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 🙂
CAN CLASSIC VESSEL – VECTIS BE RESCUED + Details On Labour Weekend Woodys Happenings at Kawau Island
At the recent Woodys weekend cruise to Clevedon I ws chatting dockside with Jim Lott and he alerted me to the plight of the 1929 Bert Woolacott Keeler – VECTIS that these days resides on San Francisco Bay, USA. I’ll hand over to Jim to tell the story –
For the past 45 years, VECTIS has been sailing the waters of San Francisco Bay. Her current owner, Louis, has lavished TLC on her after a major restoration of the cockpit and aft deck. He now says his racing days are over and he is looking for someone who will appreciate and look after this fine little ship as she turns 100.
Louis has not found anyone in the Bay and has asked me to see if there is some way she can come home to where her life began in 1929.
“VECTIS” is 31ft plus bowsprit and 9ft 6in beam displacing seven tons. She is planked with 1¼ inch kauri over bent ribs, with every 4th rib sawn pohutukawa. She is fastened with copper rivets and treated with red lead, the well-tested standard at that time, and has bronze keel bolts. The deck was laid kauri, fore and aft over diagonals, and caulked with cotton and tar. Coamings and bright work are mahogany, with oregon spars.
She was built in 1929 and was probably the first Bert Woollacott keeler built in New Zealand. While the Registration Certificate named Percy Vos as the builder, other sources credit her build to Woollacott. Unlike Bert Woollacott’s later designs, she had a spoon bow and a bit of a counter aft, and was masthead cutter rigged.
She was well known around Auckland with owners including the Colebrook family and Alan Doull who was the manager at the RNZYS. She competed in one Suva race.
Karin and I bought her in 1970. At that time, a 32’ (9.5m) yacht was considered the ideal size for ocean sailing. The survey showed some areas of decayed timber in the deck, coamings and carlin just forward of the cockpit.
The deck was cut away exposing more extensive decay than expected and we also decided that the Morris petrol engine would need to be replaced with diesel. The cockpit was wider than the cabin trunk, so with the rot removed, it made sense to carry that width forward and incorporate a raised doghouse in the style of later Woollacott designs, giving more room below and some shelter at the forward end of the cockpit. We also added a small amount of headroom in the forward cabin, but left the original athwartships coaming in place just abaft the mast.
After a voyage in the Pacific, we sold “VECTIS” in 1975 and a few years later we heard she had been sold to San Francisco.
Simon Smith, who was tragically killed during the 2023 ‘Coastal Classic’, recalled happy times sailing on “VECTIS” as a youngster. He introduced me to the current owner, Louis who is delighted with “VECTIS”. He purchased her in a run-down state and undertook a two-year restoration , which he detailed. He describes the hull as like new, in spite of the past 95 years.
Louis is realistic about the value of VECTIS and is mainly interested in ensuring she goes to the right person. Getting her to New Zealand is a challenge, but she is very capable of making the voyage where fair winds can be expected along the route.
Even for such a historic yacht, finding the right owner is more of a challenge and we all know the cost of keeping a vessel in Auckland.
I am in touch with Louis and anyone who can help or be involved can contact me jim.karin.lott@gmail.com
Labour Weekend Just 20 Days Away – Join Us At Kawau Island
Commencing this year the Kawau Boating Club are celebrating the start of summer with the SPRING SPLASH REGATTA. A weekend of fun and friendship on and off the water. KBC are holding hands with Ponsonby Cruising Club to run the on the water sailing events – full details in the Notice of Regatta at this LINK WW encourages all yacht owners to consider participating in the Regatta.
The main reason for todays post is to confirm that WW has been working with KBC and PCC to involve the classic launch fleet and classic cruising yachts in the weekends activities. Aside from enjoying the overall ambience of Kawau Island and the recently renovated clubhouse which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on all days, we have two events for woody boaties.
