Category Archives: 1960’s

A Woody Dilemma – Buy original & restore? Buy restored? Buy an import?

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A Woody Dilemma – Buy original & restore? Buy restored? Buy an import?

Given the current state of the 4sale market for our wooden classics, whether they are original or restored, at some stage woodys will start to consider importing a woody from the USA – why?
#1 reason – the price
#2 reason – the high standard of presentation
#3 reason – the volume of ‘stock’
#4 reason – readily available parts & specialty service outlets.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Today’s woody was brought to my attention by Pauline Evill & is currently listed for sale on craigslist.com. She is a  28′ 1960 Chris Craft Constellation, made with mahogany planked batten seam construction on the topsides and double planked below the waterline. In excellent condition, having been restored in 2010, which included a new a single prop 307 engine. Her condition reflects the fact that she has always been kept in a covered slip. Asking price is NZD$25,000.

Deodar

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DEODAR

Mooching into Man o War Bay on Sunday I spied the 52′ Deodar at anchor, looking very smart. She was built by Millar & Tunnage in 1960 & is an ex Auckland Police launch.
In 1996 she was converted for pleasure use & recently underwent further work – more details & photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/12/29/deodar/

Kaheno

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Kaheno Looking For A Cheap Waterfront Bach

This 45’9” 1966 classic trawler styled Carey motorboat is built using stripped planked kauri & powered by a 135hp Gardner 6LS engine. She was converted to a live-aboard & ticks all the boxes for what I call a floating bach.

Asking price on trademe is $249k, I suspect it will sell for less but what ever the price – it’s a cheap holiday home or a city waterfront apartment. Again thanks to Ian McDonald for sniffing this one out 🙂

Update from Ian McDonald
It would appear that the vessel is ‘Kaheno’ – desined by Carey of Picton & built in 1966 by Sinclair & Melbourne. She was once owned by the Salvation Army to service Rotoroa Island. She tragically sank with the loss of 4 lives in the Tamaki Strait circa 1986 whilst carrying timber as deck cargo from memory.

Ma Cherie

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Ma Cherie (Adi Cherie)

Ma Cherie was built by the Lane Motor Boat Co in 1962 for L.G. Foster of 4 Awatere Road, Hamilton. She measured 50’/14’6″/4′ and was powered with twin Ford 6 cylinder diesels. Her name was changed to Adi Kuila but owner Markham Thomson has done the right thing & gone back to the original.
You can find more details & photos on her past here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/22/adi-kuila/

Ma Cherie has just seen a major re-fit that included fiberglassed topsides, rot removed / rebuilt, rewired, starting/charging system upgraded, new interior, engines head jobs & new water tanks. She is looking very smart, in fact she even gets away with the hothouse up top, just the right height.
Details ex Harold Kidd.

A Couple of Mulletties – Sailing Sunday

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A Couple of Mulletties – Sailing Sunday

The 2 photos above were sent in by Kevin Cassidy (Mulletty Mick) via Gill Bouzaid. The top one is of Bob Ewing’s Buona Sera in the 1969 Lipton Cup & lower photo is of Ron Copeland’s Taotane at Russell, New Years Day 1968.

In the comments section of ww yesterday, June Kendall was asking what became of her fathers mulletty – Celox, which he co-owned in the 1920’s >30’s. It was reported on ww that back in Feb 2015 she had sunk in the Bay of Islands & while salvaged her owner was offering her ‘free to a good home’ – June   was wondering what became of the yacht & if the she was still in Opua? So woodys – can anyone help out with an update?
ww story on Celox here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/01/celox-sos/

The Moana Mutiny

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The Moana Mutiny

Today on ww we have a great yarn from Ian McDonald , the yarn was sparked off when Ian came across an older ww story on the launch Moana, which took him back to 1968/69 when he spent a season on her out of Tauranga, dropper lining for Puka. Ian also took the above (recent) photo of Moana.

I’ll let Ian tell the story

“During my time on Moana she was owned by a retired Waikato cocky from Morrinsville [I think] and used for game fishing. During the off-season she was stripped out of the nice squabs & carpet  interior-wise  for the hapuka season, roughly from after Easter through to almost Labour weekend.

