The above photo essay from the 2021 (Jan 9th) Russell Boating Club’s Tall Ships regatta were sent in by Dean Wright, as always stunning camera work. Dean commented that there wasn’t much breeze on race day so it was a bit of a dawdle. I’m sure that didn’t dampen the legendary post race festivities ashore.
Dean is a good lad and always tries to include a few launches in the mix, even if its a sailing event. #e like that The photos of the Colin Wild launch – Wirihana, just go to show that if you are a looker, no matter what you hang off her (SUP/Sailing Dinghy/RIB) – you’ll always be a looker 😉 As always – click on the smaller photos to enlarge.
Rakino Island (West Bay on left – Woody Bay on right)Raindance & Morgana
West Bay, Rakino IslandMarise
Woody Bay Pizzeria – Rakino Island
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON RAKINO ISLAND – click to play – the singer, Jennie Cruse is Auckland based and available for hire – 021 266 4330
LibertyWindhaven II
MariseManuroaWaiariRaindance @ Garden Cove
GARDEN COVE – 360 deg Video – click to play
WOODY SUMMER BOATING CRUISE The WW story today is a photo gallery from the 2020/21 holiday period cruise on Raindance, the photos are not always that sharp, it was more like “look there’s one” and I would grab the camera and snap a photo. Click on the smaller photos to enlarge 😉
We mostly mooched around Waiheke and Rakino Islands – had 11 great days afloat, a little blowie at times but tucking away in the right spot with a good book was just what the doctor ordered. Only had 2 hours rain on one day, so can not complain. General observation was that it was quiet in most of the bays. I understand Great Barrier Island was very popular.As always there are a few food pix to break things up. The discovery of a pop-up pizzeria in Woody Bay, Rakino was the culinary highlight of the cruise 🙂
Thanks to help from several woodys sending in photos, we were able to continue the WW stories everyday over the holiday period and the viewing / reading numbers were strong thru-out. I think that one of the few positives from CV-19 is that a lot more people have either upgraded their digital devices or are now more tech savvy and are on-line more often.
Enjoy the photos – the next big woody event will be the Auckland Anniversary long weekend at Mahurangi.
Woodys At Ponui Island Fiona Driver aboard her classic launch – Arohanui sent in the above gallery of woodys at anchor in Chamberlin Bay, Ponui Island on Friday evening. I’m told the woodys almost outnumbered the plastics 🙂
Nice to see the bridge-decker Lady Rae out and about, she was once one of the flagships in the CYA fleet.
Our resident B.O.I. woody – Dean Wright is a star, above is another batch of photos from the Bay of Islands. I was especially rapped to get the top two of Marline, WW readers will know that she spent several months at the end of last year I the shed at The Slipway Milford getting a top-chop. You can read / see more on that at the WW link below. Wonderful to see her back in the bay and with Ken Warne at the helm.
The very large – Galerina, is looking the sharpest in many a year – well done to whoever is caring for her. Can anyone put a name to the last photo, the launch with the game poles – its something like ‘Hattele’
I have been getting weather reports from back in the city that its been very wet – my garden will be very happy. But I can report that other than 2 hours of light rain on 01-01-2021, its as dry as a crisp. Photo below from Rakino – West Bay on the left and Woody Bay on the right. As always if you spot anyone or thing that might appeal to the WW readers, pull the phone out and snap a photo and send in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
EMMA J During a recent chap with Ian Creevey concerning the big game fishing boat – Cara Mia , Ian mentioned that he owned a 33’ Gladden bilge keel motor-sailer that here would love to uncover details of her past life.
The previous owner, 5years ago, believed she may have been done in Marlborough Sounds prior to when he had her in Whangarei. Emma J is powered by a 45hp Perkins. Any woodys able to help Ian out with Emma J’s past?
ALMEDA – MAPUNA – Sisters? Recently Alan Sexton and Mark McLaughlin were plating hooky from work to check in of the launch Trinidad that is receiving some serious TLC at Greg Lees shed at Sandspit.
Back in February 2017, Alan sent in some photos and details on a local (Matakana) classic launch named Almeda, at the time he commented that the designer was unknown but it appeared to have John Brooke’s name all over it – link to that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/02/almeda/
While at the Lees yard they spotted Almeda hauled out at Sandspit Yacht Club and are both sure she is a slightly updated version of Mark’s launch – Mapuna. Alan commented that Almeda’s keel is obviously rather more substantial and that Greg Lees told him they fitted the deeper keel to Almeda quite a few years ago for the previous owner. The pieces attached to the keel are the lead ballast relocated from the bilges. She has a reduced transom tumble home but the bow and hull lines look identical to Mapuna (first photo below ex Mark).
Mark is keen to hear peoples thoughts re comparing Almeda and Mapuna with Tarata, also by J Brooke. Tarata is rather deeper in the forard sections, no doubt to provide the buoyancy required to offset the forward mounted engine in the smaller hull. (Refer second photo below, also ex MarK). https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/21/tarata/
So woodys – thoughts, comments, opinions ?
