What is Waitemata Woodys all about?
We provide a meeting point for owners and devotees of classic wooden boat. We seek to capture the growing interest in old wooden boats and to encourage and bring together all those friendly people who are interested in the preservation of classic wooden vessels for whatever reason, be it their own lifestyle, passion for old boats or just their view of the world.
We encourage the exchange of knowledge about the care and restoration of these old boats, and we facilitate gatherings of classic wooden boats via working together with traditionally-minded clubs and associations.
Are you a Waitemata Woody?
The Waitemata Woodies blog provides a virtual meeting point for lovers of classic and traditional wooden boats. If you are interested in our interests and activities become a follower to this blog.
The Vessels Featured
The boats on display here (yes there are some yachts included, some are just to drop dead stunning to over look) require patrons, people devoted to their care and up keep, financially and emotionally . The owners of these boats understand the importance of owning, restoring and keeping a part of the golden age of Kiwi boating alive. The boats are true Kiwi treasure to be preserved and appreciated.
This photo c.1935 was sent to me by Roger Guthrie. The location is French Bay.
The rather chic young woman in the dinghy is Roger & Graham Guthrie’s mum – Mary, wife of Ivan Guthrie. At the time of the photo Mary (maiden name Marion Alexander) was not married so the ‘older’ women with the parasol could have been her chaperon. The young bloke rowing looks very capable of getting them ashore safely 😉
Now is that an Idle Along in the background & is the boat sailing below, one as well (its from the same day)?
Dropped down to the boat show at the Viaduct yesterday for a quick look – 4 hours later……. I left. A very good show & well supported by the trade with some great stands & vessels on display. Sadly only 3 classics – just way to much tupperware for me but as they say horses for courses.
LADY SHIRLEY – Built by C Bailey & Son. , the bridge decker was restored (rebuilt) by Yachting Developments (YDL) & now owned by Greg Hinton was a thing a beauty gleaming in the sun.
LITTLE JIM – the Arch Logan yacht was back in the water after nearly a year in Peter Brookes shed where she had some running repairs & a back to bare wood paint & varnish (Allwood MA) job. Again she too looked a million dollars.
Ngataki – I think if Johnnie Wray was at the show & walking the docks he would not have recognized his old boat, Tino Rawa Trust & YDL have waved the magic wand over Ngataki. To see / read more on her – enter Ngataki in the ww search box.
REHIA photo ex Scott Taylor & details ex Harold Kidd
Rehia was launched by Colin Wild on 26th January 1939 for Gordon Bartleet but was bought by Frank Pidgeon of the Ace Tyre Co shortly after. She was powered by a single 6 cyl. petrol Buda that was imported by Seabrook Fowlds and installed by Allely Bros. A newspaper report at the time said she had twin Budas, but was wrong. She was fully mobilised with NAPS in 1943 as Z15 with Frank Pidgeon as skipper and Ron Hunt (married Jack Brooke’s sister) as crew. Bill Ryan bought her about 1948 (or possibly straight from the postwar disposal sale). She was loosely referred to as a “shortened Amakura”.
Scott Taylors father Mac, crewed on Rehia during the war when she was on boom patrol at North Head. Below are the navy documents recording Mac’s time aboard. click to enlarge.
Gulf Star in her current configuration is a traditional pilothouse displacement vessel. Length: 40’ Beam: 10’9” Draft: 3’3”. There is a belief that Bailey & Lowe built her but Harold Kidd, marine historian & author, questions this & he would know better than most of us, given he is about to publish another book, this time focussing on Bailey & Lowe.
Solid kauri carvel planked & powered by 120hp Ford motor, which pushes her along at 8-9 knots. Lovingly restored & maintained by the present owners over last 17 years.
While for sale the current owner (Suzanne Bell) would love to know some more about her past. Harold Kidd has advised that Fred Hilditch of the Coastguard Service owned her at least between 1978 and 1983. Before that she was owned by Coastguard itself from the end of 1954 and was called Cirrus (from 1956). She was lent to the Police in 1955-6 during the refit of Lady Shirley. Before that she was Lady Elwyn & owned by W.W. Smith from 1952 at least.
Unfortunately Harold knows little of her history before the above but suspects that she may be a lot older than the 1940 Suzanne Bell understands was her launch date.
Any of you waitematawoodys out there able to shed some light on her earlier years ?
Got A Question, Looking For A Boat, Found Something Of Interest?
ww gets lots of correspondence that start off like this :
” I used to own _ _ _ _ _ in the the 1960’s, do you know where she is now”
” I wonder if you could help me trace my granddads boat”
So I have set up a Lost & Found post – if your looking for a boat just enter brief details in the comment section below & click the ‘post comment’ button. You click on this icon, top right (up turns blue when you scroll over it), to go straight to comments – the number indicates the number of comments.