Jack Phillips was the skipper and we regularly fished in proximity to two other Tauranga boats skippered by real characters of the local boating fraternity, Goldie Hitchings on Luana and, Ces Jack on Abalone, both terrific seamen and fishsermen [and it must have been a very nasty sea that overtook Goldie a few yrs later off East Cape, when he was bringing his new boat up from Gisborne, they only ever found an hatch cover I was told] ………  bear with me here, I’m getting to the mutiny part 🙂

Moana then, had a ‘Tauranga board’  out over the transom [with game chair fitting] and railings right around it from which we launched the Puka / marker buoys & flags droppers line drums etc, and the hauling in was done from the forward, port side, of the cockpit using a Heath Robinson [but effective] winch arrangement powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine with an AJS motorcycle gearbox attached. From memory we got 50c per kg for Puka, Bass & Bluenose and, any bass over 50Kg, had to have the heads cut off, for which purpose Jack carried a butcher’s cleaver. One day we hauled in a very big Ling which, when unhooked, proceeded to writhe around the cockpit floor and, as I tried to kick it away, latched onto my gumboot with enough bite that I couldn’t get my foot out of it. Jack seized the aforementioned cleaver and starts taking wild swings at the Ling just behind its head, all of this with a rolling boat, a slippery fish and me trying to avoid the cleaver with Jack yelling at me . . . “stay bloody still boy”. I still have my leg intact .

As the ‘deckie’ I was on 20% of the catch which could be ‘chicken one day & feathers the next’  but could often result in me being paid $300 to $400 for a good trip, usually of 3 to 4 days duration. Most of my mates were on about $40 to $50 a week in those days [except the wharfie’s of course].

We generally fished the 90 fathom line, as it was known, which could be from south east of the Barrier and down towards East Cape. We were once close to the Volkner Rocks and the Airforce sent out an Iroquios to tell us to bugger off because they wanted to carry out a live bombing exercise.

But when we were based at Mayor Island the Mona’s owner [called Stuart, I seem to remember] and his drunken little mate Percy, would often come aboard for those few days and, to ‘sustain’  them would bring flagons of sherry and crates of beer, sometimes mixing the horrible stuff 50/50 and, did they get p*ss*d ?  OH YES they did. On those Mayor trips we always returned to Sou-East bay in the evenings and I’d get shouted a feed ashore plus the odd beer by Jack, Stu & Percy.  Usually I’d get a dinghy ride with someone back to the boat and get my head down, while the old fellas increased the game club’s bar takings by quantum amounts.

Unfortunately Jack liked whiskey [by the bottle] which, even more unfortunately, served to give him ‘cancer of the personality’ and, on one occasion, on a rainy night, I said that I was off back to the boat and was told to take the dinghy as the three of them would get someone else to bring them back later.

Much, much later I was rudely awoken by a very drunk skipper demanding to know why I hadn’t heard them all hollering from the beach [turns out they had outlasted all the others in the bar and eventually had to steal a small dinghy to get back to the boat]. Jack was a big powerful brute of a bloke and grabbed me by my t-shirt front & was about to haul me out of my bunk [port-side forward] and whack me, egged on by drunken wee Percy. I sat up, stuck both my feet on his chest and heaved him away – booffa –  backwards across the cabin where he whacked his head on the top bunk & folded into the bottom one. Did I scarper ? bloody hell, did I ever, clad in an old pair of footy shorts and a t-shirt, up the steps into the main saloon, put a fend on old Percy who had decided to grab me, and hopped with alacrity up onto the Tauranga board, and stood quickly on the outside of the rail. Jack emerges from the saloon shouting blue bloody murder and refuses to see why I had shoved him having been suddenly, rudely and forcibly awoken and threatened.  Earlier that evening I had had a few beers in the bar with an old Mount Surf Club mate, Barry Magee, who was out there in his launch Artina with a couple of mates so, after a Mexican stand-off for several minutes, with Jack refusing to be mollified AT ALL, [he apparently had one hell of a lump on the back of his head I was later told], I took the only available option and leapt in the drink and swam over to Barry & the boys on Artina, who were more than a bit surprised when I un-zipped the covers and stepped in wringing wet. Having been supplied with a dry pair of footy shorts and an old footy jersey, I told them what had happened and, then had to spend the next 10 minutes trying to stop them all going over to Moana and giving Jack a hiding. They only stopped when I told them about the .22 semi-auto he had for shooting the mollyhawks that used to pick off our “floaters” when they came off the hooks.