1. On Saturday 26th waitematawoodys invites classic boat owners to gather ashore at Lidgard House (deck) at 4pm for a meet up – BYO
2. On Sunday 27th waitematawoodys will be mustering classic vessels to convene off KBC wharf at 11am for the Classic Woodys Parade ,a circuit of Bon Accord Harbour. As with all good WW gigs there will be plenty of booty to be won – eg longest travelled boat, best dressed boat, etc + spot prizes and all classic boats flying either a WW burgee or KBB / PCC burgee will go in the draw for a complimentary haul out (3days) at the Slipway Milford yard. More details on Saturday afternoon.
With WW life is simple – no entry forms – just turn up on the day and enjoy the company of the classic wooden boating community.
CAN ME PUT A NAME TO THIS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – WENNA
Trolling thru the WW archives recently I came across a folder from back in 2017, from memory one of the WW readers found an old photo album (below) that had been discarded and sent in a collection of random scans taken from the album. Sorry but I have not recorded the senders name.
A lot of the photos were damaged but several were in good shape. Todays woody story features a launch hauled out near Sam Ford’s yard.
INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – She was built as WENNA for Eric O’Neill of Ponsonby in 1925, probably by Collings & Bell in whose yard she is shown hauled out. In 2014 she was RANGATIRA, owned by George Emtage and Pam Cundy at Whangateau. They reverted to the name WENNA.
Going about her business on a calm Wellington Harbour
1954 at the start of her 18,000 pound refit, which included a new wheelhouse
Classic Wooden Work Boat – ARAHINA
Back on August 24th WW draw attention to the Wellington ex Pilot Boat – ARAHINA and how she was desperately in need of a new custodian – At the time Paul Drake commented as below, then sent in the above photos from the past.
ARAHINA arrived in Wellington from Bailey and Lowe’s yard in Auckland on 31st October 1925. On trials she achieved 10 knots with her 100HP Fairbanks Morse engine. In 1954/55, ARAHINA had major work done on her structure and a new wheelhouse added. This was done by Wellington Harbour Board shipwrights, at a cost of 18,000 pounds. In 1979, she went to Jorgensen’s in Picton for another refit, and on her return (under tow) she had the 193HP Kelvin engine fitted. She was sold into private ownership at the end of 1987 and relocated to Picton.She is remembered by one Wellington pilot who knew her well as “a narrow gutted single screw vessel.
She was a seaworthy vessel but tended to broach severely in a following sea, as was often experienced off Pencarrow in a southerly”. On one such occasion when she picked up speed on the face of a large sea astern, her stern picked up and over she went, throwing her Launchmaster into the corner of the wheelhouse as he tried but failed to keep her on course. The pilot and engineer eyed each other as they made for the open wheelhouse door. But ARAHINA recovered herself and all was well enough.
Recently WW was contacted by ‘Wellington Waterfront’ regarding one of Wellington’s historic pilot boats – ARAHINA, that was available for purchase. Currently moored at Queens Wharf, the 66′ ARAHINA is a beautiful vessel constructed from Kauri wood and was originally delivered to Wellington in 1925.
In addition to its piloting duties, the Arahina played a heroic role in the rescue of dozens of passengers and three crew members from the sinking Wahine on April 10, 1968.
Wellington Waterfront are seeking a new owner who will cherish and preserve the ARAHINA for the next century. Ideally, they hope it remains in Wellington, as it represents a significant piece of the regions maritime heritage. The sale is via court order to pay mounting berth costs.
If you are interested in owning this remarkable vessel, please follow the link below for more details.
SOUTHERN WOODEN LAKE BOAT – TORA VERATAWERA Earlier in the month Shamus Fairhead (MV SEQUIA) wrote in concerning the vessel – TORA VERA seen above. I’ll hand over to Shamus to tell the story –
“I was recently down in Christchurch catching up with my 91 year old Father, Jim Fairhall who has been a keen deer stalker all his life. Amongst his photos is this photo from a 1956 hunting trip up the Glaisnoch River that flows into Lake Wakatipu. The rear of the photo names the boat as the ‘Tora Vera’ and Dad tells me she was normally moored on the Frankton arm. ( opposite side ? ) Just curious if this is a later life Thelma – Vera that I sent a photo of earlier and your site has a great write up on ? (Link to that story below)I understood from your article that the Lake Whau Lodge owners were after any images.”
