Story: Shipbuilding

Scows were simple sailing barges, perfect for cheaply transporting raw materials from isolated beaches and river landings. Flat-bottomed (to sit on the seabed at low tide), they could be refloated at high tide when loaded. Cargo was mostly stowed on deck – as on the Kauri, seen here in 1904 ghosting past Craig’s yard at Auckland, her decks piled high with massive logs. Her seagoing days ended in 1910.