Category Archives: 1960’s

Equinox (Lyngrae) – A Peek Down Below

Posted on by
3

EQUINOX (Lyngrae) – A Peek Down Below

The 32’ launch – Equinox, is based on a  Shipbuilders / Roy Steadman design and built in Dominion St. Takapuna by H. Sapwell and launched at Allen Williams boat yard, Milford in 1964. When launched she was named Lyngrae.

Built using triple skin kauri, as launched she was powered by a Morris Commodore petrol engine, later re-powered by a 60hp Fordson. In 1970 she was re-powered again at Mt Maunganui with a 100hp Trader Ford engine. These days Equinox sports a very impressive Steyr MO 256hp engine, which must push her along at an impressive speed.

In recent times the boat has had a lot of time and funds spent on her, as seen in the photos ex tme (thanks Ian McDonald) In the photos above she has a re-modelled cabin top, below in the b/w photo we see her as original. 

Read and see more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/26/equinox/

03-10-2024 UPDATE – MORE PHOTO’S

BIG BOATING FAMILIES 🙂

Very impressive to see what must be one of Auckland’s biggest families, they obviously all live in the same house and all own a boat each – as they say ‘families that boat together, stay together’ 🙂 🙂 🙂

Woody On Tour

Posted on by
1
Pittwater  N S W 1983

Trinidad for sale Sydney 1983 
Boating Aussie style. Moored for lunch. Cottage Point boat shed cafe. Hawksbury River  NSW. 
B.O.I.

Woody On Tour

The gallery of photos above are of Trinidad and show her when she was based in Sydney, Australia. The photos come to us from Eddie Higgins, Eddie purchased Trinidad there and bought her home to NZ in Jan 1985. The last photo above shows her in the Bay of Islands, just after her return.

Eddie undertook a refit that included new hydraulic steering. new auto pilot. new water tanks and refrigeration system. The addition of a Sea Wasp 230 volt gen set. Updated electronics including JRC radar and a Walker sat nav. A new tallow wood keelson was fitted by a shipwright at Newport Anchorage. The boarding platform was also replaced. The hull had the paint build up burnt off and was repainted in the shed at the Marina.
New stainless steel pulpit and pushpin was fitted. A Muir electric anchor winch was installed.

The WW link below will give you a good insight into this stunning woody. https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/19/trinidad-52-salthouse-motor-yacht/

Below I have included some recent photos to show the addition of her rear cabin/house

YESTERDAYS MYSTERY BOAT The mystery launch was the McGeady built Koala (Amaryllis) photo ex Eddie Higgins

Thames Traditional Boat Festival – 2021

Posted on by
1

Thames Traditional Boat Festival – 2021

The Thames Traditional Boat Festival is one of the woody events on my bucket list and today thanks to Olaf Wiig we get to vicariously check out last weekends event. 

Olaf commented that as long as it is made of wood or riveted steel it is welcome at the festival. No 1950 cut off here 🙂

Olaf’s highlight was – Islanda, see spec sheet on her below.
Enjoy the varnish 🙂

Kotanui – Launch Day + Fathers Day Sorted

Posted on by
1

KOTANUI – Launch Day

In the photos above we see the launch – Kotanui being launched at the Salthouse yard in Greenhithe c.1963. 
In the 2nd photo we also see the yacht Rawhiti getting her new ‘doghouse’, probably owned by Don Brooke at the time.

Kotanui also featured on the Dec/Jan (1963-64) cover of Sea Spray magazine

More photos of Kotanui just after launching, in this 2013 WW story  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/10/16/kotanui-3/

More photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/29/kotanui-2/

Read the full background on Kotanui in Nathan Herberts WW story  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/06/15/kotanui/
(details & photos ex Nathan Herbert)


Worried About What You’ll Get For Fathers Day This Year In Lock-Down

Problem solved – click link https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/09/19/des-townson-a-sailing-legacy/

Sea Craft Clinker Woody

Posted on by
2

Sea Craft Clinker Woody

Back in late 2020 woody Barrie Abel contacted me to update me on a new addition to his fleet, Barrie owns the classic launch – Matira, photo below. Barrie had just purchased a 1965, 16’ Sea Craft clinker run-about named Touchwood. We first saw her in the flesh when Barrie piloted us up the Wairoa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club.

Fast forward to 2 weekends ago and Barrie was back on piloting duties, this time the clinker had received some TLC and was looking very smart – refer photos above.The Sea Craft woodys are very much in demand these days as they offer a very affordable classic wooden boating experience, with the advantage of being able to taken home and care for it.

READ MORE https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/08/04/why-you-should-hold-off-paying-your-classic-yacht-association-subscription/

Manapouri On The Move

Posted on by
Reply

Manapouri On The Move

The above photo, ex Bob Brown’s fb would have made a great mystery launch story, but seeing we have probably one of the best written and most accurate stories on the boat, I thought I’d just link to it below – its a terrific read + lots of photos.

A quick overview – Manapouri, designed and built by Frank Ewen for Hector Alexander Parks, at 43’ she is a scaled down version of a 53ft “Thorneycroft Gentleman’s Cruiser.” With the upper structure changed by Frank Ewen to avoid copyright issues, and it did make a better-looking craft. She was built in Hector’s converted brooding shed on his poultry farm at 66 Anzac Rd, Whangarei, Northland.

photo ex Dean Wright

WW past story link: https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/01/30/manapouri-the-early-days/

MILFORD CREEK QUIZ WINNER – The winner of the WW bucket hat is Nathan Herbert, and very appropriate as only Nathan ID’ed two launches (1) Lady Mavis (4) Koala/Amaryllis. Which gave him two chances in the draw.

