Blind Bay Hookers

Fred Westrupp grew up on Nelson’s waterfront, where his forebears had built and captained many of the small ships which were vital to early trade in the region. Widely acknowledged as an accomplished researcher and writer, Fred has meticulously melded archival records with his personal acquaintance with characters and vessels of that era.
From 1841 to 1925 Blind Bay (Tasman Bay) was serviced by a “mosquito fleet” of seagoing little ships, amiably known as hookers. Some were even built from the bush, as small as 30 feet in length. All were able to discharge and load cargoes on beaches and in estuaries. For the NZ Land Company settlers, struggling in difficult terrain, these little ships were their lifeline.