Over on the right hand side of the site is a Lost & Found panel – if you click on that it will take you to this post.
You can also use the search box to see if there have been any info posted – just type the boat name into the box & hit enter.
GIVEN ITS THE COMMENTS SECTION – KEEP IT SHORT i.e. NO STORY TELLING
I’ll trial it for a while & see how it goes. Alan H
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #3 – Judith Xmas 1951- 52
Thanks to Robert Brooke for making these remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the third of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Judith during their annual Christmas / New Year Cruise. Looking at the track north from Cape Rodney to Cape Brett it must have been a great ride – they were going from 2 to 3 reefs in the main & tri-sail. If I’m reading things correctly from Cape Rodney to Whangamumu took 8hrs.
No crew list on this one.
The above photo of Mansion House Bay was taken shortly after WW2. Its currently mounted on a bulkhead in Ricks 1920 MT Lane built launch, Luana. Thats Luana centre front & Rick thinks that Tasman is over by the wharf.
Is that Little Jim, 2nd yacht in on the right?
Lets see how many we can ID – Ken Ricketts should ace this one, he grew rowing around these boats.
Ken R Feedback
Boats as per my judgement from right to left LADY SANDRA, JULIANA, (partly out of scope of pic), SUNRAY, MANANUI, MOVARIE, ALCYONE, possibly ATLANTA (ROTOITI,) TASMAN, MARO, AMOKURA, WINSOME II, — I should know but don’t recall the boat in the foreground. This is the first pic I’ve ever seen of the SUNRAY before or after, she had her 1930s sedan motor car cab type bridgedeck added, with the tiny rear window, (next to LADY SANDRA)
All the above are anchored in their classic virtually permanent positions. in that bay in that era, — (except at the times (which was very often,) that the LADY SANDRA was anchored off the end of the wharf with a long anchor line & a rope tying her stern to the end of the wharf) — particularly MARO, LADY SANDRA, JULIANA & TASMAN, who, one could not be blamed for thinking, they actually owned that little piece of the seabed, at that time. It has to be circa Christmas 1948-49
Romance 1 designed & built by Bailey and Lowe in 1914 has just celebrated her 100th birthday. Owner Paul Drake gifted the old girl a new coat of paint & installed an anchor winch – which he told me actually says more about the age of her owners than the age of the boat 🙂
The Drake family have been Romance’s custodians for the last 42 years & she has been kept at Taupo since 1931. She was built for W.C. Mills who replaced her with the larger and faster ROMANCE 2 in 1919, now owned by Pauline Kidd.
Romance had the distinction of appearing on both the front and back covers of The New Zealand Yachtsman magazine of May 19, 1917. See below photos of both covers taken by Paul from an original copy of this magazine he has.
The September 5, 1914 edition of the same magazine included the following: “The launch Romance was hauled up at Queen’s Parade at Devonport on Saturday afternoon last. She is a handsome little craft and is a welcome addition to our fleet of pleasure boats. Last Saturday it was delivered to Mr Mills, a 26 foot tuck stern launch. This boat is of the raised deck type, her engine room being forard and her cabin a roomy compartment aft. The cockpit is spacious and is fitted with the usual seats and lockers. Her motive power consists of a 6 HP 4 cycle engine. She has been named Romance”.
The Drake family saved Romance from the slab sided plywood cabin brigade when they rebuilt the cabin using there own ideas in 1976. They also re ribbed and re floored her, installing a wing motor (an ancient Feltham twin), and a magnificent Chrysler Ace. These engines continue to serve her well.
The above photos show Romance at Waiheke in 1914, as purchased in Taupo in 1972, and as she came off the slip a couple of weeks ago following her 100 year repaint.
RANUI (this is a long post, keep scrolling down – lots of photos) Antartic Outpost – Campbell Island 1947 ex Richard Allen ex archives nz
I was alerted by Russell Ward of this delightful short movie that Richard Allen had posted a link to on the ww ‘Matanui’ post. In Russell’s words – “the movie shows the dear old Ranui taking a load of provisions and workers to the Campbell Islands in 1947. I humbly bring it to your attention as it should be in its own spot rejoicing the daze when men were men and mulleties were mulletiies and were permanently pis_ed in Mansion House Bay.
Its a celebration of proper sailing men who are not ashamed to smoke fags and drink a beer in one gulp on camera. Before we all got tamed by these sheilas”
I spotted Ranui hauled out at Salthouses a few weeks ago getting her bottom seen to, photos below. On one of her visits to the Pacific Islands she practiced a spot of impact hydrography & while the damage was minor the anti-fouling was scrapped off exposing bare wood which proved too inviting to the worms. Out of the water she is a rather large lady.
