Category Archives: 1940’s

Summer / New Year 2019 Raindance Cruise Photo Gallery – 70+ Classic Wooden Boats

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Best coffee & brownie on the Island = Rocky Bay Hall

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282′ – Available for rent NZD$970,000 week

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Very cool packaging design & yum

Summer / New Year Raindance Cruise Photo Gallery – 70+ Classic Wooden Boats

The above gallery is a selection of photos I mostly took at random over the 12 days we were floating around the bottom end of Waiheke Island. I apologise for the quality of some, but the light & direction I was heading were not always my friend in terms of image quality. I just wanted to record & showcase some of the craft out & about over the holiday period. Remember click photos to enlarge 😉
Like most people in the upper north island we were gifted with stunning weather – I rolled the cockpit canopy clears up on day one & rolled them down again when we returned to the marina 12 days later. I can honestly say that it was the best cruise we have had aboard RD, just perfect.
For those of you that were cruising in other parts, email in some photos so we can share.
Even last week the weather remained near perfect, & allowed me to get the sandpaper & Awlwood (Uroxsys) out & re-varnish RD’s trim – 9 coats, looks very smart.
As I write this I’m hoping for some rain, the garden is crying out for a downpour.
Mahurangi Regatta is fast approaching, I say it every year but in terms of vessel numbers & location, it has to be NZ’s premier classic wooden boating event. Put a circle around Saturday, Jan 26th in the diary & make the effort to be there. More details closer.
Check out WW tomorrow for some great photos from the Bay of Islands Tall Ships Regatta – there will even be a photos of Tony Stevenson on the helm of a classic, its been a while 😉

Evening Star & Alma G

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EVENING STAR

The above photo of Evening Star was sent to me by Simon Manning, and was taken near Port Fitzroy in late December. She looks stunning, what a magnificent ship, Simon commented that she appeared to have had a major renovation recently.
So Woodys, what do we know about her?
Simon mentioned that they had an Evening Star fishing in and around the Sounds when he was a kid but doesn’t believe it’s the same boat.  This one looks bigger.   There must be more than one around by that name.
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The photo below of Alma G about to weigh in her catch at Russell, is another from Snooks Fuller’s brilliant collection, sent in by Dean Wright.
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28-01-2019 Photo below of Evening Star in Sheep Bay, Gt Mercury Island, ex Greg Fenwick
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Garden Cove, Waiheke Island

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Garden Cove Waiheke Island

Over the New Year period we were very lucky to ’score’ an anchorage not once, but twice in Garden Cove on the the Northern side of Waiheke Island.
It’s a very special spot & due to it size, can only really handle 2 >3 boats. The advent of the SeaLegs amphibious craft, means a few more craft can enjoy the venue via parking on the beach.
On our first visit we were joined by the 1946 Lidgard built launch – Monterey.
Second trip we shared the bay with the magnificent1935, Colin Wild designed & built motor launch – Lady Gay & a very cute woody ‘picnic’ boat.
If you ever get the chance, be brave & enter the gap (right side – ALWAYS), it is worth it.
BUT – folks, the 1st visit was a little tarred by a group of white trash that appeared to have overnighted on the beach (New Years Eve), the beach was a tip & included toilet paper. Come on kiwi’s – show a little respect for the environment & other people. A took few photos to name & shame 😦

Name the boat & WIN a copy of  – ‘Clinker Lapstrake Dinghy Construction’

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Name the boat & WIN a copy of  – ‘Clinker Lapstrake Dinghy Construction’

It’s just over two years ago that I gave Peter Peal’s book ‘Clinker Lapstrake Dinghy Construction’ a nudge on WW. It is a very cool read / reference tool and still available at Book Boats in Westhaven.
 
But the 1st woody (excluding KR) to email me at       waitematawoodys@gmail.com     and correctly ID the above woody – wins a copy on Peter Peal’s book.
View /read more on the book here.
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THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS W1 & THE FIRST TO EMAIL ME WAS CAMERON POLLARD. People need to read the details re entry – it was via email.
Cameron – I’ll get Baden Pascoe to send you a copy direct – email me your postal address.
Cheers Alan

The Rudder Cup From Up High

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The Rudder Cup From Up High

It is only been a week since the Rudder Cup Launch race but it was such a cool woody event that when the above photos arrived from Sally Teesdale I couldn’t help doing another WW post.

Sally was up North Head, Devonport with the camera & captured the fleet rounding North Head heading north.
As always – click the photos to enlarge. (I have cropped / colour enhanced the photos – the weather was a tad bleak?)

