Category Archives: 1940’s

CYA Double Banger – Riverhead Launch Cruise + Vintage & Veterans Yacht Race

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Achilles

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My Girl

Little JimA16 + Raindance
Oke Bay
Summer Wine
Monterey
Manapouri + Altair
Manapouri
Achilles
(F) Volantis (R) Altair + Tasman Star + Nana

 

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My Girl + Raindance

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Monterey, Te Arahi, Altair, Manapouri

CYA Double Banger – Riverhead Launch Cruise + Vintage & Veterans Yacht Race

While mooching around under the Harbour Bridge waiting for the launch stragglers , I snapped a few photos of the yacht fleet tuning up for the start of the annual Vintage & Veterans yacht race – Photos below
The weather for the launch cruise was almost ideal, after we had arrived at the Riverhead Tavern and had planted ourselves in the bar, the rain started, so while we by dinning and chatting – the old girls got a fresh water wash down – perfect.
A good turn out for late in the season – 16 woodys – made up of 12 CYA members and 4 woodys that joined us for the day. I convinced one to join, but Jason Prew tells me I need to improve on my 25% conversion rate 🙂
Nice to catch up with those that made the trip by motorcar.
As always the food was excellent, just a wee hick-up with a power oops slowed the service down a tad but all good.
Sorry if I missed your woody with my camera – the fleet were very spaced out, so arrive times didn’t suit the need to sustenance 😉
As always, click photos to enlarge.
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Rawhiti A2 + Rainbow A7 + Waitangi A6

Arcturus K8638
Rainbow A7 + Rawhiti A2 + Ariki A3 + Little Jim A16
Rainbow A7 + Waitangi A6
Spray II. 725
Katrina II. K100
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Arcturus K8638

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Little Jim A16

Photos below of Thelma sent in by Simon Smith

Ladybird Splashes

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LADYBIRD SPLASHES

There were a lot of smilie faces in Devonport on Wednesday, as Mike Strong got ready to re-launch the 1949 Bert Woollacott designed ketch LadyBird. 

Mike had hauled LB out and into Kevin Johnson’s Devonport shed with the intention of a 6 months re-fit, well as they do, the list of things to do grew a little – fast forward 2+years and LB is looking magnificent.
The team at Boat Haulage, as always, did a slick job of collecting LB and transporting her to Hobsonville Marina. In anticipation of LB being a little thirsty after 2 years in a shed, there was an impressive collection of pumps on stand by, I suspect Mike will be camping on LB for a few nights 🙂
We will show you LB’s interior once Mike has finished putting all the bits back on board, in the meantime you can get a glimpse below at this link.
Question of the day – who’s next in Kevin’s shed? Be quick if you are considering hauling out, it never empty for long :-
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CAN ANYONE HELP SEABIRD OUT
Steve Thomas  the owner of Seabird has a gearbox problem (Paragon RB20 model Serial No: 5D 3527) and is looking for a replacement. Details and photos below.
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Woody Waiheke BBQ

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Not sure what these two were up too but the t-shirt gets the WW of approval

Woody Waiheke BBQ

Saturday (30/03/2019) saw a group of hardy, the barometer was not saying summer, CYA members gather in Putiki Bay, Waiheke Island for a post CYA yacht race BBQ. The photos have been enhanced, it wasn’t quite that sunny 🙂

The bay filled up with a good collection of woody yachts and launches. The CYA committee even put on a band – well done guys.
Special thanks to Chris Sadler for the use of his launch – Moeraki as the start boat for the yacht race. Moeraki is a very smart looking woody, I have always admired her – great to see her out on the Waitemata. You can read / see more on her here (lots in the comments section).  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/26/mystery-launch-26032014/
Woody launches in the bay included – My Girl, Lucille, Waimea, Puawai, Lucinda, Matuku, Summer Wine, Wirihana and Mahanui – some I suspect were moored there.
Special thanks to Jason Prew and Mark Edmonds for the (phone) photos.
As a special treat for the skipper of Lucille – I have include the youtube video below 😉

John Salthouse Crosses The Bar

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John Salthouse

John Salthouse Crosses The Bar
Sad to hear that John Salthouse, the founder of Salthouse Boatbuilders passed away on Sunday night. If you have any doubts as to the extent of the mans input to our classic woody fleet just type SALTHOUSE in the WW search box & you’ll be amazed by the craft that John either built or enhanced in his lifetime. Below is a gallery of just some of the craft that Salthouse Boatbuilders have built.
Our thoughts go out to the extended Salthouse family. While he has left us, his legacy will grace our waters for many many years to come.
TRINIDAD

