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Schooner to come home after 155 years
After being buried in the black sands of Muriwai for over 150 years, a marvel of early New Zealand trading vessels, Mangawhai’s ‘Daring’, is finally coming home. The 18th century schooner’s return was announced today, November 29, at a special ceremony held at Mangawhai Historic Village with the Daring Rescue Group (DRG) handing over official guardianship of the vessel to newly-formed Mangawhai Daring Trust, who will oversee the 16m vessel’s salvage and restoration as well as her future as a unique local exhibit. Founder of DRG and now one of trustees of the Mangawhai Trust, John Sweet, says he is thrilled to bits that the Daring is going home. “It’s an absolute pleasure to finally be able to come to Mangawhai after dealing with the supercity of Auckland,” he says. “Knowing she is coming back to where she originally came from is great; thanks to Jim Wintle and his team for making it happen.” Resurfacing near the entrance of the Kaipara Harbour in May 2018, along with a ‘perfectly intact shoe’, coins, a cup, clay pipes and old wine bottle-caps, the Daring was reluctantly forsaken on the wild west coast 153 years ago, marooned deliberately by the captain and crew after she became caught in a heavy south-westerly gale. Constructed in Mangawhai out of local Kauri and pohutukawa in 1863 by experienced Waipu shipbuilders Donald McInnes and Hugh McKenzie, with retired Colonial War soldiers providing labour, the schooner is believed to be the lone survivor of her kind, and comes under the protection of Heritage New Zealand. Daring Trust chair Jim Wintle says the building housing the Daring, will be one of the most important for tourism in New Zealand. “It’s going to take a lot of money so we’ll be looking for sponsors and would like local people to join the Trust or volunteer any skills and become part and parcel of this project which will be a really thrilling exercise.”
Members of the Mangawhai Daring Trust officially announce the future of the Daring to an enthusiastic local gathering. PHOTO/JULIA WADE
The Daring was excavated from its sandy Muriwai Beach grave around two years ago. PHOTO/CIVICTRUSTAUCKLAND.ORG.NZ |
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