Todays woody is – Lady Luck, a 36’ Roy Parris launch, built in 1961 from kauri planks. With a 10’6” beam Lady Luck is very spacious and has 6 berths, and a rarity on a 36’ vessel – separate shower and head.
Forward motion is via a 6 cyl. Ford 120hp diesel that gets her along at a comfortable cruising speed of 8 knots. From her tme listing she appears to be well fitted out in terms of utilities – instrumentation, auto anchor, frig/freezer, hot (gas) shower, solar charging and more.
Home port is Thames. Booked for annual haul out and anti-fouling.
Advancing years necessitates her owners locating a new custodian for Lady Luck. Interested parties in the first instance should contact Bruce Fulton 021 857255 – email b.fulton@xtra.co.nz
Bay of Islands Summer Mooching + Anniversary Weekend Cruising
Todays gallery of classic wooden craft comes to us from the camera of Dean Wright, taken while he was cruising the bay on his woody – Arethusa.
From top to bottom the craft are:
• Ranoni – Army Bay
• Enterprise – Opunga Cove
• Arohanui – steaming past Cable Bay, Urupukapuka
• Arethusa – Whangamumu
• The Logan yacht – Iorangi – Whangamumu
• Alofa – Whangamumu
• Valhalla – Whangamumu
• Rampage – Whangmumu – an early 2000’s Robertson Boats sedan launch ( lengthened and repainted)
• Mary of York – Ben Tomb’s leeboarder
2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – Classic Launch Parade & Sunday Gathering At KAWAU ISLAND
The countdown is on for one of the worlds best and biggest classic wooden boating events, the Mahurangi Regatta, organised by the Mahurangi Cruising Club.
Sadly due to the freakish weather the 2023 regatta was cancelled, but plans are in place to make 2024 on-the-water and ashore at Scotts Landing bigger and better.
The Classic Wooden Launch Parade is one of the highlights of the weekends activities – followed later in the day by a serious ‘old school’ boaty BBQ ashore at Scott’s – including a massive marquee for the 20 piece dance band.
On the Sunday, most woody launch skippers head to KAWAU ISLAND and the plan is to gather later in the day for a few sun-downers at the newly refurbished Kawau Boating Club.
WOODY BAY LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS A WOODYS MAGNET
Todays photos came to us ex Angus Rogers, aboard Centaurus while anchored in Woody Bay, RAKINO ISLAND. Its a stunning location and no doubt the world famous on WW wood fired pizza at the Woody Bay Pizzeria help attract such an impressive collection of classic wooden launches.
Above from top to bottom we have Centaurus (1967/8 Bailey & Sons) > Rehia (1939 Colin Wild) > Waimiga (1968 Chris Robertson) > and Waiari (1962 Owen Woolley).
Input From Joe Telford aboard – Rehia – the rather large, majestic Lidard – Ngaro underway and the ex whale chaser Primadonna at anchor in Woody Bay.
Primadonna
YESTERDAYS MYSTERY LAUNCH QUIZ WINNER IS – Darrin Kennedy. In fact the only one that got both the launch name and location correct. Launch is the 1949 Lidgard built – Kiwitea. Seen in the photo being relaunched at Stillwater Boating Club, after her recent re-power. Well done Darrin 🙂
CLASSIC WOODYS CRUISING THE HAURAKI GULF – SUMMER 2023/24
Now todays post is the one you have been waiting on – the classic wooden (mostly) craft that I spotted around the Hauraki Gulf over the Dec 27 > Jan 5th period.
Probably the best turn out of woodys that I have seen – seems it just wasn’t me suffering from cabin fever 🙂
As always some photos are good, some not so good – direction of sun and distance dictates that. Mostly I’m taking photos as a visual account.
Enjoy the gallery – broken into locations – I have endeavoured to list the craft in the tagged section.
Todays photo of the 32’ launch – Waione was sent in by Neil Cummings, whose parents owned her in the late 1960’s , in the photo Neil is seen with his older sister, at the time Neil was aged 4>5 years old.
Harold Kidd has previously commented on WW that she may have been built by Joe Wheeler, in Bayswater c.1970.
Waione has made many appearance of the WW site, a lot linked to my ‘recent’ restoration. The link below will take you to a summary go Waione stories.
In the 2022 photos below we see her first at the Mahurangi Regatta and then again in November at Kawau Island.
The fat man in the red suit is scheduled to make an appearance tonight – remember to leave out a piece of Christmas Cake, a glass of whisky and a carrot.
