Earlier in the week I was in Thames and dropped down to the Thames Sailing Club marina. I have covered on WW before most of the residents that inhabit the marina.
One that caught my eye was the1939 launch – APACHE, she appeared to be ’stuck’ in her mud berth i.e. I visited at low and mid tide and she had not risen with the tide.
APACHE has made several appearances on WW and sadly is looking very tired and in need of a new caretaker, there was a 4sale note on her window.
From previous stories we have learnt that she was probably built by a Mr. McCallum, with the help of a Lou Burn.
In 2020 Bryce Strong sent in several photos of her – the b/w photo of her above before the addition of the rear dodger, seen in the cockpit photo. Byrce also later supplied the colour gallery of her looking very smart. Ken Rickets supplied the last photo showing (L>R) GAY DAWN, ALOFA, APACHE at Kawau Island.
Yesterdays winner of the quiz to name the launch – TEINA , John Dawson returned the favour and sent me the above photos of the launch – MOANA.
John commented that it was on tme late last month with a $1 reserve. According to the listing she was built in 1930, is 33’ in length and powered by a Ford 40hp engine. Located in Rawene, Northland.
As we can see she is looking very sad and probably beyond restoring.
Keen to hear what became of her and any known history.
During the week WW was contacted by Peter Pickett in regard to a classic launch named – ARANUI, built c.1920>30. I’ll let Peter tell the story.
“Don’t know if you can help us but several of the families descended from our Grandfather, Jim Ross of Cambridge (in those days a co-owner of Cambridge Transport) are trying to locate his beloved ARANUI a former and possibly current waitematawoody, in a new guise. Grandpa Ross also crewed on the legendary ARIKI
We believe ARANUI was built around 1920 to 1930 but we are not sure of the original builder or owner. The Yates family (of seed fame) owned her up until around 1950 when Grandpa JW Ross purchased her. He kept her on a double mooring at Westhaven. ARANUI was originally powered by a 6 cylinder Ailsa Craig petrol engine, but in the late 50’s Grandpa re-powered her with a 4 cylinder Fordson diesel. Our fathers were regular crew but few of the remaining grandchildren ever got to go on board as our grandfather passed away in 1961. We were mainly a little on the young side to be of much use prior to 1960 but most of us are life-long boating enthusiasts and own boats of varying descriptions.
We believe a Mr Fisher may have purchased her in the early 60’s and taken ARANUI to Whitianga, where she was possibly moored up the river somewhere. We have heard that the Yates family may have re-purchased her at some stage before or since and may even own her still, but the latter aspects are unconfirmed.
We are extremely keen to track her down again and dependent on various factors, may even consider purchasing/restoring / displaying her. Condition is not necessarily an issue as she could become a display in a Museum created by one branch of the family, that being the Ross Bros Muscle Car (and heaps of other stuff) Museum in Cambridge. Its mighty spectacular and there is an ARANUI space if that is the best remaining option.
We would greatly appreciate any help you can offer in this search, and look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, Peter R Pickett, on behalf of the Ross, Peake and Pickett families.”
So woodys can we solve the mystery of what became of ARANUI
01-07-2024 INPUT ex MITCH PASCOE (via Baden Pascoe)- Yes it used to moored in back bay, Whitianga. Owner by a guy called Des Fisher ,a block layer ,who lived up by Coghill Street . He had a Mk1 Vanguard car made into a Ute .
Used to go out and stray line big snapper , they were always in washing machine bowls stewing in their own juice with no ice in the sun . I think it had a Ford in with exhaust out the side ..
01-07-2024 INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – She was owned around 1920 in Coromandel then by W.H. Stevens of Tauranga in the late1920s until 1937. It’s possible that she was rebuilt from the hull of a large auxiliary mullet boat ARANUI built 1912-3 by David Reid.
MYSTERY YACHT AGROUND WINNER – Hugh Gladwell with the correct name – NGATIRA. Amazingly 95% of people said LITTLE JIM and gave the location as Rangitoto Island. NGATIRA’s owner STEVE HORSLEY supplied the photo, Steve was given the photo from Ian Littler, his father owned NGATIRA from 1916-1919. Photo is thought to be the aftermath of the 1917 storm off Devonport somewhere. Burgee in the letterbox tomorrow Hugh 🙂
Chatting to Nathan Herbert yesterday prompted me to do a deep dive in the WW files and jackpot I came across some correspondence from Murray Bridge back in Jan 2020. Murray’s family owned the boat for approx. 20 years (1959>1999) and he sent me a clipping of an article from Boating NZ. Reading the article it appears that MARISTELLA has been a very lucky boat, if she was a cat she would have used up a lot of her nine lives 🙂
In her past life she joined the sub-mariner club when she hit a uncharted submerged rock in Queen Charlotte Sound, was successfully re-floated and refitted. Then on another trip caught fire in Bluff, again repaired. And later ran aground on rocks near Mana in Wellington. I have included an enlarged section of the BNZ article below – click image to enlarge.
