We last saw the Coulthard built launch – Dawn on WW back in June 2019, link below. In summary she was built in 1936 and is approx. 28’ in length, with a very shallow draft of just over 2’, probably to suit the shallow harbours on Aucklands West Coast, where she was built.
A Ford 80hp Lees 4.2L diesel provides the forward motion. Thanks to a tme listing (c/o Ian MacDonald) we get to have a look down below.
PIRIMANU – A Peek Down Below
Back in Jan 2016 I snapped a photo of the launch – Pirimanu moored in Maitiatia, Waiheke Island while aboard the ferry. At the time Harold Kidd commented that she was 28’ in length and a Arnold Couldrey design built by Salthouse Bros in 1968 for W.M. (Bill) Macindoe. Her design harks back to 1948 but good things don’t date, do they? Both Couldrey and Macindoe put some time into the build at Greenhithe. HDK added that Macindoe still owned her in 1972 according to Couldrey’s notes and in 1973 according to AYA records. Dennis and Suzie Craig owned her 1997. 2016 photos at this WW link + lots of details in the comments section – https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/01/04/pirimanu/
Early this year, Pirimanu popped up 4sale and must have set a record for a tme listing / sale – she was gone in a few days. Expect to see her around the gulf, her new owners reside on Waiheke Island.
Pirimanu is powered by a 36hp Buku turbo engine that gives her a comfortable 7 knot cruising speed. Thanks to the tme listing we get to have a good gander at her.
18-05-2022 UPDATE – ex Dennis Craig –
“Great to see my old boat looking so good again. a few comments just to tidy up a few loose ends from other peoples comments.
The original design was drawn in 1948 as a 26ft launch with central steering for Wilson and Macindoe. about 1958 the design was modified to a 28ft launch with starboard steering and the Kauri timber earmarked at Totora north. Pirimanu was finally built and launched in 1968 from the Salthouse yard at Greenhithe.
I replaced the Perkins 4.108 after approximately two years of ownership with a Bukh 3 cylinder diesel. The engine with the authorisation from Bukh diesel in Denmark was up-rated to 60hp. To do this the engine was fresh water cooled with a genuine Bukh heat exchanger and a Turbocharger and inter-cooler and was fitted with an up-rated fuel pump.
Just as a trial I fitted some trim tabs and had a lot of fun running her at 10 genuine knots with almost flat wake! however the noise and vibrations weren’t worth it so I removed the trim tabs and de-rated the fuel pump to approximately 55hp.
I only hope that the plans and my ships log are still with the boat and most of all the new owners enjoy her as much as I did for 20 years.”
TEMPEST
Back in October 2014 we ran a story on the c.1964 McGeady built 30’ launch – Tempest. Link here for more photos and lots of details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/26/9340/
Fast forward to April of this year and I was mooching around the Dove Bay marina in Kerikeri and I spotted Tempest on one of the outer pile moorings. Sadly looking a little unloved but still a looker, so hopefully she will get some TLC soon.
It Is The Little Things That Make a Difference
The launch Gay Dawn has been residing at Bayswater Marina for while and recently her owner removed the bow rail – wow – have to say, she looks very smart without it. Hopefully its permanent, and not away being re-chromed etc.
PURUATANGA
Todays woody – Puruatanga is a bit of a mystery, most likely built c.1960, but probably earlier (god I’m starting to sound like K Ricketts) her design / builder is unknown.
She measures 30’ in length and is powered by a 120hp Ford Lees diesel that gets her along at a comfortable cruising speed of 7>8 knots.
For the last 25 years the Waikawa, Picton based woody has been used as bach access transport, 1.5 hours each way so very reliable.
And that woodys is all we know about her. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.
Chamberlains Bay Classic Launches – Golden Hour
The truely talented boating photographers talk about the ‘golden hour’, the period just before sunset and just after dawn. Rarely in a bay is it an hour, sometimes it is 10>15 minutes before the sun disappears behind the hills or clouds.
