There are boats, and then there are boats with stories. Loloma is firmly in the second category.
Built in 1909 by Auckland boatbuilder JJ O’Rorke, this gaff-rigged keel cutter began life under a different name entirely. Launched as Waratah, she was renamed Loloma after the loss of the Australian express liner of the same name cast a shadow over the original. The new name suits her well. In Fijian, Loloma means love or mercy.
Her origins are intriguing. Unlike most Auckland keel yachts of her era, Loloma carried a short counter, generous beam for her length, and a cod’s head and mackerel tail hull form that set her apart from her contemporaries. Some have drawn comparisons to the New England knockabout type, and it has been suggested her design may have been drawn from the pages of Rudder magazine. Her double diagonal kauri hull was originally finished in clear varnish, and early photographs show her carrying a substantial sail area.
Her life has not been without incident. Between 1911 and 1919 she was based in Whangarei, sailing for part of that time under the name Waireka. In January 1915, racing in Auckland, she was T-boned on the starboard side and cut to the waterline. The repairs were poorly executed, leaving a twist in the hull that persisted for decades. The restoration that corrected it was a serious undertaking, requiring a new deck and two additional skins on the hull. That work was carried out by Auckland maritime historian Harold Kidd, a man who understood better than most what these vessels represent. That Kidd chose to invest his time and knowledge in Loloma says something about the boat’s quality and character. She is a typical example of Auckland’s 4th Class or E Class fleet from the first four decades of the twentieth century.
Today Loloma carries a full traditional rig including two headsails, a staysail, mainsail, topsail with two spars and a spinnaker pole. A Volvo 10hp diesel turning a folding MaxProp provides auxiliary power. She has a modern marine toilet with holding tank and a solar-fed battery bank kept topped up by a movable solar panel. She has recently been freshened up on the hard with new antifouling, prop speed, hull polish and an engine service.
Specifications
Year: 1909
Builder: JJ O’Rorke, Auckland
Type: Gaff-rigged keel cutter
Hull: Double diagonal kauri, with additional skins added during restoration
Length: 8.53m (27.99ft)
Engine: Volvo 10hp diesel
Propeller: Folding MaxProp
Sails: Two headsails, staysail, mainsail, topsail, two spars, spinnaker pole
Toilet: Modern marine with holding tank
Electrical: Battery bank with solar regeneration
Location: Northland, New Zealand
At 116 years old, Loloma remains a direct and tangible connection to the origins of New Zealand yacht racing and the golden age of Auckland timber boatbuilding. She is, by all accounts, a genuine joy to sail.
Loloma is currently located in Northland and is available through Vining Marine, asking $29,000. For a vessel of this age, provenance and character, that is a rare opportunity.
