Category Archives: 1800’s

BONDI BELLE – A PEEK DOWN BELOW & SHE COULD BE YOURS

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2017
2017

21-12-2024 INPUT ex MAURIE OGDEN – photo below of WHAKAPARA (BONDI BELLE) on launch day

BONDI BELLE – A PEEK DOWN BELOW & SHE COULD BE YOURS

The classic 45’ vessel BONDI BELLE has a great back story – we have uncovered a lot about her on previous WW stories – links below – but the executive summary is BONDI BELLE was built as S.S. WHAKAPARA, at Whakapara (North of Whangarei) by Charles Bailey Jr. for the Foote family who were saw millers at several Northland locations . Construction started in1898 and she was launched in early 1901. Initially she was a steamer and was converted to diesel in the 1920’s. These days a 130hp Mercedes diesel provides the forward motion.

In the this 2014 WW link there is an amazing history of her past https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/17/bondi-belle/
And here we get a peek at her 2017 restoration  https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/20/bondi-belle-relaunched/

The Wooden Boat Bureau was contacted last week re finding the next custodian for BONDI BELLE. As you can see from the above photos, her current owner has done a wonderful job maintaining her to a very high standard. She presents in ‘sail away’ condition. 

Given her size, configuration, provenance and tasteful fit out, BONDI BELLE is offered for sale at a very realistic price, sadly reflective of the current depressed marine sector. I hate to use these words but she would make an impressive live-a-board, probably the best priced waterfront accommodation in Auckland.

Interested parties to initially contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details. Its a busy time of the year so please – genuine enquires only 🙂

MAHURANGI – A Peek Back In Time 

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MAHURANGI – A Peek Back In Time 

Recently Hugh Gladwell contacted WW re the above photos taken in and around Mahurangi in the early days. Hugh talks us thru them below –   

‘The top photo is the launch LAVINIA shown in front of Rodmersham the old house just inside the eastern headland of the harbour
The second is another unnamed launch heading down the Mahurangi River

The third is Sarah Lushington who owned Rodmersham in the late 1880s sitting on a pile of ballast out of the family yacht MURITAI which is behind her.  She is greeting her housemaid Mrs Brown who lived further up harbour at one time under an upturned boat The old house is much grander than it looks and little changed over almost 150 years. It was built in 1886 out of unreinforced concrete with walls a foot thick with sand from the beach in front, shingle from Motuora and lime from the kilns up the river. It has a large billiard room, servants quarters at the back upstairs and is straight and square with not a hairline crack visible anywhere. It has been in the same family ownership for about 5 generations’

So woodys can we learn more about LAVINIA and put a name to the mystery launch.

What happened to the classic wooden yacht – MAHAKI

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What happened to the classic wooden yacht – MAHAKI

WW was recently contacted by Chris Leech who was reaching out to establish the whereabouts of the c.1894 built Logan designed 2 1/2 rater yacht – MAHAKI.

The primary reason for Chris’s interest is that the Devonport Yacht Club have been presented with the NZ Yachtsman Cup that was presented to MAHAKI in 1910.  At the time the yacht was owned by George Sim and the cup remained in the Sims family ownership ever since.

DYC will be adding the cup to its impressive collection of silverware. 

Chris suppled a collection of historical articles on the yacht, attached below as a PDF file for reference for those that want to go done a rabbit hole. The readers digest of (potentially accurate) known, recent intel is – bought by Eric Wing (McMullan &Wing) in the mid 1980’s. Partially restored by Wing and then on his passing in 1994 was purchased by Peter Blunder who finished the project in Clevedon. From there the current location and presentation of the yacht is unknown.

So woodys can we learn what became of MAHAKI

Photo below of the trophy presented to DYC by Gavin Sims.

