Todays photo was spent in by Dave Stanaway and shows the Radio Hauraki ‘pirate ship’ – Tiri alongside the wharf at Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island.
The photo is dated 1963 and todays question is can we ID the launch alongside Tiri. Dave commented that he recalls she was island based but the name eludes him.
UPDATE – As mentioned in the comments section, as pictured above Tiri wasn’t yet the Radio Hauraki ship. Dave advised his father ran the Tiri for Tiri Co-operative Shipping Co at the time of the photo. Ran from Auckland to Whangarei and Great Barrier.
Grant Schults ID’ed the launch alongside as Westwind, that serviced the local guesthouse on the island.
23-08-2023 INPUT ex Greg Philpott – photos below of Westwind in the Whangarei Town Basic Marina.
Yesterday on WW one of the launches included in the Tutukaka Marina photos was named Reel Time (photo below), ex owner Eric Sanders contacted WW advised that Reel Time is a Athol Burns design and built in 1969.
When Eric brought her in 1991 off Wally Lambie in Tauranga she was named Mary Ann. Eric sold her around 2002 to Mal Sharples who changed the name to Reel Time.
Three of this design were build by Tauranga boat builders, one is in Opua moored off the break water.
In the photos above the first photo is from 1991 and the next three show her in 40 plus knots. The last last one is as sold in 2002 aprox.
16-08-2023 INPUT EX OWNER – Ron Bell – when I bought her in 2010 from a Phil Halse,at Tutukaka it was called Reel Thing. I got information from Phil that she was built in 1962 by Strongman Bros at Coromandel, I have since met Eric at Dockland 5 in Whangarei and said no it was Tauranga built. I still have the Mary Ann life-bouy ring that was on the old flying bridge. I had the new flying bridge put on in 2018. Have had to fix a reasonable amount of rot around decks and along and under the belting, shes in pretty awesome shape now and is used fairly regular, Still got the 180 HP Ford diesel which does not miss a beat.
Today thanks to Dean Wright we get to wander the docks at Tutukaka marina and point the lens towards the Ngunguru River.
It was a slow day yesterday so I have done the hard work for you i.e. you will find links to previous WW stories on the boats that have appeared on WW in the past. Links found in the title section under each photo – enjoy 🙂
And if you can tell us more about the unknown boats e.g. there provenance, that would be great. If you haven’t come to grips with using the comments section – just send an email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Earlier this week we featured a 16’ Carl Augustin designed run-about named Mare-Ee-An, today we have another craft by the same designer. A little bigger this time at 40’ and built in 1968.
Sonar Mia popped up back in February in Gisborne on a Turners Auction site after a grounding (their words) and was for sale as-is-where-is. The opening bid was $100. From the photos there was a lot of work needed, but someone may have got a bargain. The engine is a Ford Lees Marine 180hp diesel.
Do we know if she was saved or went to the land fill.
FYI – back in March 2019 a descendent of a previous owner was trying to track the boat down. I forwarded the 2023 Turners link but never heard back from them – that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/03/23/edna/
Todays woody comes to us from the Tauranga Library collection via Dean Wright. The photo is tagged – Raruhoa and dated April 1963.
Quite a distinctive craft being a double ender so fingers crossed we can learn more about her and whether she is still afloat.
I assume that the location is Tauranga but I’m not familiar with the area so hopefully someone can confirm the location as well.
UPDATE ex Nathan Herbert – seems the library got the name wrong – its named Renuhou and sadly ended up as a land based sleep-out/shed. Full details at the 2014 storylink below
WW Caps – low profile, 6 panel, canvas caps in the new camel colour topped with dark brown WW embroidered logo has a dash of understated style.
Just click the email link here and tell me your name, postal address and number of caps required. I’ll come back to you with payment details – $38 + $6 p&p. waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Last week WW was contacted by Tim Munro enquiring about a 16’ run-about that his father-in-law, Bryan McLeod, built early 1960’s. The vessel was to a design by Carl Augustin and built in his farm wool shed. Bryan used the run-about regularly into the 2000’s, particularly on the Kaipara Harbour which his farm backed onto but he also took it into a few events on the Waitemata Harbour, as seen in the photo above.
Bryan passed away last year in his mid 90s and the family are getting the boat refurbished.
The reason for Tim’s email to WW and todays question is – does anyone have a copy the Carl Augustin plans that Bryan will have used for the build. And /or is there anyone that has an interest in the designer that Tim could chat to.
UPDATE 10-08-2023 – WW Rocks – Cam Malcolm at The Slipway Milford has a set off full plans and build instructions- photos below just to show the detail included.
Over the last 12 months there has been chat (off-line) about the Centaurus’s launch date. As always with events 50+ years ago, things get a little hazy. Last week we were contacted by Graeme and Flo Varcoe and Graeme wanted to clear up any confusion regarding the launch date.
