Yesterdays upper harbour cruise to the historic waterfront Riverhead Tavern ticked all the boxes – perfect weather and sea state, best (21- record) turnout of classic craft we have had, great food and as always – nice people 🙂
100% record of no oops on the sand/mud banks, but LOTS of timber floating around kept the skippers on their toes.
The above photo gallery tells the story of the day – enjoy.
UPDATE – Photos & Videos below from the camera of Tracy and Alan Gilder aboard Pirate.
REHIA
LADY JAN
PACIFIC
NEXT WOODYS EVENT – SATURDAY 15TH APRIL – STILLWATER DOCKSIDE PICNIC
Last month I bombarded you with a several photo galleries of the 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival. As part of the wrap up of the festival, the organising crew have pulled together a 3min short film that utilises a lot of aerial film footage. The video gives us a wonderful overview of the festival, the Hobart harbour and waterfront – if there is any saw dust in your blood – Hobart February 2025 needs to be circled on your calendar. As festival director – Paul Stephanus says “This festival is one of a kind” . And its the largest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and surprise surprise woodys – its free, no charge – we like that.
Find a comfortable chair and prepare to be wowed.
TIP: To enlarge screen size – scroll over the screen above and click on the icon I have highlighted below
A couple of weeks ago WW was contacted by Andre Vanwonderen concerning the yacht – Priccilla – a 32’ Plant Class yacht, designed by Claude A. Smith and built by Allen Smith in 1966.
Can we expand more on this class of yacht, quite a looker. Andre is considering selling – aren’t we all 🙂
Input ex Neil Chalmers – Alan Smith’s Planet class is similar to North Sea 24 and its smaller sister the Twister both from the well known English designer CR (Kim) Holman. All influenced by the RORC rule.
There is a Sea Spray article on the Planet Class design.
WW was contacted recently by Rhys Hanna who back in 1972 had built and launched a 33’ Woollcott yacht named Caernarvon. She was based on the original plan of the Bert Woollacott designed Vectis , and redrawn by John Woollacott as a ketch with a more raked bow and a raised fore-deck. Caernarvon was built of kauri with much of it being demolition timber from the bank building on the corner of Queen Street and Wyndham Streets, in Auckland.
Rhys had built her to go cruising but the children grew up too quickly and she was sold in 1975. Rhys replaced her with 36 ft John Lidgard yacht named Mon Desir, which he renamed Caernarvon II. In 1976 they sailed out for a 3 year trip and returned to New Zealand in 1996. That is impressive.
Rhys last saw Caernarvon again in c.2014. He had been to the Burt Munro motorcycle rally in Invercargill and on the way back had a day in Picton waiting for the ferry booking and wandered out to Waikawa Marina and saw her there on a berth. She had been re rigged with a new main mast and a bowsprit. Res commented that he was really chuffed to see that there was only one plank seam showing (port side and close to the waterline) he had really worked hard to get the planking right.
Rhys did have a couple of phone calls from various people when she came on the market about 4 years ago. Is anyone able to update us on the whereabouts of Caernarvon?
INPUT EX CHRIS LEECH – photo below, date and location unknown.
Details on next Saturdays Woody picnic at Stillwater will be sent out later today – life catch up got in the way yesterday. 8 days away from home in the midst of a cyclone equaled a long ’TO DO’ list from the first mate 🙂
Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 5
Hello Again Woodys Felt slightly guilty this morning when I called home to advise Air NZ had cancelled my Hobart > AKL flight. Next available – 7 days away…. A little bit of online work and I found a flight out of Sydney on Thursday night. So 2 more days in Hobart 🙂
One big plus – I get to see the very cool kiwi singer- Marlon Williams live in concert.
Anyway back to the boats – today is an extension of yesterdays gallery – there is just so many woodys to see.
FYI – WW viewing numbers spike when the weather is bad and people are at home, so yesterdays numbers were approaching an all time high. Today (Tuesday will be another bumper day)
Boat Of The Day – HEATHER BELLE, a 24’6” gaff rigged pilot cutter, built in 1990 by Andrew Wilson to a Lyle Hess design. She is a sister-ship to Larry Pardey’s – SERAFFYN.
And compulsory food shot – lunch = seafood chowder 🙂
