Sydney Hydrofoil Manu Wai
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- Опубликовано: 20 апр 2009
- Manu Wai is a Rodriquez built PT20 hydrofoil delivered to New Zealand in 1964 to operate between Auckland and Waiheke Island. Completely rebuild and modernised for then owners Dominion Breweries in 1990. Shipped to Sydney Australia in 1995 for repairs and refit before use on Sydney Harbour and Broken Bay as a tourist excursion and charter vessel. Currently undergoing major refit in Sydney prior to sale or relocation. Manu Wai is very similar to the PT20 hydrofoil used as the villain's getaway boat in the original James Bond Thunderball movie of 1964. Current owner considering joint venture with any interested parties to operate in Australia or abroad. Email seapilot64 for details.
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I remember going on this boat back in the 70s between Auckland and Pakatoa Island when it was used by the late Robert Kerridge who owned the island at that time, I think I was around 6 years old at the time.
i look at this boat every day wishing she could be back in service... it would be awesome to do a Pitwater to sydney commute!
Glad you like the boat but can't help you with music title. All I know was that we used it because it was copyright free.
I was on the wharf in Auckland along with hundreds of others to see this fantastic new machine arrive. It was the first time most people had heard musical air horns as when she pulled in the captain let rip with them making a lot of people jump. The crew were turned out in white navy type uniforms which added to the effect Sadly lost to NZ due to excessive union crewing demands and the owner withdrawing the service. Sat on land for years before having foils removed and used as a launch (marine research I think) in the southern sounds, before eventually being restored and occasionally seen on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland again before disappearing to Australia. She was always an impressive sight running down the harbour and sounded great with the original engine throbbing away effortlessly while on the foils.
Hello JRB Aero NZ. Thanks for your comments, there is nothing else quite like a hydrofoil. I am the current owner of Manu Wai having been associated with her since she came to Australia in 1995 where she was repaired and restored to Class after running aground in NZ in 1994. I am doing everything I can to save her and return to service in Australia but it would be much easier to do so in New Zealand due to less stringent survey and more places to operate. Came very close to going to Queenstown a few years ago to run in conjunction with the Kingston Flyer steam train ferrying passengers from Queenstown to Kingston but sadly it all fell through. Queenstown would have become a woking transport museum between the Kingston Flyer, the steamship Earnslaw and a 1960's hydrofoil, particularly one that has such strong links with NZ. Would love to take her to Queenstown if anyone showed some interest in making it a reality.
Hi Gary, great to see manu wai is being looked after, but I'll bet it's fantastic but expensive proposition keeping a complicated machine like her up and running. Shame the Queenstown idea fell through (I saw an old article/ad on the subject yesterday mentioning the 3 transport modes) as it would be great re lack of corrosion worries, engine cooling etc compared to operating in salt. I never had the opportunity to ride in her as I was a bit young then - still at school for most of her short working time, but knew a few people who commuted to Waiheke occasionally who weren't that impressed with the ride on rough days, and complained that the windows were too high to see out of when sitting, (probably used to the old 112ft Fairmiles !) Other vessels were tried as well (such as the 'SeaFlyte' wave piercer-which I believe is still in Aust) but we ended up with cats for everything, (don't know if you have been on one of the big cats on a rough day in the Motuihe channel but talk about a bloody corkscrew,-can't stand up !. At least the Manu wai could fly straight through it! I have just dug out a couple of old news paper pics and scanned them along with a pic I took of her going past Devonport just after her rebuild in the Kiwi Lager scheme. If you have an email address I can shoot them through to you. BTW- I was wrong about the research bit it was for a movie platform and crew base. Best of luck with your endeavours.
Hi JRB, thanks for your comments. Unfortunately she has not been operational for many years despite my best efforts and needs considerably more care and money poured in than I can give, I don't have a Richard Branson budget. Queenstown remains the best possible place to operate her commercially should anyone desire to see her run again. As were the Sydney hydrofoils, I believe she would be a tourist attraction in her own right.
