Alongside AWARIKI is the 42’ 1969 Bailey & Sons built launch – CENTAURUS, out for a JPPJ (Jason Prew paint job) that has turned into a back to bare wood effort. The starboard side has one coat on and already looks the bees knees. Owner Angus Rogers is onsite attacking the brightwork, so this old lady will be very regal when she relaunches.
Well done to both owners for investing in the upkeep of two of our finest classic wooden craft.
Bumped into a fried who is an antiques dealer and he showed me a recent find – the wording on the front of the gold medal / badge reads – Memorial Hewson Cup 1925, back – 14’ One Design Championship of Waitemata For Youths Under 21 – ‘Queen March’ – W. Rogers’. I bet W. Rogers had no idea the value of their medal in 2025.
INPUT ex ROBIN ELLIOTT – Queen March, sailed by Billy Rogers on that day, was owned by Eliot Davis, brother of Sir Ernest Davis, and named after Eliot Davis’ champion racehorse. The race was won on a resail because it was later revealed that the skipper of Joan, winner of the first race, was 2 days over the 21 years limit. Three medals were presented to each of the crew Billy Rogers, Doug Rogers and D. MacKay
WW was recently contacted by Matthew Montgomery regarding his 34’6” motor-sailer – ASTROLINDA, and whether she passed the classic woody test – short answer yes.
ASTROLINDA is an Athol Burns design, built for charter at the Morgan yard in Picton in 1966. Matthew has owned her for approx. 8 years. Matthew commented that he doesn’t know if ASTROLINDA has been north of Wellington, but there are charts of Otago on board , so maybe she’s been south. Matthew bought her ex Nelson, at the time her exterior was in reasonable condition but a worn interior and an engine bay that was a nasty rusty mess and engine not working.
Current home is Waikawa marina, but there are plans to get to Northland and Auckland later in the year.
Matthew has good woody credentials being a past owner of PIKO in the 1970’s in Auckland , KORAMA in the 1990’s (brought to Picton). He was also a broker at Vinings in Picton and sold THETIS to Paul Harris in the late 1990’s, who asked if Matthew would use her to keep her functioning while he was away flying airplanes for Royal Brunei, before relocating her to Auckland with Paul.
INPUT ex MARK MCLAUGHLIN – Below is a design article by Athol Burns from Sea Spray for Astrolinda. She was built to the alternative configuration by Jack Morgan:
INPUT ex JOHN GANDER (via Dean Wright) – ASTROLINDA was designed as stated by Athol Burns for Trevor Johnson of Wellington. Built by Jack Morgan and launched as MANUTAI in 1966.
In about 1970 she was purchased by Bill Rutherford and Jack McMath who petitioned parliament for a law change regarding surveyed vessels to enable them to hire her as a sail yourself charter vessel, the first vessel to do so in New Zealand. Her survey certificate was for 15 passengers but reduced to 6 when hired to an uncertificated master.
Wife Bev and I together with Frank Derbyshire, purchased her in 1973 and along with the yacht ASTROLABE ran our business as ‘Charter Yachts Ltd.’
When launched ASTROLINDA was fitted with a Coventry Godiva 4 cylinder 30 hp engine, we changed the engine for a Volvo Penta in about 1975.
There are many boat owners around who’s first boating experience was on ASTROLINDA or ASTROLABE.
Stories like todays make me very happy – its no surprise to regular readers that I’m not a fan of fly-bridges on classic wooden craft, particularly ones that have been added post the original launch date.
Last year when the Wooden Boat Bureau sold the 1967 Owen Wooley designed and built 32’ launch – AWARIKI there was a discussion with the new owners re the fly-bridge and I gave my standard line – “take it off now, otherwise you will get used to it and it will stay” 🙂
Fast forward to Monday night when I get an email asking about my thoughts on removing it. The launch was hauled out at the Slipway Milford and the crew there had been not so subtly suggesting to the owners to give the green light on removing it. The hardest working crew member at the yard – Maddie Malcom did some photo-shopping to a photo I took of AWARIKI in Chamberlain Bay (2nd one above) and the owners were sold 🙂
So flybridge gone, bow rail removed, coamings to be returned to vanish, new upholstery and some differed maintenance righted and she will be a ’new’ boat.
