WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLASSIC YACHT – MAY BELLE

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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLASSIC YACHT – MAY BELLE

Classic wooden boat aficionado Brian Peat sent in the above b/w Winkleman photo of the yacht – MAY BELLE, that Brian understands his great-great grandad once owned.

Brian commented that on page 148 of Ronald Carter’s ‘A Yachtsman’s Memories of Long Ago’ reference is made to May Belle being launched in 1890 and a few years later owned by a couple of grocers in Karangahape Rd – “Peat being one”. My ancestor had a large grocery shop in K Rd and despite the surname spelling inconsistency I have other reasons to believe it was him. During research for my Des Townson book, I heard May Belle was still around, but didn’t hear where it was.

Can we help Brian out to what became of MAY BELLE.
( I took the opportunity of colorising the photo – as below)

MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH AT BAYSWATER – TAWHIRI

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MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH AT BAYSWATER – TAWHIRI

Being a resident of Devonport I’m a follower of a fb page titled ‘Original Devonport Locals’, recently Geoff Glanville posted the photo we see above.

The location is Bayswater, just along from the waterfront clubrooms of the Takapuna Boating Club. 

The building still stands today (photo below) but in poor condition and is the subject of heated debate between local residents, sporting clubs (rowing) and the TBC. The TBC several years ago built very smart new clubrooms at Takapuna Beach, but refuse to give up the peppercorn lease on the Bayswater building.            

Recently there are noises about an extensive refurbishment, but time will tell.

Anyway, back to the photo, which is from the E.B. (Jim) Menzies collection, can we put name and possible date to the vessel.

INPUT ex KEN RICKETTS – She is the TAWHIRI, built c.1946 by Roy Lidgard in his Kawau Island shed, & taken to Auckland to have her 4cyl Lister diesel engine installed, (in a box come table,) in the centre of the main cabin. Later replaced, with a 6 cyl. Ford diesel, by Uuan Berger, who owned her in the 1970s, after which she floated about 6 inches higher in the water in the bow. (photos below ex KR)

WOODYS ON TOUR – THE FRENCH RIVIERA

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WOODYS ON TOUR – THE FRENCH RIVIERA

As we enter mid-winter I thought an injection of sun and sapphire blue water might be appropriate. 

Yesterday Maurice Bryham, owner of the classic woody – IONA II sent in todays gallery of photos from  Côte d’Azur (southwest corner of France)

Maurice commented – ‘some wooden boat photos from Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Med. Great to see so many wooden boats being well looked after.  Still some traditional boat yards too.  

The wooden fishing boats are still in good use.  The brother and sister caught those fish at 7am-8am with their dad and then selling them on the foreshore at 9am with their boat in the background.

30C, sunny every day and crystal clear water’

CLASSIC LAUNCHES AT GREAT BARRIER ISLAND

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CLASSIC LAUNCHES AT GREAT BARRIER ISLAND

Todays woody photo comes to us from Gt Barrier Island fb via Ian McDonald. Ian commented that the photo was captioned ‘ Nagle Cove, Great Barrier, 1960’s’.

Obviously the uber cool game boat LADY DOREEN is front and centre, can we ID the launch behind her, very distinctive windows / ports configuration.

The photo looks slightly familiar but I can not find it on WW, the presence of the ‘NZ Tourist Air Travel’ flying boat is probably playing games with my memory. 

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH SILVER FIN (TUARANGI)

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH SILVER FIN (TUARANGI)

Following on from Saturdays WW story on classic wooden launches hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club, today we see the launch – SILVER FIN getting some TLC. (photo ex Geoff Fiebig)

SILVER FIN has made several appearances on WW, and in 2018 Bryan Wagstaff sent in the b/w photo above and confirmed that SILVER FIN was built by Lidgard Bros for a H.S White & launched in 1950, when launched she was named TUARANGI. 

White sold her in 1951 to Bruce Winstone. She was 42’x12’x4’3″ and originally had twin 90hp 6-cylinder Redwing petrol engines. During Whites ownership, she blew up while refueling at Whitianga.

Bryan’s father, Eric Wagstaff, purchased the damaged boat from the Bruce Winstone. It was collected from Whitianga and towed to Tauranga by a boat called RAINBOW which was an old bridge decker owned by Eric. RAINBOW had a marinised Rolls Royce engine and was built for the Mills Bros who were Bay of Plenty farmers. Post the explosion the roof section from SILVER FIN  was basically upside down and pretty much in place on collection. The boat had been beached at Beach Road, Otumoetai.

The boat was lifted onto a transport trailer by Bert Godfrey, the founder of the NZ Lumber Company and moved to Eric’s joinery factory in Judea. The top was replaced and Eric consulted with Willy Oliver, who was a friend, on the design of the new cabin. The motors were replaced with 60hp Fordson diesels converted by Lees marine.                                              Back in 2018 Bryan commented that the family enjoyed many a trip on the Silver Fin. She was chartered for game fishing for a while in the days of Bob Gray. 