Back in October WW was contacted by Jeff Giddens who advised that his father, Spencer Giddens, has been the owner of Violetts, a 36’ Swanson launch. Which the family regularly cruised the Marlborough Sounds on. The Sounds was her birthplace – she was built there in Queen Charlotte Sound by the well known boat builder Bob Swanson, for a Mister Jack Hutton. It was built to cross Cook Strait as the owner lived in Paremata. It did many crossing, often in rough seas and was known for its sea keeping abilities. In approximately 1983 , it was sold to Jeff’s father, who still has it today, but now in his 80s is regretfully, looking to sell. She is 36′ by 11’-6″ feet, with a 3’6″ draft. Violetta is powered by a 6 cylinder turbo charged Ford diesel, and will do 15 knots. It is a hard chine planing hull, which is double planked kauri, a full inch thick. Included above s a copy of a Sea Spray magazine article on Violetta dated November 1962. Top photos show the before and after of the alterations Jeff’s father made to the boat eg windows and I top roof dodger, all made to slightly modernise her look.
Out & About – went to a little backyard gathering yesterday and came away with a serious case of blokes shed envy 🙂
We have been following the refit / restoration of the 28’ Salthouse built, A Couldrey designed, 1968 launch – Pirimanui – links below to the last few years stories on WW.
This week the Blair Boats yard advised that the day had come and she would be re-splashing later this week.
Stunning workmanship and hats off to her ’newish’ owner for the level of commitment to the project.
Update – Pirimanu back in the water, all windows replaced with new teak beading, all new varnish inside and out (14 coats of alwood gloss) inside cabin repainted, new electronics solar and bilge pumps, new gear box and refurbished engine. (Photos and words ex Blair Boats fb.
May 2022
02-01-2025 UPDATE ex NIXON FLYER (a previous owner) now in her new Bay of Islands home
Todays woody is somewhat of an unknown boat – the only time I have seen her out and about was back in November 2022 at our ‘Woodys Beach Picnic’ at Motuihe Island, the top photo is from that outing. Todays photos come to us for a tme me listing, spotted by Ian McDonald.
What we know about the 34’4” Taiho II is the she was built in 1968 by Shipbuilders using double diagonal kauri. Power is via a 150hp Ford D-Series turbo Diesel engine that gives her a 7>8 knot cruising speed.
Back in 2020 she underwent something of a re-birth and her interior is now very modern in layout and build – but as they say each to their own. Certainly well spec’ed in terms of home comforts.
Personally I’d lose the batwing which doesn’t appear to do anything other than be a mounting spot for the anchor light.
Do we know anything about her early days.
INPUT BELOW (press clipping) ex Nathan Herbert
Heading To The Bay of Islands This Summer – – circle Jan 6th 2024 in the diary for the Tall Ships Regatta , hosted by the Russell Boating Club it is always a dozy of an event.See below – more details at russellboatingclub.org.nz
Cake Day Entries – It Did Not Win But The Chocolate Cake Was The Best
PATIO BAY CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WEEKEND – 2023
Todays story wasn’t meant to happen, the 2023 Patio Bay Weekend was not on the radar but several woody skippers told me late in the week that they were going so I shuffled the plans around.
Saturday mornings weather and sea state was average but sometimes you just have to make the call and head out. I was also suffering from serious cabin fever, so little boating in the last year.
As the day unfolded the weather improved but from the fireside chat post race, the classic yachts racing down did not have a pleasant trip.
CYA numbers were down significantly from previous years , in fact I was the only launch in the bay.
The venue hosts, the Mahoney family, ensured a great time was had by all, with the emphasis on an old-school / retro boating gathering e.g. open fire / bbq, Pohutukawa and driftwood smoke and the legendary barrel of rum……….. on that subject most were amused when the yacht “Prize” won her division – part of the winning is having to re-fill the rum barrel the following year – I was told Prize’s skipper historically has gone to great lengths to sidestep the expensive.
The assorted collection of photos above is simply to give you a glimpse of the weekend, and showcase the magic of Aucklands woody fleet and Patio Bay. Enjoy (passage photos B15 Frances & dark hulled yacht ex Dennis & Sue Rule) – (some photos below average in definition – long lens the camera).
Xmas Boat Reading – 10+ years ago I asked at my local 2nd hand book store, about an out of print copy of a book titled “Hemingway’s Boat’ by Paul Hendrickson – out of the blue last week I got a call telling me one had turned up – I started to read over the weekend and after just 10 pages put it down, just a gem, to be saved for the summer xmas /ny trip. Best $15 I have spent. If you see one for sale, grab it.
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