Category Archives: 1930’s

Lucinda Nearly Ready To Splash

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Lucinda Nearly Ready To Splash

ww has been following Nathan Herbert’s restoration of the 1930 L. Coulthard bridgedeck launch ‘Lucinda’ since early in 2014 when Nathan asked me who owned the what looked like abandoned 28′ launch moored off the Devonport Yacht Club (photo below). Post purchase, Nathan is on record as saying that he was hauling her out at Milford Cruising Club for a quick clean up & a lick of paint – well 2 years later, splash date is fast approaching & all the shiney bits are going on.
I dropped down to MCC over the weekend & the old girl is looking very smart.
When she slides back into the creek I’ll do a full post. Today’s one is more to keep the pressure on the boy to finish the job & start enjoying her.

Q: Whens the duck board going on Nathan ?, you will regret not putting one on 😉 and what is the car spot light doing on the cabin top ………….. 😦  I’m some one of the woodys must have a more suitable light gathering dust in their shed ?????

You can read / view more on Lucinda here

Lucinda Hauls Out

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31-07-2016 Update

Was driving home via Milford & took a wee detour to check on the progress – just in time to see the mast being stepped – looking very smart (excuse the photos the light was disappearing fast)

And the curtains are up 😉

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Dawn

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Dawn 2016

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DAWN
photos & details ex Steve Archer & Darren Arthur

I was contacted by Steve Archer who owns the launch ‘Dawn’, Steve believes Dawn may possibly be the L C Coultard design/built launch ‘Doraine’.
According to Steve, Dawn (Doraine) was built by Coultard in Onehunga for a flounder fisherman on the Kaipara in 1936. She is 28ft long and was owned for 24yrs by the Arthur family who kept her moored in the Tamaki River. Darren Arthur sent Steve a collection of photos from Dawns past, he was 11 years old when on the foredeck in one of the photos.
Steve has owned Dawn for 6 years after trucking her down from the Hokianga. During the 6 years she has been kept at Bucklands Beach Marina, then on a pole mooring at Panmure, on a berth at Pine Harbour and currently on a swing mooring at Wyuna Bay Coromandel.

So woodys – is Dawn actually Doraine?  And woodys I can help the discussion – last night Rosemary Robinson emailed my a photo of her grandfather L C Coultard’s drawings of Doraine below, also I have included a photo of Doraine. (Harold Kidd once commented on ww in regard to the number of launches named Dawn – “TOO MANY DAWNS” 🙂

29-06-2016 Update ex Rosemary Robinson

“The plans say 24’ V bottom Cruiser drawn by LC Coulthard 23/5/58 – so NOT the plans of the Doraine despite the cardboard roll they were stored in, being labelled “Plans for the pleasure craft Doraine”.  The other drawings are of random boats and are very indistinct.  Sorry about that!
I’m not sure the Dawn is actually the Doraine because she seems to have been kept in the family until at least 1943 and my mother distinctly remembers her being in Taupo but cannot remember who she was sold to.  It would be amazing to think she still exist and looks that good after 80 years.”

Doraine (a)

Doraine plans

ps the Auckland Motor Yacht Club burgee looks even better flying 😉

AMYC on RD

Phyllis M

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Phyllis M @ Smoke House Bay Gt Barrier

PHYLLIS M

The photo above of Phyllis M was taken recently in Smoke House Bay, Great Barrier Island. She would have to be a finalist in the Husqvarna Chainsaw Boat of the Year Awards 🙂
I know that some ww readers will beat me up for focusing on the construction added to her rear but bloody hell here we have a pretty motorboat that is obviously well loved, just look at the hatches & mast – that has been altered to suit an individuals personal requirements with no consideration to her historical design or aesthetics. I accept each & everyone of us can do what we want but you have to ask yourself, does the owner own her because its a cheap way to go boating or are they a classic wooden boat fan. The way she is cared for & presented leads me to think they do love her, so I have my fingers crossed that one day Phyllis M well have a top-chop 🙂

What do the woodys know about her past?

ps had a great response to yesterdays story about the Auckland Motor Yacht Club burgees (below), have a pile of applications for my assistant Flora McKenzie to review, so if you think your classic is deserving of flying one, send me an e-mail. waitematawoodys@gmail.com

