Today’s post features a launch by the name of Dixie, I do not know much about her but I have been aboard. I was tipped off early this year that she might be for sale & had been sitting at her Westhaven berth unloved for quite a while – unloved might be the wrong word, maybe unused would be better. What I do know is that she was glassed several years ago by Wayne Olsen & aside from the ‘low maintenance’ angle, this had the added bonus of strengthening her up, her original owner wanted a fast launch & ordered her ‘light’. I was told she was more than capable of hitting 18knts. You will see from the above photos that post glassing the owner did little more e.g. the portholes have not been trimmed out & re-fitted. Her owner has an engineering business & that side of the vessel was very impressive, all she needed was a renovation to bring her back to her finest. In fact most of the hardware was on-board just not fitted. Given the rectangular shaped portholes she could be from the McGeady stable?
I learned recently that she sold for as they say ‘a song’, someone has a acquired at a very low entry point the makings of a nice classic wooden boat. Fingers crossed she gets the time & attention she deserves.
Anyone able to added for details on Dixie?
Harold Kidd Input
She started life as AQUARIUS, built by Owen Woolley in 1966 for motorcycle legend Len Perry. About 1995 Perry sold her to Steve Harris who renamed her DIXIE. She had a Perkins H6 354TD horizontal/slant 354cu in engine, quite a rare beast, introduced in 1960.
Shamus has advised that Adonis is a sister ship built on the same frames but just a wee bit longer.
HDK confirmed that ADONIS was 40ft, built by Owen Woolley for Martyn Uren, a really fine man, in 1965. She had twin 100hp Fordson diesels. She was later owned by Bob Green.
Laurence has owned Eastern Stars for 24 years. She was launched in 1968 & is 30′ long & currently powered by a 72hp Ford diesel (ex a 1979 Fordson truck motor), when launched she had a petrol engine. In 1988 the Ford motor was rebuilt.
Eastern Stars is carvel kauri planked & last painted (2 pot urethane) in 2011, at the same time her topsides were fiberglassed.
In recent years she has been the recipient of what we call a rolling restoration focusing on rewiring, new pumps, new fuel & water tanks.
Laurence is unsure of the designer/builder but has been told that she was one of 3 identical boats used on the Waitemata by a Mr. Brian Walden – anyone able to comment / confirm this ?
Eastern Stars is currently hauled out at Half Moon Bay hardstand & getting a face lift 🙂 the reason for this? – after 24 years its time for Laurence to move on, so Eastern Stars is offered for sale at a very reasonable price, making her an affordable entry point to the fastest growing boating segment – classic wooden launches.
The collection of photos above were taken 2 years ago while hauled out at Panmure Bridge. The photo below was taken at HMB marina, date unknown.
Eastern Stars can be viewed at HMB hardstand – contact Laurence to arrange a viewing & for more details. Her owner is open to sensible offers.
laurie@conchem.co.nz or 0274 978 874
Note: a swing mooring opposite PYBC ( Tamaki Estuary ) is available for purchase also. The shackles, chain, top rope were all replaced less than 3 years ago. Mooring features heavier gauges than normal on the bridle & 2x train –wheels.
UPDATE
I have done a wee google search on the name Brian Walden & discovered a very interesting character – see screen grab below that refers to his marine business – ‘Eastern Marina’ which included a charter business. Obviously where the launch got her name. If she was built for charter specs this is a bonus. The full story on Brian Walden can be read here.
The photos of Nancy Belle above were taken by George Emtage & Pam Cundy at Great Barrier Island.
Pam believes that she may have been built at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard by the Greenwoods. To my untrained eye there are some similarities to Awatere, which was built by Greenwoods at WTB.
Any woodys able to confirm this & or supply more details on her ?
Now this has to be a great example how a vessel can visually ‘change’ when her varnished coamings are painted 😦
Update from Pan Cundy
Pam told me she thought Siren might have been a Greenwood because Siren looks so much like the image below that Howard G sent her some years ago. She has subsequently heard that this was boat was built by Howard for the Ray brothers.
Meola is one of those boats that no matter what angle you view her, she just looks right. Built in 1961 by Miller and Tunnage at Port Chalmers for the Ministry of Works. Her job was the servicing of Marine Dept. & Navy installations around Waitemata Harbour & the Hauraki Gulf. She is 42’6″ LOA with a 12’7″ beam. Her engine is a 4L3 Gardner that sees her comfortably cruise at 7.5>8 knots, using 1L of fuel per mile.
In 1976 she changed hands & was taken over by the NZ Navy.
When decommissioned by the Navy she was converted to a pleasure boat & is now a very salty launch capable of coastal cruising. Her current owner has recently rebuilt the wheelhouse, rewired her, installed new ‘plastic’ water tanks (700L). She carries 600L of fuel (s/s tanks).
