CLASSIC WOODEN MOTORSAILER – NAMELESS
Todays woody is a recent addition on tme, thanks Ian McDonald. The 47’ Sang designed motorsailer NAMELESS was built in 1953 in Miramar, Wellington. Powered by a 65hp Albion Albatross diesel engine (1947).
Her owners of 25 years say she needs a tidy and some maintenance, but at sub 100k NAMELESS is a lot of boat and she has the X factor ie a looker.
A great selection of photos from her build / launching.
CLASSIC CHILDHOOD FLASHBACK
Todays classic woody photo was sent in by John Dawson, and was a flash back for me. My father built me a P-Class but as was typical , built it x4 the weight (1”+ marine ply) of the plans and it took 3 of us to launch it. Sailed like a pig and it was painted yellow. It didn’t get a lot of use and sold as a duck shooter punt. I was told I was a ungrateful child (they were right, I was). Not sure of the date of the photo but the bike, attire, and car would suggest late 1950’s > early 1960’s.
How cool would have this young guy been, owned a bike and a yacht ✔️
I DISCOVERED WHERE AMERICA’s CUP BOATS GO TO DIE
On last weeks travels to Whangarei I called into Port Nikau and there looking very lonely were 3 of New Zealand’s Americas Cup yachts – NZL60, NZL84, NZL92 (lost the cup to Alinghi) – anywhere else in the world NZL60 would be on permeant display somewhere a little more fitting. She successfully defended the Americas Cup back in 2000. The first boat to defend and retain the Cup outside of the USA.
CLASSIC SEACRAFT WOODEN CLINKER
WW has run numerous stories on the very appealing classic clinker runabouts built by the Seacraft company in Auckland. Well maintained examples tend to be snapped up by the ‘lake crowd’, todays woody is already at Lake Taupo, would be nice to liberate her and let some salt water into her kauri hull.
What we learned from tme – built in 1956, 14’ in length, 2012 30hp Mercury o/board + what appears to be a good road trailer. Asking price 15k
Park her in the drive and wave goodbye to the marina robber barons and annual haul out costs
ATHOL BURNS CLASSIC MOTOR-SAILER – TEIGENES
Back in Oct 2019 we featured the 1956, Athol Burns designed 32’ motor-sailer – TEIGENES on WW. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/14/teigenes/
At the time she was looking for a new owner on tme. She sat on a marina berth at Westhaven for a longtime with a forsake sign on her. I past her whenever I was on-route to a couple of woody launches that the Wooden Boat Bureau were selling on the same dock.
She then disappeared so I assumed she sold. Fast forward to the weekend and we are doing the Sunday morning waterfront dog walk and I spotted TEIGENES hauled out at the Devonport Yacht Club.
At a glance she is overdue some TLC -fingers crossed thatswhy she is hauled out :-).
(2019 photos below)
MORE DEVONPORT NEWS
One of Aucklands coolest waterfront abodes is the Calliope Sea Scouts hall, the building is perched over the sea front and just like our craft is always in need of constant maintenance – the crew that look after the hall are seeking help via a fund raising campaign – see below for details.
CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR SAILER – HUIA
Todays classic wooden boat story is a great example of the ‘power’ of WW. We run a story an a craft and most of the time get fast feedback / input from people that have rubbed up against the vessel – however sometimes it takes a tad longer.
Back in September 2022 we ran a story on the 48’ ketch rigged motor sailer – HUIA https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/08/huia-2/ We learnt then that she was built / launched in 1951>53 and was the first vessel built by the founders of Gough Engineering in Invercargill. Powered by a Garner 6LW – great story on the engine in the 2022 story.
Fast forward to last week when WW was contacted by Cameron Gough, the great grandson of Joe Cough, who is mentioned on the 2022 story. Cameron ‘found’ the WW story when he was scanning some old family photos, some of which were of HUIA, he then did an on-line search trying to learn more about the boat’s history. Jackpot – there she was on WW, so long story short – Cameron sent in todays photos of HUIA , location being Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island , c.1950.
CLASSIC WOODY YACHTS ON THE WAITEMATA -1950’s
Following on from yesterdays story on a RNZYS gathering at Mansion House, Kawau Island in 1948. As promised today we have a selection of 1950’s classic sailing photos ex
Moss Carlin’s wife who found them among her mothers processions. Her father Ray Rhodes was a member of the RNZYS at Westhaven in the 1940’s – 1960’s period.
