Category Archives: 1920’s

Maitai + We Can Use Our Boats Again :-)

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MAITAI 

Chatting with a woody on line the other day re a WW merchandise order and he mentioned that he was the ’newish’ owner of the 30′ Maitai, the 1928 Collings & Bell built launch.

Back in August 2019 Maitai was for sale and she made an appearance on WW, link below that shows her then interior.https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/08/15/maitai-a-peek-down-below/

Maitai has recently gone back in the water after a 7 month period of TLC. These days her home is Waiheke Island, having previously spent most of her days in the Far North.

Maitai is powered by a 36hp Bukh diesel. In the WW link below (August 2018) we see two b/w photos of Maitai on a cruise, the location is said to be Omaha but the date is unknown. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/08/14/maitai/

First Tuesday of the month today – so there must be a Classic Yacht Association committee meeting happening (via Zoom) – so the banner below is a reminder to elected members to be kind and support inclusion not segregation on the topic of the new Heritage Basin marina 🙂

BEST NEWS OF THE YEAR – WE CAN GO BOATING AGAIN FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING 

HONESTLY OFFICER – WE ARE ALL RELATED AND LIVE TOGETHER But how crazy is this, if its a cabin boat, you can only have your family / bubble aboard – BUT if its a 12’ tinny, you can have 10 people aboard 

BUT I BEAT YOU ALL BY TWO DAYS – SEA TRIAL YESTERDAY (permitted activity)

Thames Traditional Boat Festival – 2021

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Thames Traditional Boat Festival – 2021

The Thames Traditional Boat Festival is one of the woody events on my bucket list and today thanks to Olaf Wiig we get to vicariously check out last weekends event. 

Olaf commented that as long as it is made of wood or riveted steel it is welcome at the festival. No 1950 cut off here 🙂

Olaf’s highlight was – Islanda, see spec sheet on her below.
Enjoy the varnish 🙂

Woodys Clevedon River Overnight BBQ Cruise – 35+ photos & video’s

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Meloa’s 60th Birthday

Photos below ex MV Buccaneer (Michelle Bostock & Tim Ord

Woodys Clevedon River Overnight BBQ Cruise

The weekend forecast for the woodys classic cruise up the Wairoa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club was a mixed bag, but as almost always is the case with woody events, it all came good and other a few light showers the 15 launches and one yacht had a ball. We were meet by CCC member Barrie Abel in his classic Sea Craft run-about who piloted the fleet up the river, only one oops that I know of, they were following Raindance and clipped a maker pole, but blamed me as I was taking photos and ‘diverting’ a tad.

Big thanks to all the CCC members that turn out to lend a hand with the berthing, no easy task with a mix of craft and ’skills’ 😉

The afternoon was spent catching up with old and new friends via a spot of boat hopping, followed by a BBQ dinner at our hosts club house.The chef, Bazza was the best, how he remembers which food on the BBQ belongs to who and how you want it cooked is beyond me. A few of us watched the All Black v Australia rugby test (on an iPhone) so the AB’s big win capped of a great night.

Sunday dawned with a perfect day, but the sun might have been a little too bright for one of two of the revellers but conditions were agreeable for the trip home.

Again many thanks to the CCC members for the hospitality and friendship extended to us – we will be back.
(Make sure you view the videos, some great dockside footage + thank you those that emailed in photos from the weekend – and as always click on photos to enlarge)

READ THE BACK STORY HERE https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/08/04/why-you-should-hold-off-paying-your-classic-yacht-association-subscription/

Olive Rose + Woodys Kawau Island Weekend

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OLIVE ROSE
Earlier this year , woody – Paul Drake sent me the above photo of the 1925, Snorky Inglis built launch Olive Rose. For many years she was part of the Auckland ‘Blue Boat’ fleet, run by Auckland Launch & Tow Boat Company. The photo above is most likely from those days, at a guess there is 75+ passengers on-board, and no sign of a life jacket 😦

She last appeared on WW back in November 2017, where we got to take speak down below. WW link below. Lots of chat and details in the Comments Section.https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/11/18/olive-rose/

Hopefully Olive Rose is still cruising the waters off Waiheke Island – can anyone comfirm? 

