CLASSIC WOODEN MOTORBOAT RACING ON THE WAITEMATA HARBOUR – Auckland Anniversary Regatta
After the disappointment of a cancelled Mahurangi Regatta weekend I was chafing at the bit to get out on the water.
Being Auckland Anniversary Day yesterday , I secured a spot aboard Jason Prew’s classic launch MY GIRL – WW readers will be aware that MY GIRL holds the title of fastest classic wooden launch on the Waitemata.
So at 11am we were on the start line for the classic launch inner harbour race – start off RNZYS > down to Orakei Bouy > across to Devonport area > back up the harbour to the finish line (aka the start line). Conditions were best described as ok, certainly better than the previous 4 days, overcast, the occasional shower and westerly >20 knots.
This year we were lacking a few of real quick woodys so Mr Prew had the race in hand after 10 seconds. Some close racing with the ‘recently’ re-powered woodies – NGAIO and LUCINDA. Do not have the handicap results but line honours went to MY GIRL / NGAIO / LUCINDA. All serviced at The Slipway Milford yard so a nice trifecta.
Earlier in the morning the tug/workboats put on their normal spectacular performance – see below.
The parade of sail was bolstered by several classic woodys that did not race – parade photos second group above.
Enjoy the photo gallery, light on the winning boat, always is when the bloke with the camera is aboard the favourite 😉
As always – photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.
RACE RESULTS – MY GIRL collects line and handicap honours
Following on from the weekends story on the Russell Boating Club’s classic wooden launch parade (link below), today thanks to BOI photographer – Dean Wright we get to enjoy some stunning photos from the race.
Todays woody story is based on a note received from Stuart Junge, an ex classic yachtie who previously owned the 26’ Bailey Jnr. built classic yacht – LEXIA.
These days Stuart is a volunteer at Auckland maritime museum and along with several others skippers the 1913 classic launch – NAUTILUS that operates out of the museum.
Stuart has some concerns about the (his words) ’tales told of the vessel’.
Now NAUTILUS has made many appearances and WW generated debate around her history. I have included below a past comment from marine historian Harold Kidd, who is the fountain of knowledge in your wooden boating community. My rule is unless there is rock solid proof of an opposing view – HDK is the single source of truth 🙂
I have published Stuarts questions below – can we shed some light on her past and let Stuart sleep easier at night.
• What engine was she originally fitted with?
• Was she steered from the cockpit prior to the high cabin being installed?
• Why was she lengthened, and by whom?
• What was the period of service on the Diamond Harbour run?
• When and why was the cabin deck-head raised?
• I am led to believe she never carried wounded soldiers, only hospital ship staff. True or false?
Back in July 2018 we ran a story on the 1910 classic wooden launch – PONTIAC, at the time we generated an enormous amount of intel on the vessel – link belowJul 2018 – https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/07/09/pontiac/
Now thanks to Ian McDonald’s eagle eye spotting a tme listing we get a greater look at PONTIAC. What we have learnt is PONTIAC was built by McPhersons, Frederick St, Dunedin, for a publican in Pt Chalmers. She was originally named REREMOANA. Built of single skin carvel kauri, 33′ long and with a 8’3″ beam.The current engine is a BMC Commander 4 cylinder diesel that gets her along at8 knots.
Amazing only 2 owners in that last 90 year – one 30 years and the other 60 years.
MYSTERY PICTON WOODEN LAUNCH AT THE MOETAPU REGATTA
Regular WW readers will know I’ve got a real soft spot for the good folks at the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club. They truly embody everything that’s great about the New Zealand classic boating scene — passion, community spirit, and plenty of character.
One of the highlights in my inbox each month is their club newsletter, DEADWOOD — always packed with stories, snippets, and treasures.
In the latest issue, two photos caught my eye — both shared above.
The first shows a rather smart-looking launch, captioned “Moetapu Regatta, Pelorus Sound, 26th December 1911.” Sadly, her identity remains a mystery. Can any woodys help name this launch.