Moody Blue

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MOODY BLUE

Moody Blue, the 1946 barrel-back woody powerboat above, is almost ready to splash after being out of the water for 12 years, & having undergone a total rebuild.

All that’s required to finish the project is the return of the new upholstery.
Her zoom zoom is from a 1946 Ford flathead V8, I wonder if its the original motor or a perfect match up?
Can any of the Lake Rotoiti woodys enlighten us with more info on Moody Blue?
(photos & details ex Colin Prouse fb)

2018 Rudder Cup – Motor Boat Race – 60 + Classic Wooden Boat Photos

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My Girl

Meola
Meola
Trinidad
My Girl
My Girl
Well Wishers

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Korara
Lady Margaret (DL)
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Waitangi
Baden & Richard – Safety Officers
Baden & Richard – Safety Officers
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Ronaki
Matanui
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My Girl
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Sterling
Lady Margaret (CW)
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Waitangi & Trinidad
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Waitangi

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Lady Crossley

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2018 Rudder Cup – Motor Boat Race – 60 + Classic Wooden Boat Photos

Friday 14th December , was only the third time in one hundred & ten years that the Rudder Cup race has been run – previous dates were 1908. 2008 & now 2018. Always in December, always the same course to Sail Rock & back, always overnight & always 108 nm in distance.
The background to the race has been well documented on WW so I will not re-hash the details – WW search Rudder Cup for more details.
2018 saw 15 classic Woodys assembling on the start line in front of the RNZYS for the 7pm start. The fleet were joined by almost as many fellow woodys who gathered to see the fleet off. John Street fired a magnificent cannon (details of which will appear on WW at a later date) to start the race.
Conditions were overcast & a little damp but that did not stop the skippers & crew from putting on a stunning sight for the crowd assembled on the foreshore.
By North Head the fleet had established itself in terms of boat speed & positioning – the race is a sealed handicap event, with skippers not knowing their handicap until the prize giving. This year, technology via the PredictWind race tracker app, allowed skippers & shore based woodys the opportunity to view the position & speed of the boats in ‘real-time’. Helped make the hours slide by quicker.
I had a very comfortable race aboard Barbara & David Cooke’s sensational Salthouse motor-yacht Trinidad. The mix of vessel, company, catering & banter was perfect – a good time was had by all. Not a lot of sleep (zero for myself & the skipper), but when dawn came around we all had found our second wind, or maybe it was Brian Fulton’s scones topped with brandy butter 🙂
We ran a sweep onboard Trinidad as to our finish time & I won – only 10 seconds off my prediction of 12 hours / 40 minutes.
Results below – you will see that Trinny won her divisional prize, which made Captain Cooke a happy chap 🙂
VETERN DIVISION (pre 1918) – STERLING 
VINTAGE DIVISION (1919-1949) – WAITANGI (note: no photos below of skipper Ian Cooke – as RNZYS commodore, Ian was attending another function)
CLASSIC DIVISION (1950-1978) – TRINIDAD
OVERALL RUDDER CUP WINNER – STERLING 
 
Todays photo gallery of the race, comes to you via the camera’s of numerous woodys – thanks go out to Graeme Finch, Rod Marler, yours truely – Alan Houghton. Some are not any where near perfect – boat speed, sea conditions & a very long tele-lens are not a good mix if you are aiming for great photos.
I’m sure I’ll get sent more in the next few days, so will update when & if we get more. If any of the skippers want a copy of a photo – drop me an email at waitematawoodys@gmail.com
I would like to thank the Rudder Cup Race Committee for pulling the event together, a huge amount of time & co-ordination goes into one of these events & with out the folks below, it would never have happened:
Jason Prew (Chair), Nathan Herbert, Barbara Cooke, David Cooke, Alan Houghton, Joyce Talbot (Wonder Woman), Chris Collins & Baden Pascoe.
I would also like to mention the support we received from the Classic Yacht Association committee in stepping forward & underwriting the event – a progressive move from the then new CYA Chairman, James Mortimer. Thank you James.
 