READ THE BACK STORY HERE https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/08/04/why-you-should-hold-off-paying-your-classic-yacht-association-subscription/

Woodys Clevedon River Overnight BBQ Cruise – 35+ photos & video’s

Posted on by
3
Meloa’s 60th Birthday

Photos below ex MV Buccaneer (Michelle Bostock & Tim Ord

Woodys Clevedon River Overnight BBQ Cruise

The weekend forecast for the woodys classic cruise up the Wairoa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club was a mixed bag, but as almost always is the case with woody events, it all came good and other a few light showers the 15 launches and one yacht had a ball. We were meet by CCC member Barrie Abel in his classic Sea Craft run-about who piloted the fleet up the river, only one oops that I know of, they were following Raindance and clipped a maker pole, but blamed me as I was taking photos and ‘diverting’ a tad.

Big thanks to all the CCC members that turn out to lend a hand with the berthing, no easy task with a mix of craft and ’skills’ 😉

The afternoon was spent catching up with old and new friends via a spot of boat hopping, followed by a BBQ dinner at our hosts club house.The chef, Bazza was the best, how he remembers which food on the BBQ belongs to who and how you want it cooked is beyond me. A few of us watched the All Black v Australia rugby test (on an iPhone) so the AB’s big win capped of a great night.

Sunday dawned with a perfect day, but the sun might have been a little too bright for one of two of the revellers but conditions were agreeable for the trip home.

Again many thanks to the CCC members for the hospitality and friendship extended to us – we will be back.
(Make sure you view the videos, some great dockside footage + thank you those that emailed in photos from the weekend – and as always click on photos to enlarge)

READ THE BACK STORY HERE https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/08/04/why-you-should-hold-off-paying-your-classic-yacht-association-subscription/

God or Wooden Boats

Posted on by
1

God or Wooden Boats
A chicken and egg question today – did the crowds turn out to view the great collection of wooden boats in the bay or to support the 150th anniversary of Rev Samuel Marsden conducting the first christen service in New Zealand, held at Marsden Cove, Kerikeri.

The date was December 1964. Photos come to us from the PG Parsonson collection via Mitchell Hutchings (nephew).
ps google tells us Marsden was Church of England, so he must have been ok 🙂

READ MORE https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/08/04/why-you-should-hold-off-paying-your-classic-yacht-association-subscription/

WHY YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF PAYING YOUR CLASSIC YACHT ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIPTION

Posted on by
49

WHY YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF PAYING YOUR CLASSIC YACHT ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIPTION

I apologise to the non CYA member readers – but read on, this effects all classic wooden boat enthusiasts.

 Last night was the NZ Classic Yacht Association AGM, I tabled in advance the following agenda item – “a request for a report on the status of the expanded CYA classic vessel ‘marina / dock’ that is planned for the Auckland Viaduct basin area”

What I hoped to hear was the CYA were developing a new permanent marina for upwards of 40 classic wooden boats that will be the permanent home of classic boating, showcasing to the Auckland public and tourists the CYA’s diverse classic wooden boat fleet. 

I was disappointed with the reply and walked away seriously concerned that this new marina was only targeting “large, gaff rigged yachts, built pre WW II, NZ designed and built, and presented in display condition”. I asked how this ‘selection criteria’ met the CYA’s constitutional description of eligible CYA vessels e.g. ‘New Zealand or foreign designed yachts, launches, dinghies, boats, vessels of all sizes, description, ages, whether powered by wind, steam, combustion or otherwise’. The answer was there could be exceptions, when asked if launches would be allocated equal space alongside yachts, there was no lucid answer.

Well woodys it is just all too loose and I raise this topic because over the last 10+ years a lot of good people have worked very hard to make the CYA a more inclusive, welcoming place for all people with a passion and interest in the classic boating movement, regardless of whether you own a classic yacht, launch or even a dinghy. This development convenes our constitution and introduces segregation into our association, and most importantly denies the public the opportunity to experience the true breadth of the New Zealand classic boating movement. This new marina should be the front window for everything that the CYA has worked towards these last 25 years, not just a classic racing yacht marina.

So my question today is –  are you comfortable with this policy of segregation? Personally, I think it has a bad smell to it and have a suggestion – how about holding back renewing your 2021/22 membership subscription until this policy is reviewed by the new / incoming 2021/22 committee – I will be

 Now if I sound a little loose on details and hazier than normal, that is because ‘commercial’ sensitivities limit what can be said in a public arena.

Bay of Islands Big Game Fishing Boats

Posted on by
Reply
c.1960
2016
c.1960
2016

Bay of Islands Big Game Fishing Boats
Today’s great photos from the 1960’s, come to us from Hylton Edmonds and show Miss Helen (1930 Colin Wild) and Leilani at ‘work’ in the BOI.

Hylton commented that Leilani was owned at the time by George Wooler of Waihi Akrad Radio fame – later PYE Radio (NZ) and had the legendary skipper Jimmy Whitelaw at the wheel. Leilani was later sold to Bill Hall. Miss Helen was predominantly skippered at the time by Neville Fuller – Norman’s brother. 

In the background of the Leilani photo, Hylton thinks the launch could be George Warne’s – Rosemary.

 Leilani in 2016  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/06/leilani/

Miss Helen in 2016  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/22/miss-helen-2/

Yesterdays Quiz Winner was Trudi Gosden. The correct answers were – scow Jane Gifford, Wairau/Milford Creek, marina construction, c.1970’s