Category Archives: 1950’s

Nga Kiwa (Ngakiwa)

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NGA KIWA (Ngakiwa)

While Bay of Islands woody, Dean Wright was working on his own launch – Arethusa at Opua Marina, he spotted the 1956 Percy Vos built 28’ launch – Nga Kiwa  being relaunched after what appears to be so annual maintenance e.g. a bum clean and new anti-fouling.

The video is ex DW and the still photos are screen grabs from the video.

Nga Kiwa is new to me so would love to learn more about her.

INPUT ex Russell Ward – previously spelt Ngakiwa – 2013 WW story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/06/16/ngakiwa/

TARANAKI (Theologus) / Wakatoa

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TARANAKI (Theologus) / Wakatoa

Recently WW was contacted by Alistair McRae in regard to the vessel – Taranaki, Alistair commented that he spent a big part of his early holiday life on her. At this stage the boat was named Taranaki but Alistair believes it had been renamed (possibly named Theologus).Taranaki was owned by his uncle, Les Henry and was used by Les to tow barges at his sand company on the Waikato River. In the mid 1950’s Les steamed Taranaki out of the Waikato River (West Coast), up and around the top of the North Island and down to Whangarei.

Alistair recalls that she was approx. 37’> 38’ in length and had a four cylinder Fordson engine and had a canoe stern and built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Sadly Alistair has no details on who designed / built Taranaki or when she was launched. Alistair recollects possibly sighting Taranaki moored at Orakei probably 20 or more years ago. Where she may have resided for some years.

What Alistair does have is the actual log of the above mentioned trip from the Waikato River to Whangarei. The crew left the ‘Elbow’ on the Waikato River (where Les’s sand business was and now Winstone) at 0500hrs Friday 5th March 1955. They got to the Waikato Heads 1-1/2hrs later and waited for a day to get through the bar , quite a trip – the full story below – the reproduction is a tad scrappy and I has issues with converting / uploading but in my eyes that just adds to the story 🙂 It appears as a downloadable PDF file and as a booklet – click on the book to view and you can enlarge the pages.

So woodys can anyone enlighten us on Tarananki’s early days.

taranaki-trip-logDownload
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TARANAKI (Theologus) / Wakatoa

UPDATE -Thanks to input from Murray Debble we learn that she is now named – Wakatoa and featured on WW back in Dec 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/12/03/wakatoa-2/

UPDATE  – from Hylton Edmonds -Photos below taken about 4 weeks ago – just upstream of Ashbys Boatyard Opua.

Waitanguru

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Waitanguru

The photo of todays woody, the 31’ launch – Waitanguru , built in1953 by Alan Williams in Milford Creek, was sent to me back in Jan 2023. The location is the Bay of Islands and was taken by Dean Wright. Slightly embarrassing delay in posting, somehow the email slipped under the radar 🙂 Aside from the rubber duck she is looking very salty and carries the game poles very well.

Waitanguru is kauri carvel and powered by a Yanmar diesel – lots of details and photos in the two previous WW stories, linked below

May 2018 https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/05/07/waitanguru/

May 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/07/waitangaru/

TUATEA – Why Do We Have To Muddle With Things

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TUATEA – Why Do We Have To Muddle With Things

I know an owner can do what ever they like to a boat, it is theirs – BUT it would be nice if owners came from the angle of refinement versus modernisation.

One of the photos ex Tauranga Library archives via Dean Wright, was the top two photos of Tuatea, the 1954 Lane Motor Boat Co built, 39’6” launch. This photo is dated February 1961 and show the game boat looking superb. The third photo is dated 1984 and the location the Bay of Islands, we see a fly bridge added to her. In a previous story a sage woody described her then paint job as ‘calf sh_t brown’.

The in the last photo we see her as she is today – trying to impersonate a 1980’s Riviera………

(yesterdays WW cap winner was K Rickets – who ID’ed the launch as Marline in SE Bay (Opo), Mayor Island, most likely shot from inside the Game Fishing Club)

07-04-2025 UPDATE ex DEAN WRIGHT

 The photo below of TUATEA has been colorised by Dean Dean Wright . The original was captioned – ‘Launch Tuatea 3rd Feb 1961’ and came from the Tauranga City Library Collection, Gifford-Cross Donation 1992, Photographer: Bay of Plenty Times.

AND WHY WOOD YOU – Photo below sent in by a serious woody boater – a tin can trying to …….. actually I do not know what they are trying to do 🙂

Glenmore – A Peek Down Below

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GLENMORE
Back in November 2022 we featured several of Picton boat builder Bill Orchard’s boats . One of these was the ex charter boat – the 1958 Glenmore. We learnt from Mark McLaughlin that Glenmore was one of the Pelorus Sound mail boats throughout the 1980’s to mid 1990’s, operated by Ken and Dianne Gullery. She was sold to an Australian owner and moored at Pittwater up Sydney’s north coast. She did the Tasman Sea crossing under her own steam from Picton, which is no mean feat for that type of boat. Mark also sent in the link to her 4sale post.

