Reminisces of Takapu and Tarapunga

I was drafted to Takapu on the 10th Jan 61 as Sparker for both Boats.  Other postings were Philomel on 19th May 63 before going to Irirangi on the 24 May 63. I only wish I still had my old cap tally to prove it but unfortunately all my families personal effects were stolen from storage in Tauranga when we left for the UK in 1992… Sods Law .
It sounds like a cushie number being posted to Takapu and Tarapunga, but believe you me it was hard work as I was not only the Sparker, I was Cook most of the time, and when I wasn’t cooking or sparkering, I was John Dooles Steward and also down in the Engine room pumping up the jippers for the Engines.
I set up the old TCS which had never been used, but was in great condition and I was happy with my 50w output, as it did the job for me and the receiver was a near new B40. I used to CW to North Head every day on 3192 and when out of range I used 4 meg ship shore to ZLO. All the signals for both boats were handled by me.
We surveyed the Raglan Bar, Manukau Harbour from Onehunga Wharf to the entrance and included the Bar and South passage. We did a small amount of work near the Kaipara entrance but by and large the main work was the Manukau Bar which was pretty hairy. We ran aground just outside the Bar when Capt Johnnie Doole got a bit to close to the Rocks. It sheered off one of the props and we had to come in over the bar on a Jury Rig which was also interesting. We careened Takapu on the beach near the Wharf at Raglan and Dockyard Wahlas sorted it out with Local Engineers. Lots of signals from the Sparkery I can tell you when we reported going aground.
We were on our way up from Raglan to North Cape when we ran into a horrendous Storm near the South entrance on the approaches to North Cape. Anyway the skipper decided he would turn Takapu around and head back down the Coast well out to sea. Ever tried turning a 72 ft Motorboat 180 Degrees in huge seas. I must say that I was on the deck in the Wheelhouse with my Trusty key alongside.[because you couldn’t stand up] Anyway, at daybreak the following day we were abeam of New Plymouth. 24hrs later we were on our way again towards the Cape! This time we made the transit in reasonable conditions.
Last little dit… I was on the middle watch on the flying Bridge sitting on the Chart table with both feet on the wheel, as you do, and I spied this high THING approaching at a helluva lick and someone on the Bridge of this monstrosity was trying to contact us by light. Now as I have intimated, I was a Sparker and not a dib dab, I read the light and he said what I had already read … What Ship Where Bound ? I replied with the light HMNZS TAKAPU bound Auckland…. no response and all of a sudden all the upper deck lighting went off !!! and they disappeared into the distance at a great rate of knots…. The ship was the CANBERRA on her maiden voyage.
We actually made two earlier trips to Wellington for a scrub and clean at the slipway near the Airforce quarters… something Bay, think it was Shelly Bay. That’s all, I hope you all had a good laugh…. and to all of you who went to FES 1960 when Dodger Long and I got drafted off Royalist in Dunedin on the NZ cruise and had a helluva trip on the train to Auckland, you might have the medals but we had one helluva good time too when you were away.
Thanks to Bryan Mills for the contribution.