On Wednesday 28 May 2025, the little ship Ratahi which moored alongside the Jane Gifford Wharf left Waiuku for the last time. She made her way with her new owner Sarah Ensor and her brother Rusty Ensor and former owner Trevor Pennington at the helm.
The Ratahi departed Waiuku shortly after 10am on the high tide bound for Te Toro where she would stay for two days before starting her lengthy journey out through the Manukau Harbour entrance, around North Cape and down the east coast to Tauranga.
Ironically, Sarah is the daughter of the former owner Hugh Ensor of Tauranga which the vessel will again call home.
However, it appears that the Ratahi didn't want to leave her home of the last seven years. A pod of orca were seen rubbing against the Ratahi's mooring line by spectators on shore. The orcas eventually broke the shackle between the chain and the block base. Of course this set the Ratahi adrift and she drifted towards a bank of mangroves where she grounded herself. The vessel was successfully rescued with assistance from CoastguardWaiuku.
The new owners, who were driving back to Tauranga to get supplies for their journey on the Ratahi, were forced to return to Waiuku and secure the ship. Fortunately she was not damaged. The vessel was taken to the jetty at Clarks Beach and remained there until the Ratahi left the Manukau on 2 June starting her journey back to her new home.
New owners Sarah Ensor and brother Rusty Ensor with former owner Trevor Pennington
But her drama was still not over. Unexpected rough weather pounded the ship as she traversed the Manukau Bar and started to make her way up the west coast. The crew decided to take refuge from the harsh conditions in the Hokianga Harbour. Already the Ratahi had sustained some damaged to her hull caulking and had broken a door on the wheelhouse.
It seems that respite in the Hokianga must have allowed the Ratahi to lessen her claims on the Manukau Harbour, as the remainder of the journey was without incident. "It was hard to believe", said Sarah "that after such a rough start going around North Cape it was like a mill pond."
After a 12 days journey, the Ratahi is now safely in Tauranga Harbour.
The Ratahi was built in Auckland in 1938 to take fishing trips out of Tauranga. At that time she was licensed to carry 125 passengers. When not fishing she was used as a freighter, collecting and delivering agricultural goods around the islands off her home port, as well as running harbour cruises. After a period of ownership in Whakatane, she returned to Tauranga to take up similar work by Hugh Ensor.
Then, in 2019, local mariner Trevor Pennington bought her after seeing her advertised on Trademe. For the next six years he operated short harbour cruises and fishing trips out of Waiuku. More recently the Ratahi was sold to other Waiuku owners planning to use for similar purposes until that plan was aborted.
Copy from Volume 6, Edition 6, Page 4 - West Franklin Breeze
