Category Archives: 1930’s

Lady Gay – Australian Holiday Update

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2013 Classic Regatta + Waitangi

LADY GAY – AUSTRALIAN HOLIDAY UPDATE

Previously on WW we documented the holiday the 1935 Colin Wild  built Lady Gay was having in Australia (links below).  Now thanks to Colin Grazules pointing us in the direction of an online article in the December issue of Afloat magazine, we get to see and read what owner Graeme Wildon has been up to and his plans to explore more of the Australian boating scene.  Enjoy the read 🙂

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/11/lady-gay-australian-holiday/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/07/lady-gay-on-sydney-harbour/

Click images below to enlarge, but if the the pages are too hard to read – click on link to view on-line 😉

https://afloat.partica.online/afloat-magazine/december-2021/flipbook/26/?fbclid=IwAR0pYCNJ1GViqDrg1i2Q9rLYnLtzkc9OQq_Is-qal4SObmZi2Jt-IZok2qs

28-11-2025 Input ex Michael (surname unknown) – I recently found this picture taken by Tudor Collins  I assume during secondment to the RNZN during WW  2 .


Wakatoa

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WAKATOA

The ex work boat Wakatoa recently popped up on tme, thanks Ian McDonald. She made a brief appearance on WW back in March 2014, link below. At the time she was berth at Thames and it was commented on WW that she had been listed in the CYA Classic Register booklet as being built c.1939 in the Hokianga. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/05/wakatoa/

The tme listing now has her as being built in 1929, and comments that she stated her life towing harbour barges. We now know she is 36’ and powered by a 130hp Isuzu 6BB1 that gives her a 7>8 knot cruising speed. 

If you are looking for a nice salty looking double-ender, bidding is sub $10k, so she could be a bargain.

HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT …….

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HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT ………

Waitematawoodys has a sister  – its called the Wooden Boat Bureau and we sell classic wooden boats – launches, yachts, big and small. We like to fly under the radar, as do most of our clients. Someone asked me what I did the other day – below sums it up (sounds a bit fluffy, in reality I just sell boats.

Inform and enthuse interest in the joys of owning and sailing traditional and classic wooden boats. And we do this by promoting partnerships between the boats, the sellers and the buyers, for the benefit of all. At the end of the day – its all about the boats, as most will out live their current owners.

To view a sample selection of classic woodys berthed at the virtual Wooden Boat Bureau dock, click this link –  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

Myself and David Cooke (MV Trinidad) are almost always available to offer advice to sellers and buyers – in the interests of marital harmony – in the first instance email to the below

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Manurere – Work Boat Wednesday + WW Crew Gear 4sale

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MANURERE – Work Boat Wednesday

The 43’ Manurere was built by Miller and Tunnage in Port Chalmers and launched in 1937. She spent her working life cray and cod potting, exclusively in the Dunedin and Stewart Island areas. She is constructed in 1 and ½ inch kauri strip planking with spotted gum frames. Manurere has a 11’ 6″ beam and 5′ draft.

Based in Lyttleton, for the last 18 years, she has been extensively restored during that time. Powered by a 120hp Iveco Fiat. (thanks to Marcus Petraska for the tme listing heads up)


IF YOU ARE WANTING WW CREW GEAR B4 XMAS – ORDER NOW – LIMITED STOCK –  LINK TO ORDER https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/

Bob Brown – Boat Builder

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The Boat Builder Bob Brown

Woody Dean Wright was reading one of the recent WW stories that featured a Percy Vos built hydroplane ( https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/10/17/woody-hydroplane/ ) and this prompted Dean to let me know that when doing a bit of research into his boat – Arethusa’s builder Bob Brown, he found the photo above of a land yacht that Brown built in 1933 – capable of over 40mph. In the photo we see the land yacht on Orewa beach.

Read more about Brown, the land yacht and his other boats below – https://m.facebook.com/Timespanner/posts/robert-birt-brown-of-northcote-with-his-home-made-land-yacht-1933-a-locally-buil/1306944202691525/  Sadly the following year Brown aged 50 and his son both drowned at the same beach (Orewa) after getting into difficulties while swimming. 

WE HAVE ANOTHER CYA COMMITTEE ZOOM MEETING ON TUESDAY NIGHT

I wonder if anyone in the last 4 weeks has grown some gonads and will front the elephant in the room e.g. clarification of the 40 berth Heritage Basin sub-committees intent i.e. will the classic vessels berthed there be a true representation of the CYA’s Classic Yacht Policy, as per the constitution – “New Zealand or foreign designed yachts, launches, dinghies, boats, vessels of all sizes, description, ages, whether powered by wind, steam, combustion or otherwise’. OR woodys – a parking lot for what I understand the sub-committee openly refers to as ’The Heritage Sailing Fleet’. Read more by clicking the Tui banner above.

The original conceptual sketch*, below, of the CYA’s current marina (Heritage Landing) certainty portrayed a fair mix of craft 🙂 *david barker

Te Rauparaha

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Te Rauparaha’s designer & builders

TE RAUPARAHA

Judith Gardiner sent in the stunning photo above of Te Rauparaha when owned by Mr Harry James Mills of Upland Road in Remura, Auckland. Harry had 4 sons – Adrian, John, Douglas & Robert.