The photos above show Jason Prew in his happy place – top-chop is his middle name.
More to come as work continues ……. 🙂
INPUT ex KERRY LILLEY – previous owner and also worked on the build of the launch whilst doing his apprenticeship at Owen Wooley’s yard. The photos below were given to Kerry by previous owners.. She originally had a mast (mast step still there). Kerry commented ‘Nothing stays the same I built and installed that flybridge 30 plus years ago’
RESTORATION OF CLASSIC LAUNCH – TAINUI – UPDATES– RELAUNCHED
Very pleased to be able to report that the restoration of the 38′ classic wooden launch – TAINUI , built c.1967 is progressing well – recently Blair Boats provided via fb the above images. TAINUI is kauri carvel planked and has a beam of 9’3″.
TAINUI was originally named KAIPARA and was a pilot vessel on the Kaipara Harbour. From that role she was converted to a commercial fishing vessel and then went off to Great Barrier Island, GBI more often than not ends up a grave yard for wooden boats but she was saved by John Sloane who and bought back to the main land. After 8+ years at the boat shed at Whangateau TAINU was moved to Blair Boats for fitting out and re-powering prior to launching.
Recent work has seen the ‘new’ Gardner engine fitted and aligned on reenforced engine beds. The photos show that the head and anchor locker work is almost complete.
As is becoming the normal these days a jet bow thruster is also being installed 🙂
11-04-2025 UPDATE ex Blair Boats – new floorboard have been fitted and varnished
24-08-2025 UPDATE ex Blair Boats – the work continues – teak hand rails and anchor roller, engine box undercoated.
10-09-2025 UPDATE – First coat of varnish on the hand rails and teak capping going on the toenail.
22-09-2025 UPDATE – work continues with bonding and screwing on the laminated teak capping on the toe rail.
01-10-2025 UPDATE – Varnish going on the trim and toe rail
07-10-2025 UPDATE
UPDATE 10-10-2025 – Tainui was moved the outside shelter to free up some space in the shed. Latest work includes – installing custom built bifold doors, bronze potholes and engine vent.
01-11-2025 UPDATE – Bow rails receiving final coat + installed.
PARADE OF SAIL – 2025 AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL
One of the big events during the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania is the ‘Parade of Sail’ – the offical opening event. Conditions allowing they get 11 Tall Sailing Ships and over 200 craft sailing up the Derwent River and into Sullivan Cove to mark the start of the festival.
Today you get to experience the spectacle from about the media boat – a rather large twin hulled motorboat that was perfect for the task. Conditions were a tad challenging for the smaller craft but everyone was well behaved and followed the marshals instructions.
Enjoy the gallery – only a selection – could only capture what the skipper deemed of most interest 🙂
BUILDING THE CLASSIC LAUNCH – GAY MERILYN (Tee Gee > Stokin) – Part Two
Following on from yesterdays story on the launch – GAY MERILYN, today thanks to more input from Gwenyth Frear we get an insight into the building of the launch – we hand over to Gwenyth to tell the story – Enjoy (photo ex 35mm slides)
“We had always had boats of one sort or another, and owned the launch LORNA DOONE at this time, but that’s another story! Keith decided he would build another one more to his liking….
Keith thought he would like to build launch about eleven and half metres long, so when we went to Auckland in late 1969, we went to one of the large bookshops to see if we could find some plans. But as we were starting to look at design books, there didn’t seem to be anything he wanted. Someone overheard us discussing plans and the pros and cons of the matter, and tapped Keith on the shoulder. “You should get in touch with John Lidgard he’s the man who can help you”, he said. So, no sooner said than done!
