THE COAST GUARD / KAIKOHE RESTORATION STORY.
The Kaikohe has been refloated, salvaged, redecked, rehulled and rebuilt as an office, studio and showroom for Heartland Timber products, demonstrating the versatility, beauty and workability of New Zealand’s most iconic timber, totara: the timber of wakas, carving, pioneer housing, joinery, all farming and outdoor uses, as the most durable light timber in the world.
1a. Coast Guard1935_Alongside after launching, Berrys Bay, Sydney
1b. 1935. Coast Guard sails to Auckland from Sydney Harbour to Join NZ Royal Navy.
1c. Coast Guard, war time, as minesweeper danlayer in Royal NZ Navy
1d. Coast Guard in RNZN 1950’s
2. 2015 retired fishing trawler Kaikohe. Bro, she’s knackered. I’m firewooding the thing but then again I’d probably sell it for a dollar. Don’t let it sink again
3. 2016. Not again. That rain must have got thorugh that rotten deck. Mate, weren’t you gonna keep checking the bilge pump..
4. Bugger. bigger pump next time. Where’s that chainsaw..
5. Third time lucky I spose but I still reckon the chainsaw’s the go.
6. New totara deck should stop it flooding again. Don’t know about that hull.
7. Jeez mate, thought this heap of sh.. only weighed 50 tons.
8. You owe us a bloody $2000 tyre mate
9. Bloody kahikatea, she’s stuffed, forget it.
10. Young man in need of sledgehammer to drive 4-metre steamed and greased matai ribs into keel
11. New steamed matai skids and totara planking
12. Wrestling team with planks.
13. Zander does it again with his swing move.
14. Real boat builder and his wee mate forcing it in
15. Clamping up steamed totara 6×2 hull planks
16. Steamed and sliced totara. Where’s the effing beer, boss
17. This great lump of Navy steel has gotta go
18. Laminating up the belting with epoxy paste
19. Yea nah, maybe they all were right about putting a chainsaw through the bloody thing.
20. December 2016 launching with restored hull. No mate it’s only breakfast time, no whisky before she’s berthed.
21. The Kaikohe, half finished after only 4,000 hours!
first fit of ex8x4 bulwark rail-fender
Kaikohe May 2020, Nelson private office and samples studio of Heartland Timbers, working on new starboard bulwark and deckhouse
Kaikohe port side December 2019
For further images of rebuild, please see “Totara Specifications and Finishes” Page.