Category Archives: 1930’s

Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Boat Folk Video Series

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Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Folk Boat Video Series


The good folks behind the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart have like a lot of people and events been cruelly affected by CV19 but unlike a lot that just rolled over – AWBF has been hosted some innovative channels to keep their festival top of mind with woodys around the world. One of the gigs is tagged – Boat Folk, a video series that profiles the characters and wooden boats the festival attracts. Behind each of these unique vessels is a unique person (or group of people) with a wealth of knowledge, fascinating stories, and a novel perspective on life.

Number 2 in the Boat Folks series features Ben Marris, owner of Saona , Ben Marris was Chair of the AWBF for many years. Saona was the last boat built by Charles Lucas in his yard in 1936. Ben and wife Jane purchased Saona in 1993 and have since sailed her in the 1998 Tall Ships race from Sydney to Hobart, circumnavigated Tasmania. As members of the Kettering Yacht Club, the couple now cruise the waters surrounding Bruny Island on her and enjoy Wednesday night races with family. Saona is one of a small number of wooden boats that have attended every festival since its inception in 1994. 

Movarie

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MOVARIE
Movarie the 1938, W & G Lowe built bridge decker has just popped up on tme, she is a very well built woody with an amazing pedigree.

One of the better woodys around – Russel Ward, once owned her – RW has a good eye and nose for great boats – BUT, she will sit on tme for a long time, because the seller hasn’t posted any photos and the only details are as below.

Worth checking out, a buyer could get a bargain with the current listing details. Previous WW story here (lots of photos & chat) https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/12/movarie/

Taioma SOS

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TAIOMA SOS

Over the last 48 hours I have had a lot of calls from woodys that spotted the 30’ Lidgard built yacht – Taioma on trademe as an abandoned vessel. Current bid is $10.50 and the reserve has been meet. The auction closes on July 19th. You are bidding on the hull only, and the motor is unknown condition. But the wooden mast and boom + a mainsail have been located and will go with the boat, if wanted (stored in a different location).

Woodys, someone will ’steal’ this boat and as a last resort that hatch has to be worth what ever the purchase price the boat ends up at. I do not do this often – but here is the tme link

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/3164872276?bof=GUPg30qb

Bill Brown commented to me that Taioma was restored in the 1990’s by Gary Underwood and pointed me in the direction of Gary’s blog, details and photos below:

“Taioma is a 1936 Fred Lidgard kauri sloop of 28 ft. We bought her for  $5000 in 1995 and did a 60 day full refit at the ‘Bolthole’ in Auckland. She was a great live-aboard for a year alongside our boat shed in Whangarei while we were building ‘BOOTSTRAP’. Note the full bulkhead at the mast which gives an end to the saloon and provides support for the table, which lowers to give us a full double bunk athwartships. Its like a kind of ‘dresser’. The f’csle has a portapotti and bosubs store, access thru the fore hatch. Also stiffens the boat up as she had a big rig.”

Royal Falcon Re-launched

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ROYAL FALCON RE-LAUNCHED 
We have followed the restoration / refit of Collette & Steve Pople’s 1934 Cox & Fimer built woody – Royal Falcon on WW and been blown away with the quality of the workmanship happening in the Leader Boatbuilders shed.

Today thanks to Mark McLaughlin taking his launch Mapuna for a run on Sunday we get to she Royal Falcon afloat again. Boat shed photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/05/31/royal-falcon-restoration-2021-update/
We understand all that is required is the final interior finishing, which we will update you on shortly.

LADY JANET / POCO LENTO NEEDS A NEW HOME – All Offers Considered

A quick heads up, Poco Lento (Lady Janet) has appeared on WW several times and is currently for sale, the vendors are retiring from boating and moving into a retirement village, so woodys as they say in the real estate game – make an offer, you may be surprised at the prize…………. See more here    https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/08/07/poco-lento-lady-janet/
Contact via waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Woodys Riverhead Tavern – Winter Cruise 

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Te Hauraki
Dancer
Ngarimu
My Girl

Woodys Riverhead Tavern – Winter Cruise 
Yesterday was one of those days where the weather forecasters got it wrong -big time. Took the dog for an early morning waterfront walk between the showers and the ferries on the harbour were sounding their fog horns – fast forward 2 hours and the suns out, water glassy flat and we are going boating. Quick side trip to collect our quests – Margo & Jamie (MV Lady Crossley) from Westhaven and we are off.