Could This Be Zephyr

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Could This Be Zephyr

Woody Nathan Herbert spotted the launch above on trademe – the photo show her name as Belinda Lee and the list says she was built in 1940, is 36’ in length.
Current zoom zoom is via a 1952 Ford 120hp diesel. The photos look a little scary but there are the bones of a good woody here if you had the time and budget to attach the above the waterline issues.
Current home is Christchurch, so that may limit her appeal to woodys north of Cook Straight, but the price at <$5k is right, if the Ford is healthy 😉
(b/w photo c.1948 ex K Ricketts)
So Woodys – was Belinda Lee, Zephyr in an other life?
18-02-2020 Update ex Andrea Collings
Andrea has located a couple of photos, see below.  Reproduction is not the best but we roll with that.. The one on the skid, is from when Andrea’s grandfather first brought her.  Andrea commented it has her grandmother, uncle (and she thinks her aunt). Andrea  believes she was having her motor removed.  Her grandfather (Mac Kelly) thought she was to thirsty and put a smaller engine in. 
The 2nd photo is of her has Mac standing and one of his sons sunbathing on her roof.
Andrea is not sure of dates for these photos but believes it would have to be in the 1950’s.
Zephyr remained in their family until about 1985 when she was sold to a man from Auckland who Andrea was told was the gent who took her bridge off. After that Andrea didnt know what happened to Zephyr until she received an email WW and then read Logan’s post.
Andrea has promised to continue to track down any more information and photos, so it can be added to her story.
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30-04-2020 The Continuing Story Of Zephyr

I have been recently contacted by Kevin Lyall who via his mother, Hope Lyall, has contributed more details and photos from the vessels past. Kevins grandfather was a previous owner names – Mac Kelly and mentioned also in Andrea Colling’s input above.
I’ll let Kevin & Hope tell their story.

“The completion of Zephyr was delayed until after WWII, as the government was going to commandeer her as a patrol boat. She was originally powered by a single 165Hp ChrisCraft marine petrol engine, taken from a twin engine WWII landing craft. Not sure if the HP is correct, had a look and could have been a K series or Hercules series engine?

Mum said the original engine was under the floor, but the new engine had an engine cover built which took up space in the cockpit. She was re-powered with a Lee’s marine diesel (Ford)

She sank at her mooring in Awaawaroa Bay late 1970’s or early 1980’s, due to an engine intake valve being left open. She may have sat floating at the mooring for several years after that  as I remember her being beached at Pipitewai Bay and sacks of mussels being removed from the hull,This may have been around the time she was sold on.

We used to visit the family farm at Awaawaroa Bay, board Zephyr at Maraetai Wharf and sit on the bow with our groceries for the trip over the Tamaki Strait, we did this a few times for school holidays and Christmas. Must have been pre 1981.

My mother and family did a lot of trips on Zephyr all around the Hauraki Gulf and out to Great Barrier Island in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Many stories of fishing and visiting islands and meeting up with other boaties.”

Zephyr DEC1965

Dec’ 1965

Zephyr 1970's

1970’s

31-08-2020 Update ex Logan Bergs

Logan sent in the locker panel below from the launch Zephyr, during the weekend he by chance flipped the lid over and found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel Whilst doing a bit of work on the weekend on Zephyr or Belinda lee as she was called when I acquired her I found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel. When Logan bought the boat it was called Belinda Lee but he has reverted to the original name (Zephyr). Barry was unaware that there had been 2 other names – ‘Lady J’ and ‘True Love’.So woodys – does the addition of these names jog and memories?

Leilani and Centaurus

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LEILANI & CENTAURUS

I recently received the above b/w photo of the launch Leilani, sent in by Graeme Varcoe. This photo was taken during the period of ownership by Alfred Sibun. Graeme comment that Sibum was so taken with the Leilani that he sold her and built a launch in the same style. This boat was the Centaurus and was one of the last to be built at the Baileys shipyard. The second photo above is of the Centaurus.
Harold Kidd has perviously supplied the following provenance on Leilani – she was built as FLORAE (Latin for “flowers”), but at times her name has appeared as Floray . Harold is of the belief that Lidgard’s built the hull and Major George Bailey finished her at his Wheturangi Road home. Percy Coutts owned her until he died in 1960. He bought Harold’s father’s business and renamed it Coutts Motors and was very successful importing fine cars, now part of the Giltrap empire on the same site in Great North Road.
As LEILANI she had numerous owners after Percy Coutts, including A.G. Sibun of Bleakhouse Road, Ken Archer who was active in Coastguard with her, followed by B.J. Craies, and finally a spell in Coromandel c.1999. 
 
