George Brasell

 

GEORGE BRASELL
(Brasell Point)

Growing up and living in Lyttleton,   (Lyttleton Harbour) George Brasell after whom Brasell Point is named, started work as a boat builder during which time he became a competent yachtsman,  winning the Manders Cup in 1931.

Mr Brasell’s father, James was killed in 1939, at the start of World War 2, when a shot from the Godley Head, Coastal Defence Battery, went through the engine room of his fishing boat “Dolphin”.

George Brasell became a well respected fisherman and in 1951 skippered a yacht in a race from Wellington to Lyttleton, which later became to be known as the “Ill Fated Yacht  Race” in which two yachts the “Husky” and “Argo” and 10 crew members were lost.

Mr Brasell abandoned the race soon after the start due to unfavourable weather forecasts and returned to Lyttleton.  He and a crew of 5 then took his trawler “Tawera” out to assist yachts in the race who were in difficulty.  Their actions resulted in the rescue of the yacht “Astral”  for which Mr Brasell was awarded the Royal Humane Society's Gold Medal with the crew members each being awarded Bronze Medals.

(See links below).

Mr Brasell moved to Akaroa where he and his wife ran a business.  At the same time Mr Brasell built another fishing vessel “Miss Akaroa” which today still uses Deep Cove as it’s home port.

At the time that plans were being made to build the Manapouri Power Project  Mr Brasell was fishing in the area and was contracted to supply water services at Deep Cove during the construction of the power station.  This work involved moving people, goods and fuels to the Wanganella before it was moved from its original mooring to its mooring alongside the road to the wharf.  Virtually everything that went to the Wanganella was transported by Mr Brasell’s vessels.  

Mr Brasell was an accomplished artist completing a number of paintings, some of which are located in the hostel passage.  He also wrote a number of books including titles such as  “Men and Boats” and “Hole Through to Deep Cove”.

HOLE THROUGH TO DEEP COVE

By George BRASELL 

First I will tell you how I became involved in Doubtful Sound, before the project started.

I spent the first part of my life, from the age of 14 years, boat building and yachting around Lyttelton Harbour and then in fishing trawlers, first with my brother Jim, in "Muriel" and then with my father in the trawler "Dolphin" and then with my own trawler "Pioneer", about the time of our marriage in 1936.

After the war years I designed and built our 58 foot trawler "Tawera" and trawled her in deeper waters of 50 to 80 fathoms off Banks Peninsula and other ports of New Zealand.

Arthritis became a problem and my doctor ordered me out of my gumboots, so Olive and I sold "Tawera" and we moved from Lyttelton to Akaroa to take on a rundown passenger service, run for many years by the Pool Family with the launch "Orari"

This was a big shift, Olive was born in Lyttelton, she was the daughter of Captain Sproule, a Master Mariner in sail and we had many ties to break in Lyttelton.

Unfortunately we were about 15 years too soon for Akaroa. The tourist trade was at a very low ebb at that time and I found that I had to return to my old trade of boat building and fishing to earn a living.

I designed and built the 48 ft passenger launch "Miss Akaroa" building her in our yard, alongside the then Bruce Hotel and we enjoyed the somewhat quieter life of carrying up to 80 passengers, around Akaroa Harbour and out to the Heads. 

However things were not progressing fast enough for me and after building several smaller boats and operating the 'Miss Akaroa" to the best of my ability, I took the plunge and with my son Charles and my cobber Hapi Hokianga as crew, in about 1959 we steamed around the South Island, to Doubtful Sound in Fiordland, with everything on board except the kitchen sink, to catch crayfish for the export market to America.

We had in tow our little 18 ft launch "Mati". I had built her in Akaroa to be used as a tender in the Sounds, and we nearly lost her while rounding Pusegeur Point in westerly weather, when a sea broke through her windscreen, but that is another story.

On arrival in Doubtful Sound, we set up camp at anchor on board our launch "Miss Akaroa" in Blanket Bay, with our anchor out in deep water and our stern moored to a tree. This was the only safe way to moor a launch in the Southern Sounds at that time.

