- Kaipuke Kaiapoi Heritage Trust -
Scow Success
Reviving the legacy of scows trading with the port of Kaiapoi through the restoration of this sister ship.
- KAIPUKE KAIAPOI HERITAGE TRUST -
Our Maritime History matters!
The Kaipuke Kaiapoi Heritage Trust (formerly the Alwin G Heritage Trust) was established with a singular mission: to acquire and restore the historic scow Success to her original splendour as an auxiliary schooner-rigged deck scow. This restoration aims not just to preserve history but to breathe new life into a vessel that once thrived on the Kaiapoi River. In time, KAIPUKE KAIAPOI HERITAGE TRUST will offer heritage passenger excursions along the Kaiapoi and Waimakariri Rivers, reminiscent of the beloved, yet lost, MV Tuhoe.
Success carries the legacy of the vessels that plied the waters of Kaiapoi before World War II. She is a direct sister to the scow Ngahau, which worked the port of Kaiapoi during the 1930s but no longer exists in a recognisable form. Among the approximately 130 scows of her kind that once sailed New Zealand’s coasts, only three remain. Alongside Success, the Jane Gifford operates today on the Mahurangi River in Warkworth, serving as a poignant reminder of these essential “trucks of the sea.”
The restored Success will take on a vibrant new role, providing unique experiences for tourists, hosting weddings, youth training programmes, and special events. She will proudly sail as the flagship vessel of Kaiapoi, a symbol of both the region’s maritime heritage and its future.
Success carries the legacy of the vessels that plied the waters of Kaiapoi before World War II. She is a direct sister to the scow Ngahau, which worked the port of Kaiapoi during the 1930s but no longer exists in a recognisable form. Among the approximately 130 scows of her kind that once sailed New Zealand’s coasts, only three remain. Alongside Success, the Jane Gifford operates today on the Mahurangi River in Warkworth, serving as a poignant reminder of these essential “trucks of the sea.”
The restored Success will take on a vibrant new role, providing unique experiences for tourists, hosting weddings, youth training programmes, and special events. She will proudly sail as the flagship vessel of Kaiapoi, a symbol of both the region’s maritime heritage and its future.
Scows were designed with purpose and practicality in mind, built to navigate the narrow tidal rivers, estuaries, and creeks where New Zealand’s early communities thrived. The first of these flat-bottomed vessels was constructed in Whangateau in 1873, with the last, Alwin G, completed in Auckland in 1925. Their flat-bottom design enabled scows to sit upright when stranded on dry land, making them ideal for loading and unloading freight and stock—no docks or wharves required.
New Zealand scows were a clever adaptation of the San Francisco Great Lakes Scow Schooners. Initially confined to the region north of Auckland, their value was soon recognised, and they spread throughout the country, becoming a common sight in places like Nelson Bays and river ports such as Kaiapoi and Hokitika. Sadly, these hardworking vessels were often overused and underappreciated. Many met unfortunate ends—wrecked, turned into barges, broken up, or left abandoned on beaches to decay.
Yet a few remain, and the restoration of Success ensures that this vital piece of New Zealand’s maritime history will not be lost. She, like the others, tells the story of an era when scows were the lifeblood of coastal and river trade.
New Zealand scows were a clever adaptation of the San Francisco Great Lakes Scow Schooners. Initially confined to the region north of Auckland, their value was soon recognised, and they spread throughout the country, becoming a common sight in places like Nelson Bays and river ports such as Kaiapoi and Hokitika. Sadly, these hardworking vessels were often overused and underappreciated. Many met unfortunate ends—wrecked, turned into barges, broken up, or left abandoned on beaches to decay.
Yet a few remain, and the restoration of Success ensures that this vital piece of New Zealand’s maritime history will not be lost. She, like the others, tells the story of an era when scows were the lifeblood of coastal and river trade.
Jane Gifford under sail.
Only three original scows remain: -
- The Jane Gifford is fully restored and in survey.
- The Alma is in private ownership and under restoration.
- The Success is the only other surviving scow left that is suitable for restoration.
- The Vessel -
Success (formerly Alwin G)
Originally built as Alwin G, the vessel now known as Success measures 66 x 18.7 x 4.1 feet (20.1 x 5.7 x 1.2 metres). Crafted by the renowned shipbuilder Davey Darroch at Stanley Bay, Auckland, she was launched in 1925, commissioned by Alan and Winifred Glass. Her robust construction and versatile design made her a workhorse of New Zealand’s coastal trade routes.
Throughout her long and varied career, Success carried an eclectic range of goods—glass sand, firewood, fertiliser, building materials, and more. She traded to remote locations such as Ngunguru, Parengarenga, and later Whitianga. Though she changed hands within the Glass family several times until 1930, she continued her steady service under new ownership. In February 1937, her name was officially changed to Success, marking a new chapter in her history.
