Yearly Archives: 2018

Pontiac

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PONTIAC
I have been sent the above brilliant collection of photos by Paul and Valerie Somerville of their 1910 launch Pontiac, built by McPhersons, Frederick St, Dunedin, for a publican in Pt Chalmers. She was originally named Reremoana. Family history says in the 1920’s it passed on to a farmer at Moeraki who used it as a fishing vessel.
In the 1930’s the Gillies family of Oamaru took ownership and it remained with them for 3 generations, and was very well maintained, until the mid 1990’s when the Somerville’s purchased her and put it on it’s present mooring in Church Bay, Lyttelton Harbour.
At some early stage the Gilles changed the name to Pontiac. Maybe they had the Pontiac dealership and had installed a Pontiac engine. Still on the boat are other Pontiac marine fittings such as navigation lights cast in the shape of an Indian Chiefs head.
The boat is of single skin kauri, 10 metres long and with a 2.5m beam. The cabin structure and auxillary gaff rig seem to be original and there are many original fittings. The current engine is a BMC Commander 4 cylinder diesel.
Paul has no information whatever about McPherson the builder or of any other McPherson boats still existing.  He has seen similar looking hulls around the Otago Peninsular and further south, but that’s about it.
Paul commented that Pontiac is a wonderful sea going vessel and has given him family a lot of pleasure over the last 25 years, as he’s sure it did for the Gillies over their 60 years of ownership.
From top to bottom (L>R) the photo captions are:
1. Up the Lords River Stewart Island  c.1950’s/1960’s?
2. Helping out at “Scotts Own” sea scout regatta Oamaru. c.1960’s/1970’s?
3. In the Lyttelton haulout area 2017.
4.Pontiacs control panel.
5. The engineroom.
6. Heading down the harbour with the grandkids.
Paul & Valerie would love to hear any more historical information or anecdotes about Pontiac. Any Woodys able to contribute ?
Input from Harold Kidd – E.A.Gillies was indeed the Pontiac agent in Oamaru at the time when GM built them as one step up from the Chevrolet (even though they had a side-valve 6 or 8). McPherson was the foremost yacht and launch builder in Dunedin (not Port Chalmers) for many years. Pontiac did several offshore trips, for example to Akaroa in January 1939 and, in January 1940, to Stewart Island, which was probably when the top pic was taken..
10-07-2018 More input: Reremoana was at Moeraki in 1936; broke down, got blown out to sea but rescued. Gillies bought her shortly after. He had just got the Pontiac agency so was shouting it to the rooftops. (see dealer ad from paper past below)
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The Gall Of Some People
On Saturday I took Raindance for a jaunt to the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour – the John Wellsford Small Craft group were having a rally to the Riverhead Hotel & wanted to get some photos of the event for WW. 
One of the meeting points was the new public wharf alongside the Salthouse Yard, & while waiting for the JW boats to turn up > launch, I sat off the wharf in Lucas Creek. A gent with a camera walked down the wharf & took a few photos of Raindance.
Last night via a facebook post on the JW fb page I realised the person taking the photos was Paul Gilbert.
I sent him a private message & asked if it was him & if so I could have a photo of Raindance. I said I took 1000’s of photos of classic Woodys but had very few of my own boat.
His answer is below – I have never meet him but all his reply did was confirm everything I have heard about the man………………….
For the record I have never refused or charged any boat owner for a photo I have taken of their boat. But then, I’m a nice guy 😉
And if you read this Paul Gilbert, fyi – another 15,000+ people will have read it today as well 🙂
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Waitoa