Captain Cooked moored the "Resolution" in this manner in Pickersgill Harbour, 27th March 1773. "Resolution" was anchored in 5 fathoms of water with shorelines tied to trees.

Blanket Bay, situated on the Eastern side of Secretary Island was a safe haven during the North West gales which occasionally swept in from the Tasman sea.

Secretary Island is situated in the mouth of Doubtful Sound. It is about 4,000ft at it's highest peak. There was no jetty at Blanket Bay at that time. Other boats moored along side us in the Bay, and many tall stories were told, in our deckhouse, when the sandflies had gone to rest.

Out only link with the outside world being by radio telephone, and we were serviced by the float plane from George Radford's store on the shore of Lake Te Anau.

After two and a half years of fishing out of Blanket Bay, with 270" of rain a year, we were due for an extensive overhaul, so we steamed back around the South Island to Port Chalmers to carry out repairs and alterations.  Our crayfish traps and spare gear had been hauled ashore to the steep bush clad bank.

Little "Mati" was towed up the Sound to Deep Cove, where she was moored snuggly to a tree in the backwater of the Lyvia River, near Les Hutchin's trampers lodge at the Deep Cove terminus of the walking track over the Wilmot Pass from the West Arm of Lake Manapouri.

Olive ws with us on board "Miss Akaroa". She had flown from Lake Te Anau by float plane. She often walked the Wilmot Pass, walking track with a guide, when the fog was low on the Wilmot Pass and the floatplane could not fly.  Altogether she walked the pass about 16 times and we steamed up the Sound from Blanket Bay to meet her.

When she flew in by floatplane, the pilot came alongside with one wing over the after deck and Olive just walked aboard almost like Father Christmas with all our valuable stores and mail. We were often caught unawares, and there was always a big cleanup on board when Olive was on board with us.

The weather was good on our way South and I was able to put Olive ashore in Pickersgill Harbour to see where Captain Cook had moored the "Resolution".  We also sited the plaques naming Observation Point, where Cook took the first sights for Longitude to position New Zealand. He was also the first to use the Great Circle Navigation, which took him into the Sub Antarctic.

The weather was good for us, so we did not stop at Bluff, but carried on to Port Chalmers in glorious fine weather. Olive was never a good sailor, but she really enjoyed this voyage.

In Port Chalmers we lived on board "Miss Akaroa" while moored at Miller and Tonnage's slipway, while we carried out our repairs and maintenance.

While in Port in 1963, I was asked if I would help to berth the "Wanganella" when she arrived in Deep Cove, from Australia, to be used as a hostel ship for the workers who were to build the 6 mile out fall tunnel, from the proposed power house, to be built 800ft under Lake Manapouri.

The call came by phone through Andy Millers Shipyard. I asked "What did they want me for?". A very American voice replied, "We don't know what we want you for, but we want you".  We had just completed out overhaul, so I decided to give it a go, although we had no contract in writing.

Olive returned to Akaroa and Christchurch and Charles and I set out again for Doubtful Sound. We were requested to call at Bluff and load surveyors gear etc for Utah Construction Co, where we loaded aboard out little launch about 8 tons of their equipment, plus our own stores and fuel. The amount of gear that they expected us to pack on board, you would have thought we had the "Queen Mary".

On arrival at Deep Cove, Charles and I found that Bechtels and the Marine Department officials, with the assistance of the survey ship "HMNZS Lachlan" had borrowed our little 18 ft "Mati" to assist with their survey work, prior to the arrival of the "Wanganella". So we carried the first equipment for the project in the Cove and unbeknown to us at the time, little "Mati" started the Deep Cove project.

We still had no real contract and Charles and I had not sooner loaded our craypots and gear on board, to start crayfishing again, when we received a radio telephone message inquiring if we would proceed to Milford Sound, to pick up four moorings and equipment, plus the Project Manager J. D. Kimsey, with his small band of men, as the "Wanganella" was due in Doubtful Sound from Australia in a few days time, and the ring bolts were to be fastened to the cliff faces in Deep Cove, to take the ships mooring cables.