Harold Kidd Input – There was a strong connection between Snow Waters and Jack Brooke, witness SCOTT COLVILLE. Robert Brooke worked for Snow about this time and will know exactly what the story is about these designs.
Yesterdays winner of the Off Center Harbor cap was – John Hunter, with the answer Lady Ellen
The c.1928 Joe Slattery built 32’ launch – Manuia has made a couple of appearances on WW, link here to intel and photos on her past https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/05/06/manuia-an-update/ Manuia recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). At the hands of her present owner she has received an updated interior (but in keeping with her date of birth). Built from heart kauri, these days a 100hp Yanmar 4JH3-HT6 pushes her along at a good clip.
From the above photos Manuia appears to be very well appointed.
The Big Winner On The Day – the Duder Family on Spray – 1st Across the Line
A visitor from Hawkes Bay
Classic Woody Weekend At Patio Bay – 60+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos
As you will have come to expect, the first weekend in December sees the CYA hosting the annual Patio Bay weekend, for some reason in recent years its morphed into a potpourri of events – these days its – the CYA Xmas party, a cake competition, a motor boat poker rally and what it always was – a yacht race down to the bay for a old school waterfront BBQ. A little busy these days but it seems to work 🙂
This year was the first visit since the ownership of the property changed hands from the Woolicott family (100+ years) to Mike Mahoney. It was comforting to hear Mike talk of their feature plans that include continuing the event.
New to the programme this year was a poker run rally for the CYA launches. Skippers collect a playing card from 5 collection on route and then play a round of poker ashore to determine the winner. The event was sponsored by The Slipway Milford. Winners below:
First Across The Line – Gay Dawn – Mark & Pricilla MacDuff – Burnsco voucher + wine
Poker Run Winner- Kumi – Hayden & Linda Afford – COMPLIMENTARY SLIPWAY MILFORD HAULOUT + 4L ANTIFOUL PAINT + WW T-SHIRT
Shoddy Boat Handling Skills – Lucille – Alan Good (wife name withheld as she was innocent) WW T-shirt A great time was had by all and special thanks must go to everyone that helps pull the weekend together. To me it always signals the start of summer boating.
Most WW readers will be very familiar with the annual Mahurangi Regatta – the biggest gathering of wooden boats in NZ. The MCC also put together a year book that is a one of the best boating reads each year and perfect for on the boat over xmas. So woodys, if your looking for a self present (always the best) or being asked what you want from the kids – at $20 for 108 pages it’s a steal.
Pre-order a copy here ngairehopwood@gmail.com Or pick up a copy in store or on-line at BoatBooks
RANUI BACK IN WORK While woody Glenn Martin was mooching around Northland, he came across the 32’ launch Ranui in Kohukohu on the Hokianga Harbour. Readers may recall that Ranui was originally from Lake Taupo and built as a boat to ferry post war veterans in recovery. Originally named El Alamein, she was built by McGeady in 1944/45.
These days she plies her trade as an inner harbour charter boat. Glenn commented she has been freshened up with new paint and a Volvo engine. Owned by the local flounder fisherman and builder she is in good hands with steady trade servicing people on a gravel bike tour.
ROCKY BAY CYA LAUNCH RACE Saturday was one of those days that started out looking good, turned crappy (on lots of fronts), got better and then finished average. A gallery of photos above – launch race and in the bay, not a great day weather wise for good photos. From a launch view point, it was the first launch race in the CYA’s summer racing series and excuse the pun – it got off to a rocky start e.g. start boat broke down and had to call Coast Guard for a tow. Jason Prew deputised me into starting the race, only 4 boats so that was easy. Then 3/4 of the way into the race I got a call from the CYA finish boat, “running late, won’t be there to take finish times”. Bet they weren’t late for the yacht finish…………. Alan Good on Lucille was given the job of recording the times and these were relayed to Jason Prew who calculated the handicap results. All that aside Lucille, Kumi, Ngaio and Meloa all played well together and crossed the line in that order.
Handicap results were 1st Kumi – 2nd Meola- 3rd Lucille (& 1st cross the line)
As a woody treat for the launches WW arranged with Waiheke residents Tim Evill and Mark Stratton to secure access to moorings in the bay for the night – thank you Mark and Tim 🙂 Several more launches cruised down but conditions in the bay were ‘unpleasant’ so they and it would appear a large % of the yacht race fleet, either went else where or headed back to the city.
Along with the mooring access came an invite to attend Happy Hour/s at the Rocky Bay Memorial Cruising Club, with a 3pm start time it was perfect timing for a catch up before the CYA prize giving in the village hall. The club rooms are perched on/over the western end of the bay and a pleasant time was had by all. The club has a very cool, new t-shirt – details at link below https://www.rockybaycruisingclub.co.nz/for-sale
We had to be back in the city later in the evening, so departed the club around 6pm, collecting CYA secretary – Joyce Talbot, who also needed to be city-side. Trip back was very average but the company was good. SCORE CARDWeather – 4/10 Organisation – 2/10 On-The-Fly Recovery 11/10 Hospitality – 10/10
RBMCC photos below
Too rocky (rolly) for Centaurus – did a drive by and headed off for a quieter bay 🙂