The second photo, taken at the Moetapu Regatta on 27th December 1905, captures a very different scene — a seriously overloaded punt ferrying people to shore. The club newsletter counted at least 45 souls aboard. Clearly, there were no Health & Safety inspectors on duty that day 🙂
2025 KAWAU ISLAND SPRING SPLASH REGATTA – A WOODY WEEKEND TO REMEMBER – 50+ PHOTOS
Pleased to report that the long weekend’s woody action at Kawau Island was an absolute triumph. Now in its second year, the Spring Splash Regatta — a joint venture between the Kawau Boating Club, Ponsonby Cruising Club, and Waitematawoodys — continues to grow in both size and spirit.
It’s still early days for what’s shaping up to be a great annual tradition, but this year’s event had an unmistakably upbeat, jaunty vibe. Everywhere you looked, people were smiling, swapping yarns, and clearly having a great time afloat and ashore.
I’ll apologise up front for being light on the yacht racing and prize-giving coverage — for reasons I won’t bore you with — but rest assured, the competition and camaraderie were both in full swing.
Sunday’s Woodys Classic Parade was the visual highlight of the weekend, showcasing a handsome flotilla of 17 classic launches for all those anchored in Bon Accord Harbour and watching from waterfront properties. Aside from a brief 10-minute burst of H₂O at the start, the weather came right and the parade looked spectacular.
A big thank you to the classic skippers and crews who took part — your efforts made for a great show.
Helming a boat among moored craft while trying to take photos is a fine line between “challenging” and “slightly reckless,” so I’m especially grateful to Dean Watchlin, Murray Deeble and Richard Bicknell for sharing their superb photos from the weekend.
Enjoy today’s gallery — loosely divided into two parts: the weekend’s happenings and the Sunday Parade. Sorry if the cameras missed your boat – some joined the parade midway and some departed midway. The crew of KAIKOURA below, correctly attired for the occasion 🙂
Not often I start with an apology– yesterday at Kawau was a wee bit of a cock up. I missed the prize giving. I’ll be polite and say things got ‘Lost In Translation’.
I was working on intel supplied eg prize giving was according to the notice of regatta was Sunday but it was held on Saturday……. Never mind 😄 sorry to the woodys that turned up 😢
During the week WW was contacted by Karl Reynolds the owner of the 1927 Dick Lang built 31’ classic wooden launch – IRENE. IRENE last appeared on WW back in April 2016, link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/27/irene-2/
Karl purchased the vessel in March 2025 and has been undertaking a refit, The work started with a good clean in the hull and then Karl and his father managed to complete the following in the 15 days they had IRENE hauled out.
• New larger hatch to remove engine through and lifted height to give me head room at helm
• Bulk heads installed to add support to hull and cut out to reduce visual impact
• New Ford engine with heat exchanger sitting on its mounts awaiting gearbox and alignment
• Closed in stern to keep birds out
If you are undertaking a woody project , please share the work with WW, readers love seeing word-in-progress.
1912 WOODEN EX WHALE CHASER BALAENA – GETS A REVAMP
BACK IN AUGUST 2022 WW ran a story on the classic ex whale chaser – BALAENA, built in 1912. The 2022 story, linked below, featured a Country Calendar programme profiling the Marlborough family that had owned the vessel for 64+ years. https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/20/balaena-110-year-old-ex-whale-chaser/
Fast forward to yesterday and Steve from {the} Cafe Cart in Waikawa sent in today gallery of photos of the classic wooden launch.
BALAENA is looking very well cared for and great to see her kept in very close to as built presentation.
Anyone able to tell us who did the work and what’s she is powered by these days.
Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events.
1911 CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – KERERU – A Peek Down Below
Today thanks to Ian McDonald’s eagle eye spotting the 35’ classic wooden launch – KERERU popping up on tme, we get to have a gander down below on this woody that was built in 1911 by Charles Bailey Jnr.
Her owner is very frugal with words, all we learn is that its home port is Picton and it is powered by a Ford 80hp engine.
For a craft that is 114 years old we must be able to learn more about her provenance. We did find press clipping from the Southland Times () relating to an incident in June 1933 – reproduced below.
Photo below of KERERU/s sea trial on the Waitemata Harbour, post launching.
