be on board Ranui in Auckland today, where it is scheduled to take part in the annual Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta.
‘‘Almost all the living descendants will be on board Monday,’’ Mr Worth said.
While Ranui has a special place in his family history, stepping aboard will be a new experience for those at the reunion.
‘‘None of my generation has ever been aboard it, and none of our children have ever been aboard it,’’ Mr Worth said.
‘‘It’s remarkable that she is still here . . . The builder Korinius Larsen obviously knew what he was doing.’’