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WAITOA – The Real Deal 
Back in March 2017, I run a story on a yacht that according to Ken Ricketts was Waitoa, it all got a little complicated & I won’t even attempt to sort it out. If your interested you can see / read it here (remember to read the comments section)
Yesterday Murray McGehan sent me he great photo above of Waitoa which Murray states (correctly) is the real , Seen in this photo c.1948-49 at Okahu Bay. Owners Merv (cockpit) and Ron McGehan (companion way).
The boats cabin top remained in this configuration until at least 1972 when the cabin coaming height was increased about two and a half inches. The eliptical cabin windows remained untouched and probably HDK can confirm that this did look a little unbalanced. After Murray talked to  subesequent owners it was felt that the current dog house was added c.1977, probably under Mike Vinning’s (Picton Shipbroker) ownership. Waitoa has had at least two owners since Mike, one was Andre Ludwig who Murray kept in contact with.
Waitoa was built by Charlie Hardman in St Mary’s Bay (not Phil Barton who Murray believes had a yard at Bayswater). Alan has some photo’s of the original launch day with the boat alongside the St Mary’s Bay Wharf. When he recovers them from storage & scans (Box Brownie) them I will add them to this story.
Ron was Murray’s father and he was lucky enough to sail on the boat in the seventies under Gordon Reynolds ownership, so Murray can confirm that at that time the basic configuration of Waitoa was unchanged from launch in 1947 even still having the original Stewart Turner petrol auxilary, this has now been changed to a Droffin diesel.
09-07-2018 Harold Kidd Input – Phil Barton, and his father Henry before him, had a yard in St Mary’s Bay to the west of Jas Clare’s/Collings & Bell’s yard since 1900 except for a period around 1916-24 when they were in the US and Leon Warne rented the shed. When the yard was closed in 1955 during the construction of the Harbour Bridge approaches Phil moved to his big shed on the water at the foot of his property at Beachhaven. He was never at Bayswater. Phil built some fine keel yachts until 1955 at St Mary’s Bay and his handsome motor sailer WOODWIND at Beachhaven.
Charlie Hardman was a noted centreboard builder, 18 footers in the main.
If he built WAITOA at St Mary’s Bay it had to be at Phil Barton’s yard.
She was for sale at Picton in 1990 as designed by Bob Stewart and built by Phil Barton. I think Phil had a hand in her building at least.
A Wasted Day
I took Raindance for a run up to Herald Island yesterday to grab some photos of the John Wellsford Small Craft Design owners club day out to the Riverhead Hotel – don’t know what happened but there was no one at the meeting spot / time they published on facebook – bloody yachties 😦
The St Ayles Skiff rowing group were at the Riverhead, photo below of the fleet tied up at the pub wharf. Would have been a fun trip rowing back after a few hydraulic sandwiches 😉
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1926 N. Herreshoff designed NY40 MARILEE – 2 Year Restoration + Insights into the Herreshoff world
I posted this link last Sunday but only 386 of you viewed it – I would encourage you to check it out, its a 10/10 in my book & Chris McMullen watched it twice so its a goody.
A Sad Day
Woody Greg Schultz contacted me to say he had a good mate die and now has the sad task of finding new owners for his fleet one of which is a wooden 18ft John Wellsford Pilgrim, decked in cutter, photo below. Looks in excellent condition and only about 4 years old. Includes a brand new galvanised trailer, outboard and very reasonably priced at $9999. These are great yachts & at this price it won’t hang around long. Wouldn’t surprise me given John W’s international following if an Aussie / American doesn’t buy it & ship it off shore.
More photo’s & details ex Greg via email.      itzgreg@xtra.co.nz
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Motiti High & Dry

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Motiti High & Dry

Another NZ Herald heritages images photo via Lew Redwood fb, this time the vessel Motiti.
I have searched on-line to find details with no joy, can someone tell us about the vessel & how she ended up in that spot? Was she re-floated?
Can anyone ID the launch standing off ?

Wiltshire Wreck

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Wiltshire Wreck
The above photos ex the NZ Herald heritage images files via Lew Redwood fb show the 1912 steamship, Wiltshire wrecked at Rosalie Bay Great Barrier Island in June 1922. You can read more about the wreck at the link below.
(The ships cat pictured survived)
Today Im keen to ID the small launch alongside the wreck in the first photo above.  Can anyone help? Its a tall ask, a lot very similar small launches were around back then, they were the equivalent of todays Toyota ute 🙂
Harold Kidd Input – My opinion is that she’s YORK built by Bailey & Lowe in 1913 for C R Pease with a 10hp Sterling Kid. She looks very like Capt. H D Heather’s 1914 ROTHESAY built by Bailey & Lowe with the same engine. Capt Tom Ryan bought her in 1921 when he was living on the Barrier so the timing is right.
 

Lady Margaret For Sale – Buyer Beware

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Lady Margaret A Peek Down Below

Lady Margaret was built in 1948 by Peter Gardiner in Whangarei, given her looks, to a brief that must have said “I like Chris Craft boats, build me one”.
She has a 3” double diagonal kauri hull, & is powered by Ford 120hp twin diesel engines, one of which (port side) is seized.
Her seller, an infamous lurker on WW, has either tried to or has sold several boats in recent times, I won’t comment on these boats as the last time I did I was told – “we know where you live / where you keep your boat – be careful……………..”
On her trademe listing the seller states that the boat was listed by one of Auckland’s biggest brokers for $112k, then $98k & now he is selling it for $49k ono. I wonder why the falling asking price ? Dockside chat tells me she has been hauled out in the last year, can anyone enlighten us on the reason for the haul out & the nature of any work?
You can read more on her past at this 2013 WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/16/lady-margaret-2/
Tip Of The Day: WW always encourages people to do a survey b4 buying a classic wooden boat.
UPDATE 09-08-2018 Photo below (dated 11/04/2018) sent in be a woody.
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UPDATE
Lady Margaret – Listed on Tom Nesbitt website – the asking / starting bid is $40k
Robin Gae – has just appeared on the same site, I’m told a coat of paint & its now double the purchase price. Nice of him to use some WW photos + video in his listing.
UPDATE 23-09-2018 After being banned on trademe the seller has now popped up on facebook marketplace
UPDATE 24-09-2018 SOLD – see below (owners name deleted)
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The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