The photo below (ex Ken Ricketts) was taken of Leilani c.2016 looking very sad in Thames, owned at the time by Jason Lockwood – can anyone update us on the current situation / status of the vessel ?
You can read more on her at the WW link below – check out the comments section – good banter around her name 🙂
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20th Lake Rotoiti – Antique & Classic Boat Show – 200+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

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20th Lake Rotoiti – Antique & Classic Boat Show – 200+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

On the 1st weekend of March we travelled south to Nelson for a wee escape. Just by chance (yeah right says the wife) there was a classic woody event on. I have seen and heard a lot about the Antique & Classic Boat Show that is held every year on Lake Rotoiti, one hour south of Nelson but I had never attended. We were staying with good friends in Mapua so early on the Sunday the men folk packed up the car  and headed off. We arrived at the lake as everyone was dusting off  / polishing their pride and joy – I understand there was a social event on the Saturday night and a few looked a little ‘dusty’ themselves.
The venue is just mind blowingly spectacular – and I have not seen so much varnished wood in one place in NZ before. Combine this with a very laid back southern friendliness and we had a great morning.
The woodys on show ranged from vintage radio controlled speedboats, sailing dinghies and speedboats to 100 mile-an-hour hydro-planes. Check out the movie of the hydro-plane Elray III below.
The photos above are intended to give you an insight into the show, warts and all – it’s not a gallery of perfectly presented craft.
Enjoy, we did.

A Woody Tour Of Helensville / Upper Kaipara

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Florance M

La Vega
La Vega
La Vega
Morning Star
Unknown 1
Unknown 2
Nevada (4th out)
Nevada (center)
Nevada
Nevada
Nevada
Nevada
Unknown 3
Unknown 4
Unknown 5
Waimiko
Witch Way (3rd out)
Witch Way / Unknown 6/Scud
Witch Way
Wooden Mullet Boat ?

A Woody Tour Of Helensville / Upper Kaipara  

Following on from last Mondays stunning story on the boats resting in the Tamaki River (link below if you missed it), woody John Bullivant has been out & about again – this time his focus has been the Helensville & Kaipara Cruising Club. I have ID / tagged the photos where known, just scroll over to view the name). Again I’ll let John tell the story 🙂

“I did another boat hunting tour to Helensville on 6 Feb and found a few more wooden working boats and others parked on the mud at the fishing wharf and Kaipara Cruising Club . They are a friendly bunch at the club and allowed me to go onto the private jetties to take some photos, even unlocking a gate for me which was much appreciated. The couple I spoke to have a converted ex fishing boat (Waimiko I think ) with a 185HP Nissan and all the gear, which they say makes a perfect solid pleasure boat. 

The big Miller & Tunnage canoe stern La Vega ? also is Nissan powered but U/S at the moment and may be for sale ( hull looks in good nick and built like the proverbial BSH) and would make a great pleasure convert and sea boat. There are a number of interesting boats there including the nice looking bridge decker further up. Couldn’t get a good pic but looks like she’s having some work done? Also found Florence M (now with M painted over) on the hard there, back to the side she started on ? 

One thing that was of particular nostalgic interest (sort of ) was the little plastic ‘Scuppers tug’ (think that’s what the called them) tucked in the corner. If I’m not mistaken, this little boat resided at Half Moon Bay Marina way back in the early 80s when new, and I have an idea it was their little marina work boat, (I’m pretty sure it’s not from the other Half Moon Bay but would be a weird coincidence if it was). I even contemplated buying one when they came out (under $12,000 from memory) Stange place to find it.

The interesting little boat on the drums and the old planked Mullet boat? are on the Northern end of Helensville over the rail lines. All in all a great day out and finished of with great local fish and chips (found out the shop owner lived not far from me at Whangaparaoa before moving to Helensville,)  NZ is small,- once stayed overnight in the Hunterville motel, and the people who had recently bought it had lived not far from me in Bucklands beach, we Kiwis certainly move around along with our boats.”

SS Mary Rose

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SS Mary Rose

I know two steam boats in one week, Russell Ward will be beside himself 🙂
The photos above of Mary Rose were sent in by Alan Sexton, he spotted her at the Sandspit Yacht Club ramp during the week.

Mary Rose resides in Wanganui these days. The owner told Alan that she is/was one of 2 built for a campground at Ngongotaha circa 1946.

Any ‘steamheads’ able to enlighten us more on Mary Rose?

CYA Classic Yacht Regatta 2019 – Race #1 – 37 Photos

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Rawhiti & Ariki

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Ranger

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Little Jim

Leda
Namu
Achemar
Ranger
Princess
Polaris
Innismara & Ta’Aroa
Little Jim
Katrina II & Arohia
Tawera
Katrina II & Arohia
Katrina II
Arohia
Arohia & Tawera
Katrina II & Arohia
Aramoana
Rawhiti
Rawhiti
Ariki
Rawhiti & Ariki
Rawene
Ngatira
Thelma
Waitangi
Wairiki
Waitangi
Corona
Tucana
Nomad
Arawa
Jonquil
Spray II
Frances

 

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Rainbow

CYA Classic Yacht Regatta 2019 – Race #1 – 37 Photos

At the end of the day I shot down to Devonport Wharf with the tele-lens & just caught the fleet sliding down the harbour, a little overcast but that would have been a + for the crews.
I’ll attempt to ID the yachts – scroll over the photos to see names – if I get it wrong, let me know 😉
 
As you read this I’ll be winging my way south to Lake Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes) for the 20th NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show, mooching around Nelson for a few days so should have some good southern content next week.
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