ENTRY LEAVE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – WANDERING WAYS

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ENTRY LEAVE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – WANDERING WAYS

Todays classic launch needs some serious TLC from someone with the space to park her and a winter of part-time work but come next summer they could have a no cost entry into the classic wooden boating movement.

What we know – 36’ supposedly built in 1965 by ‘Baileys’, she is double planked, and powered by a 120hp Ford diesel (tme listing states 2014, and recently recon’ed).

WANDERING WAYS is currently hauled out in Rotorua, so may have been a lake boat in recent years. (thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up)

Can we learn anymore about the launch.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH AWARIKI GETS SOME TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH AWARIKI GETS SOME TLC

Back in early 2025 the 1967 Owen Woolley built 32’ classic wooden launch AWARIKI underwent a re-fit at the Slipway Milford yard, the work included the removal of her small flybridge ✔️ – Links to the work below + a 2025 photo of her at The Slipway Milford, waiting on the tide.

Feb 2025 https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/02/19/classic-wooden-launch-awariki-gets-a-top-chop/ April 2025 https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/04/03/two-classic-wooden-launches-getting-some-tlc/

Alan Sexton was mooching around the Sandspit Yacht Club yard recently and spotted AWARIKI in the tent getting some TLC, including a bottom shave and new antifouling. During the work the team doing the work uncoveredsome soft wood issues around the shaft log which have been repaired, the boat builder commented to Alan that it was similar to the problems found on TAREE. Maybe a common Woolley issue.

Nice to see that the new owners of AWARIKI arecontinuingthe TLC thatprevious owner Kerry Lilley did during his tenure.

CLASSIC WOODY SITTING THERE ROTTING

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CLASSIC WOODY SITTING THERE ROTTING

There is a fb page titled ’Sitting there rotting, help save me – New Zealand’ most of the posts are plastic boats but occasionally a woody pops up.

Todays woody is one such post – the supporting copy on most of the posts is to the point eg free, be quick back hoe booked.

Yesterdays post was novel reading – reproduced below

 FREE Boat.  Huge Restoration project.  

This Photo was 2015 clean and antifoul haul out, Trying to find more recent photos and will make a trip to take more photos of here current state.

ENGINE HAS BEEN UNDER WATER, Stupid questions will be ignored. MAST HAS BEEN REMOVED 

1916 Miller & Tonnage. My Mother lived on her for 26 years. She is being kept afloat by auto bilge pump. Hull is mostly in good condition, Decks and cabin are rotten.

Mums options are, 1: the boat comes home to my property to rot away, 2: Boat is taken to a yard and destroyed… 3: Someone makes a terrible decision and chooses to restore her. <<<Pretty Please I love this Boat 

EDIT..   Doh….  Boat is in Opua Bay of Islands

Can we name the vessel

WHAT BECAME OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TAIHO

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WHAT BECAME OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TAIHO

WW has been contacted by John Dawson concerning the whereabouts of the classic wooden launch TAIHO, a quick WW search popped up the photo above.

Back in Jan 2016 Jason Prew was mooching around Great Barrier Island on his summer cruise (in a yacht back then, before he saw the light and joined the motorboat fleet) and snapped this photo.

I might be wrong but it seems TAIHO has gone to ground for the last 10 years – maybe a name change?, can we learn more eg design, builder, length etc + where she resides these days.

HEADS UP – Check Your Keel Bolts – Nice shinny nut, very dodgy from there on down…………… 😦

IF YOU THOUGHT CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES WERE LOW PRICED – Check out OMICRON

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IF YOU THOUGHT CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES WERE LOW PRICED – Check out OMICRON

The 20’ classic sloop OMICRON was built in 1945 to a Harrison Butler design at the Percy Vos yard in Auckland. She made a cameo appearance on WW back in November 2019. 

Full length 1” kauri planking, kauri deck and teak cabin and cockpit coamings + all the proper metals in the bolts and rivets.

As testament to her build and easy of sailing this 20’ has even been offshore.

And the added bonus is a purpose built road trailer.

Her tme listing mentions she needs some TLC so its safe to assume todays photos are not recent.

OMICRON is one of those classics that look perfect from any angle.

At sub $30k someone needs to buy this woody, its so much boat and drop did gorgeous 🙂

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH HAUL OUT DAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH HAUL OUT DAY

Todays classic wooden boating photo comes to us from John Dawson, and other than it being tagged ’Northland’, thats all John knows about the photo.

So woodys can we learn the location and possibly ID the craft being hauled out.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – MAHENO

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – MAHENO

Todays woody is described as a 38’ Morgan design, built by JackGuard. 

She was launched in 1966 and has strong work boat styling. 

Forward motion is from a 210hp Caterpillar V8 that gives her a comfortable 8.5 knot cruising speed, 10.5 tops.

Being a southern lass (Marlborough Sounds) MAHENO is very well fitted out. The marine chandlers down south won’t get rich selling varnish 😉

CLASSIC WOODYS IN COWES BAY WAIHEKE ISLAND

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CLASSIC WOODYS IN COWES BAY WAIHEKE ISLAND

Todays photo captures times of old when power and sail played together.  The location is the idlic Cowes Bay at the bottom end of Waiheke Island. The bay was a common destination for picnics and regattas. Todays view looks less organised and just shows people enjoying the day.

The photo is from the Ian Farquhar Collection and the photographer is S H Rawson , dated c.1900-1916. And comes to us via Lew Redwood fb.

Can any of the sailing woodys ID the design of the yacht in the forefront of the photo.

And happy mother days – we wouldn’t be here without them 🙂

LAKE TAUPO CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH – ROMANCE – GETS SOME TLC

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LAKE TAUPO CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH – ROMANCE – GETS SOME TLC

Todays woody story is really prompt to Paul Drake the owner of the Lake Taupo based 1914 Bailey & Lowe built launch – ROMANCE to send in a story on the recent upgrade.

If it had not been for woody Steve Pople (MV Royal Falcon) recently mooching around the Lake Taupo docks we wouldn’t have know she had received some TLC.

So fingers crossed Paul reads todays story and gets his ‘A into G’ 🙂

Lots photos and details on Romance in this Sept 2014 WW story  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/22/8829/

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – AWATERE – FLASHBACK FRIDAY

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Awatere

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – AWATERE – FLASHBACK FRIDAY

I took the above photo of the classic launch AWATERE back in 2013 as she was mooching around Waiheke Island. Awatere was designed by Arcus / Greenwood and built in1980.

Sorry for a ‘lite’ story today but the wheels fell off my trolly yesterday and there just were not enough hours in the day to craft a longer post. Also today the owner hits a significant birth date and on Saturday I’ll be on Waiheke helping him celebrate – so another excuse for todays story. And yes he still owns AWATERE.