The weather packed up on the way North and we had a fairly rough trip. After loading the men and mooring rings aboard, we set off from Milford, expecting a tail wind. About 11" of rain had fallen the previous day and all roads were closed.  However the weather changed to the South and we had to buck against it, all the 60 odd miles South to Doubtful Sound. J D Kimsey and his three very keen (Kiwi's) were not so keen on arrival. One man swore that he would never set foot on a boat again.  

That was the finish of our fishing venture. Our cray traps and spare fuel were once again hauled into the bush, and it was all go working for Utah Construction Company.

On the 1st September 1963 'Wanganella" arrived before the ring bolts were fastened to the shore, and some of her mooring ropes had to be fastened to trees.  Both her anchors were out the full length of her cables in about 50 fathoms of water and she was moored far enough out from the cliff face, to allow blasting operations to be carried out at a later date, for the building of the proposed cantilever wharf, to be built for overseas ships to unload the 90 ton generators and transformers, to be transported over the proposed road over the 2,000 ft Wilmot Pass, and down the spiral to the Power House with 7 generators, 800 ft under Lake Manapouri at West Arm.

It was all go aboard out launch, assisting to berth "Wanganella". The Marine Department surveyors had placed a buoy where the ships anchors were to be dropped and the first anchor was expertly dropped right on the buoy and sank it. The only contact from the ship to the shore was by my launch "Miss Akaroa". Even the amphibian planes landed their passengers on to our launch, after they had either flown in or walked the Wilmot Pass walking track.

When the "Wanganella" was finally moored to the bush clad face, the Captain exclaimed "I have sailed my ships to all parts of the world, but this is the first time my ship has been tied to a tree". 

"Wanganella" had been taken straight from her passenger run, from Australia to Hong Kong.  She had been sailing for Huddart Parker on the Hong Kong line and al her beautiful silver ware was branded Huddart Parker. Most of this when not required on the hostel ship was dumped, like everything else, over the side.  The Chinese crewmen were flown back to China and Australian officers were flown to Australia.

The first job for the construction crew was to clean up the ship, she was filthy. Twin berth cabins were altered to single berth, the galley was cleaned up and a concrete floor was laid and the old wooden benches were replaced with stainless steel. Cockroaches and vermin were everywhere and finally the whole ship had to be fumigated.  A gang of cleaners worked continuously to keep the ship tidy, and they also worked the ships electric powered winches to load stores and cargo from visiting ships, which at that time moored alongside the "Wanganella"

I was at that time as busy as a bee, carrying up to eighty men from the ships gangway to what they called, the loading site, on the other side of the Cove. No jetty had been built, there was nothing to tie my launch to unless there was a bulldozer handy. I just poked my launches up against the rocky shore and the men clambered ashore over the bow, gumboots, wet weather gear and all and suprisingly enough no one was drowned.

Many dignitaries arrived, among them the Duke of Edinburgh, 'Sir Bernard' and 'Lady Ferguson' 'Miss World' with 'Howard Morrison' and his gang, 'Admiral Dufeck' from Deep Freeze and many tales were told.  I painted an oil painting of Crooked Arm of Doubtful Sound for Sir Bernard and Lady Ferguson which went to Scotland with them.

Most visitors arrived by amphibian plane and were landed on a small pontoon moored in about 50 fathoms of water. After the amphib had left the pontoon, I picked up the people and transported them to the ship's gangway.

Dot Delany was quite a problem, she was the Union delegate for cooks and stewards, and she was about two axe handles across the stern. I had quite a problem rolling her off the pontoon, on to the launch and then on to the "Wanganella's" gangway and she could swear better than any of the construction workers.