ENJOY – As always, click on photos to enlarge + I have been extra nice today & captioned most of the photos 😉
 
Photos below from the prize giving at the RNZYS on Saturday night – weather was perfect & the food VERY good- well done RNZYS team.
A few ‘tired’ eyes – most of these guys had been awake for 24+hrs 🙂
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CYA Chairman James Mortimer + Brett Evans – Sterling – Winner 2018 Rudder Cup

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Sterling Skipper & Winning Crew

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CYA Chairman James Mortimer + David Cooke – Trinidad – Winner Classic Division

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CYA Chairman James Mortimer + Iain Forsyth – Meola – Spot prize winner

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Peter Boardman Skipper – Lady Margaret (D. Lang) Spot prize winner

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Ferro Skipper – Dick Coughlan – Spot prize winner

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Ronaki Skipper – Daniel Thomas – Spot prize winner

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Korara Skipper – Anatole Perry – Spot prize winner

Hirawanu

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Back in February 2017 I posted a photo (below) of Hirawanu, the 1948 Lidgard bridge-decker & asked the question – WHY? Well thanks to Gerard Dods, the grandson of George Nesbit Dods , who owned her in the 1970’s (& kept her in Tauranga) we now have a photo of her c.1977-78 to she her as she was a designed / built & looking very handsome.
 
Gerard commented that his grand father bought her off the estate of a man from Rotorua whose name was Walter Lee. Walter Lee and his brothers owned a timber business in Rotorua called ‘Lee Brothers’. His son, Colin Lee was a friend of George Dods and to the best of Gerard’s knowledge is still alive and lives in Te Puke. Gerard is not sure how long Walter Lee owned Hirawanu before his grand father bought her in 1974.
Gerard has also questioned the build her, previously on WW we have said c.1948, but he thinks its more like mid 1950s – I’m sure someone can clear that up for us. Harold Kidd is on record saying c.1946, so I would believe that over distant memories. 
Hirawanui is a bigger version of the 1946 Lidgard launch – Monterey, this adds weight to the mid 1940’s build versus mid 1950’s. Monterey is owned my my friends Sue & Mark Edmonds, who have a photo of the Lidgard.  shed, which looked like an assembly line – at the time, old Roy Lidgard was pushing out these boats like peas out of pod 🙂

Thanks to Ken Ricketts for forwarding in Gerard’s comments & photo
Harold Kidd Input – Well HIRAWANU was owned by C.T. Jonas in 1946 as recorded in his RNZYS membership from 1946 to 1948, equipped with a 30hp Lister. In 1952 she was owned by M. Matos. C.T. Jonas was a very well-known yachtsman at the time. He had owned the Coulthard CAROLYN (E61), then had Lidgards build MATATUA (B9) in 1938 and HINEMOA (A1) in 1948. HIRAWANU seems to have filled the brief gap between MATATUA and HINEMOA……all Lidgard boats.
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Naiad & Nifity – Woodys From Across The Ditch

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Naiad & Nifity – Woodys From Across The Ditch

On recent work travels Adrian Pawson came across the very salty wee ship Naiad. Adrian was able to uncover that she is currently being restored by Pete Messenger  in a shed at Woolwich Dock in Sydney. She was apparently built locally in approximately 1949 by W.L Holmes at the McMahons Point boatyard in Sydney. She is planked in Oregon timber with a spotted gum keel. LOA is 28ft.

Recently she was sold in derelict condition as part of a deceased estate. Her new owner has commissioned a full refit including splining and sheathing in glass fibre. She currently has no engine.
The timing of the email from Adrian was a little scary as I had just received an email from Australian woody, Andrew Christie, who owns the stunning launch Folly III that recent appeared on WW via a youtube video. Andrew sent me details on the 21’ ex woodys work boat – Nifity, she was built in 1962 by Norman Wright & Sons. 
Andrew commented that Nifity was an ex ‘line boat’. Line boats had the job of collecting the ‘lines’ from incoming ships & bringing the lines ashore, at the same time as the bigger tugs were manoeuvring the ship. 
Check Nifity out on the video below.
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Awarua – Gets  A Make Over

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Awarua – Gets  A Make Over

Last year we featured the 1947, 36’ Roy Lidgard launch Awarua twice on WW, with photos of her afloat & even a ‘peek down below’(WW links below)

In recent chats with owner Ross Mason, he mentioned that he had hauled out at Pine Harbour & put her in the Harkins Boat Builders shed, where Jared Kirby & team were painting her topsides. A Altex alkyd 7 coat (roller & brush) system was used that consisted of –   x2 coats primer, x3 undercoats & x2 gloss coats. Prior to this the hull was sanded back to bare wood in places.

You will see in the above photos that her kauri hull was in excellent condition, a great testament to the kauri timber used & the skills of her original builders. Ross understands that the kauri used originated from the Naval Dockyards.

I’m (as is Ross) very impressed with the end results, she was always a very smart ship, now she is up there with the finest in our woody fleet. Well done to everyone involved & Ross for the biting the bullet & commissioning the work.

Awarua – A Peek Down Below

Awarua

Launch day video ex Ross , via Ken Ricketts