Opua, Bay of Islands – Kaiora

Todays woody might not be a woody, there has been speculation it could be a swimming pool i.e. built from ferro cement , but if you enlarge the photo there appears to be planking visible. I’m sure a northern woody came advise on this. There is an ‘interesting’ mix of styles on show, might be the camera angle but the pilot house appears a tad out of proportion (in my humble opinion)

The photo was taken by Jimmy Ginger and comes to us via Lew Redwood. Its dated June 2022, so recent, sadly looking very neglected.

Can we ID the boat and dig out any more on her history?

01-09-2022 INPUT ex Cameron Pollard – Cameron advised that the vessel is named Kiaora or Kia Ora – which then jogged my brain – WW did a story on her back in Nov 2016, link below – sadly in the last 6 years she has gone backwards. Quite a salty looking woody back then. In the WW article Harold Kidd commented that she had sunk and been salvaged 3 times in her life, so a very lucky boat. Cameron Pollard supplied the b/w photos below from one of the sinkings. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/19/kiaroa/