Back in October 2014 we ran a story on the c.1964 McGeady built 30’ launch – Tempest. Link here for more photos and lots of details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/26/9340/
Fast forward to April of this year and I was mooching around the Dove Bay marina in Kerikeri and I spotted Tempest on one of the outer pile moorings. Sadly looking a little unloved but still a looker, so hopefully she will get some TLC soon.
It Is The Little Things That Make a Difference
The launch Gay Dawn has been residing at Bayswater Marina for while and recently her owner removed the bow rail – wow – have to say, she looks very smart without it. Hopefully its permanent, and not away being re-chromed etc.
Several years ago the classic powerboat – Caberfeidh was bought to my attention by Shawn Vennell, who was attempting to put a price / value on her.
Caberfeidh at the time was owned by Lindsay Barron whose father, Tom, kept Caberfeidh in a berth at the Kinloch marina. He used the boat for fishing on Lake Taupo, where the family had a crib (bach). She was also used for big game fishing at Russell in the Bay of Island every year, leaving from Tauranga. So the Caberfeidh had many trips out to sea in the early days.
At the time I was talking with Shawn the boat hadn’t been on the water for approximately 8 years. It has always been kept in a large boat shed. Designed and built in 1967 by Dick Smith in Tauranga- a master builder and of a style that is recognised as a Dick Smith boat.Wooden/ply hull with fibreglass matt skin, inlaid mahogany transom – 5 meters in length.Inboard/outboard Volvo Penta motor.
So woodys – todays question is – what became of Caberfeidh? Hopefully still on the lake.
Todays woody – Puruatanga is a bit of a mystery, most likely built c.1960, but probably earlier (god I’m starting to sound like K Ricketts) her design / builder is unknown.
She measures 30’ in length and is powered by a 120hp Ford Lees diesel that gets her along at a comfortable cruising speed of 7>8 knots.
For the last 25 years the Waikawa, Picton based woody has been used as bach access transport, 1.5 hours each way so very reliable.
And that woodys is all we know about her. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.
The 36’ Centauri was designed and built by Owen Woolley in 1964. Hull built from kauri with mahogany and kauri interior.
Forward motion is via a Perkins 6 cyl. diesel engine. Home port is Mt Maunganui.
That is all her tme listing tells us, so can we expand on where she has been for the last 50 odd year?
Have to shout out to all the new WW followers, over the last month individual daily viewing numbers have grown to the current level where they have more than doubled. Biggest day in a long time was the story on the ex fishing vessel – Joan, so its not all about varnish and polished bronze 🙂 These new followers are also impacting the cumulative viewing numbers as they are ’surfing’ the WW back library.
The 26’ triple skin kauri launch – Majeika is thought to have been built c.1965 by Shipbuilders. A Nissan 88hp LD28 diesel gives Majeika a topped of 12 knots, but cruise speed is 7>8 knots.
After 17 years of ownership her ownership its time for a new custodian and thanks to tme we get to have a peek down below 🙂
The 33’ John Lidgard designed and 1968 built woody – Pescador, has appeared twice before on WW, links below to the stories – lots of details / history on her in the first link.
A Ford 120hp 6cyl. diesel gets her along at a comfortable 9 knots.
Over the CV-19 lockdowns Serene’s owner Tom Lindesay gave the launch a birthday, work included new flooring, whilst ‘new’ to the boat, the wood is actually ‘young’ totara aged between 80 and 100 years. Tom commented that the trees were cut on a sustainable basis and that you are allowed to harvest 10% of a stand mainly on farming land. There has been a lot of totata planted over the last 20 years. The wooden boat business is going to need it, because there will be nothing else left. It would best used for inside work.
Tom made the two back hatches from sheep grating recycled from under a woodshed, the wood is heart matai and totara. The steering device is made from bits of the old flooring and turned on the lathe.
Great to see that Serene is going well and the old 6-354 Perkins is still doing the job 🙂
The top photo was taken by Dean Wright in the Bay of Islands in Jan 2021
The Snipe > Cyndy A few weeks ago I was contacted by a WW follower, Greg, looking for intel on a very appealing 22’ launch named – The Snipe (or Cyndy) details below .The launch was built for a family on the Coromandel who used it to get to Auckland across the Firth of Thames. Rumour has it that it had a Ford Model A engine in the beginning, currently its sporting a Lister Petter. Originally called The Snipe, then spent may years on Lake Taupo and had a name changed to Cyndy. It has a mast and apparently it sails quite nicely on a staysail.Greg commented she appears to be built like the proverbial brick outhouse, but in her current home e.g. a farm paddock, she will decline quickly. With her well built cabin work and a great hull shape chances are she was built by professionals, it does not have the look of a first time around build.There are less and less of the these small launches still out there and this one appears untouched / altered.Anyone able to tell us more about the launch?
30-04-2022 Input From Paul Drake – According to the Taupo Times in November 1987, SNIPE arrived at Taupo in 1985, owned by Tom Wilson. He bought her on the recommendation of a son of a previous owner. SNIPE was lying under a tree somewhere in the Coromandel at the time. She was built in Auckland in the mid 1930’s by the McLarens (says the Taupo Times). She is listed in the Collings and Bell book as being one of theirs. The James family owned her for many years. Tom Wilson did a good job of ‘doing her up’. She was at Taupo for maybe 20 years.
