Manaaki

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MANAAKI
photos & details ex Crispin Waddell

Crispin has owned the 1926 Collings & Bell launch Manaaki since 2013. Manaaki’s specs are – length: 11m, beam: 2.5m, draft: 1m & her current engine is a  1970’s Lees Marine Ford diesel 75hp. She is carvel planked, with full-length 32mm heart kauri planks over steam bent and laminated ribs, with less than 200mm spacing.
She cruises at 8knts. & tops out at around 12knts. but unlike some other boats of her era, Manaaki has more of planing hull & is flat at the stern & could do up to 16knts. with the right engine.
She is one of 6 boats build for the Zane Grey fleet – Alma G, Otehei & Avalon were the names of some of her sisters. Manaaki was originally fitted with a petrol Redwing engine.

Crispin has been involved with the boat since he was a child, (now 29). He bought her off the Hunt family. Like most of us he is always keen to find out stories and collect any old photo’s and history of the boat. She lived in the Whangaroa for around 30 years & there are a few photo’s of Manaaki on wall of the pub & records of all her catches in the Game Club up there.

Electrochemical Wood Damage
Crispin came across  the ww article about electrochemical damage & the timing was great as he is having problems with it occurring on Manaaki. It’s mainly happening in the area where the prop shaft sleeve comes through the keel under the floor. The kauri fluffs up around this area and he get lots of salt crystals. Thanks to the ww article he is hoping to get on top of this as it’s just started over the last 3 years.

If anyone knows the boat or has any old photo’s send them into ww, Crispin would also be interested in getting in contact with anyone from the boats past.

24-02-2018 Manaaki was anchored alongside me today at Motuihe Island, looking very smart 🙂

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19 thoughts on “Manaaki”

  1. Pingback: CLASSIC 1928 KAURI LAUNCH – MANAAKI | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news – updated daily – 14+ million views

  2. My family owned the Manaaki for approximately 26 years between 1966 and 1992. Dad bought it in partnership with my mothers father which ended in a court case after mum and dad separated. Dad retained ownership.
    My father always believed (through discussions with people involved in the history of these boats) that there were 7 Collings and Bell launches of this design built between 1924 and 1932 (approx).
    The Alma G, Zane Grey (Alma G II), Lorna Doone, Otehei, Avalon, Manaaki and the Carrie Fin (built later but to the same design).
    He also was told the prop used originally was a 20×20. The Manaaki used a 18×22 during our tenure. When purchased she had a 60hp Ford which was replaced in the early 1970’s with a 72hp Ford and Paragon gearbox.
    Around 1980 while scouting the Te Puna Inlet we hit a rock at full speed and ended up perched midships on the starboard side on an outgoing tide. A keen eyed resident came to the rescue and towed us off bit several planks were sprung and also multiple ribs broken.
    She ended up at Jim Ashby’s yard for around a year while the court case was settled.
    The cockpit floor and main cabin interior were removed completely.
    Jim replaced the planks and re-ribbed most of the starboard side and some of the port side. Iron keel bolts except those under the motor were replaced.
    She was re-floated and eventually motored to Whangarei where a new interior and cockpit were fitted.
    The main cabin bulkhead was moved forward to provide more interior space. The forward bulkhead was cut down which gave better access to the front bunks.
    She was rewired completely, part of the work saw a new oil tube run from the engine to the oil gauge.
    That bit of engineering (professionally outsourced) ended up with a new engine being fitted (the remaining keel bolts were replaced) as a year or so later the copper tube work hardened and snapped off at an angle that squirted oil directly into the air filter gauze.
    The motor ran on its own oil unable to be stopped until it ran out and abruptly seized. The rev counter cable snapped so the Ford was doing over 4000rpm during the incident.
    We always wished that she had of been in gear when it happened..
    It was an amazing time growing up with the Manaaki as part of the family.
    Dad showed amazing trust and would let me take my mates away on weekends when I turned 16.
    A highlight for dad was skippering the capture of a 515lb Black Marlin.
    Interestingly there is a book called The Long Holiday (fiction) that is based on the adventures of a boy growing up in Totara North. The book makes reference to a launch owned by an Eric and Jim (thought to be the Sanderson family that owned the Manaaki prior to us). The picture on the cover is of a boat identical the Manaaki.
    Cameron Tapper
    021861648

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  3. Pingback: Manaaki – A Peek Down Below | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news – updated daily

  5. Oh man, wrecked on peach island! Did she sink there or recovered? Peach island unless blowing down the harbour is un-wreckable I’d have thought.

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  6. “Lorna Doone” never had a name change, only the engine was changed out for a Ford 60 diesel.
    She was wrecked on Peach Island, Whangaroa.

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  7. Hi Alan. I hope Crispin has contacted Cameron Tapper, 094321070. Cameron’s father Bill and his brother in law purchased Manaaki off Sandersons in the 1960s. Bill owned her for nearly 30 years. Cameron grew up with Manaaki. Bill is now dead but brother in law Michael Webber in his 80s is still alive with a wealth of information about the boat. They used Manaaki as a pleasure boat and for deep sea fishing. The large Marlin that sat for years on the wall of the Monganui pub was caught off Manaaki. Bill a stock agent used her for barging stock to Stephenson s Island, the Cavallis and islands in the Bay. Hence ribs were replaced. Cabin fiberglassed in Whangarei. Bill always wanted to alter the prop which he felt would give the boat more speed. Not that she needed it as Manaaki was always a speed merchant frequently leaving planning boats in her wake. Cameron and Michael have many photos and a wealth of information about her. My connection, Bill was my uncle. Manaaki is a real gem and I’m sure Crispin will give her the care she deserves.

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  9. Hello, the Manaaki was owned by Eric Sanderson in the 1940s, moored at Totara North on the north side of the Whangaroa harbour. I have quite a few photos of her when my Dad, Bing Green, used to fish off her. I’ll sort them out snd post on the website asap

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  10. Contact Cameron Tapper, Waipu. His father Bill Tapper owned Manaaki for years. Heaps of history and photos.

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  11. OOPS…… had a better look at my database. She was wrecked at Whangaroa in 1977 and a total loss. I have some pics of the incident (somewhere)

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  12. Why, yes, what a good idea! BTW ALMA G II is back to being ZANE GREY again, as you know.

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  18. The other two were ZANE GREY and LORNA DOONE. They all had 80hp side valve 6 cylinder Redwing marine engines fitted by Collings & Bell.

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  19. Awesome. Jase and I took the pic of her at Urqhuart’s on the way up to Kerikeri in Wairiki. Re- engine! Give Alma G and My Girl a run for their money… FB msg sent.

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