The next morning Jack backed Moana up to us and offered to let bygones be bygones but, knowing his moods when drunk, and that I’d got the better of him, I politely said no – well, maybe not politely.

I picked up my gear from Moana a couple of days later back in Tauranga [with a couple of mates from the Mount footy club for back-up] and got my pay”.

Footnote:  Moana was later moored in Whakatane for a few years and owned by either McKenzie, or Ridley, of the eponymous boiler-making company of Edgecumbe & Kawerau. She also didn’t have the State House on top when I fished on her.

I subsequently came across both Ces Jack and Goldie Hitchings who both said that they were surprised that I had lasted a whole season [well, almost]  with Jack and that, in the fishermen’s drinking sessions in the old St Amand Hotel, Jack had never mentioned the episode – funny that.

(note:  Jack, Stuart & Percy mentioned above are all long deceased)

Ostkust – Sailing Sunday

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OSTKUST – Sailing Sunday

Ostkust (means East Cape in Norwegian) was built by Colin Brown & his twin brother Stan, to an American Al Mason design, she measured 24′ LOA.

She was originally powered by a 3 hp 1 cyl., Yanmar diesel & the Brown’s built her almost entirely in the traditional single skin, ribbed copper nailed, red lead concept, with only the smallest bit  of glued work in her.The brothers started her when they were 15 years old in 1965, when Colin was a new apprentice boatbuilder & launched her when they were 17. They kept her for 15 years.

The Brown’s don’t recall who she was sold to, but she disappeared until she popped up at Pine Harbour, where Colin Brown saw her one day in 2000. She then disappeared again until 2009, when Colin had a call from the person Colin believed is probably still the present owner, an American, living in the Bay of Islands.
Colin is in fact correct – the American being Bill Sellers  who’s lived in NZ for many years & is  presently living aboard at Orongo Bay BO.I. Ostkust has had a name change to Ludique & been lengthened her to 28′. Photos & details ex Colin Brown, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

Lots of details & photos of other Ostkust’s here http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?117266-The-Ostkust-Thread

12-09-2016 photos below of the vessel currently moored in the Bay of Islands. Taken by John Grant, emailed in by Ken Ricketts

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MV Tiri – Radio Hauraki

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Tiri and Widgeon first day out November 1966

MV Tiri – Radio Hauraki

I received an email over the weekend from Denis O’Callahan, owner of the classic launch Tasman asking for some help from the woodys – I’ll let Denis tell the story.

“I was sorting some memorabilia recently in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Radio Hauraki when I came across the old newspaper cutting above ex my mother’s scrap book.
As well as the MV Tiri and the Widgeon there is a nice woody and there must have been another vessel from which the photo was taken but I’m damned if I can remember either of  them.
So can any Woody identify the launch and maybe even the photographer and his boat?

I certainly remember that day, our first out in the gulf (Nov 1966) before we had raised any kind of broadcasting antenna and here is the true story.
It was glassy calm and Captain Fred Ladd landed nearby with David Gapes and some newspaper reporters on board. Unfortunately when restarting, an engine flooded and cranking it flattened the 12 volt battery.
The Tiri had 24 volt batteries and we had lots of heavy cable on board so two of us rowed out to the plane in a dinghy and I climbed onto the wing. The cable hanging in the water pulled the plane in toward the ship so the guy in the dinghy had to tie the painter around a tail strut and row hard to keep them separated. Captain Ladd directed me to the battery compartment and I signaled to the Tiri crew to connect their end to the ship’s batteries. In a short time we had enough juice in the Widgeon’s battery to start the engines and we cast off the cable and the dinghy. So there I was on the wing with the plane taxiing around ready for take off. I had no option but to dive in and swim back to the Tiri.”