The good news is she survived all those oops and is still with us today as seen in the above photos. The real reason for the story today is her newish owner is in Nathan’s words ‘rejuvenating’ the boat and needs a pair of opening portholes (approx. size = 8.5”), so we are doing a shout out asking if anyone has some gathering dust. FYI – when we ask for help locating fittings its for woody folk deserving a helping hand, not owners that are doing $100k+ work at professional yards. WW points them to https://www.toplicht.de/en/
The 33’ launch ROTHESAY has recently popped up on tme, back in July 2018 WW reported that she had changed hands and there was a plan to restore her. Based on the photos above that hasn’t happened and now her ‘owner’ and interested parties are trying to find a home for her. According to the tme post ($1 reserve) she was built in 1930 and has a Ford 40hp engine in her. I will not attempt to ID the builder, a Nov 2013 WW story (link below) with input from Harold Kidd, talked at length about several vessels named Rothesay. https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/11/15/the-rothesays/
It will be a big challenge but if there is a woody out there looking for a project, this could be it. Boat location is Rawene on the Hokianga Harbour, Northland.
Jump forward to last Saturday morning and she is sliding down the rails looking rather grand. It is always a big ask ($$) to bring these craft back to better than as launch presentation. But the feel good factor when you walk down the dock or row away from her in a bay is priceless.
There is a saying that I believe originated from Frances Herreshoff that goes like this “if as you walk away or row away from your boat, you do not look back at her, you own the wrong boat”
Over the last 2 years her owners have had one major focus – to retaining/ restore all her classic characteristics and charm. Well done to the Telford family and the team at the yard.
A few minutes before REHIA was launched my RAINDANCE also splashed after a brief haul-out for a face wash and bottom shave. Sitting for 2 months on her marina and with the engine not working, RD had a very impressive beard + a plastic bag around the prop 😦
During the week WW was contacted Kevin Uptown regard to the Mullet Boat MATARIKI N10.Kevin’s brother John had discovered reference to the boat in a Oct 2020 WW story (linked here) https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/02/classic-wooden-boats-bin-diving/ The yacht featured in a NZ Herald photo from Dec 1931, the photo is below.
I’ll let Kevin tell the story: “My brother John Upton recently sent me a link to this web site and I noticed the Mullet Boat Matariki. (NZ Herald 1931) Our Dad Murray Upton bought Matariki in Tauranga in the early 60’s and sailed her to Gisborne I think in about 1963/64. At that time the Harbour basin was being dredged so Dad had no mooring. Being the type of boat she was, it had to stay in the water. Anyway long story, short we striped her down an took her Lake Waikaremoana and used her as a house boat for many years. Matariki is still on the lake at Waikaremoana I must say she is looking a bit tired. I have attached some photos which may be of interest to you.”
Back in November 2021 we ran a story on the 43’ ex workboat – MANURERE, at the time we learned that she was designed and built by Miller & Tunnage, Port Chalmers and launched in 1937.Constructed from 1 1/2” kauri planking over spotted gum frames.
In her early days ( see b/w photo below) she fished commercially (cod and crayfish) in the Otago and Stewart Island areas, and later in her life was converted to pleasure use.
At the time of the 2021 story she was looking for a new custodian.
As I’ve mentioned many times on WW some woodys get lucky in terms of owners, MANURERE is one such boat, over the next 3 years her new owner continued to undertake a rolling refit. In fact when purchased MANURERE was effectively set up as a day-boat, her owner undertook to re-equipped and updated her to be able to undertake passages to isolated areas and provide crew comfort for extended periods. As the photos show MANURERE presents in better than new condition. Roll forward and her owner has made the call to return to a life of sail and have asked {the} Wooden Boat Bureau to find a new owner to take over the vessel. So woodys best we tell you more about her –
MANURERE’s hull, engine and ancillary equipment are in very good condition. The interior was recently restored, ‘in keeping’ using native timbers. Powered by a Iveco 120hp marine diesel, she uses about a litre of diesel per nautical mile at 8 knots. Recently work included the injectors being tuned, new water pump and starter motor and a powered second alternator fitted, upgraded bilge pump and system. Modern electronics fitted including AIS. , 230V power with power points throughout. Smart charger charges the 3 battery banks simultaneously.