On the Thursday before Easter, this average photographer (me) arrived in Chamberlains Bay, Ponui Island at just the right time and captured some special photos of the woody launches gathering for the Woody Classics Weekend cruise the next day up the Waihou River to Paeroa.
Woodys Classic Launch Easter River Cruise To Paeroa
The Easter weekend cruise was always going to be a biggie – with most launches having to travel upwards of 10 hours to reach the final destination – the ‘waterfront’ Historical Maritime Museum & Park in Paeroa. Most of the woody fleet gathered Thursday evening in Chamberlain Bay, Ponui Island in anticipation of an early start across the Firth of Thames, to rendezvous with the launches arriving from Thames and to collect our guide / navigator for the trip up the Waihou River. I’d have to say that the straight line trip across the Firth of Thames was 4 hours of my life I’ll never get back 🙂
We meet just off the old Kopu Swing Bridge which was opened specially for us to pass thru – and the welcome / turn out on the old bridge was outstanding. Must have been a quiet day in Thames, maybe it was that it was Good Friday and most things (pubs etc) were closed 😉
We shot thru the gap and 10 minutes later our lead boat, with navigator on board, found a mud bank and were ‘stationary’ for over an hour. Once moving again the remainder of the 4+ hour journey was fun to travel together in close proximity, but the scenery got very repetitive and at 5 knots max – the going was slow. The skippers were kept awake by lots of locals who had gathered at wharfs and in paddocks to wave as we went past. The dodging of the occasional ‘grassberg’ (floating mid-stream) also kept skippers on their toes.
The final short leg from the main river to the Museum dock again saw the lead boat aground and a wait for more tide.
We sneaked in just before dusk, a very long 10 hour day.
Jason Prew and Peter Vandersloot oversaw the shoehorning of the 10 woodys into the docking area. Then it was ashore to stretch the legs and a BBQ dinner/ catch up. The Museum had set up an impressive and most appreciated dining / BBQ area for the crews to enjoy. Post dinner most returned to the boats for an early night.
Observation- it’s bloody cold up a creek in the middle of the Waikato, thank god for hot water bottles.
Saturday was another cracker autumn day. The crews enjoyed a trip on the classic launch – Ariana (skippered by Peter Vandersloot) to the Paeroa township for morning tea at the local RSA – hot scones and pastries – always a winner. To balance out the catering, the river trip was split in two – with 1/2 the crew travelling by bus and boating back and same same in reverse for the other 1/2.
The day saw a great turn-out of locals visiting the Museum and walking the docks. I would encourage you to search the following words Kopu Bridge / Waihou River / Maritime Museum & Park on Facebook – the weekend was covered by so many people – lots more photos and videos to see.
Special mention must be made to Peter Vandersloot who masterminded the weekend and was on hand to provide so many insights into the heritage of the area, vessels and personalities. The Museum’s Chairperson Colin James and partner Gloria (a trustee) who were everywhere when needed and helped the weekend run smoothly.
Lastly none of this would have happened without woodys Jason Prew from The Slipway Milford, and Kerry Lilley for pulling everything together – well done guys.
The return trip back down the river had its challenges, very complicated tide table – but to the best of my knowledge no one is still there 🙂
The Museum and their boat trips are a must do if you are passing thru or around Paeroa. And big ups to the local council and business association – Paeroa is a healthy, well presented town, and a credit to everyone living there.
Over the next week I’ll do additional WW stories on the Museum, the river trip to Paeroa on board Ariana and a few of the launches that made the trip.