The boat was sold c.1959 to Dr. Kennedy the family doctor, who painted the boat green. Back in 2016 she was for sale and at that time was powered by twin 110hp Hino engines.

MYSTERY 1965 COROMANDEL LAUNCH – LADY WINN

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MYSTERY 1965 COROMANDEL LAUNCH – LADY WINN

Earlier in the week todays photo popped up on the ’Timespanner’ page and comes to us via . The comment was that the photo was from Graeme Macdonald and captioned ‘ Boats of Coromandel Harbour, July 1965’, and was taken by Pat A Macdonald.

The centre vessel is quite a beast, very beamy. Doesn’t look like a commercial craft – can we ID her.

INPUT FROM RUSSELL WARD & HAROLD KIDD – the launch is Sam Strongman’s LADY WINN

Nice to see the cold snap has not stopped some woodys from enjoying their craft – photos below of FELICITARIE and SUSAN JANE in Oneroa, Waiheke Island. Photos ex Angus Rogers from onboard CENTAURUS,

CLASSIC WOODYS HAULED OUT AT TE ATATU BOATING CLUB 

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CLASSIC WOODYS HAULED OUT AT TE ATATU BOATING CLUB 

One of the WW cadet reporters (Geoff Fiebig) was mooching around the TBC yard yesterday and spotted a few woodys out for some TLC. The 28’ L. Coulthard built – PANIA was dockside.

The woody in the top photo – GALA LASS , is new to me, can we learn more about her.

Back in my advertising agency days we used to have an in-house air brush artist (photo enhancer), he was one of highest paid eg he drove a Porsche….  These days we all have access to ChatGBT – I asked them to convert the photo of my wife’s granddads yacht ALEXA C7 to colour – 10 seconds later – its done. So woodys don’t be afraid of AI, embrace it, it is just a clever tool. Remember life before email and mobile phones.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – NAIROBI

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – NAIROBI

Todays classic wooden launch is named NAIROBI and the photo was taken by William Fletcher and is from the Auckland maritime museum collection via Lew Redwood. 

All we know is the location is the Waitemata Harbour, with Stanley Point, Devonport in the background.

Quite an unusual design so hopeful someone recognises her and we can learn more.

Nice to see the Auckland Motor Yacht Club ensign flying ✔️

INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – NAIROBI first pops up in December1914 owned by H S Bates. She was allocated number 63 for racing with NZPBA and did race off and on until 1934 when she disappears, possibly through a name change. She does appear in a December 1914 NZ Yachtsman issue as MAIROBA. The extended cabintop is very likely a 1920’s affectation.

I think it’s likely that she started life as JERSEY LILY (2) which Tom Le Huquet built for himself in late 1910 and sold to H C Bates not H S Bates (but possibly the same guy) around December 1914/January 1915. JERSEY LILY had a 12hp Zealandia and was 30’/30’/ 7’5″/3′ which looks about right for NAIROBI. Bates put a new engine in her in November 1920 to get more speed.

CLASSIC WORKBOAT VANGUARD – A WATERFRONT APARTMENT FOR $2.50

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CLASSIC WORKBOAT VANGUARD – A WATERFRONT APARTMENT FOR $2.50

First up that isn’t a typo in the headline – todays woody is for sale and the current bid is $2.50 and the reserve has been met……….

Two option here, buy her as a live aboard or as a project to end up with a very fine workboat conversion.

What we know about VANGUARD –

• Built in 1947 by Lidgard’s

• 50’ in length with either double or triple skinned hull

• Powered by a GM V8.

• Was in survey up to May 2025.

• Located currently in Pelorus Sound.

(thanks Ian McDonald for the tme heads up)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – PRINCESS

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – PRINCESS

Today woodys our classic wooden launch is named PRINCESS and we know little about her other than in November 1911 she won the RNZ Yacht Squadron race to Matiatia, Waiheke Island.          

The top photo appeared in the December 30th 1911 issue of The NZ Yachtsman magazine.

The other photos ex the Auckland maritime museum via Lew Redwood were probably taken by a Robert Stewart and were in an envelope marked ‘Princess? / Sceptre’.

Can we confirm her name and learn more about her.

HAROLD KIDD INPUT – Bailey & Lowe built PRINCESS in December 1910 for themselves (Walter Bailey and Bill Lowe) as a showpiece for their firm. She was 35ft loa and had a Sterling 18/25hp engine for which they were the agents. PRINCESS was the model for their 35’x8’x 3’6″ tuck stern single skin launches that found their ultimate version in the raised-foredeck ROMANCE II. They sold her to Dr H D MacKenzie in 1916 She was later VANESSA and KAIPARA PRINCESS. and was derelict in 2012 on TradeMe.