MANURERE is rigged with steadying sail, main and mizzen. 2 x 2 speed winches. Anchor operated at wheel house or deck. Life raft, heavy duty Coppin’s drogue, second CQR with spare 50m 10mm chain, EPIRB, VHF etc. Hot and cold pressure water, shower on rear deck. Electric toilet, holding tank and LectrSan sanitation unit (use optional). Gimballed hob in wheel house with barbeque rear deck. Dometic fridge freezer (24v/230V) under wheel house seat. Near new 2.5m RIB with 3.3 Mercury. And being a southern lass she has a diesel heater – we like that 🙂
Whats especially compelling about MANURERE is that she’s ready to use – now. So, if your looking for an exceptionally well built and maintained classic motorboat with plenty of life left in her, to have your own adventures, this might be it. We do not normally include pricing on WW stories but I predict that MANURERE will find a new owner very quickly. Why? Because at $136k she would be the best classic on the market in terms of size, condition and functionality + cool factor.
Back in Oct 2016 Frits Schouten send in a photo of the – SOUNDS RANGER at anchor in the Bay of Islands, over the next few years we uncovered some intel on her history and movements.
An ex owner Tim Whelan advised that she was originally named – ENTERPRIZE but her name was changed to SOUNDS RANGER when she was acquired to ba a ranger boat to serve the lighthouses in the Marlborough Sounds. In Jan 2017 Davey Jones supplied some great intel on her past in the Comments Section, advising that his recollection was that she was built c.1932 by ER Lane, Picton. Link here to that story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/19/sounds-ranger/
In March 2021 Penny Krone let us know that the vessel was sighted in Pahi on the northern Kaipara Harbour (west coast of NZ). Then in Feb 2022 Dave Stanaway sent in photos of her hauled out at Dargaville.
Then yesterday WW was contacted by Norm Judd an ex Havelock based ranger. In the WW Comments Section Norma posted the equivalent of ‘War & Peace’ – it was just too long for a comment and to good to be hidden away there.
So today woodys thanks to Norm we get to get a peek back in time and share some correspondence from the Chief Ranger (Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park) – Kerry Johnson to Norm regarding how to access and start the – SOUNDS RANGER. I have reproduced it in full below as supplied by Norm. Enjoy, I did 🙂
The following description by Kerry Johnson of the “Sounds Ranger.” is from the unpublished NZ NATIONAL PARKS AND RESERVES RANGERS’ ARCHIVE – a collection of written and taped memoirs of Lands and Survey rangers between 1952 and 1987. Kerry was Chief Ranger of the Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park from the 1968 to the 80s.
“Reading my note to Norm Judd, Havelock based ranger, re starting the Sounds Ranger brought back memories about those early days when I took over, among other things, the care and operation of the vessel. I wasn’t impressed with its overall condition. There was need to bring the launch up to Marine Department standards as soon as possible. The problems included batteries not set up properly to provide backup if one set went flat, the stern tube the tail shaft went through contained a heavy oil for lubrication but would not function properly and no matter how much advice and effort I could muster this thick oil would ooze into the bilge. A few months down the track while cleaning the accumulation of grime from a circulating pump it literally fell apart. Thank goodness the boat was safely in her berth in Picton then! Many improvements were eventually made but there was one incident that occurred one night when I think I was away. Late one rough, wet evening my wife received a call from the Harbour Board patrol to say the Sounds Ranger’s engine was chugging away in her berth with no sign of anyone on board and the doors securely locked! Now there has to be a logical explanation as to how this happened but I was never able to clearly identify the cause and that’s probably why the battery leads had been removed as mentioned in my note to Norm. I’m not superstitious and while I learned later the same thing had happened once before, you can’t help thinking that there must have been some free spirit lurking about that stormy night and was about to take the “old girl” for a cruise in the gloom! “Stranger things have happened at sea.” Thank you Norm for holding on to a note many (including myself) would have discarded long ago. As a friend commented recently when talking about recording family history, “even the milking cow’s name is important”. Here’s the note “Now a few directions in case you should be asked to take out the Sounds Ranger. Batteries have been disconnected – under seat on starboard side, crescent spanner in tool box near batteries. Before starting engine remove bucket from top of funnel – open hatch to engine room, light switch is on a beam just inside the hatch opening, that is if you stand on the engine room floor looking forward, the switch is on your right hand side on the back of the beam that forms the front section of the hatch opening. Move under the exhaust pipe along to the front port side of the motor. If you look around the actual front of the engine you will see a small wheel with finger grips around the outside (about 3” or 4” diam.) This is the wheel that engages the