RANGI – Wanaka
According to her trademe listing, Rangi built in 1908, measures 33’ & is a double ender made from kauri. She has been moored at Lake Wanaka for the last 15 years and previously in Te Anau for 40 years. With her length, shape & powered by a Ford 86hp diesel, she must get along at a good clip.
Do we know know anymore about Rangi?
05-09-2017 Photo (Graham Palmer) below ex Ray Money of the Blue Boat Rangi, now Lady Kawhia
EDWINA (Rotomahana)
Its Spring !! summer is so close – so I thought we needed some stunning woody imagery to celebrate the day 🙂
It’s not often do we see a woody with such scenery and with snow in background. The above photos of the 1923, Bailey & Lowe – Edwina were taken by Roger Guthrie & show her on the beach at Waterfall Valley Outlet, on Lake Wanaka.
WW followers will know Edwina as John Pryor’s old Rotomahana. Now owned by Dean Weatherall.
You can see / read more on the launch at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/05/rotomahana/
13-09-2018 Update – photo below ex Mike Trotter’s fb
HELP WANTED
I have had several requests for a recommendation on a classic friendly handyman, ideally with varnishing (Uroxsys) experience – anyone know anyone that does ‘odd-job’? Email me on waitematawoodys@gmail.com
11-09-2022 Update ex Chris Leech – in the photo below, location unknown, Rotomahana is flying the Devonport Yacht Club Commodore’s pennant – which commodore is also unknown.
18-05-2025 UPDATE – EDWINA has recently changed hands and will remain on Lake Wanaka , photos below ex new owner Sam Watts. Being lifted out for some TLC.
KIRI MOANA – A Zoom Zoomer
Woody, Rod Prosser has the bug, he owns several classic woodys, mostly for use on Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is).
Whilst chatting recently he mentioned his go-fast woody. Rod bought Kiri Moana a couple of years back and has been slowly doing her up. Rod was told it was originally a North Island Ski Club boat but he hasn’t found out any more on that front. Rod originally had a 350 Vortec Mercruiser in the garage for the project but he got a little carried away when he went to an open day at the Toy Shed in Rotorua. The Toy Shed guys specialize in building hot rods and long story short is he swapped the Vortec for an early 1960’s small block Chev 327 V8, next things he’s on eBay sourcing all the shiny bits from the US. Rod commented that she has a ‘mother thumpa cam & is kinda loud 🙂
The interior’s come up well after scraping the orange paint off and the boats now with Sam Dorotich at Superior Boats in Manurewa getting glassed and painted (bright yellow!!). Rod will bring her home and widen the cockpit then back to Sam for the deck.
I have asked Rod to send us photos as the project proceeds & will update this story when he does.
10-11-2019 UPDATE – Boat dropped off at the upholsterer’s in Rotorua last week. Definitely in water this summer. Hopefully before Christmas 🙂
I like the new mudguards & wheels on the trailer – very retro. Alan H
TANDARRA
Tandarra was built by John Lidgard in 1976 in 3 skin kauri (glassed). She measures 42’ in length, with a beam of 12’5”. The zoom zoom (>20 knots) comes from twin 300hp Ford diesels. Her trademe listing highlights an impressive amount of recent work – both mechcanical & cosmetic.
If you like classics & game fishing, then Tandarra looks to be a lot of boat for the money.
Do we know anything about her past i.e. owners?
ALMANA
A wee bit of a mystery boat today, the above photo of Almana was sent in by Gwenyth Herbert via Nathan Herbert.
Very keen to learn who designed/ built her & where she is today? Extra points if you can name the other launch 😉
Input from Harold Kidd – She was built in 1940 by Cliff Roberts and Alder (don’t know which Alder). According to AYMBA records subsequent owners included P.H. Power, J K Robson, J H Buchanan, R M & G W Best (who thought she was built by Sam Ford), D Farmer and A C Hailey. There is a possibility there were either two ALMANAs or some of these owners didn’t notify AYMBA of change of ownership.
In 2013 she was for sale with a 1972 Perkins 65hp diesel.
