Taupata
Taupata was built by G T Niccol in 1930 at Auckland. She was sold to the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company Ltd of Nelson while being fitted out. She made two return trips to Norfolk Island for Niccol before being handed over to Anchor Company.
Taupata traded from Nelson to various bar harbours around the New Zealand Coast.
Taupata was requisitioned in WW2 by the American Navy and served in the Pacific war zone as YAG 26 in 1943-1944. She was sold on to Pearl Kasper Shipping Company in 1949 and worked the Nelson-Lyttelton run.
In 1960 she made her first visit to Kaiapoi, and had to wait for a dragline to dig out the riverbank to swing around. She ceased calling at Kaiapoi after running aground at Kairaki in December 1961.
Taupata was purchased by Motueka Coastal Services in 1962. She suffered damage by fire in 1965 and was laid up. Taupata left New Zealand waters in 1966 and was used for a time fishing around Seychelles Islands. She was sold to Taupata Fishing Corperation, Port Moresby, in 1971. She turned up at Sydney in 1977, and was in use as a pleasure craft in 1980. She is thought to have finished up in Western Australia.