We found out where he was and went to see him in his workshop and came home with a set of plans, a bandsaw, an abundance of enthusiasm, and not much else. In the course of our looking around, we made the acquaintance of one of the workmen working for John. He said he came up to Cooper’s Beach each year for his holidays, and that he would look us up and see how Keith was getting on. No doubt he was fascinated by the idea of a raw farmer tackling a tradesman’s job with no know-how, and no equipment!!
Keith mentioned to the manager of Northland Motors in Kaitaia, that he was thinking of building a boat, and the next thing we got notice that there was a motor sitting in the shop waiting for us!! Now we were well committed to the job!! So Keith and Barry (my brother) got down on the floor at home and started drawing out the plans from the instructions Keith had been given.
The Big Building Project
The first thing to do was to order the timber from Lane and Sons’ timber mill at Totara North. Keith was able to get timber from the last of the kauri trees that were milled there before the restrictions came in that no more kauri was to be cut down.
We were milking a sizeable herd of cows at this time (two people in a walk through cowshed) , and there was all the usual farm work to be done as usual, so we knew it would be a slow job.
The question was where to build it? That was no problem….there was the round barn next to the cowshed. So it was cleaned out and the work began. The first job was to put the building frames in place, starting at the bow of the boat, and placed in order the full length of the boat. Once this was done, then the stringers went on, all screwed and glued into place. The four skins of the kauri went on, one by one, placed diagonally a different way each time. This was the most tedious job of the lot. For a whole twelve months, nothing was done after the first skin went on, until an older man took pity on him and came to give a hand now and then. After that was done, then the fibre-glassing was done….the first coat of resin was put on over fibre-glass cloth, sanded down, and then another coat of resin before the final coat of white fibre-glass paint.
In May of 1973, the hull was ready to be turned over. The keel was in place with the hole for the rudder bar already done. The day for turning it over came, and was a matter of great curiosity for the neighbours. It proved to be a very long job even with some of their help. An endless chain was used for this, and it went up inch by inch, finally making it after eight or nine long hours.
The dairy cows were sold that year, with beef cattle replacing them. So Keith was able to work full time on the boat after that. The motor went in (Ford 110 hp) and the work continued uninterrupted until it was completed by September 1974.
Then getting her out of the shed was the big question on everyone’s mind! How could it possibly be done? The gap between the barn and the cowshed wasn’t as long as the boat, so what was Keith going to do about it? But it was done slowly with the tractor, and the help of grease on large pieces of plywood, and the trailer being jacked around bit by bit on that.
She waited on the trailer until early the next morning, when she was towed down the road to the ramp at Totara North before the traffic began. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the tide to come in to launch her. By this time there were quite a few onlookers, all asking the same question….will she float straight?
The tractor backed into the water, and she slid into the tide with a waiting fishing boat ready to take her to her mooring. She floated perfectly, right on the water line, as she was meant to.
At Christmas time that year, when the man from Auckland came up, we gave him and his family a trip down the Whangaroa Harbour. He looked it all over from a tradesman’s point of view, and said, ‘Well, if anyone had told me that a farmer with no boat building experience, and no tools apart from a band-saw and hammer could produce something like this, I would never have believed them’
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GAY MERILYN > TEE GEE > STOKIN – WHERE IS SHE – Part One
You have probably had enough of the varnish from Hobart so today we have a more normal (if there is such a thing on WW) story.
During the week we were contacted by Gwenyth Frear who was seeking out more intel on a launch named STOKIN, built by Lidgard c.1969>1973.
I’m not sure if it was a Lidgard design built by Gwenyth’s husband or designed and built by Lidgard for her husband.
Gwenyth commented that they called her after their three daughters – GAY MERILYN (Meryll, Gaylene and Linley) although they never had the name written on her. The third owner (Gwenyth thinks) called her TEE GEE after his initials TG, and added the flying bridge on her…he had her moored at Houhora and did deep sea fishing from there. From there Gwenyth lost track of her.