A great turn out for mid-winter, saw 60+ woodys gathering at the historic waterside Riverhead Tavern for lunch – special thanks to those that came by car and helped with berthing the boats at the wharf. As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉

Nice to meet some new faces and if there was an award for most travelled attendee, woody Bruce Rowe on board – Ngarimu would be the winner. Bruce and his ‘decky’ mate – travelled from Thames to attend.  The boys left Thames on Friday, stayed at bottom end of Waiheke, then off Stanly Point / Bayswater on Saturday night and  will be heading home today. Talking to Bruce,  Saturday night sounded heaven – tucked up in their warm bunks, rain on the cabin top, listening to the Auckland Blues rugby game, then the NZ v India cricket test – not a lot of sleep was had 🙂

We were also graced with the company of John and Diana Olsen on their steam boat – Dancer, The Olsen’s towed Dancer from Cambridge and launched her at the old Salthouse yard to make the trip up the creek.

Check out the Woodys Classic Weekends Event Calendar at the link below, for upcoming outings – our next one is an overnight BBQ cruise up the Clevedon River on the weekend of 14 > 15th August – a heads up – numbers will be restricted due to berthing / anchoring limits -so RSVP early.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/15/woodys-classic-boating-calendar/


The poster below greeted us at the door to the tavern – has a nice ring to it………….  maybe someone is sending me a message 🙂

PIRATE – A Peek Down Below

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Photo below ex Greg Philpott, of Pirate next to the Deeming’s boat shed at Tapu Point across the water from Opua. 

PIRATE – A Peek Down Below

Unless you are a Warkworth river rat, mooching around the upper reaches of the Mahurangi Harbour you wouldn’t have seen much of the stunning 1939 46’ launch – Pirate. Launched in 1939 at Matauwhi Bay in Russell, Bay of Islands, designed and built by Leon Warne. She has spent a large chunk of the last 18 years berthed alongside the old Cement Works. She always makes an appearance over the Mahurangi Regatta weekend and is one of those boats that just look right from any angle.

Pirate is constructed in full length kauri carvel plank and has twin Ford 6 cylinder 100HP diesel engines.

Pirate has an interesting provenance having been built for a German wool buyer (Otto Sommer), commissioned by the NZ Navy in World War II and used in degaussing operations, and subsequently in 1944, became Auckland’s second Police launch, replacing Tirimoana. Later she was a well known big-game fishing boat in the North, hosting among others Lord Mountbatten, who signed the Log Book. 


She is a fine example of a classic launch restored and cared for by passionate owners (18 yrs), these owners have just made the hard decision that it is time to pass Pirate onto her next custodian – so woodys, this is a unique opportunity to own a classic wooden boat of the caliber of Pirate.
Expressions of interest should be directed to waitematawoodys@gmail.com BUT – do not hang back, boats of Pirates size, presentation and provenance find new owners very quickly

 RSVP TODAY – Boat name & appox. # attending waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Nereides – Gets A Facelift

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NEREIDES – Gets A Facelift


In fact a tad more than a facelift- its a total refit 🙂


A couple of weeks ago I was moodching around the Tauranga / Mount Maunganui area and took Doug Owens up on his longstanding offer to view Nereides in her ’shed’. The timing was perfect as I also meet son Mohi, who is project managing the refit. Click photos to enlarge.


Nereides has always been a rather special woody – as are most boats built by Colin Wild. She slipped out of the CW shed in 1937 and her specs where 55’x15’x6’5″ and powered by a 200hp John Deere. The photos above are a combination of the ones I took on the day and others shared by Doug and Mohi, as you can see its a mammoth undertaking but is very close to re-launch. 
WW will kept you in the loop on this project.

Pre – Refit

UPDATE 12-04-2022 Getting very close to splash day 🙂

RSVP – BOAT NAME & # ATTENDING TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Maka Maile – A Peek Down Below

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MAKA MILE – A Peek Down Below
In a previous WW story we uncovered that the 40’ Maka Maile was built in 1937 by Sam Ford, but rumoured to be not designed by him.Maka Maile is rather unique in that she has only had 3 owners in her 84 year life. During this period she was laid up for approx. 25 of those years.

Her current owner bought her as a shell only and under took a 10 year refit that included re-powering her with twin 120hp Nissan 4 cyl diesels. The engines give Maka Maile an impressive turn of speed – 20 knots max, but she cruises very nicely at 10 knots.