In 1963, Barney Daniels purchased Success, moving her to Wellington where she took on a new role as a refuse barge. She collected waste from international vessels, with much of it being dumped in Cook Strait, later incinerated at Evans Bay. A moment of historic significance came on April 10th, 1968, when Success was involved in the rescue efforts during the tragic Wahine disaster, a testament to her enduring value and resilience.
Purchased by Peter Yealands in 1982, Success underwent significant renovations, transitioning into a new phase of life in barge operations and later becoming a key player in the green shell mussel industry. Further modifications were made under the ownership of Rob Pooley, who acquired her in 1990, keeping her active in the mussel trade.
After decades of service, Success was retired in 2008, when she was sold to Dave Skyrme and relocated to a dockyard in Nelson. Her journey continues as the efforts to restore her to her former glory are now underway, ensuring that her legacy will endure for future generations.
Throughout her long and varied career, Success carried an eclectic range of goods—glass sand, firewood, fertiliser, building materials, and more. She traded to remote locations such as Ngunguru, Parengarenga, and later Whitianga. Though she changed hands within the Glass family several times until 1930, she continued her steady service under new ownership. In February 1937, her name was officially changed to Success, marking a new chapter in her history.
In 1963, Barney Daniels purchased Success, moving her to Wellington where she took on a new role as a refuse barge. She collected waste from international vessels, with much of it being dumped in Cook Strait, later incinerated at Evans Bay. A moment of historic significance came on April 10th, 1968, when Success was involved in the rescue efforts during the tragic Wahine disaster, a testament to her enduring value and resilience.
Purchased by Peter Yealands in 1982, Success underwent significant renovations, transitioning into a new phase of life in barge operations and later becoming a key player in the green shell mussel industry. Further modifications were made under the ownership of Rob Pooley, who acquired her in 1990, keeping her active in the mussel trade.
After decades of service, Success was retired in 2008, when she was sold to Dave Skyrme and relocated to a dockyard in Nelson. Her journey continues as the efforts to restore her to her former glory are now underway, ensuring that her legacy will endure for future generations.
- Kaiapoi -
Scow Legacy
In the late 1800s, scow-type ketches and schooners were a familiar sight along the port of Kaiapoi. These sail-driven vessels played a vital role in transporting goods until the advent of steamers slowly edged them out of the picture. It wasn’t until the mid-1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression, that the first motorised scow made its appearance on the river. That scow was the Ngahau, sister ship to Success, and she was equipped with full sails despite her motor.
Ngahau became a well-known vessel on the Kaiapoi River, particularly noted for her role in transporting live sheep from Banks Peninsula to Kaiapoi. She often worked alongside the Motor Vessel Foxton, even playing a crucial role in rescuing Foxton from the hazardous Waimakariri River Bar in 1934. Ironically, Ngahau herself fell victim to the same bar just a few months later.
By 1936, Ngahau had made history as the last fully-rigged sailing vessel to trade out of Kaiapoi. She made her final journey to Wellington, delivering cargo before returning to Auckland to transport glass sand. Her later years were less glorious—after serving as a dumb barge, she was laid up on a beach in Houhora, Northland, and eventually dismantled.
Eighteen years after Ngahau’s departure, the scow Kohi briefly stepped in to assist the coastal vessel Ranginui, making four trips before meeting her own end. Sunk at a Picton wharf, Kohi was condemned and later repurposed as a landing stage at Westhaven, at the top of the South Island’s West Coast.
Other scows, including the Talisman and the Echo, are believed to have passed through the area, making brief stops while en route to Lyttelton for repairs in 1966. Though their presence was fleeting, they are part of the broader tapestry of scow history in New Zealand’s waters.
Ngahau became a well-known vessel on the Kaiapoi River, particularly noted for her role in transporting live sheep from Banks Peninsula to Kaiapoi. She often worked alongside the Motor Vessel Foxton, even playing a crucial role in rescuing Foxton from the hazardous Waimakariri River Bar in 1934. Ironically, Ngahau herself fell victim to the same bar just a few months later.
By 1936, Ngahau had made history as the last fully-rigged sailing vessel to trade out of Kaiapoi. She made her final journey to Wellington, delivering cargo before returning to Auckland to transport glass sand. Her later years were less glorious—after serving as a dumb barge, she was laid up on a beach in Houhora, Northland, and eventually dismantled.
Eighteen years after Ngahau’s departure, the scow Kohi briefly stepped in to assist the coastal vessel Ranginui, making four trips before meeting her own end. Sunk at a Picton wharf, Kohi was condemned and later repurposed as a landing stage at Westhaven, at the top of the South Island’s West Coast.
Other scows, including the Talisman and the Echo, are believed to have passed through the area, making brief stops while en route to Lyttelton for repairs in 1966. Though their presence was fleeting, they are part of the broader tapestry of scow history in New Zealand’s waters.
