SS Go Ahead was a twin screw-steamer, launched on the afternoon of Saturday 20 April 1867 by Seath and Connell, of Rutherglen, for the Clyde Shipping Company, with a plan to use her in New Zealand coastal trading.

[4] An attempt to sell her failed, so on 2 December 1867[5] she left Hobson's Bay[6] with a full cargo for Westport (then called Buller).

[8] This time she was advertised by Wellington agents, A. P. Stuart & Co, the sale notice saying she had, "a draught of 4 feet of water, will carry 1000 sheep.

"[9] The "highly suited" and "Must be sold, owner leaving the colony"[10] claims may not have been true; she used her engines to get from Buller to Wellington, but, "finding steam could not be maintained with the bad coals she had on board, she ran for Nelson for better fuel".

[12] Initially she was to sail for Napier,[13] but additions and repairs,[14] apparently amidst some delay,[15] strife over payments[16] and a failure to sell her,[17] left her lying at Queen's wharf for months.

[44] A court decided the captain's mistake wasn't sufficient to suspend his certificate[45] and the ship was back on a slipway on Auckland's North Shore, awaiting repairs, by July.

[53] An 1879 collision with Hura,[54] or Huia, off Ohau Point, again caused only minor damage[55] and, again, both captains were blamed, but their certificates weren't suspended.

[56] From 1878 she served Wellington-Napier[57] but also continued to visit Gisborne and Auckland[58] sometimes via Castle Point[59] but also working on the west coast to Whanganui,[60] about a 24-hour trip from Wellington.

By 1am on Friday 20th 1887 the wind and sea were increasing and Captain Plumley thought he was about six miles north of Cape Kidnappers and considered that Go Ahead was making 8½ to 9 knots.

The Court considered that he was guilty of negligent navigation in trying to cut the headland too fine in the foggy weather and suspended his certificate for three months;[74] by September, Captain Plumley was commanding the steamer Wallabi.