MATAHUI
Following on from yesterdays gallery of work boats from Port Chalmers, today we have a photo taken by Dean Wright of a very salty looking Matahui, berthed at Port Chalmers.
A lap of Stewart Island would not be a problem for this old girl, keen to know more about her.
See & read more about her here
Work Boat Wednesday
Woody owner (Arethusa) & commercial photographer, Dean Wright, has just returned from two weeks cruising around the bottom of the South Island on board a 1970, 47’ Saunders motorboat. They made it down to Stewart Island (Port Pegasus) & then came up the East Coast of the South Island to Mana, Wellington.
Todays story showcases some of the work boats Dean spotted in Port Chalmers,
I love the southerners use of colour on their boats, maybe its for dual purposes – looks & safety e.g. to be seen.
Any southern woodys able to ID those without names?
GEISHA
The above photo of Geisha, is tagged ‘Bay of Islands’ & is ex Lew Redwood’s fb page.
The only reference I have to a Geisha is a WW comment by Harold Kidd back in June 2013, referring to Charlie Palmer’s 1915, 36’ launch Adelaide III, that was sold & renamed Geisha – not sure if it is the same boat – HDK?
Harold Kidd Input – There were several GEISHAs, possibly two in the Bay of Islands. This one is a game fishing launch run by A.S. Frost of Russell in the period 1926-1930. She is very likely the GEISHA brought North from Auckland by J. Hodgson as early as 1907. I don’t think she’s the Collings & Bell ADELAIDE III which I’m sure had a tuck stern. Will check tonight as I have her lines.
WAITANGURU
Waitanguru was built by Allan Williams in 1953 & measures approx. 33’ & has a 9’10” beam.
She is kauri carvel planked, & powered by 39 hp Yanmar diesel. You’ll see from the trademe photos (thanks to Ian McDonald) that she is very well fitted out, & has been in survey.
Do we know anymore about her?
Input from Harold Kidd – WAITANGURU was built by Alan Williams for Petersen of Te Awamutu. She is 31′ x 11′ and had a 4cylinder Ford originally. She went first to Taupo then to Tauranga in 1966. Gerry Dawson of Caster Bay owned her in the 1970s and kept her at Milford. By 2001 she was owned back in Tauranga by Les and Pam Dawson and used for charter game fishing. A very able boat.
13-05-2018 Update from Ron Dawson
Waitanguru was built in 1949 I beleive on spec and bought by Frank Peterson of Piopio in the King Country. He finished the boat and kept in Milford. My father bought the boat in 1967. In 1968 dad raised the dodger and kept Waitanguru in Milford until he sold the boat in 1988. The boat originally had a Coventry diesel motor which was replaced with a 60hp Ford diesel in the early to mid 60s. Dad replaced that motor to a 72hp Ford diesel late 60s. Waitanguru went to Gulf Harbour for a couple of years and then to Taupo about 1990. I’m not to sure when the boat was moved to Tauranga. I do know Waitanguru had an outboard motor on the stern trolling for trout on Lake Taupo. The boat length was 28 feet plus boarding platform.
Waitanguru’s name comes from a place on the road from Piopio out to the coast at Marokopa in the King Country.
04-05-2022 UPDATE – additional photos ex May 2022 trademe listing
Vixen > Water Beetle – Akaroa
Another photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb page, this time we have a yacht anchored at Akaroa, the photo is dated 1911. It’s a great photo
Any of the woodys able to ID this gaffer?
07-05-2018 Input from Harold Kidd –
She’s the little half-rater WATER BEETLE designed by Prof Scott and built for Wardrop of Wellington by Robert Logan Sr in 1895 as VIXEN. MASCOTTE (53ft) and YVONNE (42ft) were big gaffers. Scott later bought her, renamed her WATER BEETLE and raced her at Lyttelton. He sold her in 1901.
VIXEN/WATER BEETLE had a lugsail like most of the Wellington half-raters which raced with the Arawa Sailing Club and was 24ft loa. She was owned at the time of this photograph by J.L. Vangioni of Akaroa. Prof Scott had owned YVONNE for many years at this time.