Her galley & engine room have also been revamped. As you would expect she sports all the electronic & safety gear needed for coastal passages. Also installed are solar panels & 12v refrigeration to support the engine driven compressor frig / freezer.
Sleeping is a very comfortable 4 berths, being 2 forward bunks, a skippers Queen size bunk & a very cosy ‘winter’ bunk alongside the Gardner.
If you wonder why I’m being a little OTT with details, thats because her owner has decided that sail is really his thing & wants to see Meola move onto a good owner.
You would struggle to find a vessel better suited to either mooching around the gulf or coastal cruising to the Bay of Islands or Marlborough Sounds. Most of you have heard me rabbit on about the concept of the ‘floating bach’ – well Meola is a boat that fits that role perfectly & you could own her for less than a 1/4 the price of a bare coastal section. AND – she is a serious looker 🙂
If any woodys out there are looking for the perfect floating bach or know someone that is – contact Bram Cone at coneco@xtra.co.nz
THE RESTORATION OF AKARANA Details & photos below ex Dick & Colleen Fisher. Edited by Alan Houghton. Above photo ex Dean Wright
Akarana was designed by A.J. Collings & built by W.G. Lowe in 1960 for the Port of Auckland. They sold her 34 years later in December 1994 to Peter McDonald of Whangarei, Peter (deceased) was a long time friend of Dick Fisher & Dick purchased Akarana off Peter in April 2000. Akarana is built using single skin 1 ¾ inch thick Kauri planking on spotted gum ribs with a hardwood keel & her displacement is 42 ton. W.G. Lowe had the contract to build her & allowed 23,000 man hours for her construction. When Port of Auckland sold her in 1994 she was on engine #6, having worn out 5 engines while working for the Auckland Harbour Board. From a couple of her log books that Dick has he would estimate that she has traveled somewhere between 600,000 + 700,000 miles during her working life as a pilot boat on Auckland harbour. The 8L3B Gardner engine which Dick re-built was originally installed in an oyster dredger based in Bluff. This engine was built by Gardners in 1960. The same year as Akarana. She cruises comfortably at 10 knots. After purchasing her, Dick took Akarana to his workshop at Kamo & then constructed a shed over her. You will see from the photos that shed is a little bit of an understatement 🙂
The photos below will give you an insight into the scale of the project & the stamina, patience & dedication of Dick Fisher in undertaking this restoration. Akarana is a magnificent vessel & a visit to her engine room normally sees most males gob-smacked at the attention to detail & cleanliness that would equal the finest medical operating theaters.
In additional to being a very skilled artisan, Dick is just a seriously good bloke, he once drove down to Auckland from Whangarei so I could show a visiting classic boater from the USA, who was a Gardner nut, over Akarana. You would struggle to find a more hospitable couple afloat than Colleen & Dick Fisher. One day I’ll post on ‘Hamel’ the Fisher families other wee ship 😉
I have captioned the images – scroll over to view, also remember you can enlarge a photo by clicking on it.
At the bottom of the post (part two), for your interest I have included some papers that Dick acquired from the old Auckland Harbour Board.
A. Harbour masters comments prior to letting tenders. B. Some of the requirements for the construction of Akarana. C. AHB reviewing costs. D. Breakdown of building costs. E. Copy of daily log, note the totals for the month of July 1982 were 278 pilots, 510 hours running, & 2791 miles.
Photos below during her build at W.G. Lowe in 1960
W.G. Lowe 1960
W.G. Lowe 1960
W.G. Lowe 1960
As sold by Auckland Harbour Board – 1994
At Westhaven,as sold, Dec 1994
The restoration
April 2000 as purchased by Dick F
Arrives at Kameo
New shed at Kameo
Blasting paint from hull
Blasting paint from interior
Paint off
Old engine removed
Rebuild of wheelhouse & cabin top
Rebuild of wheelhouse & cabin top
New bulwarks
New laminated beltings
Re caulking
Steering compartment
Steering compartment
Teak deck – 1&3/4″
Hatch
Funnel
Some bling
Almost finished
Business end
Rebuilding the engine
Rebuilding 8L3B Gardner
Rebuilding 8L3B Gardner
Rebuilding 8L3B Gardner
Installing engine
Gearbox
8L3B Gardner Installed
Relaunching
Leaving Kameo shed
Ready for launching
New home at Kissing Point Whangarei boatshed
Back in her happy place – April 2005
At home, 2005
Supporting paperwork
Helm Photos
10-04-2018 Update – Photo below of Akarana on launching day. Photo sent in by Paul Drake, taken by his brother Michael.