bilge pump by simply screwing or rotating the wheel clockwise or in towards the engine. It should be in this position now, so to disengage the pump, just screw the wheel very slowly out. Do not on any account force the wheel too far out, or for that matter too hard in, otherwise it will stick hard. The pump has to be primed before it will start, this done on the starboard side of the engine. There is another light there with the switch by the light bulb, you will find an old kettle with water in it. You will see towards the front, a tap with an opening for the water to be poured in on the top. With the engine at low idling speed, turn the wing tap to vertical – pour water in slowly. I hold my thumb near the hole and when the pump looks like starting I block the hole with my thumb then turn the wing tap to horizontal. To start the engine use the starter button on a beam in front of the light on the Port side of the motor, but you should only have to use this one when the engine is cold. It also pays to use the overload button on the fuel pump (when the machine is cold only) the button is on the front of the fuel pump.” (Here there was a small diagram that showed the location of the overload button on the fuel pump.) “Button should be pushed up, at the same time pull back the rack. Push the starter button until the engine starts. Be sure to turn both lights out, on leaving the engine room. To stop the motor just pull a string that hangs on a nail beside the top of the steps that lead into the forward cabin. Normal starting can be done by using the starter button by the compass. (This for some reason has given trouble in which case I have used the engine room button.) Push throttle lever up to 1100RPM after about 20 minutes. I doubt whether it will be necessary for you to use the boat, and if you do, I don’t think the bilge will have to be pumped out. There is a hand pump in the engine room, the valve is on the side is off. If you have to use this rather that the pump on the motor please be sure to turn the wheel mentioned earlier to off position. Remember that the motor is only 60 HP and will not pull up as quickly as the PR (Pelorus Ranger – Havelock based vessel) in other words take her quietly and don’t get into shallow water or you will get into trouble. Hope this makes sense?” “P.S. Key to door lock is under bucket by gas cylinder rear of wheelhouse.”
(All of this made sense but just being up with the detail didn’t necessarily mean I was any less concerned with the implementation! – Norm. My recollection is that SR drew about 6 feet and was 45 feet at the waterline.)
01-06-2024 -INPUT ex LINDSAY WRIGHT
Hello – I delivered Sounds Ranger from Picton to Tauranga many years ago so she could be taken further north to work for a box netting outfit somewhere in Northland.
She was powered by, I thought, a 5L3 Gardner, but my memory is a bit fuzzy these days and it could have been a 6LW. I believed, at the time, that she’d been used to service a Christian camp in Queen Charlotte Sound.
The dockside dawdlers in Picton cautioned me that she had rolled over while servicing the Brothers Island lighthouse while called Enterprise. All her fuel was in a big steel tank on the port side of the engine room, so, with the tank full, she had a residual port list. I took down the hefty wooden derrick and lashed it along the starboard bulwarks and put a 200 litre drum full of water on the starboard side too. That fixed the list.
We had a good run – with her fine forward sections she punched into a sea beautifully. The wheelhouse was spacious and comfy. I’d planned on going into Gisborne for fuel but in the event, when I sounded the tank, she’d hardly used any, so I kept on going.
In Tauranga I checked all the fluid levels in the Gardner and topped them up, closed the seacocks and left a note to that effect on the dashboard so the new owner would know when he picked her up in a couple of days time. And flew home to Picton.
A few days later the broker rang and said the new owner had rung to say that I’d run the engine out of oil. It made a ticking noise when he started it and there was clean oil in the sump.
But he didn’t know Gardners – they often make a ticking noise on starting and the clean oil was what I had added before I left her.
I suggested to the broker that he tell the new owner all this – and that he tell him to take a running leap off the stern….and wondered about such a good boat going to an unappreciative owner.
A few days the broker rang back and said the new wowner had been in touch to apologise. Perhaps she had gone to good people after all.
Last we we reported in on the 1938 Colin Wild built launch – Rehia and its xxxxx underway at the Slipway Milford. Today we get an update on the work-in-process. With the current good weather Auckland is experiencing the team at the Slipway have not been holding back, in fact even Cam Malcolm has emerged from his engineering workshop to get ‘on the tools’ 🙂
Sometimes it is quicker to build new than try and save – so a new cabin door has been added to the work list.
The wonder finish Uroxsys (Alwood) always repays attention to prep, so the 100% back to bare wood will look stunning when it gets the treatment. Her owners will reap the rewards of this work for years to come, and as I said last week, you can’t spend too much on a Colin Wild craft 🙂
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