Category Archives: 1930’s

Creme Brûlée – Classic Lidgard Day Boat

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Creme Brûlée – Classic Lidgard Day Boat

Todays 19’ woody run-about just popped up on tme but isn’t for sale there, the craft is going to auction at Webbs auction house later this month. The price indication is $25>$35k and then on top of that there is 15% buyers premium + 15% gst to pay so it will be interesting to see what price it sells for, if it sells.

Interested in the WW brains trusts thoughts on the Arch Logan design and 1933 Lidgard build claim. Has to have been a name change at some stage, Creme Brûlée doesn’t sit well with the build date 🙂

She made an appearance on WW back iin April 2019 as a project boat – well spotted by Angus Rogers – link https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/04/10/woody-lake-boat-project/

The sales blurb says kauri carvel construction, pohutukawa trim and carbon fibre reinforced hull, again interesting.

The boat spent most of its early life on Lake Tawawera with one family, then she passed thru several owners before being uncovered in Rotorua. Her original engine, a 7hp marinised Austin 7 Thetis, was found near Okere Falls, Lake Rotoiti and then fully reconditioned.

From Rotorua she was taken to Kawhia for restoration which was completed in Whangarei by the current owner.

Can we confirm / add to any of the above. She is a honey and would fit what I’ll be looking for in a few years, with a heart transplant (the boat not me)

2023 Thames Traditional Boat Festival + Woody Kawau Weekend

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2023 Thames Traditional Boat Festival + Woody Kawau Long Weekend

Following on from Sundays story on Olaf Wiig’s slipper launch – Vega, todays photos comes to us from Olaf who attended the Thames traditional boat festival in his slipper launch.

There is an awful lot of varnish on display and the attention to detail is spot on. The festival is on my bucket list. Olaf commented that this years festival didn’t have the usual sparkling weather but there was still plenty of varnish on display. He focused the camera on some of the interesting smaller boats.  

Links below to previous festivals:

2019 (photos ex Ian Gavin)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/11/04/2019-thames-traditional-boat-festival-100-classic-wooden-boats/

2020 (photos ex Olaf Wiig)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/06/thames-traditional-boat-festival-2021/
2021  (photos ex the ‘Cruising The Cut’ weblog)  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/29/2022-thames-traditional-boat-festival/

There are a few woody events coming up as we enter spring > summer, but I wanted to highlight the plan for Labour weekend (October 21>23). If your anything like me this year has been a non event in terms of over nighting on the boat, so lets all try and make Labour weekend special.

As a bonus the Kawau Boating Club will be re-opening that weekend after a refurbishment, if your not a member I encourage you to join, the club needs help to continue to operate as a haven in the gulf.

Ps you don’t have to be a KBC to enjoy the weekend.

More details closer and pre-xmas event dates below.

Woodys Abroad

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WOODYs ABROAD

One of our most passionate and talented woodys – Olaf Wiig is currently based in the UK but still owns back in NZ the stunning 48’ 1953 Lidgard built launch – Ngaro (photo below) which the family cruises on in the NZ summer (when we have one).

After returning this time to the UK Olaf quickly found a woody project to keep his hand in.

The photos above are of Olaf’s 1930’s Andrews slipper launch named – Vega. This is a style of launch which is unique to the upper Thames.  The first of its type was a boat called “merc” it is part of the national Maritime museum’s collection https://nmmc.co.uk/object/boats/slipper-launch-merk-from-1912/

Olaf commented that the boat had been out of the water for some time so the main job was to address the dried out bottom planks and re caulk her seams. The more enjoyable bit was to re-varnish her. Some 14 odd coats of traditional yacht varnish and some 24ct gold leaf she was ready for the water. Just in time for the Thames traditional boat festival, and that will be tomorrows story 😉

Ngaro

Nana SOS

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NANA – SOS

The launch Nana popped up on tme 4sale by boat yard as a ‘As-Is-Where-Is’ sale.

Someone needs to snap her up – she has blue blood – designed by C. Bailey Jnr. , and built in 1934 by Chas Bailey & Son . 35’ in length and a very pretty woody.

Nana has appeared on WW several times – back in Feb 2017 she had just been repaired after being t-boned on her mooring by a wayward vessel. Link to that story with lots of pictures here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/01/nana-resuced-restored/

I very rarely post links but check Nana out here https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/listing/4199572782?tm=email&et=47&mt=16373835-5D46-4FFE-A44C-B8ECA6A92162&bof=hzam1Goh

Be quick woodys – someone will score a bargain. Starting bid is $5k. Photos below from 2017.

(Thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up)

A Dip In The Archives – The Gypsy Story

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29/06/2013
Recovery1
Recovery2
Recovery3
In the shed
Pre rebuild cabin top
The ‘new’ Gypsy 29/06/13

A Dip In The Archives – The Gypsy Story

Todays story on the Logan yacht – Gypsy, appeared on WW back in June 2013, given the increase in viewing numbers since then e.g. from less than one thousand to tens of thousands, a lot will not have seen the sinking of Gypsy’s and her rebuild – enjoy 🙂

We have some very generous & talented people in the wider classic boating community. The story of the collision & sinking of the Arch Logan designed 1939 yacht Gypsy has been well documented & can be viewed here http://gypsy.org.nz.

