Category Archives: *

Mystery Classic Launch -Waiheke Island

Posted on by
5

Screen Shot 2019-05-31 at 4.20.59 PM

MYSTERY LAUNCH – Waiheke Island

Today’s woody is a newbie to me, the caption reads “All hands on deck – As we enters the channel to our secret bay near our campsite on Waiheke Island”
Looking at the photo I would say the location is Garden Cove, refer photos below
Can anyone ID the vessel & confirm the location?

Double End Clinker Launch

Posted on by
Reply

Screen Shot 2019-05-28 at 12.42.18 PM

Screen Shot 2019-05-28 at 12.43.58 PM

Double End Clinker Launch
 
The above 21’ ex crayfishing clinker launch recently popped up on trademe (thanks Ian McDonald). Her age is little deceptive, she was in fact built in 1980 and is for sale by boat builder Robert Priest, who built the current cabin and installed the 18hp Yanmar diesel, thats pushes her along at a comfortable 6 knots. Robert has owned her for 35 years. 
Her listing states that she is very well built and currently berth at Mana Marina, Wellington. Comes with what’s described as a beach trailer. 
 
She looks a very salty craft and would be perfect to someone with a bach looking for safe, reliable transport and a spot of fishing. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel and who might have built her?
 
Looking For Info On Kiw Boat Builder – Rex Wright

Kaipara based woody – Greg Schultz is trying to track down info on a kiwi boatbuilder. He doesn’t have much to go by except the name Rex Wright and that he worked in Auckland post WW1, before moving to Cairns where he was reasonably well know around the yards.

Rex was born in 1888 and died in 1990. Can anyone help Greg with info on Rex’s past e.g. where he worked, the vessels he built etc?

Victory A8

Posted on by
10

IMG_5972

IMG_5968

VICTORY A8

A great photo above of Victory (I hope my record of sail #’s is correct). This and the bottom photo were sent to me by Mike McGehan. The first woody that can correctly name the 3 yachts (L>R) in the bottom photos wins a waitematawoody t-shirt.
Entries via any way – comments box ofr email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
HDK will be the judge of the correct names 🙂
Mondays WW story is a very special look at the NZ wooden boating scene from a visitors eye/camera – the owner of the camera is none other than the world’s leading classic wooden boat photographer  – Benjamin Mendlowitz. Ben’s talents are second to none and you will see a gallery of some of our finest woodys presented like never before. This access has been granted to WW by the team at Off Center Harbor. Lots more details tomorrow 😉

Felicitare

Posted on by
2

Screen Shot 2019-05-23 at 2.37.49 PM

20190516_135550

FELICITARE

The 40’ classic charter launch Felicitare has made a cameo appearance on WW and at the time John Wicks commented that Felicitaire was built on “spec” by Alec Baxter (in Whangarei) and intended to be a fishing boat. No buyer had appeared by the time she was planked up, so he finished her off as a pleasure boat for himself. John was aboard with him shortly after her launch, and he admired her immensely. After cancer claimed Alec, her second owner put in an even larger Gardner, a 6LX replacing the original 4LW.

These days she is in charter and very well cared for. I was sent the photos of her engine being extracted by Cameron Pollard (Sefton Diesel), who commented that the 6LX has been in the boat for exactly 21 years of faultless service and Cameron is fitting a refurbished 6LXC for her owner.

 

 

Woody Mooching Around Mana Marina

Posted on by
5

20180426-_DHW3894

WOODY MOOCHING AROUND MANA MARINA

Dean Wright was recently reviewing his extensive photo library (he is a professional photographer) and found a file labelled ‘Mana Marina’ and sent it off to me asking if he had already sent it to me 🙂 my answer was no, so today we get to enjoy Deanand his camera mooching around Mana marina, Porirua, Wellington.

The photos we taken last year, no doubt at the start / end of one of his southern cruises.
The windy city woodys are not afraid to splash a bit of colour around when painting their boats 🙂
Enjoy
ps each to their own opinion – but I do like the lines of Ajax.