Update 09-01-2021 – Photos below of Akarana in Kent Passage, Bay of Islands – 6th Jan , sent in by Grant Anson
Today’s post on Lady Nell is a request from her current owner, Trevor McKay, for some clarity on the information he has been supplied about her & also an attempt to uncover more of her past.
The photo of her alongside the wharf is as Trevor bought her in February 2009 off Steve Hansen of Kauwau fame (he owns the big steel ex navy job in the back ground). Steve bought her from an insurance company after she was damaged off Snells Beach when a storm broke a large yacht loose and smashed into her. He repaired her and then Trevor bought her in an exchange/cash for the Bailey & Lowe launch ‘Countess’ about 5 years ago.
Steve told Trevor that Greg Lees (boatbuilder at Sandspit) had given him a bit of back ground e.g. built 1960ish, design and built by Jack Brooke (but Robert Brooke has later commented – ‘not one of Dads’), she lived a while in the Tamaki Channel, she was bought by the Snells Beach owner, Barry Cranston, from the Jones brothers of Auckland, who kept her at Pine Harbour. Cranston owned her for 3 or 4 years.
Rumour has it that Lady Nell was named after a ‘Madam’ from a house of ill repute 😉 in Ponsonby. Not sure if she was built for the lady or just named after her, this rumour supports the view that due to her roominess she had been know as quite a “Party” boat.
She’s powered by a pair of the small four cylinder Fords, 63 hp, when Trevor bought her she had mechanical gear boxes but he changed to hydraulic a couple of years ago.
She cruises at about 7.5 knots but is very economical.
TE HONU photos & info ex Bruce Dickie & Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H
Te Honu was built by Brin Wilson in 1963 & is 34′ x 10′ 6″. Her first owners were a family by the name of ‘Tuttle’ or ‘Turtle’ according to one of her current owners, Bruce Dickie, Bob believes they were in the cartage business in the Takapuna area, She would have been one of the last boats Brin Wilson built in Porana Rd Glenfield.
She is presently owned by father & son team of boat builder Bruce & his son Logan, they bought her in February 2015 off a Mark Wilson, who had apparently owned her for approximately the last 15 years & had kept her at Pine Harbour. Home is now Gulf Harbour & she has been hauled out in the Brin Wilson shed for the last few months for a ‘makeover at the hands of Bruce & Logan, assisted by a number of members of their family.
She is stall largely original except for the flying bridge which Bruce is working at improving the aesthetics of during the refurb 🙂 She is still powered by the original 100 HP 6 cyl. Lees converted Ford diesel.
We look forward to seeing her back in the the water later in the year.
Harold Kidd Input
According to APYMBA records, TE HONU was built by Brin Wilson in 1961 for K S Turtill & Sons with a 6 cylinder Ford. She was 34’x32’x10’2″x3’6″. Later owners included well-known Accountant Jack Anderson of Blomfield Spa, Takapuna (1973).
The full ownership was recorded as K.S., M.I., P.H. and I.S. Turtill. Ken Turtill (1914-2000) was an Army Captain in WW2 and a POW. He lived at 132 and later 258 Hurstmere Rd Takapuna around the time TE HONU was built by Brin. He was a student liaison officer at the time. Good bloke.
During the recent post on the launch Manana (Raehutia) Harold Kidd sent me several photos of Manana while she was owned by the Seagar family.
Thats her on the left in the photo above – today’s question for woodys is what are the two launches to the right of the wharf ? & while we are at it – the location?
From Left to Right – Manana (pre Leon / Chris Brown), Albacora (Pat Edmonds) and Lady Doreen (“Snooks” Fuller / AE Fuller & Sons), – and yes, taken at Otehei Bay, hmmm… guessing around late 50’s?. Due to the fact that Otehei Bay had the Lodge and was an official BOISFC Weigh Station Site, a lot of the Big Game boats would operate out of there, (as well as their home bases Russell / Paihia ) over a season. A few of them had permanent moorings down there too. Great Photo of a wonderful era.
Flyer is a 1966 Shipbuilders 26′ launch. Darrin has owned her for approx. 2 years. Previously she was based in Tauranga, owned by Tommy Verran. Rumour has it Verran used to take her out to White Island in some pretty challenging seas so she must be a good sea boat. Powered by 110 h.p. Ford with a dry stack. At 26′ with a 110 h.p. motor she must have a good turn of speed. Flyer is currently hauled out undergoing a makeover to bring her back to as launched condition. Can anyone provide more details on Flyer & her past?
SOUTHERN BAY 1994 Replica of a 1904 Truscott Mfg. Co Steam Launch. Compromise hull and 33 sq ft. Propane fired vertical tube boiler.
