54 | TRANSPORT T T Richard Loader Barging business stands test of time The Rongowai, a twin engine landing craft has a carrying capacity of 60 tonne. Tracing its ancestry back to 1857, Picton’s Kenny Barging Ltd was forged in the traditional Kiwi spirit of finding a practical solution to a pressing need, and that has stood the test of time. Courtney and Georgina Kenny were pioneering farmers based out of Double Cove in the Queen Charlotte Sounds and had to find an efficient way of transporting family and farm goods from Picton to other destinations around the wider Marlborough Sounds. That family need turned into a successful commercial marine enterprise with successive generations taking over the tiller, and progressively developing the business to include steam launches, servicing routes between Picton, Nelson and Wellington, and led on to the barging/freight arm being established. Support was also provided to the farming communities, the whaling station in Tory Channel, the Royal Mail run, as well as providing passenger transport. In 1980 Gary and Valerie Kenny officially branded the business Kenny Barging Ltd operating out of Picton Port with a sole focus on barge work servicing the log industry, aquaculture, salmon farming, salvage work and general cartage. A tug boat and floating platform, called a dumb barge, was the means of transport, but in 1990 Gary built the Rongowai, a twin engine steel landing craft, with a carrying capacity of 60 tonnes. That was complemented in 2021 with the Rongotia, a twin engine aluminium landing craft, with a carrying capacity of 5 tonnes, but much faster than the Rongowai. In 2021, as Gary and Valerie approached the golden age of retirement, neighbouring barge operator O’Donnell Park Barging was approached with the opportunity to purchase into the business, alongside Gary and Valerie’s grandson, 7th generation family member Liam Black. Alongside O’Donnell Park’s three vessels operating within the Marlborough Sounds providing aquaculture support, the combined operation has five vessels operating out of Port Marlborough, providing a complementary range of services for its customers. T T to page 56 Kenny Barging
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