Wednesdays WW story on the ex game launch – ALMA G II, gave woody Gavin Bradley a nudge to send the above photos of his wooden classic – OTEHEI.
Gavin commented that the date was 29 years ago (1995) and Craig McInnes was doing the work of 5 men.OTEHEI was designed and built c.1927/8 by Collings & Bell and had several ’sister’ ships, ALMA G II being one of them. Her first owner was a Frank Elliott and she worked out of Zane Grey’s camp at Otehei on Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands.
OTEHEI spent some time on Lake Taupo before returning home to the far north, where she residues today.
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ALMA G II Restoration Updates #3 & #4
We have been following the refit / rebuild of the1927 Collings & Bell classic wooden launch – ALMA G II for a while now, the last WW story was back in December 2023 Dec 2023 and I have a confession to make – Update #3 slipped between the WW cracks so today you get a two-4- one 🙂
UPDATE #3 from Sian Steward at CMC Design below –
“So much has been going on in the last few months, the team have been working very hard and things are looking great.
After the long long months of initial work of bringing all the bones of the Alma G II back together and many coats of white paint in the hull interior we moved onto the next phase.
The hull has been double skinned with kauri planks, filled, fared and prepped for fiberglass. It was a shame to say goodbye to seeing all the beautiful original timber underneath, but a boat that floats is the ultimate goal.
It’s good to have all hands available for this aspect of the build, working together makes the tough job of glassing much more streamlined and quicker. No one wants to draw out glassing for too long and we are grateful it isn’t a regular part of our day-to-day job..
More full suited days in the hot hot heat bogging and readying for paint. This is where the restoration really looks like it is getting somewhere. We have been going since last April and these milestones are meaningful to both the workers and the boat owners.
The Alma G II has been carefully rolled once more and the whole process starts again on the port side.
From there, back to upright and some more detailed discussions on the interior finishes and fixtures. The owners are keen to honor the traditional elements of the boat and have been sourcing some really lovely items from navigation lights to the bench top surfaces.
Top coat paint colour choices are being made and we keep moving on…”
UPDATE #4
“Further updates on the Alma G II. We have layers of paint going on! More hard work has been done in these last few months with the Lees engine going in, fiberglassing, long board sanding and bogging and fairing. Real backbreaking stuff. Onward we go with paintwork and then the interior fit out. “
Todays photos come to us from Max Arthur and date back almost 100 years. Max came across the WW site while research his father – E.W. Arthur and grandfather – H.R. Arthur.
The photos record a cruise to Kawau Island inc.1929.
In the 1st photo (and other) Max believes the flush deck launch is – WANDABYNE. Which is a newbie to me , but in a previous WW story we identified a launch named WONDABYNE (LOLITA) , link below. At first I thought typo but in my eyes not the say boat. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/06/24/wondabyme/
Can we learn more about WANDABYNE and keen to ID the other launch shown in a couple of the photos.
Yesterday we ran a ‘mystery’ photo of TEINA at Kawau Island, the winner of the name the boat quiz was – John Dawson.
As promised today we get a photo bomb of images of TEINA, all from her original owners – the McLeod family via the Heritage collection at the Auckland Library. Thanks to Nathan Herbert for the heads up re the photos.
TEINA was designed by Glad Bailey and built by Ted & Ray (maybe Roy) McLeod at Bayswater, Auckland and launched in Feb1922.
She was kauri planked and when launched powered by a 90hp Detroit 351diesel engine.
For a woody classic launch that was photographed as often as TEINA was its amazing that she has only popped up on WW once before. She was one of the boats photographed by John Bullivant on a tour of the Tamaki River back in Feb 2019. Photo below.
Would be nice to learn more about the period between 1960 and now + an update on her present location and condition.
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