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Site design and development
Mystery
Builder:Joffre Kroening
Designer:Alf Harvey
Place built:Nelson
Year built:ca.1950
Construction:Edge-planked kaikawaka (also known as Kaiwaka or NZ cedar)
LOA:12' 8"
Beam:6'
Rig:Marconi
Displacement:Centreboarder
Class:Idle Along
Owners:Wellington Classic Yacht Trust (Wellington, May 2011-); (Auckland, Gary Matthews, 20??-2011)
Notes:Sail number I6. Representing Nelson, came second in the 1956 Moffat Cup held in Wellington.
Image gallery.
For the story of the Idle Along design see here.
Below is a story about Mystery, from "Sailors of 40 degrees South: stories from the Nelson Yacht Club 1857-2007", by Tracy Neal (p96):
In the late 1940s he [Jack Harris] was measurer for an Idle Along contest. Nelson brother Murray and Peter Bennett - also regular show-stoppers with their tap dancing - were sailing their IA Mystery.
"Murray said to Dad, 'Jack, there's something a bit dicey on this boat you'll have to watch when measuring it," said Kim.
Dad said, 'Christ! Why did you have to tell me that? I didn't want to know that.' When the Nelson boat came to be measured, Dad pulled out his ruler, threw it on the deck and said 'I've measured this boat in Nelson, I know it measures up so I want nothing to do with it - you jokers measure it', and he walked away."
The officials passed the boat.
Photo source:Anne Kroening