Update 16-05-2019 photo below of Almana moored in the Whau River just past Te Atatu Boating Club. (photo ex Jason Prew, via Nathan Herbert)
And as a bonus today – some sailing porn – the photo below of the S&S Dorade was sent in by David Glen, taken at Hamilton Island Yacht Week. Dorade was recently voted by the UK ‘Classic Boat’ magazine as one of the 10 restorations that changed the world i.e. created movements & changed lives.
David commented on the photo “Great pic of the legendary one in anger”.
03-06-2019 Input from Nathan Herbert & photos ex Jason Prew – Shes now attached to what I think is a Harbourmaster mooring at Northcote point. Somebody needs to save her.
22-08-2019 Update. Steve Cranch sent in the photos below, sadly it looks like Almana is greater closer and closer to the land fill…………… 😦
CENTRE FOR WOODEN BOAT – LAKE UNION- SEATTLE
Woody Alan Sexton is currently working in Vancouver, Canada & last weekend he traveled the 3hrs to Seattle to visit the Centre for Wooden Boats, on Sundays the CWB offer free rides/sails/paddles or if you like you can rent a boat. Alan reports its a wonderful facility in a great location. We so need something like this in Auckland………………
The above photo gallery gives as a vicarious visit – Enjoy 🙂
ps you can see/read more about the facility here http://www.cwb.org
MARINA
How is this for a barn find? (well shed), according to her trademe listing her name is Marina & she was built by Glavich Boatbuilders in 1902 on the Kaipara. 30’ long & built in single skin kauri from a single tree.
She has been dry stored for many years and comes with new keelson, keel bolts, modern engine, gearbox, prop shaft and prop, stabilizing mast and a rack of timber.
Come on woodys, someone must be looking for a project, she deserves to be restored to her former glory.
Very keen to learn more about her – Harold?
28-08-2017 Input ex Harold Kidd
VENTURE
Another great collection of photos from Dean Wright’s collection of photos he has scanned from old negatives. The ones above show the privately owned game boat – Venture about to weigh in a very impressive marlin at Russell Wharf in the Bay of Islands. Skippered by Norm Hudspith at the time.
Normal questions – what is she & where is she today?
UPDATE – Thanks to HDK’s memory (or ww search skills) we now know all about her. She appeared on ww back in November 2015 (link below), make sure you read the comments section – lots of chat there. Cheers Alan
ARIES
Today’s post features Aries, seen above off Gulf Harbour Marina back in Jan 2015. Photo ex Ken Ricketts, sorry the photo is a little blurry – KR has upgraded the camera since then:-)
Aries is a stranger to me – anyone able to shed some light on her provenance?
Input from Harold Kidd
Owen Woolley built her in 1957 for Max Burrett. Her original engines were twin ex-USN 6 cylinder Chrysler Crowns of 1943 vintage, later replaced, as Russell so accurately remembers, with twin Commer diesels when Ed Carter bought her c.1967. She was a Registered British Ship and in Lloyd’s Yacht Register so tracking her details is easy.
The Commers were flat 3 or 4 cylinder 2 stroke diesels originally developed by Tilling Stevens which Rootes Group bought out post-war, hence the type “TS”. Aren’t they inspired at least by Continental practice, Sulzer? Hispano-Suiza?
One of my uncles (ex-Ray Vincent) ran TS3 Commers and swore by them for power and economy. I always liked the tearing calico sound they produced.
MORE DETAILS AT THIS WW LINK https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/10/22/aries-4/
BRIONI
Today’s post features a visitor from distant shores. I’ll start off with some background – the above photos were sent to me by the CYA launch captain Angus Rogers. Angus had been contacted by a gent by the name of Thom Board, who lives in Cornwell in the UK. Thom’s house overlooks the harbour at Mylor Churchtown & recently he spotted a launch named Brioni tied up.
Like all good woodys Thom was looking around the internet trying to find some information on Brioni & stumbled across the online version of the CYA (NZ) Classic Register. Thom discovered that the register has a number of similar looking designs with straight stem, raised topsides forward, ports, narrow and a tumble-home hull aft. He also noticed many of the boats were Colin Wild designs.
It’s a very slim chance but Thom wondered if there was any possibility she was actually a Colin Wild design or similar. Personally I suspect she falls into the ‘Spirit of Tradition’ category i.e. new-ish build. What say the woodys?
Whoever the designer – she is rather pretty 🙂
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