21-07-2018 Update ex Ian Campball
Good Things Take Time
Greg Fenwick sent me the photo below that he took last November on a trip to Oban, Stewart Island. Pretty well sums up wooden boat building 🙂
And a wee bonus today – check out this Facebook movie of dinghy sailing back in 1955, at Plymouth, Devon, UK. Link via Wooden Boat fb – enjoy
AMAKURA II
The above b/w photos of the 1936 Colin Wild designed / built bridge-decker Amakura II came to us via Bruno Redwood’s facebook page.
Below is a recent –ish photo, while she has had an addition, she is still one of the most stunning woodys on the harbour.
You can read / see of her at the ww links below
https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/01/amakura-ii-a-great-story/
Any ideas as to the location of the b/w photos? I suspect its off Colin’s Stanley Point Yard, The corrugated shed in the top photo is still there today, surrounded by Navy sports fields 😦
Wakatu – A Peek Down Below
Wakatu was launched in Dec 1976, her hull was built by Des Scott & then finished off by her first owners – Ron & Mary McGehan.
Now if she looks like a Roy Parris design, that would because her designer, Graeme Bronlund had worked for Roy 😉
You can read / see more at this link to her previous ww story https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/08/23/wakatu/
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up.
Mystery Launch – 03-05-2018
The above photo is from Lew Redwood’s fb page & dated 31 March 1947 & is caption “Mr Tappenden on a launch”
Can we ID the boat & supply anymore details?
Input from Ken Ricketts
Ken tells us the launch was called the Hoturoa & origiallhy had a large petrol engine ( either a Sterling or Kermath c200hp). She had an older style coamings style, which were replaced in the late 1930s or early1940s, with that you see in the image. She was built by Colin Wild for Alf Court & launched in December 1934 (photo below), & by 1946/47 was owned by a Doctor Horton, of Mission Bay, & had a little 4 cyl Graymarine petrol engine, but she had retained the original huge exhaust pipe out the port corner of the tuck.
He did winter maintenance at Okahu Bay hardstand, as did my family on Juliana, we got to know him, & his daughter, quite well. He had her for several years selling her around the earlyish 1950s.
I lost track of her until her 1990s, when she appeared at Mangonui, adjacent to the road by the Mangonui Fish Shop. She was there for several years again, & still looking as she did in 1946. I inspected her c1998, when she was at Kaingaroa (Northland) (a few Kms., from Mangonui, on the way to Awanui,) — for maintenance & had a look inside. By then she had a 6 cyl Nissan diesel painted light iridescent blue. She was still in fairly tidy & good condition.
Not too long after she went back in the water, one night when she was on her moorings she burnt to the waterline & sank, there were lots of local rumours, about the reason for the fire & her demise.
A beautiful little Colin Wild classic, which on this occasion, in my view, was made even better by her second set of coamings. she is a really sad loss to our classic fleet.
RELIANCE
The above photo of the motorboat Reliance came to me from Keith Humphrey’s collection of old Auckland photos.
The gent in the bow, looks ‘The Boss’ being delivered somewhere.
Does anyone know anything about the boat & what became of her?
Harold Kidd Input – This RELIANCE was built by Bailey & Lowe in June 1905 as a “commuter ferry”. She was 22′ x 5’9″ x 2’6″ and had a 2.5hp Hercules engine. Although this image is clearly on her trial trip in Auckland with, I think, Walter Bailey amidships, I’m sure she was built for A. Billing of Thames.
GLENARAY
Glenaray was built by Ship Builders in 1942, is 36’ & gets pushed along by a 1970 Ford 180hp diesel.
Her owner is selling her due to lack of use, but there is a twist – if she doesn’t sell by 5th May, she is booked to be transported to Hamilton on the 7th of May and stored in a shed to rip inside out. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-up
So woodys if you are interested, move fast. Her Whangamata marina berth is available for $325 a month, sure beats Bayswater………..
Photo below (off old 8mm film) ex Ken Ricketts 1958, when owned by Vince Noton.
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