Dargaville Woody Launch Race

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Dargaville Woody Launch Race
 
 Over Easter the Northern Wairoa Boating Club held their annual race day, with entries from Helensville, Pahi and Te Kopuru.
In the above above ex Dave Stanaway – we see Florence, Irene + various boats, including a ketch rigged scow type named Marlin.
Dave reports every had a great day out on the water and would like to thank Steve on his launch Rodney for the hospitality.
As always with these events the race was followed in the evening by a very friendly prize giving / get together.

Easter Classic Wooden Boat Cruise

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Waiari

 

Woody Bay
Woody Bay
Deep in thought
Summer in a glass

 

Off Center Harbor
Adonis
West Bay
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Mapuna

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Kowai
Kowai
Hinemoa
Hinemoa

Easter Classic Wooden Boat Cruise

If you stayed at home this Easter, you missed one of the best long weekends, in fact probably the best Easter weather I can remember.
We headed out early Friday morning with the plan to spend Friday night at Rakino Island and then slide up to Kawau Island early Saturday. We arrived at Rakino mid morning and dropped anchor in Woody Bay (great name), conditions were perfect, only complaint a few too many plastic boats had the same idea. Caught up with a few friends for late avo drinks and took in the sunset – it was up there with Fiji on the visual wow rating.
Saturday morning dawned and a we had a wee anchor / winch problem – reverted to the days of old & pulled it up by hand – but then had 18+m of chain on the deck. Didn’t fancy going to Kawau as I was unable to let anymore out (even manually) as the winch was jammed. So decided to hang around Rakino – tried a spot of drift fishing – as normal no joy.
Decided on West Bay for the night (with my 18m of chain) and we got invited to dinner (fresh snapper) on a friends plastic boat. He was surprised and deleted that we turned up with a roasting dish of crunchy roast potatoes – their rather large boat has no oven – just electric induction hobs and a microwave 😦
Another 10/10 sunset.
Next morning, despite my best efforts the winch remained jammed so a restful day in the bay reading and headed home later on Sunday.
Not a lot of woodys at / around Rakino – I suspect Kawau and Great Barrier islands were the destinations of choice.
The 1962 Owen Woolley sedan launch – Waiari was looking stunning in West Bay after its 2017 top chop that say a flybridge despatched to the dumpster. Anchored nearby was the 1961 Jack Brooke built launch – Mapuna, enjoying a family cruise.
On the unsuccessful fishing trip we passed another Owen Woolley launch – the 1965, Adonis. Whats with all the 1960’s boats…….. even had Andrew Millar off Rorqual (1959 Jack Morgan) & Geoff Diggle off Florence Rose (1960’s Billy Rogers) over for a drink, sorry guys no photos, both were on the other side of the bay, with a lot of white plastic between us. Check out Flo Ro here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/03/21/florence-rose-launch-day/
When Andrew can get around to writing me a draft story, there will be a WW feature on the extensive renovation of Rorqual.
Also snapped a photo of the very salty looking ex? work boat – Kowai off Home Bay.
And just so I’m not accused of being one-eyed, I spotted a very pretty yacht when we were leaving West Bay – Hinemoa. Can anyone tell us what she is?
Ps I sorted the winch problem out back at Bayswater on Monday – two links had locked together on an angle – involved a wee bot of open heart surgery, best done at the marina v’s at sea.

The Evolution of Silens

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Silens

The Evolution of Silens

The launch Silens is owned by good friends of mine – Rosanne and Brian Fulton, and is one of the most used woodys in the CYA fleet. 
When you see the photos below of her fit out you will see why they enjoy her so much. Down below makes most people very envious of her ‘liveability’ (if there is such a word).
 
The main focus of todays story is to showcase how this classic woody launch, built by Harvey & Lang in November 1912, has morphed over the years. The 4 photos above showcase how your woodys were altered over the years to suit the fashion of the day and to match the changing lifestyles of their owners – the bridge deck is my pick.
 