WOODYS LABOUR WEEKEND KAWAU ISLAND LAUNCH CRUISE

Get the pen out and circle these dates – October 23rd > 25th – Woodys Long Weekend Cruise to Kawau Island (Labour Weekend) – Sunday evening dinner / gathering at Kawau Boating Club. Also a possible dinghy trip up the river to the Matakana Markets on Saturday morning – tbc

READ MORE https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/08/04/why-you-should-hold-off-paying-your-classic-yacht-association-subscription/

Fox II (Iris Eileen)

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FOX II (Iris Eileen)

When launched at Freemans Bay on Christmas Eve (11.55pm) 1922, Fox II was named Iris Eileen after the owners (George W.A> Elley) daughter. Designed by Charles Gouk who also supervised the build by her owner. Fox II is 48’6” on deck, with a beam of 12’6” and draws 5’.

Over the years her owners have included – Fred Arnold, Billy Silver, Lou Cahoon, O’Brian, Michael Nola and Mike Vela. She was re-named – Fox II in 1937, when Arthur Policandriotis took ownership. Story goes no one could pronounce his last name, so called him – ‘Arthur the Fox’, after his first boat.

When launched she was rigged as a ‘Gaff Cutter’ with a steel centre-board and tiller steering. The first engine installed was a 7hp steam engine from Whangaroa. She fished out of Port Charles for crayfish and would come to Auckland to then cook them, using the steam from the boiler, selling the crays at the wharf.

When the Nola Bros bought her in 1940, they fitted a new Kelvin K3 diesel. Starting the K3 was a performance  – she had a petrol start with its own magneto and carburettor. The petrol pumped to each of the 3 cylinders, with a large atomiser, then it took 15 pumps in the carburettor. A hand crank was lifted over TDC, with the compression lever open. The spark plug would ignite the gasses and when the revs got up, the lever would be thrown to bring on the full compression and start running on diesel.

Fox II fished out of Auckland as AK59 with the Southern Seas Food & Export Co. She was sold to Jack Lidgard in the 1970’s, then onto Dave Skyrme and then Iain Forsyth + others. Ian Forsyth converted her back to sail. Rebuilding a new wheelhouse over the engine room. The fish hold became the main saloon and an aft cabin was also added.

Fox II is now based in Akaroa / Lytteton and takes out dolphin watching parties.

Fox II popped up on WW back in April 2018 where Barbara Cooke spotted her in Akaroa, when they were circumnavigating NZ on Trinidad. At the time the story generated a lot of comments and input from people connected to the vessel – worth a read. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/04/13/fox-ii/

Details and photos come to us from Iain Forsyth, who these days owns the stunning 42’ Miller & Tunnage, 1961 built, ex work-boat – Meola. See and read all about Meola at the WW links below 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/08/09/meola-a-peek-down-below/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/07/31/meloa-2/

Onerahi Wharf Regatta

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ONERAHI WHARF REGATTA

odays photo is dated 1921 and shows the Onerahi Wharf (Whangarei) Regatta. Quite a few launches at anchor and alongside the wharf. Anyone game to name them of some of them? (Photo ex Maurice Sharp fb)


NEED A COMMERCIAL DIVER

If you don’t, chances are at some stage you will – so put the name Simeon Hall – 020 401 35655 – in your address book. Simeon comes highly recommended by Mike Mahoney. 

What Happened To Privateer (SandPiper)

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What Happened To Privateer (SandPiper)
The 1927 kauri launch Privateer first popped up on WW back in August 2015, when Paul Drake spotted her as a new arrival on Lake Taupo (link & photo below). At the time Zach Matich ID’ed her as Sand Piper and commented that she had been on trademe and based in Wellington at the time.

Fast forward to Jan 2021 and Ian McDonald saw her on trademe, ‘berthed’ at Tokaanu, Lake Taupo – offered up ‘for removal as an abandoned vessel’ by the Taupo Harbourmaster. As you will see from the above photos she was looking very sad, but a comment on WW in Feb 2021 advised that she had been acquired and hopefully would be restored.