The original owners of Centaurus were the Sibun family and Graeme’s mother was married to Sonny Sibun. Speaking with his sister Graeme was reminded that she was pregnant during the final stages of the build and her daughter, Graeme’s niece was born on March 19th. 1969 and was 3 weeks old at the time of the launching of Centaurus.
So woodys the dates are: Built – 1967/68 – Launched – April 1969
In the last photo above, a close up of her wheel – there is a plaque that states “Built By Baileys 1967” – this is correct, the build did start in 1967, a little unusual to record that rather than the actual splash date – but not for me to question.
During the brother ./ sister discussions a newspaper clipping came to light that Graeme believes was published by the Half Moon Bay Marina. That article appears above, it is a great read, I have also attached it as a downloadable PDF to make it easier to read.
We learn how Centaurus acquired her name – the boat was built in the 100th year of the Chas Bailey yard, so the ‘Cen’ reflects the century and ’taurus’ comes from owner Sonny Sibun’s zodiac sign – Taurus.
As an added bonus the article backgrounds how that lump of an engine – the Cummings V6 215hp diesel (photo below) ended up in the boat. As designed the intention was for a pair of Ford 100hp diesels. Regular WW readers will be aware that Centaurus’s current owner, Angus Rogers has just installed a 175 hp John Deere (photo below)
Centaurus is nearing the end of an extensive refit, and as with most things Angus Rogers rubs up against – Centaurus will be glorious.
UPDATE – Angus Rogers advised the gearbox (Borg Warner) mentioned in the article is incorrect – it was a Capitol.
Woody Kerry Lilley sent in the tale below concerning the launching of the 1964 Owen Woolley built launch – Freelance. At the time Kerry was an apprentice to Owen Woolley (1964 -1970) and now owns the 32′ Woolley launch – Awariki, which he helped build and launch in 1967. I’ll let Kerry tell the story.
“I started my boatbuilding apprenticeship in mid 1964, Freelance was in the final stage of her interior fit out for Mr Ken Williams from memory he was head of the Ak branch of the Master Builders Assn., the launching of Freelance was on the cover a special edition of the Seaspray Magazine sliding down the slipway.
When Mr Williams took Freelance away from Owen Woolley’s shed intending to steam her to her pile up the Clevedon River, in going through between Browns Is and Musick Point he hit the ( I understand it’s a block of concrete used to hold anti submarine net during the 2nd world war) no damage to the hull or keel but the propeller was bent and tore the stern bearing out of the keel and stalled the engine.
So 3 hours after steaming away from our shed over the Tamaki River, old Bert Subrisky on the tug – Romo pushes Freelance back for repair new prop shaft, stern bearing, copper stern tube and Kauri repair to the keel.”
I wonder if the concrete block is still there or some kind sole used so dynamite on it. (Photo above taken at the 2020 Mahurangi Regatta)
60 years later we still have launch day oops – my lips are sealed ;-), its not Freelance.
INPUT ex Nigel Drake (current custodian) – “Despite that early mishap Freelance is going strong and will celebrate 60 years next year. She has just completed 2 weeks of TLC in the shed in Tauranga.”
The 32’ launch Ana Maree has appeared on WW several times (links below). Thanks to Harold Kidd back in November 2013 we established her start in life and some of her history – all in the links.
Built in 1965 by Oliver & Gilpin for Sir William Stevenson, over the years she has under gone several visits to the orthopaedic surgeons – we last saw her in Jan 2020 when she was part way thru a refit at Pine Harbour. At the time she lost her flying bridge so I was very happy. I understand there is still a few items to tick of the list but all of the major work is completed.
Forward motion is from a 120hp Lees Ford engine
Thanks to her tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a gander down below.
After an extended period of one family ownership the 1968 Arnold Couldrey designed, Salthouse built, 28’ launch – Pirimanu changed hands several times.
Happy to report that her current owner has engaged Blair Boats in the far north to undertake some deferred maintenance. The previous (sub 12 mths) owner bought Pirimanu gave her a lick of paint and some new cushion covers and put her back on the market at almost double the purchase price. As most WW readers know, old wooden craft aren’t like villas in Auckland’s Herne Bay in terms of return on funds spent 🙂
Eventually the price came back to realistic and she sold – now she is getting some TLC. Hopefully she will return to the Waitemata but I suspect she will join the growing fleet of Bay of Islands woodys.
Current work underway is replacing the windows and a back to bare wood varnish job. I had heard a re-power might be on the ’To Do’ list. Current zoom zoom is via a 3 cylinder Bukh engine that has had its hp ‘tricked’ to upwards of 60hp.
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