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Strathmore > Rahemo

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STRATHMORE (Rahemo)
details ex Harold Kidd
Strathmore featured on ww back in August 2014 when she was for sale, the other day Nathan Herbert pointed me towards a collection of photographs from the marine photographer Tudor Collins . The two photos above of the 1936 Dick Lang built Strathmore are in my eyes stunning, she certainly was a very smart launch when launched. Lang built her at  St. Mary’s Bay, Auckland for R.W. Butcher of Hamilton. She was 42’x10’9″x3’6″ and powered with twin 90hp Chryslers. In 1938 she was bought by the Todd family of Wellington and motored down via Tauranga and the east coast in December 1938. The Todds renamed her Rahemo. She was in NAPS out of Wellington in WW2 as Z76.

For more details & photos from her past & ‘today’ click these links

Rahemo #1 Post

Rahemo #2 Post

Look What The Postie Delivered Yesterday

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For a long tome I have been a little envious of the classic launch owners that had a NZPBA/AMYC burgee. These club pennants were flown by owners of the oil launches that were becoming popular in the 1910-20s. The club was called the NZ Power Boat Association & founded in 1905. The name changed to the Auckland Motor Yacht Club in 1939 and then morphed into the RNZYS in the 1960s. The jewel in the crown of the AMYC was its sponsorship of the Kawau Island Yacht Club and the facilities at Smelting House Bay. There is a sign on the workshop wall at Greg Lees Boat shed at Sandspit (below), that supports the Kawau link.
The AMYC burgee was identical to the NZPBA’s.

The sender of my AMYC burgee was Rick McCay (Luana). Rick has uncovered a cache of these burgee’s which are available to classic aficionado’s owning a vessel of appropriate age. $59 + $5pp. Applications for purchase including vessel details, initially via email to me at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Note: Unlike the Classic Yacht Association which allows its burgee to be flown from anything & by anyone – the supply of these pennants will be tightly controlled & policed 🙂

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Tamariki – Sailing Sunday

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Tamariki – Sailing Sunday

photo & details ex Wendy Muir
One of the spin offs in the revival of the classic boating scene has been the increased interest & ownership in smaller ‘day’ boats. At the latest meeting of the Mullet Boat committee at the Ponsonby Cruising Club it was announced that Rob Warring and Martin Robertson announced had acquired the famous 1934 Charles Collings designed mullet boat Tamariki L11. The pair explained their plan to restore her to full race ready condition, this will see her competing against her 1915 class mate Valeria. Both Rob and Martin have the credentials to get this project underway and completed. Both are highly experienced boat builders and mullet boat enthusiasts. Rob has recently restored and relaunched Rangi Manu, so who better to get the job done.  Saving this historic boat is obviously not going to come without effort and cost. Rob and Martin are hoping that there are other enthusiasts out there who will help either with labour or finance. They are not doing this for themselves, but to preserve a very important part of Auckland’s marine heritage.

To read more about the history & current day racing of our Mullet boat’s – click the links below
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/boating/76036232/Rekindling-the-mullet-legacy

http://news.mulletboatracing.co.nz/

A Wee Bonus – if you want to see some seriously cool classic yachts & launches – check out the 100+ photos from the 2016 Hurum Trebatfestival in Norway – sooooooo much varnish 🙂

https://flic.kr/s/aHskBTzkeD

 

Miss Ponsonby

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to begin with

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MISS PONSONBY
photos ex Charlie North. details ex Harold Kidd

In early May, Charlie North commented on ww that he was currently rebuilding a replica of Miss Ponsonby after acquiring the original boat some years back. Harold chipped in with details on her (below) & I invited Charlie to share the project with us. If you have a good look at some of Charlie’s photos you will see he is a serious collector – I can spot a vintage car, classic motorbike & what a appears to be an E-Type Jag. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge.

Firstly some history – Miss Ponsonby was built by Sam Granros in late 1932 or early 1933. She took part in the Masport Cup races on the Tamaki River in 1933 nominated by Ponsonby Cruising Club. Her racing number was S21. Her inboard engine was a 100hp Hall-Scott. She had a long handicap and was more a fast runabout than a racer.

Sam Granros was a Finn who came to NZ in 1904. He built a lot of speedboats and launches in St. Mary’s Bay and at 12 Hackett Street, Ponsonby, for example,Hilma, Nurmi, Alma, Ramona, Ramona Jr. (1930), Cygnet I – II – III, Esther, & Miss Ponsonby, all go fast outfits.
Sam later moved to Oneroa and died in 1946.