The above and below photos are a good graphic example of how quickly old woodys go down hill when the TLC stops.
Hopefully the new owner will update us on their plans for the launch 
2015 WW Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/08/22/privateer/

Eclipse – A Peek Down Below

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ECLIPSE – A Peek Down Below
Back in Sept 2016 John Sankey was mooching around Nelson and sent in a selection of woody photos, amongst them were several of the launch – Eclipse. At the time she was looking a little sad and was for sale.

WW link here to that story.   https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/09/22/woody-nelson-trip/

Now thanks to a tme listing we get to have a peek down below, she has also had a lick of paint.Some details – 37’ in length with a 9’ beam and drawing 3’4” , powered by a 70hp Nissan SD25 diesel engine, giving her a cruising speed of 8 knots.

Her tme listing states she was built in 1907, but in the 2016 story Harold Kidd advised that she was built in November 1922 by James McPherson at Dunedin for W. Webber of Ravensbourne.

04-06-2021 Update ex Keith Murphy – photo below of Eclipse at Ravensbourne

RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Woodys Riverhead Tavern – Winter Cruise 

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Te Hauraki
Dancer
Ngarimu
My Girl

Woodys Riverhead Tavern – Winter Cruise 
Yesterday was one of those days where the weather forecasters got it wrong -big time. Took the dog for an early morning waterfront walk between the showers and the ferries on the harbour were sounding their fog horns – fast forward 2 hours and the suns out, water glassy flat and we are going boating. Quick side trip to collect our quests – Margo & Jamie (MV Lady Crossley) from Westhaven and we are off.

A great turn out for mid-winter, saw 60+ woodys gathering at the historic waterside Riverhead Tavern for lunch – special thanks to those that came by car and helped with berthing the boats at the wharf. As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉

Nice to meet some new faces and if there was an award for most travelled attendee, woody Bruce Rowe on board – Ngarimu would be the winner. Bruce and his ‘decky’ mate – travelled from Thames to attend.  The boys left Thames on Friday, stayed at bottom end of Waiheke, then off Stanly Point / Bayswater on Saturday night and  will be heading home today. Talking to Bruce,  Saturday night sounded heaven – tucked up in their warm bunks, rain on the cabin top, listening to the Auckland Blues rugby game, then the NZ v India cricket test – not a lot of sleep was had 🙂

We were also graced with the company of John and Diana Olsen on their steam boat – Dancer, The Olsen’s towed Dancer from Cambridge and launched her at the old Salthouse yard to make the trip up the creek.

Check out the Woodys Classic Weekends Event Calendar at the link below, for upcoming outings – our next one is an overnight BBQ cruise up the Clevedon River on the weekend of 14 > 15th August – a heads up – numbers will be restricted due to berthing / anchoring limits -so RSVP early.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/15/woodys-classic-boating-calendar/


The poster below greeted us at the door to the tavern – has a nice ring to it………….  maybe someone is sending me a message 🙂

Raindance Gets A Birthday

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Raindance Gets A Birthday
Firstly a double apology 

1. If you are one of the several WW followers that have an issue with me posting photos of my launch – switch off and read a book, in fact do everyone a favour and push delete to WW updates

2. Today is all about the boat – after several weeks of being hauled out at The Slipway Milford, I relaunched today – I have used the term b4 but I’m as happy as a dog with two dicks 🙂
I will not bore you with all the work but Jason and Cam at the Slipway have corrected a telephone book size list of issues, faults and potential future oops – the ‘Readers Digest’ version of the work I’m very happy about is :-

• the paint job, stunning

• the steering, rebuilt including new rudder tube / stock / arm

• the mast – rewired / vanished  + visual enhancements

• refurbished stern – removed upright support posts + rot

• refastened duckboard

• addressed several niggling water leaks

Still a few cosmetic jobs on my list but she is looking 90% perfect.
If you are joining us on Sunday for the Woodys Riverhead Tavern lunch cruise, you can have.a gander dock side 🙂

(Photos ex Jason Prew & yours truly)