WEE DARLING
Wee Darling is a 26′ kauri planked 1961 classic launch. Powered by a 35hp diesel ehgine. She underwent a ‘total’ refurbishment 2 yeras ago. Home port is Motueka, Nelson. That woodys is all we know about her other than the normal trademe info. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe heads up.
Anyone able to supply more info on her & her past?
WOODY SOS – LOST BOAT
HELP URGENTLY NEEDED TO HELP LOCATE THE KAYLA ROSE
I was contacted last night by John Sankey who owns the beautiful 16′ classic 1962 Seacraft kauri clinker run-about – Kayla Rose (photo above). If you have been to the Mahurangi Regatta or a CYA Riverhead Pub cruise you will recognize her. John & his partner Tracey have had a wee incident & urgently need help from the waitematawoody network. I’ll let John tell the story. You can see more photos of KR here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/19/kayla-rose/
“We were towing Kayla Rose (from the mother ship – Calypso- photo below) from Awahoa Bay (south of Ngunguru) on our way to Tutukaka on Friday 2nd June and were caught in very very rough seas. Kayla Rose broke loose at approx 9.30am a mile off Taiharuru Point. We were unable to safely try to retrieve her. She still had 15ft of rope plus 15ft of chain hanging off the front of her when she broke away. We are asking for sightings of debris or any information that may help us work out what happened to her. There was also possible sighting of a “cute yellow fishing runabout” on a trailer going from Parua Bay towards Whangarei on Saturday 3rd June at around 3pm….. which is obviously concerning for us.
Thanks fellow Woodies. Tracey and John from Calypso. Bon Voyage.
I’m not sure of John’s mobile coverage so post any replies / feedback via the ww comments section.
Given her very distinctive yellow colour, I would like to think we can help find her or uncover where she went ashore.
07-07-2017 – A Sad Conclusion To Kayla Rose
It saddens me to report that Kayla Rose has been sighted / found by some fishermen this morning (07-07-2017) broken up on the rocks north of Taiharuru Headland. A sad day for John, a few tears I’m sure.
John asked me to thank all the Woodies for reading the post on WW. She was a great little piece of NZ boating history. John certainly had a lot of fun aboard you. She was a head turner & always looked 110%. I understand that John has a grand daughter named Kayla Rose, so the memory will live on.
I asked John whether anything had been salvaged but it was too rough to get in against rocks for the fishermen. They did take the photos below. Maybe one day soon someone will be fishing in the area & be able to retrieve a memento for John.
RIP Kayla Rose.
12-06-2017 Update
I have been contacted by Jean-Louis Ecochard in regard to the wreck – see below
“We saw the wreck and went on shore yesterday (10-06-2017) and took these sad photos of the Kayla Rose.
It’s only today using Google that we came upon the blog story.
If you could kindly send to John Sankey as a memory – though I feel like this is like showing him the body parts of his daughter 😦
The wreck site is not accessible by land and rather difficult by sea. If John wanted, could take the kayak there and try to recover the transom signage in the photo.
I saw the captain wheel under a rock and the instrument panel but they are attached with cables so would need tools to recover.
Hope the images help. So sorry for his loss”
Speaking with John (owner) he told me that the insurance company are sending a helicopter to uplift all the remains as part of the Resource Management Act and we will get name board hopefully then.
Yes, please post Jean-Louis’ kind words and pics on WW. I am glad for her history and sad demise to be on your fine site as a memory of her. Jean-Louis
The Building & Launching of White Cloud + A Peep Inside 1A Summer Street
1A Summer St, Ponsonby was an unlikely location for boatbuilding, particularly for large launches. The building was built on to the rear of a retail shop, on the corner of Ponsonby Rd & Summer St., Auckland. Summer St was & still is an incredibly narrow side street, dating back to the late 1800’s.
To date on ww we have never seen good photos of the interior of the yard/shed, now thanks to the generosity of Pam Mare, we have access to the above photos. Pam is part of the Buckby family, that had White Cloud built at the yard by Ben Hipkins, to a McGeady design. Ben bought the Supreme Craft, off Mac Mcgeady. Other craftsman at the yard were boat builder Garry Wheeler & Tracey Nelson, a marine & refrigeration engineer, who did the vast majority of the engine & machinery installations, in the Supreme Craft vessels, — along with looking after all the Ponui Island mechanical work, from all the farm tractors, power generators, to George Chamberlain’s Lane built, tram topper, Falcon.
Such was the shortage of space at the building, that every boat that emerged, meant ,the picket fence of the house opposite in Summer St, to have to be removed & later replaced, to facilitate the exit from the building on to the transporter.
White Cloud left the shed in June 1965, to go to Fodenway Motors, Penrose, for engine installation & finishing. The photos below show her leaving the shed & later, on route to launching. Sorry for the poor photo quality, stills photos taken from old ‘home’ movie footage, recorded by Len Buckby or his wife & made available to us by his daughter Pam Mare.
Special thanks to Ken Ricketts for pulling the individual pieces together.
AVANTI
Avanti is an early 1960’s wooden hull boat, built in the Marlborough Sounds at Curious Cove by the Manning family. It was modeled on a Chris Craft boat the builder had seen in a book.
In the 1970’s the top was added by boat builder Bill Orchard in Picton,
She is fitted with an Iveco (fiat) 8014m marine engine 72hp @ 2900rpm or 86hp @ 3200rpm. The boat does about 11 knots with the current prop.
Given its location, a lot of people will have rubbed up against her, so can we find out some more about her?
