H.Saunders

Orion was built at Paremata, Porirua, just north of Wellington. When Costa Botes made this film — shot on 16mm by Murray Milne, and featuring poet Sam Hunt (1988) — Harold Saunders had moved his operation to Jackson's Bay, Tory Channel. The similarities of design and construction between this yet-to-be-identified vessel and Orion are striking.

Catching the Tide

Details of the construction methods, and just the joy of seeing the process as Harold and another man steam a plank, hammer it up into position, and fasten it with copper rivets, is so worth the watch. Even Sam Hunt fails to spoil the experience! The whole film is a gem, full of dyed-in-the-wool kiwi nostalgia, seascapes, rich conversation, and poetry.