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)
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
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
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
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)
What Happened to Galatea
Galatea, the 1926, 36’ tram-top woody last appeared on WW back in March 2017 – Photo below + link to that storyhttps://waitematawoodys.com/2017/03/11/galatea/
Over the weekend one of my spotters, sent in the photos above of Galatea hauled out at Te Atatu Boating Club – the answer to ‘what happened to Galatea’ – is – not much happened to her. Fingers crossed she gets a break and is returned to her 2017 condition.
In the 2017 WW story we did not uncover much about the vessel – can anyone enlighten us more?
Explanation – if you wondered why you received two email today – the first one, the ‘Woodys Classic Events’ calendar was just a posting to allow me to get the calendar into the WW system, so I can link to it. Make a note of the dates in your diary, I’ll be sending out invites closer to the actual dates. If you haven’t been receiving notifications about Woody events – drop me an email with – your name, boat name + mob # (some comms we do via txt – send to waitematawoodys@gmailcom.
Summer Holiday Flashback
Todays photo is dated 1969 and shows a camping ground, tagged – ’Smiths Holiday Camp, Paihia ’. Not sure exactly where that was, but its a mirror of my summer holidays at Simpsons Beach Camp on the Coromandel. Even the dinghy in the foreground. My father built me one, it took 4 kids to just move it – built like a brick out-house 🙂
I love the fact that there are so many kids playing in the water and it appears no adult supervision – we have become so PC.
I Feel Like Kim Kardashian
Lots of body shaping, filling (botox) and make-up under way on my old girl – the rudder and surrounding area was a mess and in need of some TLC. New – rudder tube, shaft, arm and bearings have been crafted and installed, yet to sea trial but its just so smooth to operate, the previous setup was very rudimentary.At the same time lots of other work underway, its been a long 3 weeks.
Just A Fu@king Work Boat
Just before Easter (approx. two months ago) I did a two hour in/out haul out at The Slipway Milford for a quick bottom clean, as I was leaving the Milford Creek I passed the 1920 built ex Auckland Harbour Board vessel – Te Hauraki on-route to the Slipway, for a few week weeks TLC.
On Friday owner Rodger Moore proudly re-launched – Te Hauraki after an an extensive refit. Joe Average standing on the dock would struggle to spot most of the work undertaken because to quote Rodger “It’s just a f@cking work boat”, so everything gets covered in paint 🙂 and kept as close to original as possible. But having spent the last 10 days alongside her on the slip I can tell you these days she is a very special work boat and very loved by Rodger and family. Another happy owner and her photo will proudly grace the lunch room wall at the yard. Well done Cam and Jason 🙂
Te Hauraki has appeared on WW before – to see and read more about her here + a great John Street (previous owner) video – click this link . https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/09/13/te-hauraki/
09-06-2021 UPDATE – Te Hauraki owner, Roger Moore, was pleasantly surprised recently to receive a ph call from his son giving him the heads up on a model of Te Hauraki on display / sae in a gallery on Waiheke Island. It was very quickly snapped up and now takes pride of place in Rogers ‘den’
LINDA OUT FOR SOME TLC
I said good bye to my slipway neibour today – Te Hauraki (Mondays story), but within minutes she was replaced with one of our finest woodys – the 1927 Colin Wild built launch – Linda. I’ll be honest and admit I experienced a degree of ’short pants syndrome’. Alongside Raindance, Linda looks like the QEII. I’m sure I’ll get over it 🙂
A lot of people have reservations around coming into the Milford Estuary / Creek but if you choose the right time / tide, its a breeze and The Slipway Milford railway slip, can haul out most classic launches on the Waitemata.
To read / view the wonderful job the Brooke family did rebuilding / restoring Linda in the early 1990’s after a fire that would have seen most other boats heading to the landfill – click the link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/24/linda-3/
30-11-2025 UPDATE: LINDA leaving the Slipway Milford after a serious dose of TLC
TUTUKAKA LAUNCH = Merlin
Dean Wright sent in the above photo of this launch berthed at Tutukaka. No visible name so would be nice if we could ID her.
17-05-2021 Update ex Keeny West – the mystery game boat above is Merlin owned by Brett Bracey.
NEREIDES COULD BE YOURS WITHOUT ANY UPKEEP COSTS
One of the growth boating areas is time share – where you get access to a boat for a set period of time for a set cost.Normally the only boats available in these ‘partnerships’ are pieces of white plastic and a 3rd party is clipping the ticket, with a rather large pair of clippers. For several years Mark Lever the owner of the 1926 classic launch – Nereides, has been making her available to suitable parties via similar agreement to the above. Nereides is one of our best maintained and presented woodys, in fact just drop dead gorgeous, see more photos below. Mark contacted me during the week for a chat and he drop in that a, what he calls – ‘Crew Spot’ was coming available , so I asked for details – I’ll let Mark explain how it works below, but if you are interested give him a call or drop an email for more details 021 747 102 or email mark@workshop73.co.nz
“Nereides is berthed at Sandspit Marina one hour north of Auckland. She is a glamorous Wellington boat from 1926, gaff rigged main sail, mizzen and headsail perfect for coastal cruising. The skipper looks after maintenance. Looking for someone, or a couple who would like to share the use of this classic launch.The cost is $6k per year with a weekend a month and a week over the summer period.”
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