MISS RAETIHI – A Peek Down Below
Todays woody the 44’ ex charter boat was built in 1955 by Sandy Brunsel in Havelock. Construction is carvel planked Kaihikatea.
Forward motion is via a 471 Detroit Diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8.5 knots.
As to be expected with an ex charter vessel she is very well fitted out. Home is Picton, Marlborough.
(Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on Miss Raetihi
Q406 > NEW VENTURE > MOTUNUI > WAITANIC
Todays story comes to us via Ken Ricketts, with details and photos begged/borrowed/ uplifted by KR from the following sources – fb/google/Lew Redwood/Ken Brown/Daniel Michaels and KR himself.
The ship Q406, is probably the last Fairmile left in NZ. She was used during WW2, as a N.Z. coastal patrol boat, and later in the Solomons. Once she and the other Fairmiles returned back to Auckland in 1945, they were decommissioned.
Q406 was offered up for sale via tender and purchased by Rodney Farry, who fitted 2 x Graymarine marinised GM Detroit 6-71 diesel engines, and converted her into a passenger ship. In this configuration she operated around the Otago Harbour, until she ran aground on a sandbar, causing Farry to lose interest in the concept.
She was renamed NEW VENTURE in 1949 and sailed back to Auckland, under command of a temporary crew. While sailing back, she struck a violent storm off the Castlecliff Coast, with the inexperienced sailors clinging near the coast.
In 1950, she was sold to Waiheke Shipping Co. and had her name changed to MOTUNUI and was used as a passenger ferry, transporting people to and from Auckland to Waiheke, Great Barrier & Motuihe Islands.
When Waiheke Shipping was sold to North Shore Ferries. MOTUNUI would continue operating under them until 1984, when she was sold into private ownership.
Over the next 20 years she would switch ownership multiple times, one of these being to the late Ken Brown, an old friend of Ken Rs, who converted her to pleasure craft use, in the 1980s. She was kept at the bottom of his garden, on the water’s edge, in the Tamaki River.
There were plans in 1997 to have her brought to survey standards in time to be used as a sightseeing boat for the America’s Cup.
This was abandoned when relations between the joint owners, (& several suppliers) soured. Even though much work was done by then (including fitting an original wheelhouse taken from Fairmile Kahu).
She was sold again in 2001 and 2006, when she took one final voyage to Tauranga, so her machinery could be removed, along with her superstructure.
Her final owner was Barry Woods, who operated Woodlyn Park Motel, at Waitomo. MOTUNUI was hauled onto land, and converted into a motel, now advertised as the ‘WAITANIC’. A sad ending but better than a date with a backhoe and box of matches and she has some funky neibours for company – a Bristol Frighter and railway car, refer below 🙂 . (edited by Alan H)
KOTUKU – Gets A Second Life
Back in August 2019 we reported on the 32’ Alan Williams designed / built launch – KOTUKU and her refit happening at Gulf Harbour – link below WW August 2019 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/08/29/kotuku-2/
Then in Feb 2023 KOTUKU was a casualty of Cyclone Gabrielle, while moored in Wyuna Bay in Coromandel. She broke her mooring and was swept ashore in 160kph winds. KOTUKU was salvaged and taken to the Coromandel hardstand, composite photos above.
Fast forward to March 2024 and Rod and Karyn Klarwill while cruising the Coromandel area discovered the vessel and acquired / rescued her.
Yesterday WW was advised that KOTUKU had been relocated to Gulf Harbour where her new owners are busy working carrying out repairs and installing a replacement engine. She will then make her home in Matauwhai Bay in the Bay of Islands under the ownership of the builder’s great nephew, Karl Takle. Photo below ex Gulf Harbour 2019
What Became Of The Launch – PARMA
WW had an enquiry during the week in regard to the 1958 Brin Wilson designed / built 37’ launch – PARMA. WW readers may recall that back in August 2022 we reported that she had stuck one of the Auckland Harbour bridge concrete foundations and as good as sunk. She was assisted to Hobsonville Marina, hauled out and sat there for approx. 5 months. Then in December 2022 we made several call outs to any woodys looking for a ‘free’ project boat.
The threat was that she would be despatched to the crusher before Christmas if no one stepped up.
So todays question is – was she saved and if so is she sitting in someones paddock or did she head to the land-fill.
UPDATE – Great news – she was saved and now resides on the Kaipara Harbour. Photos & video below ex Zach Matich via Jason Prew. I understand Ron Matich was the one that did the refit / restoration – well done:-)
Te Atatu Boating Club 65 Anniversary Celebrations – full details at the link below https://www.teatatuboatclub.co.nz/events
LADY BEV
Todays woody has just popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) struggling to read the name, either – Lady B or Lady Bee. . Its Lady Bev
We do not know a lot about her other than. – designed and built c.1956 by Dave Jackson, using kauri planking. Approx 32’8” in length and powered by a 6cyl. Ford diesel engine.