The 55’ Te Rauparaha was designed by Chas Bailey Jnr. and built in 1938 by Chas Bailey & Sons, see read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/22/te-rauparaha/

Judith commented that her father Walter (Keith) Young was friends with Robert Mills. Keith, born in 1925 and a builder, also built boats in his spare time.  Later on, he went farming in Silverdale, just north of Auckland. One such sailing boat was called the Iona.

Judith recalls that Keith would often talk about the Baileys, through his family line, his father’s side he / we are related.  The Baileys, Scotts (From Scotts Landing in the Mahurangi) and Archibald Young ( Judith’s 2nd great grandfather) were all involved in the ship building and related activities.  Archibald was apprenticed to George Darroch and Archibald was at one time the master of the ‘Sovereign of the Seas.’  When he retired from the sea, he worked for George T. Nicol who was also a boat builder.Judith also sent in the 1914 photo of the Bailey family.

I have also posted below photos of Te Rauparaha (named Samara) from her current tme listing, I understand home port is Noumea, New Caledonia. I won’t comment………..

Koputai – Workboat Wednesday

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KOPUTAI – Workboat Wednesday

I was recently contacted by Campbell MacLean after he ‘discovered’ the WW stories (links below) on the boat – Koputai. She was built in 1939 by Miller & Tunnage in Port Chalmers for use as a pilot vessel. Her specs are 56’ x 14’6” and she draws 6’5”.

Campbell sent in the above photos he has of Koputai, his grandfather, John Maclean was chief pilot and Harbour Master in Dunedin, and had a bit to do with commissioning of the Koputai in the late 1930’s.
The top photo is a painting by C R Carey in 1940. This was on the wall at the MacLean crib (Pilot House #1) at the Spit, Aramoana, and probably gifted to John before he died in 1940.

The 2nd photo is of Koputai in the harbour near Taiaroa Head, opposite the spit.
Do link on the above below links – so much material and photos from the past and her conversation to pleasure craft.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/03/08/53293/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/06/koputai


LABOUR WEEKEND – MATAKANA RIVER RAID – POSTPONED 

The folks at the Kawau Boating Club have advised that due to the uncertainty of the ability to gather due to CV-19 restrictions, the decision has been been made to postpone the event – fingers crossed for a new date this year 🙂

Tuatea – A Peek Down Below

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TUATEA – A Peek Down Below

The 36’ launch Tuatea was built by Millers in Port Chalmers Dunedin in c.1930. Dock-side chat has it that she was built for the Hudson family of Cadbury Hudson chocolate fame and during WWII she was used by the NZ Navy Auxiliary Patrol Service, in Lyttleton Harbour from May 1942 > February 1944. Her pennant number was Z124 and is documented in the book NZ Navy Vessels by R J McDougall.

Built from kauri she was extensively rebuilt 15 years ago – with a new kauri full head room cabin, hull fully restored, fibre glassed over ply deck. Forward motion comes from a BMC Commodore 3.8 ltr., 62hp Nufield diesel engine. From her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) she looks to be a project boat i.e. some finishing work, but the big jobs appear to have been done. 

First Tuesday of the month tomorrow – so there must be a Classic Yacht Association committee meeting happening (via Zoom) – so the banner below is a reminder to elected members to be kind and support inclusion not segregation on the topic of the new Heritage Basin marina 🙂

A Couple Of Woodys Needing ID’ing

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A Couple Of Woodys Needing ID’ing

Now in the photo above we see on the right a launch that one would have to assume is the 1933 Arnold Couldrey designed and built launch – Eileen Patricia. I bounced the photo of Peter Mence, ER’s custodian and he is in agreement. The question of the day – what’s the yacht under tow? Peters guess was the yacht be by Teddy, that wa Slater wrecked off/on Kawau Island.

See WW story below, note there is a mismatch of dates, but we get that with old stories. Enlargements of the two vessels below + a link to Peter and Jennis stunning restoration of Eileen Patricia. (photos ex Andrew Donovan collection)
https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/26/the-wreck-of-teddy-sailing-sunday/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/05/20/the-launching-of-eileen-patrica-1933-classic-motor-boat-50-photos/

Update On Melodeon Restoration

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Update On Melodeon Restoration

Back in June 2020 we had a wonderful insight into Dick and Colleen Fisher’s latest project – the restoration (rebuild) of the ex work boat – Melodeon (link below to that story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/04/06/the-restoration-of-melodion/

Melodeon was built in 1934 by Chas Bailey & Sons in Auckland. She has spent most of her life fishing all around NZ, except when she saw service in the Pacific during WWII with the US Navy.

When Dick bought Melodeon she was powered by a T8 Kelvin that is only her 2nd engine, which has seen 100,000 hours. The engine was in remarkable condition and is also getting a ‘holiday’.The ship measures – 57’ length x 15’6” beam x 7’ draft.
The scale of the project is immense but that is what spins Dick’s wheels. The photos above are from June 2021, so no doubt things have moved along even further – Enjoy 🙂

Input Below From Robert Nola 

"I have often wondered what became of the Melodeon on which I spent much of my boyhood. It was owned by my father Bob (Boze) Nola and his partner was Jack Raos (who did not fish) from 1950s to early 1970s…In those years they fished for Pearl Fisheries in Auckland. Now I see that it has been fully renovated. But then It used to be very different when we owned it. The wheelhouse was much narrower and the bunk area was in the bow. It was very stylish then.
It anyone would like to get in touch with me I would be glad to hear. The Melodeon was very much part of my youth. Glad it still survives. And is being looked after. It cannot be the same Kelvin engine my father installed?"