When I had put Miss World on the gangway, the lads above hoisted the gangway enough to make her show a leg. They were disappointed as she wore slacks and dark glasses. The Duke of Edinburgh had to pass his plate along the stainless steel servery, passing several cooks, who filled up your plate with this and that. One cook had a huge tray of chutney and the Duke said "what is that". The cook replied "Chutney" and the Duke said "It looks more like elephant poop to me". This made him just one of the boys and the story went down to the tunnel in no time.

A very strong social committee was formed under the watchful eye of the Ken Fairweather (Wilma) and the No1. Hold was turned into a theatre for those off watch.

No2 hold was used as a store, until a store was built ashore. Cargo ships moored alongside and loaded their cargo aboard with the ship's derricks. This meant that every nut and bolt from the ships hold had to be carried ashore by launch.  I now had two other launches to assist me, neither of them suitable for the job, with inexperienced men in charge of them.

With three shifts of workers to the work site each 24 hours plus the barge work, unloading overseas ships, at anchor in the Cove and taking the Pilot three miles out into the Tasman to bring in the ships, I was on 24 hour call out and very tired.

The Americans were now finding out how tough the conditions could be in Fiordland. Building the road to the tunnel site was major job. The first bulldozer arrived by barge and was dragged ashore into the bush. It was first operated by the Project Manager J D Kimsey, and he wrecked it in a fortnight. 

Although "Wanganella" was still moored at anchor from the shore, ships were arriving with cargo and fuel for the Deep Cove project, and the building of the power plant at the West Arm of Lake Manapouri.

When the road past the Helena Falls to the work site at the tunnel portal was completed, a fuel tank was built. A large generating plant was built with three GEC diesel electric motors to power the plant and a bailey bridge replaced the old swing bridge over the Lyvia River.

Building the cantilever wharf to land the 90 ton generators and transformers for the power house at West Arm was a major task. It was cantilevered out from the steep sided cliff face, to carry 100 tons, 60 ft out over 50 fathoms of water.

The hospital was built aboard and quarters aft for the Bechtal supervisors. When the compliment on board exceeded 500 a building was constructed ashore to house about 80 (white hatters).

Progress was very slow at this time. The project proved to be the largest in the world and many obstacles had to be overcome. The road over the Wilmot Pass was a major job. Built up water under Mount Barber was experienced at as much as 1800lbs pressure and this nearly stopped the whole project. 

The amphibian plane "Mallard" carrying 13 passengers replaced the smaller Cessna floatplanes.  Small lighthouses and beacons were built to assist navigation and a floating pipeline was constructed to unload oil tankers. I had the job of handling this floating pipe line and it was a disaster. As there was no landing place for the amphibian planes, a small raft was moored in about 50 fathoms of water. This was also badly designed and the passengers and bags of linen etc often got wet, before I could transfer them to the ship.

However the ship was a great home for the men. The bar on the boat deck was very popular and thousands of beer cans were dropped overboard. The original cans with the Deep Cove label are very valuable now.  During discussions in the bar, the question came up 'How many beer cans were under the "Wanganella". I offered to show them on the depth recorder on my launch. A party came aboard with me and we headed for the ship with the depth showing on the sounder graph. Of course the graph picked up the bottom of the cliff under the "Wanganella" in about 40 fathoms of water and when I turned around the peak showed to just under the ship. Everyone in the bar really believed that the "Wanganella" was floating above a mountain of beer cans, and to this day I am still hearing this story.

Many tall stories were told in the bar on the boat-deck. Our shore mechanic Roy Neilson played the squeeze box and we had some good singalongs.  The ships old press was brought into acton. Jim Thompson from the galley was a cleaver artist and he loved to depict incidents that happened in the Cove. I think the daddy of the lot was when our Harbour Master put the "Ada Marie" up the tree in the Lyvia River. 

A storm was raging and the midnight shift from the tunnel could not cross the bailey bridge over the Lyvia River.  Darcy with the midnight shift aboard the "Ada Marie" while negotiating down the swollen river, struck a tree and I was called out to rescue the men.  I called out my old fishing mate Alex Lord, to assist with the little "Mati" as she was the only boat that was able to enter the swollen river.  