Manuiti

Posted on by
4

Manuiti

MANUITI
Today’s photos of Manuiti come to us from Malcolm Campbell.
Manuiti was owned by his uncle, Colin Jenkins, son of Lestock Jenkins (owner of Mahino, see Tuesdays WW story) ) one of Malcolm’s mothers brother’s.
Colin had Manuiti moored in the Clevedon River. Malcolm believes he had a Fordson engine.
The photos were given to Malcolm by his uncle, Colin, taken when he owned Manuiti.
Anyone know what became of the launch and who designed / built her?
Input from Harold Kidd – There are/were several MANU-ITIs. I think it was this one that was on TradeMe in 2010 as a 36ft bridgedecker built “by Lanes in 1920″….ummm maybe?
Another MANU-ITI, possibly the same boat, was owned by C.E. Stewart in 1941-43 with a 50hp Lycoming. Another was owned by G.D. Matthews of Devonport in 1957….and so on.

24-05-2019 Input from Neil Chalmers – I recall in the early 1960’s ‘Manu iti’  was owned by Henry Lee of Rawhitiroa Road, Kohimarama . His brother Ken Lee had the Owen Woolley built ‘Avalon’ .

24-05-2019 Input from Malcolm Campbell – Colin brought the MANUITI  June 1977 from Te Atatu & sold her March > April  1985. She went to Thames. She had full length kauri planks…  Built by Lanes ??? in the late 1920’s  early  1930’s..????     Colin then brought the SAN VALLEM June 1985 & sold her May 1988….

Mahino

Posted on by
3

Mahino

MAHINO
 
In typical WW style we go from yesterdays story on Eileen Patrica with over 50 photos and the biggest viewing numbers in the last 6 weeks (strange fact – France was #1 overseas viewing country – never had that b4???) to todays story with 2 b/w photos 🙂
 

The launch above is Mahino and according to Malcolm Campbell who contacted me, she was built by Bailey & Lowe. When she was built is unknown but her specs are length – 28’6”, beam – 6’6” and draws 18”.

Malcolm’s grand father on his mothers side, Lestock Jenkins – brought the Mahino from a Bill Hamilton c.1919 at Waihi and used her on the Tauranga Harbour, Tanners Pt. & Kauri Pt. area. 
Mahino was taken by truck trailer to the Manukau Harbour in 1936, during the war years she was kept in a creek and in 1947 Lestock sold her to a new owner on the Auckland Harbour.
Mahino was powered by a Rugby engine.
Malcom is very keen to discover what became of Mahino, fingers crossed we can help him out.
Harold Kidd Input – Sounds like ORINI built by Bailey & Lowe in 1907 and sold to Matata and renamed after the NZ Hospital Ship MAHENO.

Tua Tai

Posted on by
3

958554890

958555266

Tua Tai

I was trolling thru my WW archives and the above woody popped up, sent to me by Luke van Vliet back in Jan 2019. At the time the launch was for sale on Trademe and Luke was an ‘interested’ party.

Don’t know if Luke went ahead and bought the launch……… but at the time he commented “she is located in whangarei Heads, up north and is 32’ in length. All I know is that she has been owned by the current owners for the past 20 years, I was told she was named Too Tai but I could be wrong”
 
Do we know anything about this woody?

Artono + Mystery Launch

Posted on by
8

Screen Shot 2019-03-21 at 4.11.42 PM

ARTONO + MYSTERY LAUNCH

The launch on the left is Artono, owned at the time by Arthur, Tommy & Nole Cole. The location is the Puhoi River.
What more do we about Artono and the mystery launch on her right?
Photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb

Mystery Launch 20-04-2019

Posted on by
Reply

20190418_082230

20190418_082206

MYSTERY LAUNCH – 20-04-2019

Hobsonville Marina (West Park in drag) woody John Wicks sent in the above photos of a nice looking, salty little launch currently on the hard at the marina. John commented that there was no name visible  and nobody working on her while he was there.

John’s comment re nice looking was in reference to the hull; the superstructure can only be described as functional. As can be seen in the stern view, she has a large fairlead of some sort mounted on the middle of her taffrail. Towing? Scallop dredging?
Hopefully one of the woodys will know her and what she does.
Make sure you log in to WW on Monday – great story / photos on the evolution of the 1912 Harvey & Lang launch – Silens
Stunning day yesterday, the sunset at Rakino was Fiji standard 👌