Given she has been around for qpprox. 68 years we must be able to learn more about her.
INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – The launch is LADY BEV built by Dave Jackson for himself in 1957 in timber. 30ft 9ins loa but lengthened by 3ft later. First engine was an Austin Skipper 100hp. Dave owned her for many years (and may still do?).
NOR-EAST A Peek Down Below
Back in February we did a story on the 38’, 1959 Fred Wilkins designed, Allen Williams built launch – Nor-East. That story was a great comparison of her as launched and with the help of a Feb 2019 photo of the craft moored in the Tamaki River we were able to see the ‘additions’ (I’m being polite) check out that story here, lots of great photos https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/18/nor-east-before-and-now/
Current forward propulsion is via twin Ford 80hp Diesel engine that get her along at 8 > 10 knots. There were two almost sister ships – Sou East and Nor West
Now thanks to Ian McDonald and a recent tme listing we get to have a gander down belo
Following on from yesterday today we have PARTS #3/4/5 /6 – Recorded ‘live’ last Thursday evening at the Devonport Yacht Club- we have Harold Kidd speaking on the topic – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods.Apologise – Part #4 – 1945>65 is missing due to an editing error.
PART #3 – 1920 > 1945, Post war boom and bust, and boom again. • The rise of the one design and restricted centre board classes and their competitions • Launch building extended • Keel yacht building boom in the 1930s • The effect of WW2
PART #4 (Missing) 1945 > 1965, post war boom again, new materials • Boom in keel yacht construction and offshore cruising • New materials arriving. • Designers take advantage of new materials • International contests
PART # 5 1965 to date • Increasing sophistication in design and use of materials• International racing success • Americas Cup • New Zealand at forefront of world yacht design and construction
PART #6 Question time
RANGIMARIE
Todays woody is Rangimarie, a 45’ motor sailer built in Paremata in 1959 by Saunders boatbuilders.
Construction is heart matai (black pine).
Forward propulsion is from a Gardner 6LX diesel. She appears to be very well spec’ed , as are most serious southern woodys.
Rangimarie has called Riverton home for the last 18 years and thanks to a tme listing (ex Lan McDonald) we get to have peek onboard. On face value good buying at $100k.
Do we know anything about her early years.
AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Off The Water Gallery – 70+ Classic Woody Photos
Today we focus on the spectacular collection of smaller woody craft that were displayed in and around the viaduct events centre – to a large % of the shows audience that had some salt in their veins this was a trip down memory lane.
Just so much care and attention has been furnished on these wooden craft. Sadly I suspect that a lot are now in the ‘display’ category. And as we all know with wooden boats you have got to use them or else they deteriorate quickly and then the cost to bring back is just too steep.
The minders / owners of the craft on display were overrun with people wanting to rely their own experiences and memories of the boats. Hopefully the show has ignited some interest in finding the craft that they enjoyed in a past life. The was certainly no shortage of owners looking for new blood to take over their artefact.
Enjoy the gallery and remember you can enlarge the photos if you click on them and the link to the other half of the festival – the classic woodys berthed dockside is below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/04/77770/
AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Dockside Gallery – 75+ Classic Woody Photos
Slight change of format today. Normally we do one big gallery of event photos, but the 2024 Auckland Wooden Boat Festival deserves two stories – why? Well in the eyes os of the woodys I spoke to, the off-the-water (in the shed) exhibition was on equal footing to the exhibition afloat. So woodys come back tomorrow to see the off-the-water gallery, you won’t be disappointed.
From my mooching the #1 feedback I got was ‘where do they all come from’ i.e. people have never seen this number of classic wooden boats together #2 (from owners) was ‘it is so great to meet all the owners / caretakers’. I think a lot of people were quietly hoping their partners were thinking “there are other zany people out there, my partner isn’t the only eccentric old boat nut in town”.
For a three day outdoor event in Auckland we were gifted to have two (Fri/Sat) days of amazing weather, Sunday was a on/off rain day but it didn’t seem to slow down the people. I believe over 8,000 people were counted thru the dock-gate (it was free entry).
The photos tell the story today – its takes a lot of people to pull something like this off, so well done to all those that rubbed up against the show and well done Tony and team for pulling it all together.
PART TWO – THE OFF-THE-WATER SECTION – LINK BELOW https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/05/auckland-wooden-boat-festival-off-the-water-gallery/
AS ALWAYS – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
AND YES I DID BUY THE T-SHIRT 🙂
