Category Archives: 28′>30′

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 – 160+ photos

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Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 – 160+ photos

Another stunning long weekend weather wise & also on the woody front – this weekend I was down at Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) for the annual classic & wooden boat parade. Holding hands again on the trip with Chris Miller. For the last few years we have positioned our selves in one shore based spot & snapped the boats as they have passed, this year we were very kindly offered the use of a RHIB to get out on the water & get amongst the fleet. The RHIB was provided by LRC&WB Association Rear Commodore Fraser Wilson, Fraser deserves a lot of credit for the above photos 🙂 . Given that CM is a professional photographer we decided that I would be the boat boy & helm the boat & CM would snap the photos, that was a good call because he is rather good 🙂
Being afloat meant that we could get a lot closer to the boats & the crews. So woodys the photos above are CM’s & below are a few of mine + a collection that I took while ashore for the post parade picnic.
I was asked to judge the awards for 7 categories, these awards are highly contested as they are only handed out every 5 years. The winners are featured at the end of todays story.
I would also like to like thank LRC&WB Commodore Grant Cossey for his help & support & as always the LRC&WB Secretary & event registrar – Rachel Jamieson, who is the real hero of this event & the association.
You can also view more on the event at CM’s blog – http://www.buggeritweareoff.com
Remember to click on photos to enlarge. Enjoy – we did 😉
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20th Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 Winners
BEST ORIGINAL WOODEN BOOT – CARVEL
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BEST ORIGINAL CLASSIC BOAT – WILD HORSES
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BEST CONVERSION – PIKO
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BEST DECORATED BOAT – HAUMOANA
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BEST DRESS CREW – ALBERTO
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BEST REPRODUCTION – SUZY Q
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MOST QUIRKY – MAGGIE
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Happy New Year

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Happy New Year
Hopefully a lot of you will be anchored somewhere nice & your head will not be too sore after seeing in the New Year.
I’m still land based but hoping to get away on Raindance tomorrow – long overdue ……………. but family commitments was the trump card this year 🙂

Today’s story features two what appear to be identical woodys hauled out at Opua. Their sterns both list their home port as California – Resolute showing Long Beach & Puf Fin showing Newport Beach. Baden Pascoe sent in the photos & commented that he believes one belongs to the owner of the yard.

Any of the woodys able to supply more info on the two yachts ? Baden thinks they have a New England /Maine style to them.

Lara

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LARA
Lara was built in 1977 by Alan Williams & measures 28’6″.  She is a Banshee displacement design , kauri carvel construction. Zoom zoom comes from a 72hp Ford with a Lees Marine Paragon 2/1 transmission, this sees her cruising at 7-8 knots on 4 litres per hour.

Any woodies able to tell us more about her?

Merry Christmas

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RAINDANCE

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Good Morning woodys.
Merry Christmas to you, where ever in the world you are. ww has followers in just about every country in the world, outside of NZ the biggies being Australia, USA, Canada, France & the Pacific Islands (I think this is cruising yachts) – the numbers are amazing with site views just about to hit 2,500,000 views.

On a personal note I hope Santa has found you & you received what you wanted – I learnt years ago that there was only one way to be happy on the present front, either buy it your self or leave very clear instruction 😉 ( see below)
I intend to keep posting stories over the Xmas / NY period but at times may be challenged by internet reception so bare with us if we miss a day 😉
A request – use your camera (even the phone is good) to take any interesting woody related photos when you are out & about over the break & email / txt them to waitematawoodys@gmail.com.

Have a great break & if you are on or near the water take care, play nicely & be kind to fellow woodys. Alan

Now I mentioned above that I liked to be ‘involved’ in my xmas present selection – this year I was lucky to have a daughter living in London & when she asked what I wanted for xmas I pointed her London’s 400+ year old marine chandlery – Arthur Beale. Your similar to what your Foster’s used to 😦
The present is magnificent boat horn, made in Italy & delivered by hand from London by a friend of the daughters returning home for xmas. It arrived 2 days ago & was installed yesterday by my good friend Colin Pawson – I can hear Harold mumbling about it being too shiny, Jason P saying that it sticks out like dog balls etc but I love it & most importantly it makes a noise closer to a Harley Davidson than a Vespa scooter.  It replaced a horn that was more suited to a Honda Civic 🙂

 

Tui

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TUI
Sometimes you wonder how serious someone is about selling their boat, Tui is listed on trade me – as a 30′ inboard ‘beautiful girl’ & is a wonderful sea boat”.