Mahaki CupDownload

INPUT ex ANDREW LUSTY – Still owned by Peter Blundell and still in Clevedon

INPUT ex MARK NEWCOMB  The article on Mahaki refers to a previous owner, “Russell”. This will be Russell Going, an Auckland architect with a practice in a lovely old restored building on Newton Road. He was my wife’s uncle, and I occasionally sailed on Mahaki, possibly around 1983sh.                                                                                                                                       I had been raised on our family yacht, Tamatea A20, and had spent some years crewing on Ariki A3, and thought I knew all about wet sailboats. Mahaki was another level of wet, but a lovely craft and Russell loved her.

JACKPOT – WE FOUND HER – Andrew Lusty was spot on – on a shed in Clevedon

CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

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CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

The weekends weather in Auckland certainly wasn’t conducive to boating so on early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and headed to Whangarei for the 2024 Maritime Festival at the Town Basin.

Year two and a quick overview, – more tie-dyed tee shirt vendors and food trucks, a lot more general public – less launches, more large cruising yachts. Steam boat rides were the most popular offering – long queues of kids that probably walked away with a life time memory – well done to all the  steam boat skippers and crew.

Nice to see a couple of woodys from the Waitemata make the trip north – RAWHITI and JOHN DORY. 

As always when she makes an appearance anywhere Dick and Colleen Fisher’s ex pilot boat – AKARANA was the start of the show.

THE AUCKLAND WOODYS HAD AN INTERESTING TRIP HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON 🙂

RAWHITI
JOHN DORY

Harold Kidd – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata’ – Part Two

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PART TWO – A
PART TWO -B

Following on from yesterday, today we have PART #2 – Increasing sophistication, 1870 > 1900, Yacht Clubs & Regattas :-

• The first yacht clubs • Competition in the yacht building industry • Use of kauri and diagonal construction • The rise of the mullet boat as a type • Open sail boats • Exports of yachts • Volunteers • The rise of yacht clubs and the proliferation of regattas • Patikis

Recorded ‘live’ last Thursday evening at the Devonport Yacht Club- we have Harold Kidd speaking on the topic – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods.The filming was a last minute idea so the quality is a little average and on the night there were a few technical issue with the sound, I have edited the best I can.

NOTE: The slides on screen were always going to be average in terms of reproduction so I focussed on the man (HDK) and his narrative. Turn up your sound and enjoy (approx. 40 minutes)

Make sure you check out WW tomorrow for part #3

AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Off The Water Gallery – Part 2

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AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Off The Water Gallery – 70+ Classic Woody Photos

Today we focus on the spectacular collection of smaller woody craft that were displayed in and around the viaduct events centre – to a large % of the shows audience that had some salt in their veins this was a trip down memory lane.

Just so much care and attention has been furnished on these wooden craft. Sadly I suspect that a lot are now in the ‘display’ category. And as we all know with wooden boats you have got to use them or else they deteriorate quickly and then the cost to bring back is just too steep.

The minders / owners of the craft on display were overrun with people wanting to rely their own experiences and memories of the boats. Hopefully the show has ignited some interest in finding the craft that they enjoyed in a past life. The was certainly no shortage of owners looking for new blood to take over their artefact.

Enjoy the gallery and remember you can enlarge the photos if you click on them and the link to the other half of the festival – the classic woodys berthed dockside is below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/04/77770/

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE 130+ PHOTOS 

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My GIRL
MEOLA
Launch Parade

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE 130+ PHOTOS 

As regular readers of the waitematawoodys site know the last weekend of January is always a biggie on the wooden boating calendar. The Mahurangi Cruising Club year-on-year pull off the biggest wooden boating event in New Zealand – {the} Mahurangi Regatta. If you type that into the WW search box your day will be ruined – hundreds of classic wooden boating photos.

I’ll apologise upfront for the lack of sailing photos – these days there are a lot of other happy-snappers recording the racing – when and if I get photos or links, I’ll add them to the story. 

It was a sub 24hr up and back trip to Mahurangi – I had an important family event that I have been dodging for years, and this year the message was – “be here” 🙂

I came away from Mahurangi feeling very upbeat for the health of the classic wooden motor boat movement – there was in excess of 50 classic woodys in the Mahurangi Harbour and from that fleet 32 skippers participated in the classic woody launch parade. A record turnout, so I say thank you those that took part and specially those that dressed their craft.