Silens was originally fitted with an Auckland built 14hp Silent Rotor engine (rotary valve) (thanks HDK for the intel), so I suspect thats where her name came from.Later she had a Stearns and then a 25hp Sterling.
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Waitoa F10

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WAITOA F10

 I have been sent the above photos of Waitoa F10, by Mike McGehan. Mike’s father, Mervyn is seen in the 1st photo on launch day 1947.
Previously on WW there has been debate as to a photo and details supplied by Ken Ricketts around his experience of the yacht (WW link below) as a result of Mike sending me the above photo and details, we can now safely assume that Ken has his wires crossed. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/03/26/waitoa-sailing-sunday/
Previously on WW the McGahan family and Harold Kidd have commented on Waitoa’s provenance (link below)
Comparing the photos (below), I’m now happy to put this debate to bed 🙂

Ken Rickets photo
Waitoa
Make sure you log in to WW on tomorrow – great story / photos on the evolution of the 1912 Harvey & Lang launch – Silens

Mystery Launch 20-04-2019

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MYSTERY LAUNCH – 20-04-2019

Hobsonville Marina (West Park in drag) woody John Wicks sent in the above photos of a nice looking, salty little launch currently on the hard at the marina. John commented that there was no name visible  and nobody working on her while he was there.

John’s comment re nice looking was in reference to the hull; the superstructure can only be described as functional. As can be seen in the stern view, she has a large fairlead of some sort mounted on the middle of her taffrail. Towing? Scallop dredging?
Hopefully one of the woodys will know her and what she does.
Make sure you log in to WW on Monday – great story / photos on the evolution of the 1912 Harvey & Lang launch – Silens
Stunning day yesterday, the sunset at Rakino was Fiji standard 👌

Pearl

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PEARL

Today’s photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb, show that launch Pearl off Motiuhe Island dated c.1918.
What makes the photo ’special’ is the German POW – Count Von Luckner is aboard (in the stern).
I have to question the date of the photo as Von Luckner escape from Motuihe Island in December 1917 aboard Pearl, but was captured and returned to the island.
 Can anyone tell us any details on Pearl – builder, year etc and does anyone know what became of Pearl  – was she returned to Auckland post the escape, or did she remain  at the Mercury Islands?.
A lot of what you read about Von Luckner makes him out to be a bit of a folk hero – but at the end of the day he was a German commander that sank 14 Allied ships 😦
Harold Kidd input- PEARL was built by Collings & Bell in 1914 for McIndoe of Otahuhu. McIndoe sold her to Dr. Endletsberger. She came ashore and was badly damaged in the severe gale of early 1917. Colonel Turner of Motuihe bought her, repaired her and took her to Motuihe for his own use.
Von Luckner’s party pinched her, captured the scow MOA and towed PEARL behind to make for the Kermadecs. PEARL was lost in that tow. She was quite like the earlier HAZEL (later NGAROMA).
How Goods This Summer Been
It just seems to keep rolling on, hopefully I will be out and about on Raindance over Easter, so Tuesday’s story should be a goody from afloat 🙂
Just remember – its 5o’clock somewhere 😉
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Make sure you log in to WW on Monday – get story / photos on the evolution of the 1912 Harvey & Lang launch – Silens

What became of this 1928 Charles Bailey built launch

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What became of this 1928 Charles Bailey built launch
 
The photo of the above launch was sent to me by Mark Jarvis and Mark commented that it was the boat that started his love of launches in the late 1950’s. Unfortunately Mark omitted to tell me her name…… Mark – can you enlighten us in the WW comments section 🙂
 
She measures 26′ and came with a Ford flathead motor in the front cabin then a new crate Fordson 60hp was fitted by his father.
Mark’s bunk was a shelf in the enclosed engine room. She was built by Charles Bailey in 1926 and was supposed to have started life as a pilot boat for Patea Harbour but Mark has found no evidence of that. 
 
This photo is from the 1950’s on the slip in Paremata. The slipway is still serviceable but the boat hasn’t been seen in a very long time. 
Mark’s family of six would cross Cook straight every year for 3 wks and cruise the Marlborough sounds.
Mark commented that it was a beautiful time in superb natural scenery when fibreglass boats still hadn’t arrived and the Cod came up 2 at a time on a piece of string wound onto a stick. 
 
Mark is hoping to uncover what became of this launch and whether she really was a pilot boat
Input from Harold Kidd
Sounds very much like RELIANCE built by Tom Le Huquet in 1913 for the Manukau which was used by the New Plymouth Harbour Board as a pilot boat the the Patea Harbour Board from 1938 and was in Paremata owned by Fenton in the 1950s then sold to B Bullock & Co of Wanganui. However RELIANCE was a 35 footer so maybe the histories of both both boats have been run together.
Whatever, she is terribly old-fashioned for 1926-8 with that dee-front cabin, although Chas Bailey did cling to that form for workboats for some time after they had become out of fashion for private craft.