Said to be one of The New Zealand Shipping Companies fastest sailing ships, she was built in 1863 by a Mr Samuelson.

Of 1225 tons, she made her maiden voyage to New Zealand as the Scimitar.
One of the first headmasters of Auckland Grammar School, Mr Farquhar McRae, immigrated to New Zealand on this vessel. The ship had been known to sail from Plymouth to Lyttleton in 73 days as in 1876, which was very quick for those days under sail.

26 Deaths were recorded on one voyage under Captain Fox, who was assisted by Dr Hoskings, when the ship was still the Scimitar.

The Rangitikei voyage of 1883 to Auckland, under Captain Millman, is reported in the papers of those days as being rather eventful. On the 3 February 1883, two men were spotted on what looked like a raft, and brought aboard. They were from the Kenmore Castle, enroute to Singapore, and were the two survivors from eight who first went onto this deck house, which looked like a raft.

On 8 February, a dismantled Barquantine was sighted, the Maria Agatha. The master, a mate and five seamen were rescued from her in extremely rough conditions.

On 2 March, the ship's doctor assisted another ship with a passengers arm amputation. From here on to Auckland, the vessel enjoyed a smooth sail, arriving in Auckland on the 17 May 1883.

In 1897 the Rangitikei left London and met up with the Halcione, off Cape Aquilhas, South Africa. The Halcione had departed port only the day before the Rangitikei. Both ships met a heavy gale whilst passing Cook Strait, and the Halcione was wrecked on Wellington Heads.

Bad luck seemed to dog the Rangitikei. When it was ordered to Napier, the first mate, Mr Porteous was injured when an anchor was being lowered. Then a cat jumped onboard from a lighter, but when chased, jumped out a porthole into the sea. Bad luck to very superstitious sailors of that era.

In a heavy easterly, the second anchor was let out, however the ship still dragged to shore, so the Captain and the second mate went forward to look at the straining cable. Without any warning, a huge sea crashed over the front of the vessel, sweeping both men away and pouring water onto the vessel, filling the aft.

The steward yelled to the Captain's son and the mate who by now had regained his footing. Both rushed aft to pull Captain Pottinger out of the waist high water only to find that death was instantaneous due to a broken neck. Captain Pottinger is buried in Napier.

Captain Baker, formally of the Turakina, captained the vessel back to England.
Records show that the Rangitikei was later rigged as a barque after 1889, and sold to the Norwegians with another name change to the Dalston. It is recorded she paid another visit to Lyttleton as the Dalston.

She was later sold to the French, and renamed the Paul Bouket, taken to Noumea and used as a storage hulk.

In 1918 when everything that could float was sorted, she was sold and taken to Sydney.

Visits to Auckland:

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