LADY ELLEN – Out For Some TLC

Posted on by

LADY ELLEN – Out For Some TLC

Recently the very stunning classic wooden launch – LADY ELLEN popped up on a fb page titled Mangawhat and the Mudflats’ , the poster was Carol Forsyth and the above photos were sent to WW by John Dawson. The photos were tagged ‘Doug’s Boatyard, Opua’ – will woodys whoever Doug is, he has a very smart yard.

We have featured LE on WW several times, following her restoration in the 2018 – 2019 period, in fact I attend the relaunch in December 2019 at Opua, Northland.- link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/16/the-launching-of-lady-ellen/ also on this page is links to all the WW restoration stories.

Its believed she was build in the late 1950’s by Supreme Craft in Auckland. At one stage she was spending her winters in Auckland as a floating office and escaping to the Bay of Islands for summer. But recently her Auckland berth has been occupied by another vessel so maybe she has retired to the north.

INPUT ex DENIS O’CALLAHAN –  I remember Doug’s boatyard very well. We hauled Tasman there in May 2004.As I recall there was no road access and we walked around a track from the Opua wharf.There was talk at that time that Doug might be forced to close the yard.However looking at the flash shed in the background he must have resolved the issues.
Photo below of Tasman at Doug’s yard.

Discover more from waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 14+ million views

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

9 thoughts on “LADY ELLEN – Out For Some TLC”

  1. I’ve never seen LADY ELLEN looking so stunning, — she is simply beautiful.

    The late John Richards family, had her for some years in the old days & were close family friends & she was definitely built in the1950s by Mac McGeady, (Supreme Craft). I saw her being built at 1A Summer St Ponsonby — with engineering by Tracy Nelson. — KEN R

    Like

  2. Doug has started to slip boats again, I think we were number 3 on the new setup. The final chapter in the long saga to get approvals to upgrade is interesting, and some shenanigans by objectors saw them hoisted by their own petard. Poetic justice. LE was only up for a couple of days while I dealt to the propspeed. Getting another knot of boat speed now.

    Like

  4. Here is a commentary outlining the continued difficulties imposed upon Doug restricting his ability to operate.https://www.tompkinswake.com/insights/knowledge/natural-justice-adrift-in-schmuck-v-northland-regional-council-2020-nzhc-590/

    The fight is not over as no doubt there will be “discharge of contaminants” issues in the future for Doug.

    Thankfully the esplanade reserve did not contain a colony of snails, frogs, skinks or shore birds. All he wanted to do was to periodically haul boats over the esplanade reserve.

    The only occupation of the reserve was his railway slipway. This was a problem too great for the Preservation Society to accept. Surely if the slip was not in use you would just walk over it and carry on along the beach?

    I take my hat off to Doug for his resilience over the twenty odd years of difficulties he has faced.

    Like

  5. Doug’s Boat yard has been a subject to a heap of hard times from the locals for years as he has to have access across a reserve. I’ve been on the slip a few times and always been treated well.

    Recently Doug has closed much of the yard -a real shame, I reckon, as yards like his are few and far between.

    I’m pretty sure it’s had road access for more than the 30 years I’ve lived in the Bay.

    Like

  8. Gorgeous boat, with a well documented history of lots of love and careful stewardship. Well done to all involved.

    Like

  9. Dougs boatyard , possibly the oldest continuous yard in the bay with much written about it in recent times with Dougs struggles with the local authorities

    Like

Leave a comment