WAITEMATAWOODYS TRIP REPORT FROM OVERSEAS
Today’s photos & story came in from James Dreyer, who along with the extended family currently have Laughing Lady at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard. Jame’s work / travel take him off-shore a lot & in late May he was in the USA & put together a little story on the Southern California wooden boating scene. I’ll let James tell it. Enjoy 🙂
Remember if you click on a photo it will enlarge & you can read the captions. Scrolling over also reveals the captions.
“Back in late May, my father Barry & I headed to San Diego to spend a few weeks working on my Rhodes 33 “Therapy” and to visit the some of the 160 odd small breweries in the County, just to ensure their IPA’s were up to scratch. San Diego is known as the home of craft brewing, with each brewery having a tasting room and kitchen, or if not, bringing in a different gourmet food truck each night. Needless to say the hard work sanding and laying Uroxsys/Awlwood in the Southern Californian heat was well balanced with hydrating activities. And yes, the beer is so good, it was mind bottling (to coin a phrase).
While we were there I got in touch with Ralph Rodheim, the owner of another Rhodes 33 “Madness”.
I was hoping to head north to his place on Balboa Island / Newport Beach, to take some measurements and hopefully go for a sail. As luck would have it, the Balboa Yacht Club’s second inaugural Wooden Boat Festival was on during the final weekend of our visit, and Ralph was both an organising Chairman, entrant, and judge. This was a perfect opportunity to give the worn down finger tips, and high calorie intake a rest, while seeing how economical our rental Prius Hybrid could be heading North on the Pacific Highway to Newport. We left early, and stopped at a diner on the way for some bad coffee and an overcooked bacon muffin. This was California after all.
The show was just brilliant. A very Interesting variety of boats, interesting characters and live music.
I bumped into a number of “Rhodes people” and we swapped stories and info about the history of the class and how our restorations were coming along.
Above are some photos of the various boats, some I am lacking much info on, so my apologies in advance. If anyone wants more info on a certain boat, I am more than happy to respond with what I have, or get some more info from friends.
I thoroughly recommend viewing the following collection of photos from the event: http://bycwoodenboatfestival.com/schedule-of-events/ They are beautifully shot and feature a whole lot of boats I didnt photograph, and many of their interiors.”
REVELRY 1951 Stephens Bros. Cruiser 42’
REVELRY
HUMBLE 1902 Thames River Launch 52′
HUMBLE 1902 Thames River Launch 52′
GRACIE 1950 Ed Monk Bridge Deck Cruiser 36’ Monk was a master of streamlining and this little cruiser was just gorgeous, especially with its two wooden kayaks and dinghy. Built for exploring the Pacific Northwest.
GRACIE
MADNESS 1948 Rhodes 33 One Design Philip Rhodes / South Coast Boat Building Co.
MADNESS 1948 Rhodes 33 One Design Philip Rhodes / South Coast Boat Building Co.
LAST CALL 1948 Chris Craft Holiday 24′
CHIEF 1947 Chris Craft “Red & White” Express Cruiser 25′
CHIEF 1947 Chris Craft “Red & White” Express Cruiser 25′
FIRECRACKER 38’ Grand Craft 2003 Replica of a 1928 Chris Craft
SPARKLE A super cute Philip Rhodes designed 17’ Electric Skiff Originally tender to the 77’ Rhodes Motor Sailer SEA DIAMOND Built at Abeking & Rasmussen in 1956.
SPARKLE
HUNGRY BLONDE 1949 20’ Chris Craft Owned by the owner of Hungry Blonde winery. This was my pick of the show.
HUNGRY BLONDE
S WONDERFUL 1939 Chris Craft 19’
FOUR BELLS 1955 36’ Rybovich Sportfish #16 Rybovich boats are the Rolls royce of sport fishers. The first being built for Earnest Hemingway and featuring the first fly bridge and outriggers.
Four Bells
FOUR BELLS aft cockpit steering station. Whoar…
BLAIR BARRY 1926 Fay & Bowen Saint Lawrence River Launch 26′
BLAIR BARRY
JOYFUL Bill Dunlaps beautifully home build, yet to see the water. 16ft Whitehall
A lovely clinker / lapstrake dinghy
AWESOME. Oldsmobile V8, turning an original, custom built 1 into 2 Vee drive gearbox and twin screws.
Awesome
Barry Dreyer posing on the aft deck of the Schooner America Replica.
SOUTHERN BAY 1994 Replica of a 1904 Truscott Mfg. Co Steam Launch.
ONO Dawn Boat Co. 1929 New York Commuter Yacht & Florida Sport fisher Twin Detroit 6/71s
ROSE WILDER 1968 Sparman & Stephens / Canteri Sangermani Sloop Carvel construction, fin keel, skeg hung rudder
A little taste of Southern California: Big trucks offset by Hybrids and Solar panels.