Manu Wai is the last intact PT20 afloat, the PT20 being the world's first high speed ferry approved by Classification Societies for limited coastal use in 1956. If she cannot be saved and returned to some form of operation it will be a very sad day, will share more with you by email.
However uncomfortable for some her pitching and rolling may have been it would always have been better than any other hull form of the same length and displacement travelling at 32 knots. The 8 seats in the belvedere cabin behind the pilot stand were the only ones that were low, all others in forard and aft cabins offered good viewing. Please contact me at hydrolastic1800@gmail.com and I can send you some photos also.
seapilot64 you should see how nice Curl Curl is lookin
Thanks kwokwing. That's exactly how I felt when I saw my first hydrofoil, a sistership to Manu Wai, when I was 5 years old I think the PT50 however is the best looking and best proportioned hydrofoil ever built. I hope to be posting some PT50 footage shortly.
I went on the Manu Wai when I was five! To Waiheke Island.
I saw PT 50 footage from TV last night . Just a few secs from 007 film - man with the golden gun. When 007 returned from Macau to Hong Kong ( where I have been living for more than half a century.)
Beautiful.
Красиво!!!Ни одно судно не идёт красивее СПК !
When the hydrofoils left Sydney, that was it!
Hi everyone. Manu Wai has moved again and has relocated back to Berry's Bay mooring mid 2012. Future not looking good unless a mining magnate with a penchant for hydrofoils comes along.
Yes, 25 knot "blandamarans." They do however provide a very reliable service which is much easier to do in 25 knot vessels on a 20 minute timetable as opposed to 32 knot earlier foils and 37 knot later foils on a 15 minute timetable which was frequently done in 12 to 13 minutes due to much lower installed and less stressed machinery. Toyota Camry as opposed to a Ferrari is a good analogy.
Sorry my friend that I do not speak Russian but thank you for your comment.
I wish I could put her back into service too. Not suitable to commute on that run as she is too small to handle the seas on a daily basis. I wanted to operate excursion trips to Broken Bay/Akuna Bay weather permitting. We covered the 34 nautical miles from Circular Quay to Cottage Point in just over an hour on a calm day. Let me know if you win Lotto and want to help out!
i saw her at Akuna bay in 97 went on board took photos she still is a beautiful boat
Sorry for delay in replying. MED1 will suffice on the harbour. Beyond harbour limits you need higher grade engineer's qualifications, can't recall exactly what it is at the moment.
@jetboatjoe7 the manua wai is now sitting on a mooring up near Cockatoo Island, a bit further upstream from Woolwich, I am not exactly sure of the exact areas name. She was also up on a container in Rozelle Bay before being refloated and put on the mooring.
I thought I replied to your comment a long time ago but it appears not to be the case! I loved your mini musical, fantastic!!
I may have left a comment on your video inviting you out for a trip on the Manly Ferry that I work on? Offer still good if you want to take it up one day.
Yes, just posted a few hours ago. My contact details are on the eBay listing if you wish to contact me. Garry.
Hi Haig, Rob, everyone. December 2012 and someone still asked which wharf the hydrofoils went from.
What song is this!? Its awesome! THAT BOAT IS SO COOL
How good were the hysdrofoils when they did Circular Quay to Many? Bring them back
Yes, just listed today. My contact details are on the eBay listing should anyone wish to contact me directly. Garry.
@Curranulla1939 I know what you mean passengers are always asking what happened to them and tell me how good they were
So what happened to the lovely old girl?
Is that for sale on ebay at the moment?
Hi Gary
where is the old girl now? I noticed she has gone from the cresent
Let me guess, have the since been replaced by something slower & less interesting ?
Ha, yeah. Same with Concorde...
@Xigano1 Slower - probably. Less interesting - definitely.
If I win lotto I will give you a shout! But if you get something going and I have my tickets by then I'll be looking for a job! Is it a med 1 or engineer grade ##?