BAY BELLE

This wooden ferry is now in private hands, and for sale. But I remember her going back and forth between Russell and Paihia ( a couple of nautical miles) since before I first arrived in Russell in 1973 7 days a week and 12 return trips a day. Powered by a Gardner which was reconditioned once in 1977.I certainly would not use her for coastal cruising as her bilges are very 'hard' the hull only draws a couple of feet.The motion would be violent to say the least. A over 50 wooden boat retired to domestic servitude.
Here she is passing us on the way out of Whangarei harbour last December.