So woodys can we help Gwenyth track down what became of the launch. The top photo is from when Gwenyth’s family owned her and the second photo is when named TEE GEE.
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH –BON VOYAGE – A Peek Down Below
The 34’ 4” classic launch – BON VOYAGE was built in 1962 by Dave Jackson. Her beam is 9’8” and she draws 2’6”. The go forward is from a 6 cyl. 120 hp Iveco diesel engine that sees her topping out at 9 knots. Her current owner has had her for 10 years and during this period undertaken a significant amount of maintenance and system upgrades.In the 2023>24 period the Brin Wilson yard were commissioned to strip the hull, garboard planks re-caulked, transom boarding platform completely rebuilt, part of cabin top replaced and glassed, complete hull repaint + new stainless steel hand rails.
Given the provenance of the builder and the owners preparedness to commit to regular maintenance , BON VOYAGE appears to be a very good woody, with the bonus of fitting into a 10.5m berth. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.
The 1962 Des Donovan designed and built launch – ATHENA has made several appearances on WW and has had a very colourful life.
She is 48’ in length, has a beam of 12’11” and draws 5’5”. Forward motion is from a 127hp Gardner 6LX.
When I arrived last Friday night at Scotts Landing, Mahurangi I dropped anchor alongside ATHENA and was greeted by an old friend, Dave, who had just purchased her.
A great back story – owned by a Coromandel farmer who undertook a 10 year refit on her. All the interior wood was felled and milled on his property. Dave had been aware the ATHENA had been on/off the market for over a year and approached the owner and made an offer – sold.
So the Mahurangi Regatta weekend was really the shake down cruise.
I was invited aboard for a sun-downer and took the photos above. A few exterior items that need addressing but Dave is the man for that, having once owner the launch – WAIMIGA.
One of the things that makes ATHENA so special is she is a member of the sub-mariners club – Cameron Pollard told us the story a few years ago – “ATHENA ran over a bit of NZ ( like many still do) and sadly when the tide dropped so did the boat and she filled up and skidded off the rock. Story has it she was lost for quite a few days as the tide took her for a underwater voyage. When she was later found and salvaged the mud and foul inside her was quite unreal.” Photo below (ex K Ricketts) of the opps
So to see her on Friday living her best life was very special and testament to the skills of the tradespeople that have worked on her in recent years.
For further details on ATHENA contact – waitematawoodys@gmail.com
ONLY TWO THROTTLE SETTING ON MY GIRL – IDLE AND FULL CHAT
Some woodys are pure speed demons eg MY GIRL (#51) below and others with the help of a heart transplant can still lift up their skirts and show a good turn of speed – NGAIO (blue boat) and PACIFIC (white) two good example below.
TUGBOAT RACE START
2025 ANNIVERSARY DAY INNER HARBOUR MOTORBOAT RACING
Due to the weather on the weekend I was able to attend the anniversary day regatta motor boat events on board Jason Prew’s launch – MY GIRL.
The two gigs are the Tug & Workboat Race and the Classic Launch Race – known around the waterfront as as the Tug Off and the Drag Race.
The commercial boats were first away and are always a sight to behold – so much horse power – and great to a mix of very old – WILLIAM C DALBY and current working waterfront tugs.
The main event for me is the launch race, pulled together each year by Jason Prew – it is a handicap race but the adrenalin kicks in and the launch skippers are going at full throttle most of the race. Race results below.
I wouldn’t be true to my DNA if I didn’t comment about the continuing demise of the regatta – each year less and less vessels turning out – aside from small beach launched yachts, the motor boats would have to be the two biggest categories in the regatta. And a very concerning sign – no Navy ship in the harbour as the VIP grandstand………. just saying.
Enjoy the photo / video gallery.
NOTE – AFTER A TECH ISSUE UPLOADING VIDEOS YESTERDAY – WE HAVE RESOLVED THE FAULT AND HAVE ADDED SOME GREAT SAILING FOOTAGE TO YESTERDAYS MAHURANGI REGATTA STORY – SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW.
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