Bay Of Islands Woody Sightings
One of WW’s spotter in the Far North – Dean Wright was heading out from his home bay, , last Friday and snapped the above woody photos of Quest, Norseman and Tranquila.
Dean commented that Norseman was run as a charter boat out of Tutukaka for years by the late Phil Bendle. She now lives on a mooring at Rangitane, up the Kerikeri River. Good link below to a brief insight into Phil Bendle’s life.
ALBERTA – A Peek Down Below
During my annual jaunt to the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade one of the woodys that always catches my eye is the 28’6” classic launch – Alberta, designed and built in 1913 by HN Burgess in Parnell, Auckland.
I have featured her on WW twice, WW links below, there is lots of older photos and details there.
Now thanks to Ian McDonald and a tme listing we get to see down below.
WW 2014 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/30/alberta/
WW 2016 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/28/kiakoa-alberta-1923-summer-cruise/
MARLIN WATER 1960
The above 12 minute film just popped up on YouTube – a recently reedited (enhanced) film from the old New Zealand National Film Unit and comes to us via Archives NZ and Snooks Fuller.
The film – ‘Marlin Waters 1960’ was filmed in the 1960’s in the Bay of Islands New Zealand and features classic big game fishing in the Bay Of islands.
We see very early footage of Snooks Fuller and the Lady Doreen and his regular client from America “Poppy”. Also featured is the launch – Margaret Joy. Lots of old footage of Otehei Bay, early Kingfish Lodge and Poor Knights Islands.
While personally I’m not a fan of targeting these beautiful creatures, the film is wonderful insight into the glory days of big game fishing in the far north. If you look closely there are many other classic wooden launches caught on the film.
A QUICK QUESTION RE THE LAUNCH RANGIORA (refer photo below)
Does anyone know if Rangiora is still kept in Wellington and also contact details for the owner – email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
KOROWAI (KORAWAI) – An Update
In late January 2022 I help relocate the 1962 Owen Woolley built 36′ sedan launch – Korawai to her new home in the Bay of Islands. Her new owners had big plans for her and it’s great to see that a refurbishment program is now under way.
Korawai has recently been hauled and now tucked away in the shed at Ashby Boatbuilders in Opua. First item was to remove all the glass (to be replaced) and restore the varnished coamings. The owners have very good taste so I’m sure there will be more on the list 🙂
We will keep you updated.
10-03-2023 NAME SPELLING CORRECTION -input ex Harold Kidd
Relocation trip https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/01/25/korawai-heads-north/
A Peek Down Below Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/01/24/korawai-a-peek-down-below/
UPDATE 14-09-2022 Say goodbye to the old varnish
UPDATE 15-09-2022
UPDATE 24-09-2022 Primer & one coat. 7>9 to go 🙂
UPDATE 16-10-2022 lots of progress, new glass is in – varnish 97% done – just 3 more coats on the beading.
UPDATE 18-10-2022 Less than 24hrs from re-launching
RE-LAUNCHED TODAY 19-10-2022 – WoW
04-11-2022 Back in her happy place
19-12-2024 UPDATE – The rolling refit continues, latest work has seen a new bathroom / head and gallery added. Her owner, Matt is a very talent man with his hands and partner, Tania adds the good taste / styling – well done ✔️
GALERNA – A Peek Down Below
Todays 89’ woody motor sailer – Galerna, started life in Denmark where she was built in 1973, so falls into the ’spirit-of-tradition’ woody family.
In the top photo sent to me back in Jan 2022 by Richard Amery we see her berthed at the Viaduct in Auckland. How Galerna come to be in NZ I do not know but Ken Ricketts reports that she had a major refit by Titan Marine in Auckland in 2015.
Built to take a pounding, oak planks and frames, her hull measures nearly 14” and has a stainless steel ice skirt, all that plus a 5 cyl. B&W 550 hp diesel see her hitting the scales at 190 tonne. Galerna’s cruising range is 4000 miles at 8 knots.
From the photos sent in by KR we can see that she is equipped for expended cruising in grandeur.
Can anyone tell us how she came to call NZ home?
TERN II – A Big Project
On Friday I was contacted by Mike Lyon regarding the 52’ yacht Tern II, built by Stow and Son, in Shoreham, UK.- back in May 2021 we ran a wonderful story on the yacht and how it ultimately to be Mike’s care. It is a great read, full of insights and photos (link below) https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/05/23/tern-ii/
I’ll let Mike share todays story with you –
“Hi there, we have a project boat that we are looking to find a new home for, her name is Tern II, and she was built in the UK in 1899, and briefly owned by Claude Worth, a well-known sailing writer of the time who included her in his book “Yacht Cruising”.