I’m sure Charlie will add some more details re the engine etc.

 

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The Mighty P Class – Sailing Sunday

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THE MIGHTY P CLASS – Sailing Sunday
ex Yachting NZ

A pictorial history of New Zealand’s mighty P Class yacht

Whilst trolling around the Wellington Classic Yacht Trust facebook page I uncovered the above gem that utilizes the two formats of a slide show and video clips to showcase the history New Zealand’s mighty P-Class featuring images and footage from the 1920s to 2013.
The clip has been assembled by P Class expert and historian Gun Caundle, from photos collected while researching for his book ‘Our Secret Weapon’, a history and stories about the P Class. While 15 minutes long its great viewing & I’m sure most woodys will bothe relate to it & probably recognize some of the people featured. Enjoy 🙂

Rautangi

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Rautangi on patrol - original

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RAUTANGI
photos & details ex Don Barry

The top photo of Rautangi running at full chat shows Don’s uncle Tim on the cabin top, to quote Don “mad as a cut snake – pipe in his mouth holding fast against the wind… OHS would have a field day” Chances are she would have been petrol powered……. She is flying a PATROL burgee, anyone able to suggest the origin of the burgee?
I’ll sure HDK will enjoy this photo, matches his attitude to helming launches 🙂

The 2nd photo is again of uncle Tim, who was a regular on Rautangi.  With him is here  is Don’s uncle Doug.

Rautangi was built by Collings & Bell& launched on the 18th May  for Mr. L. Stericker. She measures 37′ x 9’6″ x 2’8″ & is currently midway thru a major refit happening at Katikati in the Bay of Plenty but due to changing personal circumstances is listed for sale on trademe.

More photos showing her past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/23/rautangi/

Below is a copy the boats official song.

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Rautangi - inner page [#2]

Harold Kidd Input

Love it!
Les Stericker was a well-known petrol-head with his racing hydroplanes all called HUM BUG. I think there were 5 of them, the last a “Blimp” type built by Collings & Bell in November 1929, 12ft 6in with a 32hp Elto 4 cylinder outboard, the top go-fast gear of the time. He was a precision engineer in Newmarket. No doubt the 6 cylinder side valve petrol Thornycroft RD6 engine (photo below) in RAUTANGI was well breathed upon.
As for the “Patrol” flag, Lees and RAUTANGI did a lot of NZPBA and RNZYS mark boat etc work.

The RD 6 Thornycroft engine when launched

Thornycroft RD6

CYA 2016 Classic Yacht Regatta

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CYA 2016 Classic Yacht Regatta
photos from Simon Smith, Rod Marler, Peter Loughlin & myself

Yesterday (06-03-2016) was the final day of the 3 day regatta & the weather gods delivered the goods to finish the regatta on a high note.
I’ll let the photos tell the story but really need to say that the new venue & host club, the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron was a winner with everyone, perfect venue for our event & the crew at the RNZYS were fantastic.
I’m sure race results will be view able on the CYA website, I’ll post a link when they go live. Enjoy 🙂

Remember to click on photos to enlarge

Day 1 – sorry working

DAY 2

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Day 3

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Prize Giving

CYA Regatta Fleet @ RNZYS

PLUS – some great up close photos on Jason Prew’s facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/jason.prew/media_set?set=a.10154699374602178&type=3

Typhoon – Sailing Sunday

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TYPHOON – Sailing Sunday
photos ex Kerry Pearson, details ex Lin Pardey via Harold Kidd

Typhoon she was built by Fellows and Stuart Shipyard, Los Angeles Harbour, probably 1938 or so, & has been moored in North Cove at Kawau Island for 10+ years, slowly deteroiating. Many have offered advice that due to her fastenings (galvanised nails) the surrounding timber was so badly rotten the vessel was beyond saving. On top of this her cabin sides and deck structures are also rotting.

Sometimes there is a fairy godmother out there & Lin reports that she has been purchased by one of the Kawau Island ferry skippers & he processes  skills & experience to look at her & decide if its do-able or just best to save all the good hardware for the next project. Will be interesting to near the outcome.

Any one able expand on her history?