(Woodys who attended – My Girl, Raindance, Awariki, Lucille, Summer Wine, Ngarimu, Lucinda, Maroro, Cindy Jane, Kaikoura, and guest appearance by Ariana – refer photos below)
(Photo credits to – Jason Prew, Linus Fleming, Andre Thomas, Andrew & Mechaela Dobbs and yours truly)
THE FLEET
Sea Princess / Sea Prince
In the above photo we see the charter launch Sea Prince docked at Circle Cove, Lake Manapouri. Sea Princess has appeared on WW back in January , link to that story below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/01/12/sea-prince/
At the time Harold Kidd commented that she was built at Fairlie in 1947 by Jones Motors’ boat building division under S J Guard. She was built for the Wanaka tourist trade as Malibu. She was a 30 foot hard chine vessel with a Kermath Sea Prince 100hp engine. She was sold in 1956 and renamed (then or perhaps earlier) as Sea Prince after her engine.
Scott Barnsdale advised that she ended up as a fishing boat at Stewart Island, looking very different to the photos and unfortunately, she disappeared from her mooring during a severe gale in 1987, sadly never to be seen again.
YESTERDAY QUIZ WINNER
Very few read that email was the channel to answer, and of those that did, none had more than one boat. So after discussing with Flora McKenzie – it was decided Dick Hall’s reply in the comments section was the most deserving winner – well done Bill, a WW t-shirt is on the way – check your emails 😉
HAUMOANA
The 1949 Colin Wild designed and built launch – Haumoana has made several appearances on WW, primarily because its a Col Wild, so it is very special and secondly because its owned by a very nice Lake Rotoiti couple that kindly host us when we are at the lake for the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Link below to past story. Haumoana measures 30’x9’5”x4’ and has undergone several refits in her life.
WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/06/05/haumoana/
One of neat things about WW is when out of the blue you get an email like the one below from Doug Peacock whose father – Chris, once owned Haumoana and kept her at Half Moon Bay marina.
“My parents owned Haumoana from about 1990 through to mid 2000’s. I was showing my father your Waitamata Woodys site last night for two reasons, 1. I’m obsessed with your site it’s really incredible what you are doing telling the stories of all these wonderful boats with so much history, and 2. Because I’d seen there were some new photos of Haumoana on Lake Rotoiti that I wanted to show him.
Next thing he disappears down stairs for a while and came back with a photo album dedicated to Haumoana. I took a quick few iPhone shots of the photos to share with you, sorry they have a lot of reflection. He said he has heaps more stuff he couldn’t find last night.
Anyway I have great memories of summers away on Haumoana and am chuffed that it’s being kept in such great shape by it’s current owners.”
In the last photo above the lad on the left is Doug. Photos below of Haumoana on Lake front Rotoiti.
The launch Meteor / Comet II was built by Collings and Bell and is reputed to by at the time the fastest commerical launch in New Zealand, with a top speed of 36 knots, carrying 12 passengers. She plied her trade as a tourism launch on Lake Wakatipu, Oueenston, but also has been based out of the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Picton and the Marlborough Sounds.
Just popped up on tme as a work-in-progress and sadly a long way off her original configuration.
33’ in length, these days she is powered by a Ford 180hp diesel engine – would be interested to hear what powered her in the zoom zoom days.
Classic Launch Kokoru Damaged In Pine Harbour Marina fire yesterday – refer the NZ Herald for details, its still a little to raw to go into details – more later. But I’m sure you’ll all be thinking of the owners.
Oiseau de Mer
Earlier in the year Ian MacDonald sent me the link to this Hartley, kauri carvel construction 30’ launch. Named Oiseau de Mer, which we can assume wasn’t the name on her stern when she was launched. The launch made a brief appearance on WW back in Dec 2019, at the time she was for sale on tme and I believe sold for a very low figure. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/21/oiseau-de-mer/
The ‘new’ tme listing states that work had commence eg replacement fuel tanks and pump + steering but the engine, Ford 100hp, doesn’t run and from the photos there is some serious housekeeping needed before I’d be heading off the marina in her.
Home is Akaroa down south. The one positive I will say is that well done to the owner for their honesty (photos) re the condition of the vessel.
Would love to know if she sold again and if someone has accepted the challenge to bring her back to the condition she deserves.
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