I stood by with "Miss Akaroa" at the river mouth while Alex made several trips tup river to bring out the shipwrecked tunnelers to my launch. We all joked about this event, but it could have been quite serious.  Low and behold! Next day when the storm abated and the Lyvia River returned to normal "Ada Marie's" nose was right up the tree and her stern was in the mud. A dozer had to be brought in and the tree cut down, to bring the "Ada Marie" (African Queen), back to the river.  

After the road was completed to the cantilever wharf site, "Wanganella" was moved forward on her anchor cables and moored to the shore with two pivoting gangways. A change house was built on the shore astern of the ship and a covered walkway allowed the men to come aboard with clean dry clothes.  

The project was well underway now with the road in from Manapouri and the cantilever wharf ready to take heavy machinery for the underground power-house, from overseas ships.  These ship handled the 90 ton lifts with their own gear and landed the heavy loads on to low loaders which had been barged up Lake Manapouri and driven over the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove. "Shie Lloyd" was the first overseas vessel to land the generators.

When "Wanganellla" was moored to the shore my work load was a lot lighter, although I will still required with my launch to put the Pilot on board the overseas vessels and to assist with the berthing of these ships. 

The only women on board "Wanganella" were the two nurses and occasionally the Doctors wife. My wife Olive often stayed on board our launch and we made many life long friends. I had time to spare towards the end of the project and learned to paint with oils. I painted many paintings of Doubtful Sound for the men to take home to all parts of the world.

By hole through in 1968 , thousands of men, from all walks of life had worked on the project. Six men died on the Deep Cove side.

The (White House) building was left for the Parks Board to be used as a Youth Hostel. Unfortunately this building was built on tunnel spoil rock and it subsided. This building was later replaced and it is the Youth Hostel for the education of youths of New Zealand.  The point of land near the Hostel is named after me "Brasell's Point" and the nature walk through the bush is called "Brasell's Nature Walk".

The 25th Anniversary reunion of Deep Cove workers was held at Te Anau and at an auction for charity four of my paintings and several Deep Cove beer cans were sold. About $2,000 was given to the Hostel and it was used to purchase a rescue boat for the Cove.  

A jolly good time was had by all at the reunion and we were taken up Lake Manapouri by boat, down to the power house, over the Wilmot Pass and out into Doubtful Sound in Fiordland Travel's latest passenger vessels.  

What a difference in Deep Cove today. The fishing boats that fished from Blanket Bay at the entrance to Doubtful Sound, are now working from Deep Cove and sending their crayfish live to Japan by helicopter. High speed launches are taking passengers in Doubtful Sound and other parts of Fiordland. Tourists are travelling by coach over the Wilmot Pass to the cantilever wharf and it is all go in Deep Cove today. 

The old six mile tunnel from the power house, can not discharge the out fall of water fast enough from the generators at Manapouri and a new tunnel is being built alongside the old one.  This tunnel is being built with similar machinery to that which built the English Channel one and is expected to be built in less time. However this will still be a tremendous task and this will be another great storey.

Footnote:

On leaving Deep Cove Mr Brassel moved to Dunedin. With the passing away of his wife Olive, Mr Brassel returned to Akaroa where he lived until his death in  2005.  He gave talks about his time in Deep Cove, to interested parties, and wrote several books including such titles as "Wooden Ships, Iron Men" - Boats and Blokes",.  He was also a competent  with oil painting and some of his pictures are on display in the passage way of the hostel.  His son Charles lives in Invercargill.   Mr Brasell's  permission to use this text, in an effort to preserve history is appreciated.

Since leaving the waters of Doubtful Sound "Miss Akaroa"  operated from Havelock in the Marlborough Sounds, until she returned to Deep Cove in 2006.  The trawler "Tawera" is still fishing out of Timaru.   

 Links:

Ill Fated Yacht Race

See also

Award of medals

Manders Cup.

Father killed by shot from Godley Head Gun at start of WW2

                    

                           

 

 

 

 

 

                           

                          

                             

 

    

                               

 

 

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