LAUNCH ADRIFT– PILED ON ROCKS CREW LAND SAFELY – A NIGHT IN THE SCRUB (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 5,
A Wellington Aero Club _ plane, piloted by Captain Bolt and with Mr R. Morphy as observer, left the Rongotai aerodrome at daylight to search the coast to the eastward for the launch Kereru. When they got four miles past the mouth of Orongorongo they saw the launch piled up on the beach, but no sign of the men. The plane thereupon flew low, returning along the. beach, and soon saw four men walking towards Riddiford’s station apparently in a fit condition. A message frorn Riddiford’s station at about ten o’clock stated that the men had arrived there and had already been sent on their wav to Wellington. The launch Kereru’s engine broke down off Turakirae Head and, afterthat, the sails were tom to ribbons and the launch drifted for 91 hours from mid-day before being driven ashore. The Kereru was manned by A. Wolfe, Wolfe, H. Green, C. Prince and H. Nagle, who left yesterday morning for a day’s fishing off Baring Head. The launch, which is 35 feet in length, was thrown on the beach by a big wave, landed on an even keel and is reported to be undamaged. The men made a fire in the scrub, spending the night where they landed.
A NIGHT OF TRIAL CREW’S DESPERATE FIGHT. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 5.
The story was told by the crew of the launch Kereru on their return to Wellington to-night of their fight to keep the boat from being wrecked on the stormy and rock-bound coast in Palliser Bay. The party fished off Baring Head until noon and then decided that as the wind was rapidly freshening, they would return into the harbour. The engine was started, but owing to a defective water pump it continually became overheated and would not function for more than a few minutes at a time. At about 4.30 p.m. the northerly wind changed to an increasingly gusty south-easterly, which threatened to drive the partly disabled vessel on to the coast. Two small sails, a jib and jigger, had been set, but these soon carried away in the heavy squalls. The skipper tried to head the launch for a less forbidding part of the coast near Riddiford’s station, but the engine worked only intermittently, making that objective impossible. The crew’s main efforts were then turned to keeping the launch away from the long shelterless coast on to which the wind was driving it. As darkness grew the men on board the storm-tossed Kereru began to lose all idea of their position. They could only tell they were still dangerously near the coast by the sound of breakers on the rocks. As a last desperate resource, Prince, who was at the wheel throughout, decided to anchor- the launch and try to ride out the gale which was approaching hurricane force. Two anchors were dropped when the launch was two or three hundred yards from shore, but the seas continued to increase until they were breaking on the deck. At about 9.30 p.m. a huge wave broke over . the launch and snapped both anchor lines.
“We rushed out on deck,” said Prince in describing the adventure, “and were buffeted about in the seas which flooded the deck, sometimes five feet deep. Another great wave caught the launch and in the darkness we felt it lift and strike the shore. We were simply amazed when we jumped down and found ourselves standing on a small sandy beach. There was the launch out of reach of the waves lying on the beach on an even keel. We all shook hands and considered ourselves (he luckiest men alive.” The party lit a fire from driftwood and spent the rest of a wild and cold night in the scrub. In the morning they made their way to Orongorongo station. The launch was left on the beach, only slightly damaged. Arrangements will be made for it to be towed back to the boat harbour on the first suitable day.
INPUT ex BRIAN BICKNELL – Kereru was built in 1911 for the Hay family of Pigeon Bay as a sister ship to Bailley’s Phyllis, and I believe they had her for ten years. I am not sure what happened next but my understanding is she came up the coast in 1968-69, possibly by members of the Carey family, for Alan Crawley of the Marlborough Harbour Board. It then went to a marine engineer, Roger Frazer around 1975, who had it out of the water for some time and totally renovated her. She was then owned and lived on by Bruce Vickers in the Sounds and we bought her in 2005. There are also a couple of great articles by Harold Kidd and Robin Elliott on the Hays and their boats. I have never heard of her being in Wellington, or having sails, but there are large gaps in her history so it is possible. Such a seaworthy and comfortable boat but our family is older now and we use it less so it is time to let her go. Hope that gives a bit more background,
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