These days she sports a very spacious interior that closely reflects her build year but incorporates modern fittings to make life aboard more comfortable. A surprise feature is the main saloons sliding roof. 
Previous WW stories below

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/19/mako-maile/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/07/24/maka-maile-waitematawoodys-hits-3000000-views/
Pictured below anchored in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island

Read more on Maka Maile’s history here (ex Ken Ricketts)

maka-maile-story-seaspray-magazine-article-april-19921Download
https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

Royal Falcon Restoration – 2021 Update

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ROYAL FALCON – RESTORATION – 2021 UPDATE

It is almost a year since I popped into the Panmure boat shed to check on the progress of the restoration of Steve and Colette Popie’s 38’ bridge-decker – Royal Falcon.So last week I accepted the invitation to view the 1934 Cox & Filmer built launch and woodys its a thing of beauty – check out the finish on the hull 🙂

Launch day is a few weeks away, then the final touches will be done on her berth. The attention to detail is 10/10 but in Steve’s words “its the best of both worlds – classic and modern systems, in terms of safety and ensuring she lasts another 80+ years.
Links to previous WW stories below

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/06/royal-falcon-restoration-update-june-2020/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/04/05/royal-falcon-restoration/

For the petrol (diesel heads) below is a short clip of the Commer TS3 being fired up for the first time post re-build. Owner Steve commented that the puff of smoke is the residual lube oil from the new cylinder sleeve installation 🙂

Details on the Royal Falcon – Rootes TS3 engine below ex Mark Erskine:

Some basic engine info and specs are as follows:

  • The engine is a Rootes TS3 2-stroke diesel, model 3DB-215 as used in Commer Trucks from 1967 to 1972-ish.
  • Designed and manufactured by Rootes Diesel Engineering Division of Rootes Group, UK.
  • Commonly referred to as “Commer TS3” through their connection to Commer trucks. 
  • Three cylinder, opposed piston (2 X opposing pistons per cylinder), scavenge blown 2-stroke, twin rocker beam, diesel engine (see video of operating cycle https://www.commer.co.nz/other-stuff/videos)
  • 215 cu in / 3.562 litre.
  • Known around the world for their legendary reliability and extreme engine life, high power density and fuel efficiency.
  • This engine was extensively reconditioned and restored to new condition / factory specifications by Rootes Engine Services, Auckland (www.commer.co.nz)
  • This engine produces from 65 HP @ 1,000 rpm, to 140HP @ 2,400 rpm.
  • Maximum torque is 340 ft lbs at 1,250 rpm.
  • Most economical running between 1,200 to 1,800 rpm. 
  • Rootes heat exchanger for engine oil cooling.
  • Water cooled exhaust manifold for marine use.
  • Lees type heat exchanger for engine coolant.
  • Savage heat exchanger for gearbox oil cooling. 
  • Diesel fuel consumption (liters per hour) in “Royal Falcon” to be advised, but will be extremely low.
  • Maximum speed with current prop to be advised.
  • Designed as an “under-floor” engine for Commer trucks, these engines have a very low engine height above the crankshaft center line, allowing for a flat cabin floor with no engine box intrusion in the cabin. 
  • Gearbox is a Borg-Warner Velvet Drive 26 spline 72C model (1.91:1 ratio).

Falcon Comes Home

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FALCON COMES HOME
The 1930 Lane Motor Boat Co. designed and built launch Falcon has always been one of the smartest woodys in the classic fleet.I do not have a lot of photos  mainly because she was just so dam quick, always passed me like I was standing still 🙂 Previous owner – James Mobberley (Moon Engines) had shoehorned a beast of an engine (Hino turbo) into Falcon. He did the same transplant on Harold Kidd’s — Romance II and Graham Guthrie’s  – Kailua. Both of these woodys are serious zoom zooms.

Back in 2013, she was sold to a Whangarei owner and later re-sold to another Whangarei owner – the photo below shows Falcon looking a little sad, moored in the Whangarei Town Basin.
In the last few months there has been chat about her returning home to Auckland – well woodys, I can confirm that she has a new owner and is back home on the WaitemataWe look forward to seeing her get the TCL she deserves.We will follow her process closely.


LAST CALL FOR THIS WEEKENDS WOODY WORKSHOP AT MOON ENGINES – WE WILL BE CLOSING THE DOORS TO RSVP’s LATER TODAY – RSVP NOW OR MISS OUT – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

606 Rosebank Road, Avondale