It was sad but serendipitous at the same time. A Bay of Islands family, beset by tragedy, needed a big strong boat.

Another family, a Tauranga family, beset by their own sad story, just happened to have one.

All the stars were aligned. The sale was made.

But it does mean Tauranga will lose a presence, a graceful lady? ‘Te Kuia' – an iconic 16m charter fishing boat has been plodding these waters and rewarding those paying to dangle a line with chilly bins of snapper, blue nose and hapuku for decades.

'It's an amazing fishing boat,” says Raewyn Ensor, who for 34 years ran Te Kuia as part of Blue Ocean Charters with her late husband Hugh. 'It's departure is a huge loss for Tauranga. People will be gutted.”

Other plans

But after all Tauranga had its chance – Te Kuia had been for sale for 10 years. Now the time is right. 'I want to retire,” says Raewyn. 'I have other plans.” Like a European adventure, and a couple of weddings in Italy.

Tauranga's loss, but on the other hand, a big score for the Bay of Islands – which lost its ferry ‘Waitere' when it was busted and sunk in a collision recently.

Waitere also had its roots in Tauranga – a pre-harbour bridge ferry, which plied between the CBD and Mount Maunganui.

Now Te Kuia will be pressed into service, replacing the ‘Waitere' on the Paihia-Russell tourist run – 15 minutes and 3.8km across the bay. Sixty-odd passengers there, another 60-odd back again. Several times a day, three months every summer during the tourist season.

Te Kuia – purpose-built for charter fishing, so a workhorse, and a 'comfortable” workhorse apparently.

And when she was pulled onto the hardstand for an annual titivation recently she drew some Facebook traffic. 'A big beamy girl when you see her out of water,” said one observer. 'A big strong ship alrite” said another. 'Big propeller” said yet another.

But Te Kuia means graceful lady – elegant, stylish, sophisticated.

34 years

'Absolutely a graceful lady,” says Raewyn. And of course she would think that – she's had 34 years growing an emotional attachment to Te Kuia, as boat owners do. 'A total family attachment,” admits Raewyn. Her three kids grew up on Te Kuia, learned to walk on those decks, learned to fish from her; got their skippers' tickets. They lived, loved and laughed aboard her. And in between times, Te Kuia was working, keeping the fishing punters happy, and putting food on the family table.

Of course it's sad she going. 'But it's even sadder what happened up north,” says Raewyn.

The BOI's accident in late-April left the 77-year-old skipper Bill Elliott with critical head and spinal injuries. He's only just come home from hospital.

'So if this helps them over that terrible accident, and at the same time allows me to retire, then it's win-win.” Te Kuia goes from one family business to another.

The Ensor's bought their first charter boat called Ratahi off a ‘hard-case' Tauranga boatie called Jerry Williams in 1988. He was probably Tauranga's first charter fishing boat operator.
'Ten minutes before our first trip out of Whakatane, just three people were waiting. Hugh, my husband, said: ‘No point going'.” Scuttled before they started.

But five minutes later 15 people were waiting. And a year later they bought another boat called Te Kuia. Business boomed.

Eulogy to Hugh

The story becomes, in part, a eulogy to Hugh Ensor, from all accounts another character, who died five years ago. 'An amazing fisherman who would get onto the snapper, blue nose and hapuku every time,” says son Scott Ensor.

He also charmed his way into expanding the fleet. 'He saw a boat in Auckland in 1994 and he really liked it. ‘Darling, can I please buy it?'” Raewyn says she couldn't refuse the man. 'After all it had twin 770hp V12 Mercedes.”

It was the ‘Ohorere'. 'It means get up and fly,” chuckles Raewyn. Does 30 knots or 55km/hr. Those twin Mercs are parked up right there – right next to Te Kuia down at B54 at the Bridge Marina. It'll be the fun boat, the holiday boat.

Hugh was working on Ohorere three weeks before his death. 'He was a fighter,” says Raewyn. He shot a 16 point red stag three weeks before he died, then bought a Harley-Davidson. He didn't slow down until he stopped.

The patriach and Te Kuia legend – the late Hugh Ensor. Photo:supplied.

'The first fishing trip on Te Kuia after Dad passed away and seven or eight dolphins turn up when we hit the 100m line,” Scott recalls. 'They stayed with us all night and all next day. They knew something had happened, they knew Dad was gone. Something spiritual going on there.”

So a little of the memory, a little of the spirit sailed out of Tauranga when Te Kuia headed north to the Bay of Islands last week.

Happy

The man at the helm for the five-day voyage to the BOI was Jack Elliott, son of the man seriously injured in the Bay of Islands crash.

The ferry business up north is a family business and they're grateful to have found Te Kuia.

'She looks as solid as a brick s*** house – and she needs to be strong for the constant wharfing.” Day in, day out during the three-month tourist season. 'Lot of newer boats couldn't stand that, not as strong.”

The Ensor's took the seasoned sailor Jack out for a ‘test run' on Te Kuia – the boat was comfortable, Jack wasn't. 'Good trip but I was seasick most of the time – I won't be throwing up at work. It's only when I get out in the deep stuff.”

So Te Kuia goes from one family business to another. 'Very cool.” Raewyn is happy with that.