A Wee Woody Double Ender
Today’s boat is a double ender made with cold molded double diagonal Kauri planks. Built in 1960 by Hal Atkinson at York Bay Wellington. It is 4.5m long and 1.8m wide. She was treated to a new 3.5hp Petter diesel engine in 1980.
For sale on trademe – do we know any more about her?. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the Tme heads up J
WHITE HERON
Other than her name & that I took the photos in early Jan 2017 at Waiheke Island, today’s launch – White Heron, is a total mystery to me, but I’m sure we will be able to uncover more on her.
Input from Michael Goldfinch (owner)
I am currently White Heron’s “custodian”… for the last 3 years anyway. Harold, you’re quite correct: she’s a 1967 Brin Wilson that I bought in Tauranga. A lovely boat I’ve already had a lot of enjoyment out of, including 3 trips to the Barrier. Power from the original Ford 100 HP which pushes her along at about 8.5 knts. Never missed a beat. Had an major make over externally about a year before I acquired her, and I’m currently in the process of doing a major repaint / re-varnish internally. Resides at the OBC.
I’ve made a few changes – and still am – including new canvas and going for more subtle signage.
Update & Photos ex Michael Goldfinch (owner)
Photos below of White Heron that Michael recently took, showing new interior paint / varnish job, as well as the Brin Wilson plaque of authenticity.
05-09-2018 Update – photos below ex trademe, via Ian McDonald
UPDATE 17-09-2024 Spotted WHITE HERON at Tutukaka Marina
BLACKFISH
Today’s woody has no name but was built to a set of plans, labelled ‘Blackwood’, ex the USA ‘The Rudder’ magazine, refer below blueprints. It appears that her designer was A. Mason.
She was built in 1960 using kauri carvel planking & last year was re-corked & painted.
At nearly 23′ & with that hull shape, her 35hp diesel would push her along nicely.
Looking below everything just seems to proportionally fit & there is even a double berth, a rarity on a motorboat of this size.
While she would be a great over nighter anywhere, I can just see her on Lake Rotoiti, helped also by a 1’11” draft. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe heads up.
Shalimar
To story features a 1967 Owen Wooley, sedan-top classic launch was built by Roger Priest boat builders & finished by Roy Parris using 2 skin kauri with solid timber coamings & is approx. 37′ in length.
Zoom zoom is via a 135h.p. 6 cyl Ford diesel, that sees her cruising at 8 knots.
She has enjoyed the same owner for the last 40 years & while very original this means she has retained her classic good looks 😉 (details ex Brain Worthington)
Any one able to tell us the name of this Tauranga based launch?
MEM SAHIB
Mem Sahib is a 1965 16’ Seacraft Runabout that thanks to owner Dan Kamphuis has been restored to better than new condition, so good in fact that she was an exhibition at the 2011 Auckland Boat Show. The restoration started in 2009 and took 16 months, post the work – Lionel Sands from ‘Seacraft-Hanes Hunter’ viewed the boat and said it is one of the best restorations he has seen in a long time.
In addition to the physical (wood) side of the project, she received new electrics and bilge pump. The zoom, zoom comes from a Mercury 2006 60hp motor that must really push the 16’ hull along.
Dan knows a little about her past and was able to track down the owners before him and these people (EJ & KV Ralph) restored the boat in 1988. They said that they purchased the boat from a Canadian chap in Takapuna and the boat had been sunk on the ramp at Takapuna beach as they had left the bungs out. The wife was holding the rope to the boat while her husband was getting the car and did not realise the boat was sinking! It sat at their place for 18 months before Keith Ralph and his dad bought it. They restored it and sold it to their uncle Frank Mudrovich who left it standing covered outside for years. It was given to his nephew Ivan and Dan in 2008 and put under cover for a restoration project. However Ivan left it to Dan due to other commitments and Dan started the restoration in 2009 and as mentioned above, put it into the Auckland Boat show in 2011.
Talking to Dan, he is a one of those people that always has a project on the go and has the skills to undertake restoration projects like Mem Sahib. I fact post completing the project she has been used very little, but regularly serviced & run.
Now Dan has a problem, the next project is about to arrive & he needs shed space so Mem Sahib must go. So if any woodys out there are looking for a small classic that due to its size & presentation (small amount of varnish) is very easily maintained, Mem Sahib is a great buy at $20k ono. Comes with a trailer that is all registered and WOF and the motor was serviced recently by a Mercury dealer.
Would be a very smart, practical lake boat………….
I don’t normally publish owner details but I like this boat & she deserves a woody owner so if your interested or know someone who might be, contact Dan at mkamphuis@vodafone.co.nz
TAREE – A PEEK DOWN BELOW
Taree, the 1966 Owen Woolley designed / built 36′ launch changed ownership in Dec 2015 & new owner Don Bruce undertook an impressive refurbishment that started in June 2016, at the Brin Wilson Shed, Gulf Harbour.
Between June 1 & December22, 2016, approx. 1500 hrs went into boat building, engineering, replacing glass, painting, varnishing, plumbing, re-wiring & re-chroming. Don himself spent 12 hours every day, Monday > Sunday working on the boat.
The results are impressive & Don speaks very highly of the Brin Wilson team & associated contractors that worked on Taree.
I saw Taree just after her re-launch, in late January 2017 at the Mahurangi Regatta weekend, the first photo above, I took there, the refurbishment ones are ex the owner, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.
Previously on ww we had a peek at the work-in-progress & when she first left the shed, you can view / read that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/29/taree/
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