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The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

The restoration of the 1950 Chris Robertson built – Susan Jane, at Colin Brown’s Omaha yard was been well documented on ww – link below. Last week (21-06-2018) Susan Jane emerged from the shed & made the road trip to Gulf Harbour marina for splashing. Ken Ricketts was on hand to record the event.

I have seen SJ in the flesh & I can tell you that in real life she looks even better – that man Colin Brown does stunning work – so the big question is – who is next in the shed?

 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

Update 13-05-2019 out at Gulf Harbour (photos ex Ken Ricketts)

Mystery Launch 03-07-2018

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MYSTERY LAUNCH – 03-07-2018

Short post today – other boating things distracting me 😉

The above unidentified launch is seen above in Fitzroy Harbour, Great Barrier Island. photo ex Lew Redwood fb

Anyone able to ID her?

 

Waimata

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WAIMATA

Resident Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig (Craig Marine), sent me the above photos of the 28’ launch Waimata. She has just been at Alan’s yard for a hull paint job.

Alan commented that while a resident on Lake Rotoit she is not always seen at the annual Wooden Boat Parade.

Her owners believe she is a Collings and Bell built in 1926 & bought buy the Corson family around 1939 to bring to the lake. They changed the name so we are not sure of her original name.

Her zoom zoom these days is via a Nanni diesel, prior to this she had a Grey Marine & previous to that, something much bigger that made her “really go” according to her owner.

Interested to know if the builders plate is original? – I have not seen one like that before.

Waimata is a very well maintained woody & with Alan’s input is looking very smart.

So woodys – what do we know about this boats past?

Input from Paul Drake –

The C & B builder’s plate in this morning’s WW post is of interest.
Below is a pic of SIR FRANCIS’s plate from 1916. Notice the slight difference in phone numbers.
Rather unusual to have a phone number on a builder’s plate, don’t you think?
These days one might include an email address!
Alan H Question – when did Auckland ph numbers change from 4 to 5 digits?
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Woodys on the Opawa River Blenheim

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OPAWA RIVER – Blenheim

The above photos come to us via Bruno Redwood’s fb, & show the Opawa River, Blenheim & are dated 1913.

The river, on which Blenheim is situated, is a tributary of the Wairau, & is navigable for small craft as far as Blenheim.

It is thought that the vessel in the ‘middle’ is Twilight. Photos ex A. McCusker

Harold Kidd Input – TWILIGHT was built by Ernie Lane at Picton and owned by Thomas A Smith who used her for fishing. Later he had the mail contract at Port Underwood with her. She was licensed for 35 pax and had a Dunedin-built Shacklock 10hp twin; her dims were 34′ x 8’3″ x 3’9″.

And below some eye candy – a wee video on the 2 year restoration of the 1926 N. Herreshoff designed NY40 MARILEE – its a great insight into the work of French & Webb in Belfast, Maine. Grab a cup/glass of something & sit back & enjoy 🙂

https://vimeo.com/275435272

 

 

 

Woody Lake Boat

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Woody Lake Boat

The owner of the above 16’5” speedboat believes the hull was built in the 1950’s, he bought her back in 2009. He has fully striped the hull back to wood and repaired it where necessary, built the seats and engine cover from scratch.

Recently she has been given a full paint job with marine paint (dark green). The zoom zoom is a mark one-zephyr petrol engine with a direct drive set up. A few minor details e.g. a windscreen & you would have a very smart woody. Or re-power with a V8 & have real speedster.

The reason she is for sale on trademe is that it only gets used once a year at the Lake Rotoit Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Thanks to Tim Evill for the listing heads up.

Looking For A Gulf Harbour Marina To Rent (Long term)

Unknown 

A secure 13m waterways berth is available for immediate occupation. Comes with  close car parking for the purposes of loading up & unloading, & long term parking within about 2 minutes’ walk. Long term rental $650 per month.

Enquires can respond by email to kennetharicketts@gmail.com or phone  09 424 5505 or 021 988 919