In the photos below of Glenmore we see her in her orange hull livery during the mail boat years and a the photo of Glenmore on her mooring at Pittwater.
Fast forward to today and the 44’ Glenmore is for sale – from the photos above – appears to be a bargain at sub $100k.                                                                                                               Forward motion is via a Detroit GM671, 240hp Would be nice to bring her home 🙂

Gaylene – Where Is She Now

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GAYLENE – Where Is She Now

Woody John Dawson sent in the above photos of the vessel – Gaylene, and commented that they were dated Jan 1955 and the event was her official launching. 

Based on her configuration, its safe to assume she was a work-boat, hard to read but her reg # may be AK96.

Location – the old viaduct, possibly near the P. Vos Shed. A quick scan of the P. Vos book – ‘Launching Dreams’ didn’t uncover her build name, so its not a Vos built woody.

The question today is what became of her and is she still around.

INPUT ex Chris Rabey via Russell Ward – GAYLENE has been Gisborne based for many years, I think she is still there. I took the picture below a long time ago in Gisborne.

INPUT and photos below ex Cameron Pollard – sadly Gaylene is no longer afloat, sunk. Unsure of reason, location, date.

Margaret Pearl – Cray Boat > Cruising Boat

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Margaret Pearl – Cray Boat > Cruising Boat

During the week I stumbled on a YouTube video on the Southern Woodenboat Sailing channel – this 11 minute video showcase the ex Tasmanian crayboat – Margaret Pearl.

Built in 1958, 60’ in length she was about to be dispatched to the landfill in Portland, located on the southwest coast of Victoria, Australia,  when up stepped Jim and Sam Woods, who were brave enough to take on the restoration / conversion project. Whilst she sports a Tim Phillips designed rig, most of her use is under power at a steady 9 > 10 knots. The canvas does come out but I suspect its more for aesthetics 🙂

Have a watch and listen to Tim tells us about why he choose a wooden boat, where he found her and the work that went into her to get to the condition we see her in.

As a bonus Tim shares some sage advice for when considering taking on the restoration of any woody.

Enjoy – I did 🙂

Someone tell me this is a p_ss take. Spotted during the week at Half Moon Bay Marina. My 1st thought was it was a ‘mule’ for an electric propulsion experiment.

MANUKURA – Restoration Update

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MANUKURA – Restoration Update

During my frequent visits to Thames I used to see Manukura the 50’ c.1960 Shipbuilders built launch on the hard stand at the Thames marina, always looking a little sad. Then in 2021 we got the good news she had a new owner and work had recommenced on her restoration, and that the plan was to transport Manukura to Whangamata where the work would be finished. Link here to her history and time in Thames. https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/07/12/manukura/

I was contacted earlier in the week by owner Allen Watson who advised that Manukura is in the process of a major refit. All new wiring, plumbing, gear boxes, shafts, engine mounts for the Ford 120hp 6 cyl diesel engines plus a new lay out inside. The photo gallery above gives us a peek into the work.

Photo below is dated July 2021 

Clevedon Woody Mooching

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Lady Gazelle
Mystery Couldrey
Antares

Clevedon Wood Mooching

Had a good excuse to point the car south yesterday so took a side trip to Clevedon and mooched around one of the ‘private’ docks.

Very pleased to see that work is underway of Lady Gazelle, you may recall back in March she came to grief during Cyclone Gabrille (WW story link below) – a new owner has stepped up and we look forward to her relaunch. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/03/02/lady-gazelle-on-the-rocks/

The mystery Couldrey has been put out graze but is all rugged up for winter. Last appeared on WW back in August 2022 – link below  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/16/a-call-for-help-2/

I spotted the 36’  c.1950’s launch – Antares , one of the better looking launches to come out of the Supreme Craft factory. More on her a future story. Previous WW story and lots of photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/09/25/antares-2/

Also a few boats, below, looking unlikely to see the ocean again.

JOMARLI – A Peek Down Below

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JOMARLI – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is the 32’ launch – Jomarli, designed and built in 1959 by Jack Taylor. She has a beam of 10’6” and draws 3’. A 120hp Ford Lehman Diesel engine gives Jomarli a comfortable cruising speed of 7>9 knots.

From the above photos ex a recent tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) we can see she is well appointed . I believe she has since sold.

ORDER VIA EMAIL HERE waitematawoodys@gmail.com