I was particularly heartened to see the return of several craft that had drifted away from the scene due to relocations, long tern refits and frustration with the community. Of note was Florance Dawn, Kumi and Raiona.

People linked to the supposedly organisation of the the parade (I’m not talking about the MCC) need to wake up to the contribution that the classic launches make to the event – 50+ craft is a mighty powerful visual vista. So fingers crossed the housekeeping improves to ensure the loyalist keep turning up.

After the speed bumps at the start, the parade got underway and a good time was had by the skippers, crews and spectators afloat and ashore at Sullivans Bay.

Enjoy the gallery of photos – some (most) boats appear twice, some I’m sure missed the camera, can’t be everywhere:-) Thanks to Steve Horsley for the photo of Raindance and Murray Deeble for the race start photo.

As always click on photos to enlarge 😉

A reward – first woody to tell me which boat in the above photos has the largest WW flag – wins a normal size WW burgee – enter at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Half Moon Bay Marina Mooching

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JOCELYN
RAINBOW

Half Moon Bay Marina Mooching

Earlier in the week I found myself at HMB marina with some time to kill so went for a wander.

Three woodys in different stages of getting some winter TLC.

JOCELYN – The 49’ Brin Wilson built launch, possibly to a Hacker Craft design, appears to be getting a varnish refresh. She is one of those craft that are just so much bigger out of the water. Read more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/01/28/the-history-of-mv-jocelyn/

UNKNOWN – has a Lanes / Picton look to her – I’m sure someone sharper than me can tell us her name. Impressive back to bare wood restoration underway.

RAINBOW – the 1898 Arch Logan built gaffer has just had a birthday – lots shinny paint and varnish on display + the masts was revarnished , that is a titanic undertaking – well done. I was on-hand as the team from Boat Haulage were dropping the stick back in. An impressive of collection of origami on display 🙂

2023 Thames Traditional Boat Festival + Woody Kawau Weekend

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2023 Thames Traditional Boat Festival + Woody Kawau Long Weekend

Following on from Sundays story on Olaf Wiig’s slipper launch – Vega, todays photos comes to us from Olaf who attended the Thames traditional boat festival in his slipper launch.

There is an awful lot of varnish on display and the attention to detail is spot on. The festival is on my bucket list. Olaf commented that this years festival didn’t have the usual sparkling weather but there was still plenty of varnish on display. He focused the camera on some of the interesting smaller boats.  

Links below to previous festivals:

2019 (photos ex Ian Gavin)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/11/04/2019-thames-traditional-boat-festival-100-classic-wooden-boats/

2020 (photos ex Olaf Wiig)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/06/thames-traditional-boat-festival-2021/
2021  (photos ex the ‘Cruising The Cut’ weblog)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/29/2022-thames-traditional-boat-festival/

There are a few woody events coming up as we enter spring > summer, but I wanted to highlight the plan for Labour weekend (October 21>23). If your anything like me this year has been a non event in terms of over nighting on the boat, so lets all try and make Labour weekend special.

As a bonus the Kawau Boating Club will be re-opening that weekend after a refurbishment, if your not a member I encourage you to join, the club needs help to continue to operate as a haven in the gulf.

Ps you don’t have to be a KBC to enjoy the weekend.

More details closer and pre-xmas event dates below.

Waitangi at Devonport 1897

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1897
2018

Waitangi at Devonport 1897

 I was poking around some old WW files and came across the above photo of the 1894 Logan built gaffer Waitangi, the photo is dated 1897 and shows her hauled out near the Logan yard in Devonport, Auckland.

The image was originally sent in by Keith Humphreys.

The colour photo I took back in Sept 2018, that is 121 year apart – most impressive.

In the WW story link below there is a video filmed by Roger Miles back in 2016, gives us a good insight into sailing Waitangi. 

Classic Yacht Racing – Waitangi