When it comes to specs the seller says “I will need to put all the mechanical details on later all I know is she starts every time first time. Engine, shaft etc will be updated all I know is that I think Tui has a ford tractor engine”. And they want someone to pay $35k+ based on that ;-(
A few hours with a tungsten tipped chainsaw & you could end up with a nice wee sedan top launch, if the price was right. Thanks to Ian McDonald to the trademe tip.

Do any woodys know ore about Tui – builder, year etc?

An apology – if you were wondering what was happening around yesterdays story on Vacuna – I removed the ww story because the vendor was not being upfront with the vessels past & had been very creative with the story. There was over 10 comments that I chose to ‘moderate’ & did not appear on ww, mostly name calling & threats, I’m the only one that’s allowed to do that 🙂  so they got the delete button.

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.

Lady Pat

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LADY PAT

Built by the Lane Motor Boat Co. – Lady Pat measures 30’9”  x 9’ x 2’9”. Older photos & more details can be viewed here: https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/06/27/lady-pat-2/

Her owner Philip Simpson has just finished giving her some TLC at the Mana Marina, Philip had the help  of boat builder Maurice Dickie with the specialist.
Still to be added is the spray dodger.

09-12-2018 Input from – past owner Peter King (Motueka)

“These few words just to add my pennyworth to your historical records of dear old Lady Pat.  I”m 84 now and  miss her terribly still. Her photo along with mine will be on my funeral program.

I Peter King purchased Lady Pat from Tim Reilly in 9/95 and spent many very happy years cruising, fishing and overnight on moorings in Queen Charlott but  mainly  in Pelorous until the boat was sold in 7/2008 because I had lost my crew and also could not afford the overall cost any longer.    I never recorded those 13 years in a log.  However I do have a v ery interesting one written by a man called A.J. Bradshaw who purchased Lady Pat in Whangarei in November 1970 and sailed her down to  Tuna Bay with Abbie King-Turner as crew.  The boat  was later sold when Bradshaw died  in January 1980 .. In 2000  I had a meeting at sea with a man in a small boat who recognised Lady Pat and he turned out to be Bradshaw”s son.  After some later correspondence between us the son sent me his late fathers remaining. boat records but including  only 3/4 photos

Best of luck putting all the historical pieces  together  I would dearly like to see the end result some day…. Kind regards Peter King”

Lucinda Re-Launched

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My little launching gift – a bronze good fortune star from Arthur Beale, London.

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LUCINDA RE-LAUNCHED

Well woodys, after nearly two & half years hauled out at the Milford Cruising Club slip, on Saturday afternoon, Nathan Herbert re-launched his 1930, 28′ L. Coulthard launch – Lucinda. A group of approx. 40 family & friends came together to celebrate the event & help ease Luci back into the creek.

A few cold beverages, some bubbles & a good old fashioned kiwi spread – sausage rolls, asparagus bread wraps, bacon & egg pie & a cake – doesn’t get much better my eyes.
In the above photos, you’ll see lots of Nathan sporting a PS (permanent smile) & rightly so, it was after, his day. I apologize for the background noise in the videos, the wind was howling at the time. Remember if you click on the photos, they enlarge 😉

You can read & see more on Lucinda here     https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/18/lucinda-hauls-out/

While mooching around the creek I spotted something that I thought I would never see – the ex whale chaser, Rorqual sans her hot-house top, see photo below. It is only temporary as new owner Andrew Miller is half way through a make over that will see her returned to a similar look as before but utilizing the best materials & systems. And if I did not post a photo of Murray Deeble’s wee day boat I would have ended up in the creek 🙂

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And its not too late to complete the on-line ww classic boating activity survey – click blue link below

Which classic wooden boat activities would you like to see more of ?

Skipjack

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SKIPJACK

Now if the above launch looks a little familiar thats because she has appeared here before under the name some ‘Sea Devil’.

Owner Greg Billington purchased Sea Devil from Brent Gribble, who, with his father Peter, owned her this past 8 or so years. Sadly Peter has passed away and Brent was ready to return to his passion, which is sailing. Now the name Sea Devil we are told is the English for ‘Dea De’il,’ which is Gaelic for Sea Devil – as she was named by the original owner in 1918. Vern Tonks of Whangarei named her for the English name when he began her refurbishment around 2000. Refer link below to view her during the 2000 restoration & read more expanded details about her.