Some of these magnificent sailing craft I can ID from their sail numbers but there are a lot of unknowns. The rag and stick WW followers will be able to ID the yachts for us.
BOAT BOOT SALE – our annual boat boat sale is only 2 weeks away – perfect opportuniy to grab a bargain or grab a table and sell some of your unneeded items. If you want to secure a selling spot email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com ASAP. More details below
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH SILVER FIN (TUARANGI)
Following on from Saturdays WW story on classic wooden launches hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club, today we see the launch – SILVER FIN getting some TLC. (photo ex Geoff Fiebig)
SILVER FIN has made several appearances on WW, and in 2018 Bryan Wagstaff sent in the b/w photo above and confirmed that SILVER FIN was built by Lidgard Bros for a H.S White & launched in 1950, when launched she was named TUARANGI.
White sold her in 1951 to Bruce Winstone. She was 42’x12’x4’3″ and originally had twin 90hp 6-cylinder Redwing petrol engines. During Whites ownership, she blew up while refueling at Whitianga.
Bryan’s father, Eric Wagstaff, purchased the damaged boat from the Bruce Winstone. It was collected from Whitianga and towed to Tauranga by a boat called RAINBOW which was an old bridge decker owned by Eric. RAINBOW had a marinised Rolls Royce engine and was built for the Mills Bros who were Bay of Plenty farmers. Post the explosion the roof section from SILVER FIN was basically upside down and pretty much in place on collection. The boat had been beached at Beach Road, Otumoetai.
The boat was lifted onto a transport trailer by Bert Godfrey, the founder of the NZ Lumber Company and moved to Eric’s joinery factory in Judea. The top was replaced and Eric consulted with Willy Oliver, who was a friend, on the design of the new cabin. The motors were replaced with 60hp Fordson diesels converted by Lees marine. Back in 2018 Bryan commented that the family enjoyed many a trip on the Silver Fin. She was chartered for game fishing for a while in the days of Bob Gray.
The boat was sold c.1959 to Dr. Kennedy the family doctor, who painted the boat green. Back in 2016 she was for sale and at that time was powered by twin 110hp Hino engines.
CLASSIC SOUTHERN WORKBOAT – ELIZABETH DN.61 – CONVERSION
The 36’ 1956 Miller & Tunnage (Port Chalmers) built classic wooden launch – ELIZABETH started life was a work boat, built for E.J. Pile of Moeraki. Her reg # being DN.61 .
From her tme post she was converted to pleasure use in 2000. Post the conversion she has lived on Lake Wanaka (fresh water).
Forward motion is via a 75hp Ford 6 cyl.2715E engine.
Like all southern girls she is well fitted out for comfortable life afloat, including a heater.
If the top photo above is current and with her parentage, its a good buy at 28.5k. Thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up
A CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH IS HIDING HERE – CAN YOU FIND IT
There is a lot of craft named RESOLUTE, todays one was designed by Sonny Levi & built by Shipbuilders for Stan Waters in the later 1950s or earlyish 1960s.The photos were sent in by Ken Ricketts who was friends with a later owner – Ray Bailey (1970’s).
Waters replaced RESOLUTE with another slightly larger but similar boat to some degree to another Sonny Levi design, which he called the ILIKAI.
She was originally powered by 2 x 4/53 GM Detroits & were replaced post 2000 with 2 larger engines (Yanmar 6 cyl. I think). She was lengthened & the original coamings seem to have been replaced.
Apologise for the bottom two photos, sourced from KR 8mm movie footage back when Ray Bailey owned her.The top photo was taken on the hardstand at Gulf Harbour while having her new engines fitted. This photo gets auto entry into the ‘Boat That Most Resembles A Block Of Flats Award’ and is currently in the lead by a long margin …………..
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – AVALON – RESTORATION UPDATE #5
Today we have an an update from Tobias Forsyth on his rebuild of the 24’ Sam Ford built (1954) classic wooden launch – AVALON. Tobias words below
“Avalon now has a brand new cabin top sitting on her, all the cabinetry is finished, glass templates are with the glazier and only the final coat of awlwood to go now after many many coats applied everywhere, I have gone through many litres of the liquid gold. I found some beautiful big pieces of the real deal old mahogany veneer from an old cabinet maker on trade me, so I have skinned all the doors to make it look a bit more pleasing to the eye.”
Tobias has promised another update in early July when he is back in country.
To view updates 1>4 click on this link https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=CLASSIC+WOODEN+LAUNCH+-+AVALON+-+RESTORATION+UPDATE&submit=Search