Kailua 2016 Refit

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Old Interior – that seat 🙂
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KAILUA 2016 REFIT

ww readers will be familiar with Graham Guthrie’s 1960 classic Bob Salthouse sedan launch – Kailua. During Graham’s ownership Kailua was maintained by classic woody master tradesman Mark Stapleton & always presented in immaculate condition by Graham, refer first photo above.
Early in 2016 Kailua changed hands & her new owner is Stephen Langton. Classic wooden boat enthusiasts will be happy to hear that Stephen has good woody genes, being the son-in-law of Margo & Jamie Hudson, owners of Lady Crossley.

Now while Kailua’s configuration was fine for Graham’s usage, Stephen had other plans & has engaged the services of West Harbour boat builders – Nautique (Neil Williamson and Ben Freedman) to completely ‘make-over’ her interior & at the same time give the exterior paint and bright work job a very big fright. A new boarding platform has also been added. The workmanship & attention to detail looks up there with the best & I can’t wait to see her again once the Awlwood MA (Uroxsys) is applied. I always gave Graham a hard time about the plastic helm seat, so I’m very happy to see the new one !

Kailua is a very deceptive classic, she is fast – several years ago James Mobberley from Moon Engines, shoe-horned in a 160hp turbo Hino engine & this provides Kailua with the means to lift her skirt & dance. Moon’s have done the same transplant to several other classics (Falcon, Romance II) placing them all in the serious zoom zoom category (for old classic wooden craft).
Splash date is late September so will update you with ‘finished’ photos 🙂

ps a few years ago Graham arrived late to the CYA Xmas Weekend Party at Patio Bay, Waiheke Island & in true Guthrie style proceeded to drop anchor right off the beach (on a dropping tide) – “I’m a local, I know where the best spots are” – fast forward 2 hrs & Kailua is starting to sport a wee lean. Now normally few people see our oops but not today – 150+ classic boat owners & crew all had to row past Kailua to get ashore for the BBQ. Again in true Guthrie style, Graham just laughed it off. BUT he told me if I published a photo, I would never enjoy Waiheke’s finest syrah on Kailua again – well the boats sold now…………. photos below 😉
BW photo also below from her early days when named Lady Beryl.

SORRY FOR A FEW RANDOM POSTS YESTERDAY, SYSTEM WAS HAVING A FEW HICCUPS 🙂

LADY BERYL

Waihora

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Borrie Beachman & Marie Wilson + children
Rud & Joyce Nicks
(L>) Logan, Joyce, Rud & Pam Nicks
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Borrie Beachman @ Bland Bay 1986
Firth with uncle Rud Nicks

WAIHORA

Waihora has featured twice before on ww, once when I spotted her at anchor in Oneroa (Oct 2014) & when Jason Prew saw her moored up the Tamaiki River (2015), photos below.

Thanks to Murray Morrissey & Angela Te Wiata we now have a wonderful insight into her past, Murray supplied the details & Angela the photos from her late mother, Pamela Gilbert (nee Nicks) collection.

Firstly Murray’s background – Waihora was built by Brin Wilson and owned by the Nicks family of the Nicks Timber Company of Takapuna.  They had a big yard in Huron Street.  The Nicks family was well known identities in Takapuna.
Logan Nicks & wife retired to their beach house in Bland Bay – Whangaruru – Northland in the late 1960`s or thereabouts. Son, ‘Rud’ continued to run Waihora and the timber business.

Interesting to see Borrie Beachman & his launch ‘Endeavour’ in several of the photos, Borrie is the late uncle of CYA woody Paul Beachman. Borrie Beachman sold Endeavour & at one stage she was owned by Jack Matich & used for commercial fishing on the Kaipara Harbour. She was configured back then as a motor-sailer.  Endeavour is now back in the Beachman family ownership & looked after by Paul & son Brin.

07-02-2021 UPDATE – ex Angus Rogers – photographed Feb 2021. She was sold approx. 2 years ago and her new owners have undertaken a lot of work on her.