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Over the past month (August 2016) Skipjack has been given a further refit which has involved a new muffler, dry riser and fuel tank sight glasses by Moon Engines; new propeller by Bri-ski and shaft extension by Kevin Bradley to ensure a good match with the engine and transmission; removal of the radar mast, and electrics overhauled by Roger Crabtree; hull and hull fittings, engine box insulation, new stove etc restored or replaced and bilge keels fared by Glenn Burnnand, Eberspacher heater fitted by Blair Hannay, and new steering fitted by Grant Henry.

I have to say the loss of the radar mast has been a big improvement to her looks. Now if the photo of the bilge keel is post faring, they must have been very agricultural before this 🙂 I would question the size & positioning of her bilge keels, I have studied & spoken to numerous boat builders about them & these ones appear to be very short & mounted high to the water line. I am seriously considering removing the ones fitted to my launch, Raindance – its a double edged sword, they will have a negative effect on boat speed but is that offset by their ability to reduce roll – I suppose there is only one way to find out…………

In the above photos we see her in the Burnnand boat shed at Ngapipi Rd, on Orakei Marina and in Circular Bay.

The Restoration of My Girl

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.THE RESTORATION OF MY GIRL

While there are few of us with the courage to even consider a project of this scope, there are even fewer with the skill set to do it. That makes Jason Prew a tad special in the classic woody boating community. A lot of us would be worried that a restoration (re-build) project like this would grind to a halt 1/2 way thru – well folks I can tell you this one won’t & as proof check out at the bottom of this story, Jason’s last project – Wairiki, his 34′ 1904 Arch Logan designed gaff rigged classic yacht.

Mr Prew is a member of the fastest growing group in the CYA – woody’s that own a classic yacht & classic motor-boat.  There are a lot of photos today but I really wanted to get across the magnitude of the job Jason has bitten off:-)
Whilst I did not pickup a hammer or a piece of sandpaper during my visit to Jason’s workshop, I have contributed – a while ago I was gifted a pair of very cool bronze nav lights & as I’m a big believer in the ‘pay-it-forward’ concept, these will be gracing My Girl on launch day 🙂
My Girl was built in 1925 by Dick Lang for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade River who commuted with her. Her square bilge design was based on one by W.H.Hand. Waldron later took her to Whangarei & she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2.

Jason purchased My Girl from the Davies  family of Te Atatu, West Auckland in December 2014, Derek & his Father Trevor were long term caretakers of My Girl, keeping her in the Whau River for many years.  After a spell on the hard where she fell into dis-repair, Jason finally persuaded Derek to part with her.

When launched she was powered by a 6 cylinder 90hp Scripps engine & was capable of over 18 knots. When purchased by Jason she had a BMC Commander engine of dubious health.  When re-launched she will be powered by a 100hp Volvo Penta, so she should be a bit of a zoom zoomer 😉

The work to date has seen 76 ribs in, 3600 copper rivets riveted, 5 new floors and 2 engine beds. As you will see in the photos there is still lots of hole filling, sanding & painting in the near future.

You can read & view much more on the restoration project at the links below – the ww one has some historical photos & the mygirl link has the whole story so far. Make sure you click on the Archives link to see everything. https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/12/12/my-girl/           http://www.my-girl.co.nz/mygirl/Welcome.html

Below is a peak at Jason’s yacht Wairiki, his last restoration project. Click this link to view more http://www.wairiki.co.nz/Wairiki1904/Welcome.html

Input from Jason Prew

Thanks for the injection of smoke up the posterior Alan but I can’t claim too much credit for Wairiki, Marco Scuderi did the bulk of the work. I was mostly the destruction/wrecking department.  My Girl is also a collaboration, especially the ribs stage.  Nathan, Steve, Andrew, Tom, mostly my brother Daniel, either holding dolly or doing the peening. Robert Brook and Paul Tingey for always being encouraging on the end of the phone when i was having an OMG I can’t work this out day, (which is quite often)  I don’t have a moaning chair perse, but i have a squab that gets utilized a lot to do the same job.

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Trinidad > Raindance > Wairiki

Dec 2016 Staring to look like a launch again versus a canoe 🙂 Bit worried about the headroom.

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