Update from Bob McDougall
Below is a photo I took of RANUI on Miller & Tunnage’s slip at Carey’s Bay, Port Chalmers. Dated 15-12-1962, RANUI was in for a refit in preparation for the next oyster season in two months. Her hull lines show well in this photo.
Photo ex Ian McLean Ranui entering Dunedin – mid 1990’s
Dunedin mid 1990’s
Update #2 from Bob McDougall
The Larsen concerned was one of several Norwegian men of the name, who came to Stewart Island in the mid-late 1920s, with the whalers who set up their base, workshops, accommodation etc there — best known now as the Kaipipi Shipyard. The whale
factory ship was the famous C.A.LARSEN.
The man who designed and built RANUI was Captain Korinius Larsen, and information about him, and RANUI, is told in detail in the book “Stewart Island Boats”, published in 2008 by the Rakiura Heritage Trust, P.O. Box 114, Stewart Island, for the Rakiura Museum. This magnificent A4 portrait-format book was compiled from the long-time research and writings of Merv King, who died in 2005.
Email: stewartislandmuseum@southlanddc.govt.nz
RANUI and Korinius Larsen references are on pages 119 (incl. a photo of him), 121-122, and 266.
Other references are in: “Kaipipi Shipyard and the Ross Sea Whalers” by J.P.C. (Jim) Watt, 1989. Page refs. 56, 193, 233, 236. His first name may [sic] also be spelt “Karinius” — p.236.
Larsen was assisted by Tommy Bradshaw and others, and construction took place at North Arm, Port Pegasus, between 1928 and 1936. Launch date was 27-10-1936.
When completed, RANUI was sail-only — two 60hp National engines fitted a few years later [well before being taken up for war service in March 1941.]
All in all, a thoroughly interesting little ship with a big history.
Update #3 from Bob McDougall
More RANUI info is in Ian Church’s book “Around The Bay” — about Carey’s Bay people and boatbuilding, published 2007. Pages 95, 98, 99, 108, 110, and 117.
Page 95 records show the “assistant” who helped complete RANUI at Port Pegasus in 1936 was Miller & Tunnage’s Mike Monti of Carey’s Bay. Page 117 records the conversion from laid-up oyster boat to a modern charter vessel, during 1997-1998.
RANUI’s register information:
First registered at Dunedin, No.1 of 1937, 10 April 1937, O/No.142914.
First owner, The Pegasus Fishing Co.Ltd, Invercargill.
First engines: twin screw, two 3-cyl. diesels by National Gas & Oil Engine Co.Ltd, Ashton-under-Lyne, U.K. TOTAL bhp, 60 = 9.5 knots. Therefore, engines installed by April 1937: i.e, 5 months after launching.
Registered dimensions: 66.25ft x 17.65ft x 8.35ft depth. Ketch-rigged.
Tonnages: 56.24 gross, 19.52 net.
Owners:
Sale 25/5/1939 to James William Paterson [sic?] THOMSON, mariner, of Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island.[the ‘real’ owner]
Sale 10/6/1941 to H.M. The King, in N.Z. Government Marine Dept.
Sale 28/7/1949 to ditto ditto Ministry of Works.
Sale 14/10/1949 to ditto ditto, Dept. of island Territories.
Register transferred to Wellington 16/12/1949, No.1 of 1950, 11/1/1950.
Sale 28/8/1953 to George T. ELLISON, Otakou, transport operator.
Register transferred to Invercargill 29/10/1953, No.2 of 1953, 3/11/1953.
Sale 18/2/1960 to Otakou Fisheries Ltd, Dunedin.
Invercargill register open, no further owner-changes, as at Feb. 1976.
Subsequent engine, tonnage, etc changes:
The conversion for Island Territories work, by HMNZ Dockyard at Devonport, completed in December 1949 — now 65.54g, 22.97n.
By Feb.1954 — 65.54gross, 18.18net.[conversion for trawl & cray fishing]
1956-1957 — converted for oyster dredging by Miller & Tunnage, at Carey’s Bay. First dredging season, February 1957.
By May 1965 — completion of new engines fitted: two 6-cyl. Gardner diesels, 114 bhp each; 51.63g, 13.07n; no ketch rig now.
Accidents, etc:
17/4/1938 — stranded off Stewart Island. Master – J.W.P. Thomson.
July 1944 — Damaged rudder at Auckland Islands. Ref. Church, p.98.
Nov. 1954 — A mast and boom smashed by CITY OF BIRKENHEAD, (7320gt/1950) at Dunedin.
c.Feb.1960 — Damaged the Bluff (port entrance) lightship beyond repair.
