Category Archives: 1920’s

CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN LAUNCH – MAKURA

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Ex Sea Spray Magazine

CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN LAUNCH – MAKURA

In late November 2024 WW attended the relaunch of the very salty 24’, 100 year old ex workboat named  – MARISSA at the Te Atatu Boating club. While there her owners, the Monaghan family, very generously shared an old photo album. One the woody craft included in the album was the Collings & Bell built bridge-decker – MAKURA. Seen in the first two photos above.

MAKURA last made a cameo appearance on WW back in 2013 when Harold Kidd and Russell Ward contributed to a WW story titled ’The Collings & Bell Bridge-deckers’ – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/09/the-collings-and-bell-bridgedeckers/

In the story we learnt that MAKURA was built in 1949 for W D C  & C H Leighton and fitted with a 6 cylinder Chrysler Crown. They sold her to Phil Seabrook of Seabrook & Fowlds in 1957. He fitted the Nordberg a year or so later. Phil Seabrook had Billy Rogers design and build LADY DIANA for him in 1950 and fitted her with the Austin Skipper from new, replacing it with a 155hp Nordberg sleeve-valve engine in 1956 shortly before he sold LADY DIANA to Monte Winter and bought MAKURA. 

Later owners were V F Adams (1966) and W G Boughtwood (1973). Back in 2013 she was in Picton.The photo of MAKURA above was taken by Russell in 1961. Russell commented at the time that she was a fine looking ship. Also shown is a photo of MAKURA as built from the July 1951 edition of Sea Spray magazine.

HOW TO MAKE ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES LOOK BETTER

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HOW TO MAKE ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES LOOK BETTER

In a Dec 21st story we did a fly-by of the last minute, year end work happening at the Slipway Milford. I mentioned that the 36’1921 Arch Logan built launch – NGAIO was hauled out to have a set of davits fitted to accomodate the recently refurbished clinker (f/glass) tender. Fast forward to this week and the Slipway team, which included owner Jan Barraclough, are putting the final touched to the new set-up and the sinks got a ’sea-trial’ in the creek.

Well done to everyone – a stunning executed project.

CLASSIC GAME LAUNCH – ALMA G

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CLASSIC GAME LAUNCH – ALMA G

Todays woody story features the Bay of Islands big game launch – ALMA G. In the above photo we see her at Russell departing on what appears to be a day trip. Interesting observation – the majority of the passengers appear to be female .

The photo comes to us from the ’New Zealand Vintage Postcards’ via a Garry Law fb post.

ALMA G has made numerous appearances on WWRefer link below. She was designed / built by Collings & Bell and launched in late 1922. https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/19/what-price-provenance-100-year-old-game-fishing-wooden-launch/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/05/alma-g-alma-g-ii/

IF YOU HAVE SPOTTED ANY WOODYS OUT AND ABOUT OVER THE XMAS/NY PERIOD – EMAIL ANY PHOTOS TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤️

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MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤️

Merry Christmas to all the WW readers and as 2024 draws to a close I hope you have everything all under control and have something special to look forward to this coming week. Like a lot of people the family are scattered around the world but this year we are lucky to have 2/3 of them back in NZ and for the first part of the xmas/ny break we are land based and enjoying time together as a family. So for now we have swapped a cockpit for a Bure (still NZ based)

If you are afloat or at home I wish you fair winds and calm seas and encourage you to make the effort to pick up the phone and call (no txting) those that hold a special place in your life.

I’ll sign off with a special thank you to all the woodys that make my life easier by sending in stories and photos – publishing a weblog 365 days a year is a challenge but its very enjoyable and I savour the people I get to rub up against. 

One of the few WW rules is there is always a boat photo – today I share one of my favourite woody photos – in fact its my laptop screen saver – the 1922 launch – TEINA, designed by Glad Bailey and built by Ted & Ray McLeod at Bayswater, Auckland. In the photo below she is entering Bon Accord Harbour at Kawau Island.

CLASSIC WOODY WORKBOAT MARISSA – GETS A NEW LIFE

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Screenshot

CLASSIC WOODY WORKBOAT MARISSA – GETS A NEW LIFE

When my phone rings and the ID says John Wright I always answer – why? Aside from the fact he is a great guy. John has a great eye for our classic craft and if he tells me to get my A into gear and do a yard / dockside visit, I know it will be a goody.

This time the woody was the semi-ex 24’ workboat MARISSA, a 100+ years old and owned by the Monaghan family for a very large chunk of that time.

Home port is Great Barrier Island and after her re-launch at Te Atatu Boating Club she will be heading back to the barrier.

Some of her history – at one change when she was a cray boat she went ashore at GB and was abandoned on the beach. I may get this wrong, someone correct me if I do – either Don Armitage or the Monaghan family saved the wreck and concerted here to something along the lines of what we see today.

Photos below of her post the wreck / rebuild. These days she is powered by a 4 cyl. Isuzu diesel engine.

INPUT ex KERIN QWEN – Don Milne rebuilt her and crayfished from Wairahi. Then to Whangapara as support vessel for the lodge, then to Monahan’s I believe. That’s from about 1980 on. I would like to know more of her earlier history. I believe she was converted from a launch configuration.

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PUB CRUISE TRIP REPORT 40+ Photos

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NGARO

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PUB CRUISE TRIP REPORT 40+ Photos

Saturday was a great day for the classic wooden boating community – 13 classic craft (twelve launches and one yacht) made the journey up the river to the waterfront Riverhead Tavern for lunch.

