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 😉
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.
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/
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.
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
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.
The recent stormy weather in Auckland claimed another woody at the end of last week.
Young Luca Beachman was cycling home after completing his Herald paper round on Friday and spotted the 46’ launch Ussco ‘parked’ very precariously on the Tamaki Drive break water.
Fingers crossed she was re floated with little damage, built of 4 skin kauri so should be able to withstand an oops. Can anyone update us.
INPUT EX BRETT KING – Ussco is hauled out at the hardstand at Half Moon Bay marina
Raindance Gets Some Cosmetic Surgery
For the whole time that I have owned Raindance I have been faced with a do I / don’t I situation regarding the things attached to her hull – too short to be called bilge keels and questionable efficiency as anti-roll stabilizers. All the people whose opinion I value have said get rid of them. So in a weak moment last week at the Slipway Milford I said yes and wham-mo they were gone.
Will be interesting to see / experience the difference…………………
Back in June 2020 we ran 1/2 a story on the 1931 Ernie Lane (Picton) built launch – Lady Ava (once named Miss Ava). The original story was about her sinking but due to the then owners situation it was decided to ‘dilute’ the story e.g. no photo of her demise. Link to the 2020 story below.
Back in July 2019 we ran a story about Moose Lodge and the lake boats operated by the lodge, one in particular was named Miami and the story mentioned that she was replaced in 1939 by a 28’ launch built by Collings & Bell, named Moose.
Now thanks to Greg Philpott we have a 1954 photo of the boat and a press clipping from the NZ Herald dated 7th February 1939 – see below.
Todays woody question is – what became of Moose.
INPUT ex ALAN CRAIG – She has a Perkins now, still on the V drive. And still sound but in need of some loving. photos below
WW was recently contacted by Carol Jukes who is researching her late fathers fishing trawler – Pup, I’ll let Carol tell the story, below.
“My Father George Hemsley purchased the fishing trawler ‘PUP’ about 1933 from Akaroa, he fished out of Lyttelton with his friend Peg Gillard. Her registration number was LN 27. Pup was 25’ x 7′ x 3’ 6”. I have been able to follow the Pup’s life off and on to the present day, she is now on Stewart Island and has been so for the last few years. Along the way she had a name change and is now known as ‘TOPAZ’. At some time she was badly crushed by a boat in Dunedin, the damage was so severe that it must have been recorded at the time, unfortunately not having a date for this accident I have not been able to find a record of the event. A few years later the sad state of this boat was seen by a sympathetic boatie who bought her, and over the years did a fantastic repair job on her. Pup / Topaz was given a new lease on life. This boat must be around 100 years old.
I have managed to get some information from Papers Past, but there are holes in that. She was called into do a few heroic things so of course they are recorded.
I also have the name of the present owner and have spoken to the person who rebuilt her and have some photos of the rebuild, looking at the photos I think most people would have taken one look and run, I gather it had been sitting in it’s sad state for a few years before he bought it. I take my hat off for the rebuild. It’s actually a funny story, after my Dad died eleven years ago my brother took his ashes to Stewart Island, he decided to go for a ride on one of the boats there, he mentioned to the skipper about Dad’s boat, on the way back in this skipper pointed to a boat and said to David is this your Dads boat? As you can imagine David nearly fell overboard in shock because it was Dad’s boat, renamed Topaz.
It is since this incident that I have followed up and tried to find more about her history because at the time we knew nothing other than Dad had owned her. I am working away on a book on his life and this will be part of it.
Any information on this boat Pup / Topaz would be very much appreciated.”
In the first photo we see Pup on the dry dock c.1934 with owner George Hemsley. Photo two is her then named Topaz, after repairs.
UPDATE 15-06-2023 Photo below supplied by Carol Dukes
Todays woody is the trawler Annabella and the photo comes to us from the Carey’s Bay Boat Builders via Lew Redwoods fb.
The photo was captioned – ‘Beautiful trawler Annabella afloat at the builders sheds prior to being rigged with masts and sails in 1931. Otago’. In my eyes beautiful is an understatement 🙂
Can anyone enlighten us on what became of Annabella, hopefully still afloat.
UPDATE and photos below ex Cameron Pollard – Sadly Annabella broached on the Kawhia Bar during the 1970s and sunk. Russell Ward has also advised the year was 1977 and one crew member was lost.
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