She was sailed out to New Zealand in the 1950’s by Ben Pester, a returning Naval officer who wrote about the voyage in his book “Just Sea and Sky”.
We came across her in Tonga in 2004, where she had been abandoned after a failed passage to Hawaii. I had worked as a shipwright in the UK restoring similar vessels and so we decided to take her on as a project.
We had her shipped to NZ in 2006 where we had her in storage for several years before moving her to Whangarei where she is now.
We have replaced the old elm keel with greenheart, wrought iron floors with puriri and 1″ copper keel bolts. There is a large stock of puriri for the framing and the stem and sternpost, and the deck beams.
Due to other work and life commitments, we haven’t been able to work on her for the last few years.
It’s looking like the lease for the shed where she is currently being stored is coming to an end as the whole area is earmarked for development, and so we are looking into ways to secure her future and are putting the word out there to any interested parties who would be willing to take her on.”
Mike can be contacted via email woodshedboats@hotmail.com
OMAKURA
Tony Marr sent in the above photo, dated c.1942 of Motukaraka, on the Hokianga Harbour showing the Launch – Omakura that his grandfather, George Harding, owned.
Tony commented that George operated the boat between 1920 > 1950, mainly fishing for mullet. In a previous life, Omakura was a creamery boat.
In the caption it states that the houses on the hill are Wi Gundrys, and the factory managers. The factory is behind the mangroves on the right, with the pump house and water tank above it. At the road there is Gundry’s building and General Store. Omakura is moored in front of the net stand.
Tony is keen to learn more about Omakura and what became of her.
Help Support A Great Boating Club
Next weekend is the Classic Woodys woodyCruise up the Wairau River to the Clevedon Cruising Club, thanks to the woody skippers that have RSVP’ed, fyi we have closed off accepting ‘entries’ but if any woody readers are feeling warm hearted, how about supporting the club in its fundraising for a new fuel jetty – read below the CCC flyer and buy a raffle ticket/s on $5. Lots of cool prizes. The contact for the tickets is Carol Parkes cparkes@outlook.co.nz
I’ll be emailing skippers tomorrow with full details on the weekend.
KOANUI
I was contacted during the week by Bob Phillips about the 1948 launch – Koanui. One of Bob’s customers in Orewa has a photo of Koanui on his garage wall and enquired if Bob knew what happened to Koanui. His Grandfather was Noel Meldrum and he built Koanui, with the help of a boat builder (name forgotten) in the paddock behind their current home in Puriri Ave, Orewa beside the old hall.
Bob found a recent photo ( see below) of Koanui in WW’s photo archives and emailed it to him. Bob commented that they, Pat and Terry Houghton, were very pleased to receive the photos and kindly sent back the above photos.
Koanui, to Bob’s eye, has a very Royal Falcon (original) look about her superstructure windows in the original photos. She is and was a good-looking bridge-decker.
Interestingly, she was launched (29th August 1948) in the Orewa estuary, which you would think today was barely possible. Terry told Bob they blasted the reef at the entrance just after WW2.
Previous WW story with more details, read the comments section 😉 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/12/23/kohanui/
KOTUKU
When I was coming onto the Slipway at Milford the other day, this very smart launch – Kotuku had just vacated the cradle I was heading for. Kotuku is a 26’ Pelin Mascot and has just had some serious TLC (9 weeks out).
Powered by a 25hp Isuzu 2ab1, she would be very frugal on the fuel.
She wasn’t going far – she’s a river rat e.g. calls Milford Creek home.
Message For The Skippers That Did The Woody Trip Last Easter To Paeroa
Check your prop/s – seems there was a few solid items hiding in all that mud – Raindance’s prop was in need of some love from Dr. Cam at the Slipway Milford workshop. All 3 blades were similar to the one below 😦
LADY ISLA
In the past I have spent a lot of time on Gt Barrier Island, and thought I had mooched around the shoreline of most of the bays / harbours – then bang up pops an old woody – Lady Isla, on Len Redwood’s fb. The photo is dated 2019 and is ex Caleb Bird.
If my life depended on it, my pick for the location would be Okupu Bay.
Can we learn more about Lady Isla and how she ended up on the island.
Short and quick story today – hauled Raindance out yesterday, so a tad busy 🙂 15 months later the Jason Prew Paint Job ex the Slipway Milford – still rocks.
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