Category Archives: 1960’s

HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT …….

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HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT ………

Waitematawoodys has a sister  – its called the Wooden Boat Bureau and we sell classic wooden boats – launches, yachts, big and small. We like to fly under the radar, as do most of our clients. Someone asked me what I did the other day – below sums it up (sounds a bit fluffy, in reality I just sell boats.

Inform and enthuse interest in the joys of owning and sailing traditional and classic wooden boats. And we do this by promoting partnerships between the boats, the sellers and the buyers, for the benefit of all. At the end of the day – its all about the boats, as most will out live their current owners.

To view a sample selection of classic woodys berthed at the virtual Wooden Boat Bureau dock, click this link –  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

Myself and David Cooke (MV Trinidad) are almost always available to offer advice to sellers and buyers – in the interests of marital harmony – in the first instance email to the below

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Poseidon – 36’ Owen Woolley Launch

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Poseidon – 36’ Owen Woolley Launch

Its only a mystery because the broker selling it has deleted the name…….. She is 36’ in length, has a beam of 10’5” and draws 3’3”. Built in 1963, from kauri and carvel planked. The forward motion is via a 80hp Ford diesel.Home is probably Northland.

Can anyone put a name to the boat, so we can have a record of her on WW.

27-11-21 Update from John H (previous owner) the boat is named – Poseidon

Oranoa

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ORANOA

While mooching around the yard at Hobsonville Marina today I spotted the launch – Oranoa out for some TLC. We do not see her out and about much and WW only knows a little from her very early days.

Chris McMullen commented on a previous WW story that during the first few years of this apprenticeship to boat builder Morrie Palmer at 15 Clarence St Devonport, he worked under Morrie and Cal Crooks. As Chris said back then boat building was a competitive cut throat business. At the Devonport yard at least five major builds took place Cara Mia, Lady Ethel, Venture, Oranoa and the Stewart 34 Phoenician. All that, along with repair and insurance work all done, by three people (average) in just over two and a half years. Most owners finished their boat off but Oranoa was the exception and largely complete and later launched from Devonport wharf c.1962/63.

Oranoa was built for the Lineham family and as of 2015, was still owned by the family.
Can you learn a little more at Oranoa eg length, propulsion etc.

Also hauled was a nice selection of other woodys – see below.  Lady Ruby is a very salty looking motorsailer, the double-ender launch I think hails from Bayswater and has grazed WW before but her name alludes me. The sedan / flybridge launch I suspect has a few too many sheets of plywood for my eyes. The classic yacht waiting her turn to be relaunched ? – very pretty.

Saturdays Quiz – ID The Launch – No winners. And we still do not know the boat.

Lyngrae > Equinox

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Lyngrae > Equinox

Last month thanks to a tme listing we got to have a peek-down-below on the launch 32’ Equinox (previously named Lyngrae) link to that WW story below. She was based on a Shipbuilders / Roy Steadman design and built by H. Sapwell- launched in 1964.https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/10/11/equinox-lyngrae-a-peek-down-below/

As a result of the WW story we were contacted by Richard Cullen, whose father, David Cullen owned the launch from the early 1970’s to early 2000’s. During this period she sent most of her time moored in Coromandel. Richard commented that the family spent many memorable holidays cruising the gulf from Coromandel to Gt Barrier Island, Waiheke Island, Kawau Island and the occasional trip up to the Bay of Islands. 
Richard relayed an interesting tale of a trip his father did in the 1980’s bring the launch from Coromandel all the way up the Waihou River to Te Aroha. On route up the river, she hit a snag and started taking on water – luckily she made it to the old Dairy Factory site where she was quick-smart hauled out. The haul out for hull repairs grew into a substantial refit.Subsequent trips up the river extended no further than the Maritime Park at Paeroa, where over the years she hauled for winter maintenance and also had another major refit that included extending the hull by 3’ and the addition of the portholes. The more ‘modern’ looking photos are at the Maritime Park in Paeroa. 

Richard commented that Lyngrae would be one of the few boats to have been both over and under the old Kopu Bridge.
Fingers crossed that the launch finds a good new owner, nudge, nudge  😉  😉

(L) As launched – (R) Today

Leonardo – Gets A Birthday

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LEONARDO – Gets A Birthday

Back in 2017 we reported that the 21’ carvel planked (kauri) ex workboat Leonardo was  for sale. At the time she was in Christchurch an had had a new wheelhouse added. You can read and see more at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/11/leonardo/  She was powered by a 20hp Ford diesel engine.

Fast forward 4 years and Grant Edwards, owner of the launch Phyllis M reports in that Leonardo had been purchased by a fellow Waiheke Island gent named Lance Peterson. Lance had the boat transported to Auckland and started an extensive period of repair and restoration as she was in very poor health. Included in the refit was a replacement engine, another Ford, 2 cylinder this time, and the additional of a set of bilge keels for ‘drying out.

Leonardo was slipped back in the water during the week, but I understand did not travel far as she has a wee gearbox issue, which I’m sure will be righted quick smart.

I have to say she is a very salty looking ship and a fine additional to the island’s woody fleet. The photo below is from her early days in top of the South Island. Apologies for the two middle photos above , camera person oops 🙂

Help Needed Identifying This Launch (Caesars Palace > Paris > Alena)

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Help Needed Identifying This Launch – Caesars Palace > Paris > Alena

Can not read the name (something Palace?) and the tme seller doesn’t know the builder or year, but commented that mid 1960’s looks right. Also others have mentioned she has a certain ’Shipbuilders’ look to her. But all the aside, we know she is 34’. Made of strip planked kauri and powered by a Ford 90hp diesel that sees her cruising at 7 knots, with a max of 9 knots. Home berth is the Hibiscus Coast.
Can we expand on the above.

Also they would have to win the award for the most ‘off-the-wall’ question on the tme listing – see below 🙂

UPDATE – seems the boat has had multi name changes – thanks to Darrin Kennedy we now know she was called Paris and before that Alena and probably something else b4 that 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/26/paris-alena/

Mystery Launch B.O.I. 1965 Taiparu > Isa Lei

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Mystery Launch B.O.I. 1965 – Taiparu > Isa Lei

Today’s photo comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb and shows a collection of support vessels assisting in the 1965 (April) National Spearfishing Contest, underway in Deep Water Cove, Bay of Islands.

Of most interest is the launch on the right  – not sure how you would describe her – pilot house launch? , 1/2 a bridge-decker 🙂 Its not Tasman but very similar. Some of the big Colin Wild > Salthouse launches (Lady Crossley, Turongo, Trinidad ) followed this design.

UPDATE – Launch Identified by Ken Rickets as Isa Lei (Taiparu). Photos below ex Ann Hood via Ken Ricketts

Harold Kidd Input – ISA LEI was built as TAIPARU by Lidgard Bros at the Western Reclamation, Auckland for J. Carlton of Sunny Bay, Kawau and launched on 7th December 1939 with a 6 cylinder 90hp Graymarine petrol engine. In 1946 she was owned by C. Pryce Jones. I H McRae owned her in 1953 and it was he who changed her name to ISA LEI. Roughly 1954 to 1975 she was owned by Lloyd and Jim Somner. I think her sistership was WAKATERE which spent a lot of her life in Tauranga.

More photos and details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/30/isa-lei-original-name-was-tauparu/

Equinox (Lyngrae) – A Peek Down Below

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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

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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

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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 🙂