Yesterday I took some photos of her out on the Waitemata. You will see the owner has gone back to a cabin top that closer matches how she looked when she was launched, we like that. Well done to everyone & to John Pryor for bringing her back from the deep.Thanks to Jason Prew for the salvage photos.AH

PLAYMATE – A Peek Down Below

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PLAYMATE – A Peek Down Below
The Sam Ford 1936 built launch – Playmate (named ‘My Playmate’ when launched and changed to Ida Mae and then back to Playmate) , has popped up twice on WW – both stories in Sept 2014. At the time we uncovered so much about the launch – now thanks to a tme listing we get to have a better look at the ship. Links to the 2014 stories below – do check them out.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/02/playmate-ida-mae/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/04/ide-mae-playmate/

A quick overview = 39’ , powered by a 80hp BMC diesel – everything else you would want to know can be found in the links above 😉

Robyn Gae Lives On

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ROBYN GAE LIVES ON 

Following up on yesterdays story which had a photo of the 1934 Cox & Filter built launch – Robyn Gae hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club hardstand, today we get to share a better view of the project.

WW understands that the launch was / is being re-launched this week. The seams have been re chalked and next year once they have ‘settled down’ will be faired then.

As mentioned yesterday, this launch was very close to having a date with a back-hoe – fantastic to see she dodged that bullet and gets another life afloat.

If the new owner reads this – would love to learn more about the work done and to see some interior photos.

16-06-2023 UPDATE – Back in the water at TBC

Winter Woody Yard Report #2

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RAINDANCE
CASTAWAY
ROBYN GAE

Winter Woody Yard Report #2

Several coming and goings mid-week – Raindance slid down the railway at the Slipway Milford. And then she passed Castaway being ‘assisted’ to the Slipway to take Raindance’s vacated spot. Probably the fastest Castaway has moved in a while 🙂 Video of Raindance ex WW cadet reporter Luca Beachman. Now if some of you are thinking – “didn’t Raindance have a paint job less than two years ago” – yes you are correct. I could say that Jason Prew and myself were never 100% happy with the colour – Snow White’ on a classic woody and that the new ‘ Mediterranean White’ is a better look, while there some truth in that, the old girl suffered some hull damage on the marina in one of the many storms Auckland has had, so that is the real reason 🙂

The last photo is of the 1934, Cox & Filmer built launch – Robyn Gae, getting ready for re-launching at the Te Atatu Boating Club. Very happy to see that she is being cared for – at one stage a ‘beehive’ restoration was on the cards, see WW SOS story link below. Big ups to the new owner of the choice of blue for the coamimgs – big call but it really works and would get the Cameron Pollard tick of approval I’m sure 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/06/21/robyn-gae-sos/

Winter Woody Yard Report #1

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Marjorie Rosa

Winter Woody Yard Report #1

Over the weekend Lake Rotoiti’s favourite boatbuilder – Alan Craig (Craig Marine) held an open day at his workshop in Paengaroa (Te Puke) , the first three photos above are from the day. The blue hulled launch in the first photo is the 1930 Sam Ford built launch – Marjorie Rosa in for deferred maintenance, will be looking shipshape again very soon.

Read / view more on her in the below WW links:

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/10/22/juliana-marjorie-rosa/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/09/juliana-the-2014-lake-rotoiti-classic-wooden-boat-weekend/

A new convert to the wooden boating world is Geoffrey Fiebig, who recently purchased off Jason Prew a Frostbite named Meteor, sail #13. Geoffrey as you will see has started the thank less job of stripping the interior planks. 10/10 for attire, the new WW cap completes the look 🙂

30-05-2023 UPDATE – a nameless woody drew to my attention that many (30+) years ago a Tauranga newspaper article appeared about a young man/teen named Jason Prew who dragged Meteor out of a derelict shed on a lake and restored her to go sailing. Note the miss spelling of the surname Brew -see below

Anyone else have a project underway – if so, share some photos – email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

A Recount Of Our Classic Wooden Craft DNA 

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Grace under sail
CLICK The Headline – Grace Under Sail to view

A Recount Of Our Classic Wooden Craft DNA 

Recently I was sent a link to an article that appeared in the New Zealand Geographic magazine back in 2000 – in fact issue 45 , Jan-March. The article was headlined – GRACE UNDER FIRE, written by Vaughan Yarwood with supporting photos from the late Henry Winkelmann and more recent photos ex Hamish Ross and Paul Gillbert.

The stars of the article is the 42’ 1908 Logan built gaff rigged cutter – Rawene, and her then skipper Russell Brooke.

This is a brilliant insight into the early days of boating in and around Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, I’m sure there will be some mix ups re dates, skipper/craft names but overall we get to see and read the history of these magnificent craft, a lot of which are still sailing today.

Have a read, its only 10>15 minutes, longer if if you linger over the photos 🙂  – even a die-hard motorboat owner like myself found it a fascinating read.