What Became Of The Woollacott Yacht – Jacob Don WW has been asked to help ‘find / uncover’ the whereabouts of the yacht – Jacob Don (photo below) the 22’ John Woollacott designed yacht, built and owned by Harry Holthausen. Launched c.1961, her design was as per ’sister’ yacht – Calm. There is a great background story on the yacht and Holthausen’s sailing adventures on the Woollacott website – link below
Bottom end of Waiheke Island Chamberlains BaySummer WineSea Fever
Tuna
Isle of ArranAwarikiLucille
Summer Wine & Takahoa
Chamberlains Bay Classic Launches – Golden Hour
The truely talented boating photographers talk about the ‘golden hour’, the period just before sunset and just after dawn. Rarely in a bay is it an hour, sometimes it is 10>15 minutes before the sun disappears behind the hills or clouds.
On the Thursday before Easter, this average photographer (me) arrived in Chamberlains Bay, Ponui Island at just the right time and captured some special photos of the woody launches gathering for the Woody Classics Weekend cruise the next day up the Waihou River to Paeroa.
Woodys Classic Launch Easter River Cruise To Paeroa
The Easter weekend cruise was always going to be a biggie – with most launches having to travel upwards of 10 hours to reach the final destination – the ‘waterfront’ Historical Maritime Museum & Park in Paeroa. Most of the woody fleet gathered Thursday evening in Chamberlain Bay, Ponui Island in anticipation of an early start across the Firth of Thames, to rendezvous with the launches arriving from Thames and to collect our guide / navigator for the trip up the Waihou River. I’d have to say that the straight line trip across the Firth of Thames was 4 hours of my life I’ll never get back 🙂
We meet just off the old Kopu Swing Bridge which was opened specially for us to pass thru – and the welcome / turn out on the old bridge was outstanding. Must have been a quiet day in Thames, maybe it was that it was Good Friday and most things (pubs etc) were closed 😉
We shot thru the gap and 10 minutes later our lead boat, with navigator on board, found a mud bank and were ‘stationary’ for over an hour. Once moving again the remainder of the 4+ hour journey was fun to travel together in close proximity, but the scenery got very repetitive and at 5 knots max – the going was slow. The skippers were kept awake by lots of locals who had gathered at wharfs and in paddocks to wave as we went past. The dodging of the occasional ‘grassberg’ (floating mid-stream) also kept skippers on their toes.
The final short leg from the main river to the Museum dock again saw the lead boat aground and a wait for more tide.
We sneaked in just before dusk, a very long 10 hour day.
Jason Prew and Peter Vandersloot oversaw the shoehorning of the 10 woodys into the docking area. Then it was ashore to stretch the legs and a BBQ dinner/ catch up. The Museum had set up an impressive and most appreciated dining / BBQ area for the crews to enjoy. Post dinner most returned to the boats for an early night.
Observation- it’s bloody cold up a creek in the middle of the Waikato, thank god for hot water bottles.
Saturday was another cracker autumn day. The crews enjoyed a trip on the classic launch – Ariana (skippered by Peter Vandersloot) to the Paeroa township for morning tea at the local RSA – hot scones and pastries – always a winner. To balance out the catering, the river trip was split in two – with 1/2 the crew travelling by bus and boating back and same same in reverse for the other 1/2.
The day saw a great turn-out of locals visiting the Museum and walking the docks. I would encourage you to search the following words Kopu Bridge / Waihou River / Maritime Museum & Park on Facebook – the weekend was covered by so many people – lots more photos and videos to see.
Special mention must be made to Peter Vandersloot who masterminded the weekend and was on hand to provide so many insights into the heritage of the area, vessels and personalities. The Museum’s Chairperson Colin James and partner Gloria (a trustee) who were everywhere when needed and helped the weekend run smoothly.
Lastly none of this would have happened without woodys Jason Prew from The Slipway Milford, and Kerry Lilley for pulling everything together – well done guys.
The return trip back down the river had its challenges, very complicated tide table – but to the best of my knowledge no one is still there 🙂
The Museum and their boat trips are a must do if you are passing thru or around Paeroa. And big ups to the local council and business association – Paeroa is a healthy, well presented town, and a credit to everyone living there.
Over the next week I’ll do additional WW stories on the Museum, the river trip to Paeroa on board Ariana and a few of the launches that made the trip.
(Woodys who attended – My Girl, Raindance, Awariki, Lucille, Summer Wine, Ngarimu, Lucinda, Maroro, Cindy Jane, Kaikoura, and guest appearance by Ariana – refer photos below)
(Photo credits to – Jason Prew, Linus Fleming, Andre Thomas, Andrew & Mechaela Dobbs and yours truly)
THE FLEET
AWARIKI – 1967 – Owen WoolleyMARORO – c.1905 – tbaNGARIMU – 1945 – Fred GoldboroKAIKOURA – 1951 – Percy VosSUMMER WINE- Noel May – 1992CINDY JANE – 1975 – Pelin EmpressMY GIRL – 1925- W H Hand JrRAINDANCE – 1928 – Lane Motor Boat CompanyLUCILLE – Logan 33LUCINDA – 1930 – L Coulthard
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