In addition to the 13 woodys we were joined by 5 skippers and partners who made the trip by car.

As seems to always be the case – the weather and sea conditions was perfect for the trip and everyone had a great time.

Nice to welcome several newbies to the flock – these gathering are ideal for meeting fellow classic boating enthusiasts – the anchoring, coming ashore to the wharf and dining make it a shared experience and helps break the ice with ’strangers’. These days people seem loath to row up to another woody in a bay and say hi, some anything that grows the classic woody community is to be encouraged.

Saturdays cruise was the last event on the Classic Woody Calendar for the year, we will be back to you in the new year with details on more events. As always click on photos to enlarge – photos thanks to Margo Hudson & yours truely.

NEWSFLASH – as I have told anyone and everyone, the Mahurangi Regatta in late January is not to be missed. PLUS – details soon on an exciting new activity for the Sunday – the heads up – old school yachting and launch race/cruise to Kawau Island and a party at Kawau Boating Club on Sunday night. Perfect for those wanting to enjoy Mahurangi / Kawau longer eg not heading back to Auckland on Sunday morning.

A sad reminder that we were missing one of our family awaited us on the tables at the tavern – RIP David Cooke 😦

MYSTERY WELLINGTON WOODEN LAUNCH

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MYSTERY WELLINGTON WOODEN LAUNCH

Todays woody made an appearance on Bob Jones fb, thank you John Dawson for the link. The location and identity of the launch / motorsailer hauled out created some debate. General consensus was the Wellington region, with potential being – Petone foreshore, Balaena Bay / Evans Bay. Would be nice to confirm the location.

As to the vessel – my monies on VAGABOND – photo below and previous WW story links. VAGABOND was built / launched by Joe Jukes in 1926. A ’sister’ ship to NEREIDES.  Jukes yard was located in Balaena Bay, which adds weight to the photos location.

WW Jan 2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/01/10/vagabond-sailing-sunday/

WW Feb 2018 https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/02/08/vagabond/

⬇THIS SATURDAY ⬇

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE

CLASSIC GAME BOAT – ALMA G II – RE-LAUNCHING CEREMONY 

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CLASSIC GAME BOAT – ALMA G II – RE-LAUNCHING CEREMONY 

Yesterday we covered the relaunching of the 1927, Collings & Bell built game boat – ALMA G II.

Co owners (brother & sister) Shelly and Brett Arlidge, grand children of the original owner – E C Arlidge, hosted a very proper ceremony, with a welcome, a history of the boat, a Waiata and formal blessing. With the restarts of a working boat yard in the background and large crowd I have attempted to record the ‘formal’ parts of the ceremony – TURN YOUR VOLUME UP.

One of the missions of waitematawoodys is to archive this content for future review and reference. I encourage you to spend a few minutes and take in the wisdom being shared. 

THE WELCOME

HISTORY OF ALMA G II

WAIATA

BLESSING

CLASSIC 1927 WOODEN GAME BOAT – ALMA G II RE-LAUNCHED – 45 Photos & Videos

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CLASSIC 1927 WOODEN GAME BOAT – ALMA G II RE-LAUNCHED 

For the last 18+ months WW has been following closely the refit / restoration of the 1927, Collings & Bell built game boat – ALMA G II.

On Wednesday I pointed the car north and attended the re-launching celebration at Opua, in the Bay of Islands.

Today is about sharing the day with all the WW readers – In previous WW stories (links below) we have extensively covered her past and how she progressed to what we are viewing today.

Tomorrow on WW we will run the videos I recored of the speeches, Waiata and blessing.

Co owners (brother & sister) Shelly and Brett Arlidge, grand children of the original owner – E C Arlidge, are to be commended for ensuring ALMA G II will still be cruising the Bay of Island waters in 100 years time.

I really like the interior fit out, its a take on the old school look and she even sports a reconditioned Ford Lees 130hp diesel engine, no ‘black box’ electronics connected to this engine.

Boatbuilder Craig McInnes and the team at CMC Design have excelled themselves with this project.

The game chair and salon table are original 1927 items.

The gallery of photos comes to us from the cameras of yours truely  and professional B.O.I. photographer Dean Wright. As always click on photos to enlarge 😉

Restoration #1 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/01/restoration-of-alma-g-ii-begins/

Restoration #2 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/12/06/alma-g-ii-restoration-update-2/

Restoration #3 & #4 https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/08/14/classic-wooden-launch-alma-g-ii-restoration-updates-3-4/

THE PEOPLE – A fantastic number of people turned out to celebrate the re-launch, seems anyone and everyone with a link to the boat or game fishing in the Bay of Islands was there.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY ADELAIDE OUT FOR SOME TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY ADELAIDE OUT FOR SOME TLC

I Have been spending too much time at the Sandspit marina – as an example 4 trips in the last 10 days………

One of the upsides is bumping into a few woodys that I have not caught up with in a few years.

Last week I snapped some photos of the 1922 Dick Lang built 36’ launch – LADY ADELAIDE. Then yesterday there she is hauled out for some TLC. Back in November 2021 when she was for sale we ran a ‘peek down below story’ on her,  link below, and now get to see her out of the water.

LADY ADELAIDE is one of those classic wooden craft that just looks right from any angle. When done to her owner on the condition she presents in and the ongoing ‘investment’ in systems and salty look.

View Previous WW Story Below – Nov 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/22/lady-adelaide-a-peek-down-below/

SEEMS MOST OF US SHARE THE SAME VIEW ON WHAT TYPIFIES A CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – results of yesterdays online poll below.

November 19-11-2024 Poll