There are sure to have been other mishaps, but I have no record of them.
Finally,
I see that RANUI was put on Part B of the N.Z. Shipping Register in February 2001, as charter vessel RANUI III, Register No. NZ 654.
Regards,
Bob
24/09/2014 – A reply to the above from Richard Allen – current owner + photos
Thanks Bob, I knew Ian Church but didn’t know his book. I left Dunedin about 1999. Stewart Island Explored is a good one and there is another by Olga Sansom. Also NZ NAVAL vessels has the chapter attached plus the ships details in the schedule.
I knew Mike Monti, he was about 80 yrs old then and made the tea at Miller and Tunnage in the new shed ((after the old was burned down just after Bryan Ingles sold to his foreman Alvin Smith, about 1985.. The charred Timaru trawler that was inside the shed became the centre piece of a famous Ralph Hotere exhibit called the “rise of the phoenix”.)
He told me Larsen hired 6 of the toughest guys he could find on stewart island(including Mike) to hunt thru the bush for grown curved totara for ribs and floors. He told me the toughest only lasted a week and after that Larsen did it all on his own. He was , he said , a “bull of a man, nearly as wide as he was high” .
Eric Chester a long time Otakau fisheries engineer found the original “Browns Tele motor & Steam Tiller co of Edinburgh” steering wheel still on her now.
Chris Spiers first job as apprentice at Miller and Tonnage was to rip out all the red carpet brass and mahogany from her time as the official government ship . His second job was helping cut up two totara telephone poles used to make her rolling chocks (or bilge keels) .
I bought her over the phone while I was in Savannah in 1996 with NZ Yachting team(Tornado). She used to be moored right next to my Fishing Trawler ELAINE , 39 ft 6 in , also a 1924 double ended Miller and Tonnage barracuda boat. So I knew her well when I was a commercial fisherman and always thought she would make a safe husky expedition boat.
Its maiden sail after the Miler and Tonnage refit in 1999 was a grade 3 oceanic search we did for the RSCC to Antipodes Islands to find well known sailor Gerry Clark and the Totorore, see newspaper article attached. Also see the article I wrote about that trip published in Boating NZ on http://www.ranui.co.nz.
The Gardners were not powerful enough (only 6 LW’s) so the Detroits were put in in 1977, rebuilt 1999 by Wilson bros.
She swings two 40 in x 24.5 3 blade props through 3:1 Allison hydraulic boxes. The Detroits are a matched set opposite turning.
Ranui has now taken our family around the Pacific and Southern Ocean many times and she’s never scared anyone. I guess we are up over 75000 miles. Now she carries about 2900 sq ft of sail with all set, including mizzen staysail.
Incidentally , when looking through her survey papers I found the Invoice from Naval Dockyard to Minister of Finance for 13000 pounds. The minister wrote back to the Naval Superintendent querying the bill , saying they paid 3000 pounds to buy her , could have built a new one for 9000 pounds…, but I’m told it was classic Navy with a Rum Locker , Paint locker and all! .But I now know how the Minister felt. Salthouse’s are doing a meticulous and loving job on her hull right now, including complete recaulk, fastenings inspected all ok ,( 5 in copper dumps in perfect condition), new starboard belting, new garboard, refurbished rudder, shafts, bearings , steering, repaint with 8 coats International etc etc
I just ripped off the last of the muntz metal the Navy put on her , some 64 years later….
Click the photos to enlarge
Ranui off Maskelynes Islands, Vanuatu 2010
Photo below – Probably in the late 40¹s when Capt Noel Worth was skipper at Port
chambers wharf
Ranui during a ‘bad hair’ (ugly) period. Photo ex Ross Walker, taken in Bluff approx. 20 yrs ago. Ranui is arriving back after a day on the oyster bed.
Info & photos ex Sea Spray magazine ex Neil Chalmers
Following on from yesterdays post on the mystery Brin Wilson’s motorsailer – today we have Kereru (maori for pidgeon) another Brin Wilson designed & built 30′ motor-sailer. Originally built for Frank Pidgeon (……..Kereru).
She was the cover / lead story on the June 1960 edition of Sea Spray.
With a 86hp Ford diesel engine she would have had a good turn of speed when the wind dropped. These boats were very practical & attractive solutions to the power/sail dilemma , the only other that has come close is the fiberglass replica Logan 33’s, which unfortunately are no longer in production.
Anyone know where Kereru is today?
Update from Mark McLaughlin (article from NZ Herald 29 Jan 2011)
Kereru is now on Lake Rotoiti & since arriving she has had her saloon windows enlarged but is otherwise fairly original, and kept in great condition. There are also some photos of her on WW under the 2014 Wooden Boat Parade post.
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