Yarrow & Co boats

[Harold H. Duncan]

Can anyone point me towards any of the paddle boats built by Yarrow & Co, Poplar, London, around the 1890's. My research into the ps Rangiriri has stalled (awaiting the Council to lift it from the mud), and have commenced to draw the ps Manuwai, which was built by Yarrow's in 1894 for A.Hatrick & Co. of Wanganui. It served on the Whanganui River until 1922, spending its remaining life on the Waikato River until 1939. I like to measure and photograph what is left of the vessels, but not very much remains of this one. I have a small copy of the builders general arrangement which the "Whanganui Riverboat Centre" (home to the ps Waimarie NZ's last operating river Steamer) kindly supplied and have been most helpful.
I am looking for any information on the boats built around that time, especially details of the engines and boilers, and hull construction. Thanks
Kiwi

[Roderick Smith]

There was an excellent site mentioned in the New Zealand thread in the 'Preserved' forum:
www.riverboatsnz.com
IIRC there were no plans, but there was an e-mail address for the compiler.
I did e-mail him at the time, and got a very helpful reply.
The site restricted its coverage to just the Hatrick fleet, but the compiler may have resources not on the site.
Of course, the compiler might be 'Kiwi', and I am pointing you at your own existing resources.

I have just googled, and found some interesting sites:

New Zealand Maritime Index from NZNMMDetails:, Paddle steamer Built: 1900. Source:, Bearings 1993 Vol. 5 No. 2 Pages 61-65. Title:, The Hatrick river fleet on "New Zealand's Rhine" ...
www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/ixsearchvessels.asp?gsn=500500276

WanganuiThe vessel was renamed the Waimarie after it joined the Hatrick fleet. ... Travellers from other parts of the world and within New Zealand, ...
homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/wanganui/wanganui.html

Riverboat Waireka - Reporoa New Zealand - Step back in time and ...... to have been on a truly historical riverboat - a part of New Zealand's history. ... She was part of the historical Hatrick fleet of boats used between ...
www.riverboatwaireka.com

RIVERBOATS and RIVER TRANSPORTERS in New Zealand New Zealanders ...New Zealanders have used many ways to develop New Zealand - The railway system, ... The burning down of Pipiriki House in 1959 and Ronald Hatrick's death in ...
www.jeffpylenz.com/.../FORUM/NZ%20MATERIAL/RIVERBOATS%20and%20RIVER%20TRANSPORTERS%20in%20New%20Zealand.htm

Touring New Zealand 2007 - part 4This used to be the busiest and longest trail in New Zealand and remained ..... 1907 in the Yarrow shipyard and brought out in kit form for Hatrick's fleet. ...
www.uniquelynz.com/nz07-p4.htm

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Harold H. Duncan]

Thank you for the information Roderick, most helpful. The Riverboatsnz site I believe is compiled by Cameron McNeil ( not kiwi unfortunately) and I hope to catch up with him when I journey to Wanganui later in the year to meet with the good people at the Whanganui Riverboat Centre, where both the ps Waimarie and the ss/mv Wairua have been restored. The Wairua has a very interesting a tunnel hull. They also have mv Ongarue awaiting restoration and it is this vessel I hope to be able to do my bit to help. Two other boats from this era on the Whanganui River survive in operating condition, mv Otunui, now a side paddler at Paeroa, and mv Waireka operating on the Waikato just north of Taupo. A large proportion of the Hatrick boats where built by Yarrow & Co, over a 25 year period from the 1890's to 1910's. While in Wanganui I will endeavour to collect as much material from as many people as possible. More information has survived there and is accessible than in the Waikato Region where all my research has been to date.
You know even though I was born a kiwi, and have travelled extensively here, I learnt more about the general information on Whanganui River from the "uniquely NZ" website than I did anywhere else, and this is an English site, I hope they keep travelling and keep it upto date.
My request for information on other boats built by Yarrow is in the hope that this information (even though not directly relating to nz boats) will help to 'fill the gaps' which exist. Even though I know where the Manuwai engines are(and hope to go photograph and measure soon), I have no information on her boiler. I have a couple of illustrations (one form paddleducks) from the period which show a remarkable similarity in hull boiler and engine shapes and locations. So if I anyone can help with this type of information, this would help greatly in producing accurate drawings of this and other vessels. - sorry for the length, will try to keep it short in future - do get carried away occasionaly.

[AlistairD]

www.clydesite.co.uk has a list of Clydebuilt ships, which would cover Yarrow ships after they moved from Poplar in 1908.
The built 74 sternwheelers betwen 1876 and 1930, and 13 sidewheelers from 1978 to 1905, many of these for the Portuguese Government.
Glasgow City Archives and Glasgow University Archives have the Yarrow records, and there is a handwritten book with details of all the steamers

[Harold H. Duncan]

Thanks Alistair, a most informative site and will be very helpful. Will also follow up with the City and University.

[otunui]

FYI - the PV Otunui is now on Lake Whakamaru on the Waikato River (Whakamaru Island on Ongaroto Road) and operating for public/private trips. Details on Google -"Otunui Paddleboat". Cheers.

Two other boats from this era on the Whanganui River survive in operating condition, mv Otunui, now a side paddler at Paeroa, and mv Waireka operating on the Waikato just north of Taupo.

[mjt60a]

the book 'Paddle Steamers' by Bernard Cox has several pictures taken in the yard of boats in various stages of completion and one or two being tested...
http://www.amazon.com/Paddle-Steamers-Bernard-Cox/dp/0713709243/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291059610&sr=1-9
or I guess could scan the relevant pages and email them... 

[Harold H. Duncan]

Hi mjt60a,
will try and obtain a copy of the book after Christmas, but in the meantime could you scan and email me the pictures please
thanks
kiwi

[Roderick Smith]

Googling leads to www.paddleboat.co.nz/index.asp
There are a couple of typing errors: the Whanganui fleet was Hatrick, not Halrick.

Perhaps our new member could forward a good photo to Eddy as a possible website random photo entrant?
My recent spate put one of PS Waimarie into the selection.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Barry]

Found on google books.

[mjt60a]

I've put them (eight photos, some across two pages) on here, as they're all copyright, I'll remove them as soon as you have them..
http://s185.photobucket.com/albums/x66/mjt60a/alfred%20yarrow%20boats/

[Hankwilliams]

Hi,

very fascinating photos. The first picture shows the steamer "Stanley", used for the first Belgian Congo expedition in 1885. But even the other pictures are vey interesting.
It would be not very difficult, to make plans after this pictures. These boats are ideal for live steam.

Does anyone know something more about the plans of the"Zulu" steamer, drawn by Ray Vine? Are these plans autentic or show they only a type of sternwheelers on asian and african rivers? I would be glad to know something more.

Best regards

Tom

[mjt60a]

given it's proximity to the isle of dogs, I wouldn't be surprised if the 'Phoenix' sternwheeler in barking park (that I vaguely remember as a child) was built by Yarrows ...... http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/barking-park/images/paddle-steamer.jpg

[Roderick Smith]

Were these Yarrow?
SWPV Wyuna and SWPV Bhadra
or, did Yarrow establish an Indian subsidiary
or is the style generic?
IIRC, from our Myanmar threads, lots of boats there were Yarrow.


www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2675.msg10931#msg10931
www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2675.msg10941#msg10941

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor