Back in Feb 2020 we ran a short story on the 33’ launch Pursuit – at the time we uncovered she was deigned by Max Carter. Link to that story belowWW Feb 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/02/18/pursuit/
In late 2023 Pursuit popped up on tme , thank you Ian McDonald, and thanks to that we get to have a gander below.
Pursuit was built c.1964 from double diagonal kauri , then in the 1990’s she was glassed.
Her forward motion is via a Lees Ford 100hp diesel engine that gives a comfortable cruising speed of 7 knots.
Hopefully she found a new owner and fingers and toes crossed that the ‘block of flats’ on top has a appointment booked at the barbers 🙂
REMEMBER – YARD SALE AT TE ATAU BOATING CLUB SATURDAY
The 33’ 1912 Bailey & Lowe launch recently popped up on tme so today thanks to Ian McDonald we get to have a gander down below.
Her story is that she was possibly built as a port service vessel for use in the South Island. Her current owner has had her for 24 years, and in that time crossed from Wellington (North Island) to the Sounds (South Island) numerous times.
Forward motion is via a 65hp Bedford 220 diesel (keel cooled) that gets her along nicely at 7 knots.
As so often happens on WW the story was read by some one with a past connection to boat – I have reproduced Trish Kidson’s (from Nelson) note to me below
“Hi from Nelson – It was a thrill to see Kokiri featured on your post last week. I have so many happy childhood memories of trips around the Abel Tasman coastline with the owners of the time, Mr & Mrs Nalder.
I’ve put together a wee bit more information (below) and also added some photos ex the late John Evans collection (as seen above) as she was in the late 1950’s onwards while in the Nalder’s hands. Sorry, the photos are taken off my late father’s slides so not best quality but may be helpful to have in your database for future reference.
PS: “Escape” is Percy Vos design / build, launched in 1940 and bought by my parents in 1967 who brought to her to Nelson where she remained in the custody of our family for 46 years. Last we heard she was moored in Whitianga.”
KOKIRI (Newt & Nellie Nalder)
As previously mentioned by other WW viewers, Kokiri was built in Nelson by Allen Westrupp in late 1950s at his Tahuna workshop for well-known locals Newt and Nellie Nalder as a replacement for their previous boat, Kotare (built in 1951 by Nelson boatbuilders Curnow & Wilton). They had used the launch Kotare for taking passengers and friends along the Abel Tasman National Park coastline or for fishing trips.
Like her owners, Kokiri is remembered with much affection by many locals who frequented the Park as she was often seen pottering along the coast or on a mooring in Anchorage.
After the Nalder’s sold her, Kokiri remained in the Kaiteriteri/Riwaka area and was lengthen by the new owners. Her original length is unknown but as a comparison, yacht Escape is 28’6” (as seen in the photo of being towed up the Nelson Harbour on the day Escape was launched in Nelson, 1967).
Photos: (late John Evans Collection) Apologies for the quality – they are taken off Dad’s slides
Wow what a weekend , stunning weather, so many classic woody boats and as always at Lake Rotoiti – nice people.
Left Auckland at 5.30am to drive down – have to say the new Waikato expressway is so fast BUT so boring as a drive.
Arrived at my hosts Dave and Glenys Wilson lake front residence and collected the on-the-water transport for the day. Had a nice surprise in that the boat came with a skipper – local boatbuilder Alan Craig (Craig Marine) who over the last 10 years has rubbed up against most of the craft floating on the lake. This made my boat buddy – cabin boy, Grant Gibbs redundant but he accepted the demotion to #1 lackey.
After recent parade weekends have been effected by CV19 and weather bombs everyone was hanging out for a special day afloat and we got it in spades.
Todays photo gallery is loosely broken into 3 sections – Mooching About / Parade / Picnic.
Enjoy – if I missed your boat – sorry, next year. Tomorrow I will do a story on the Albatross runabouts that were a major part of the parade – I believe the biggest turnout in the Southern Hemisphere.
A couple of videos below.
REMEMBER – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
09-02-2024 UPDATE – Video of the fleet at the Picnic
Back in August 2020 we featured the classic woody launch – Poco Lento on WW. We learnt then that she started out in life back in late 1970’s as your typical Roy Parris kauri planked launch, then in 1991>92 master boat builder Geoff Bagnall undertook a major refit to make her more liveable. When launched in the 1970’s her name was – Lady Janet.
When I first boarded Poco Lento I was amazed to learn she was sub 32’ and the internal space, helped by the underfloor Ford Lees 115hp engine. I was even more taken aback with the fit-out – auto pilot, power anchor winch, bow thruster, hydraulic steering, on-board shower, fridge, freezer, pressurised hot water, stand-alone galley, electric toilet, high-end engine sound proofing, holding tank and a lot more – she really has been a rolling restoration with her then owner undertaking a major project every year. The 295L fuel tank allows her to cover a lot of distance when cruising.
As regular readers of the waitematawoodys site know the last weekend of January is always a biggie on the wooden boating calendar. The Mahurangi Cruising Club year-on-year pull off the biggest wooden boating event in New Zealand – {the} Mahurangi Regatta. If you type that into the WW search box your day will be ruined – hundreds of classic wooden boating photos.
I’ll apologise upfront for the lack of sailing photos – these days there are a lot of other happy-snappers recording the racing – when and if I get photos or links, I’ll add them to the story.
It was a sub 24hr up and back trip to Mahurangi – I had an important family event that I have been dodging for years, and this year the message was – “be here” 🙂
I came away from Mahurangi feeling very upbeat for the health of the classic wooden motor boat movement – there was in excess of 50 classic woodys in the Mahurangi Harbour and from that fleet 32 skippers participated in the classic woody launch parade. A record turnout, so I say thank you those that took part and specially those that dressed their craft.
I was particularly heartened to see the return of several craft that had drifted away from the scene due to relocations, long tern refits and frustration with the community. Of note was Florance Dawn, Kumi and Raiona.
People linked to the supposedly organisation of the the parade (I’m not talking about the MCC) need to wake up to the contribution that the classic launches make to the event – 50+ craft is a mighty powerful visual vista. So fingers crossed the housekeeping improves to ensure the loyalist keep turning up.
After the speed bumps at the start, the parade got underway and a good time was had by the skippers, crews and spectators afloat and ashore at Sullivans Bay.
Enjoy the gallery of photos – some (most) boats appear twice, some I’m sure missed the camera, can’t be everywhere:-) Thanks to Steve Horsley for the photo of Raindance and Murray Deeble for the race start photo.
As always click on photos to enlarge 😉
A reward – first woody to tell me which boat in the above photos has the largest WW flag – wins a normal size WW burgee – enter at waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Bay of Islands Summer Mooching + Anniversary Weekend Cruising
Todays gallery of classic wooden craft comes to us from the camera of Dean Wright, taken while he was cruising the bay on his woody – Arethusa.
From top to bottom the craft are:
• Ranoni – Army Bay
• Enterprise – Opunga Cove
• Arohanui – steaming past Cable Bay, Urupukapuka
• Arethusa – Whangamumu
• The Logan yacht – Iorangi – Whangamumu
• Alofa – Whangamumu
• Valhalla – Whangamumu
• Rampage – Whangmumu – an early 2000’s Robertson Boats sedan launch ( lengthened and repainted)
• Mary of York – Ben Tomb’s leeboarder
2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – Classic Launch Parade & Sunday Gathering At KAWAU ISLAND
The countdown is on for one of the worlds best and biggest classic wooden boating events, the Mahurangi Regatta, organised by the Mahurangi Cruising Club.
Sadly due to the freakish weather the 2023 regatta was cancelled, but plans are in place to make 2024 on-the-water and ashore at Scotts Landing bigger and better.
The Classic Wooden Launch Parade is one of the highlights of the weekends activities – followed later in the day by a serious ‘old school’ boaty BBQ ashore at Scott’s – including a massive marquee for the 20 piece dance band.
On the Sunday, most woody launch skippers head to KAWAU ISLAND and the plan is to gather later in the day for a few sun-downers at the newly refurbished Kawau Boating Club.
WOODY BAY LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS A WOODYS MAGNET
Todays photos came to us ex Angus Rogers, aboard Centaurus while anchored in Woody Bay, RAKINO ISLAND. Its a stunning location and no doubt the world famous on WW wood fired pizza at the Woody Bay Pizzeria help attract such an impressive collection of classic wooden launches.
Above from top to bottom we have Centaurus (1967/8 Bailey & Sons) > Rehia (1939 Colin Wild) > Waimiga (1968 Chris Robertson) > and Waiari (1962 Owen Woolley).
Input From Joe Telford aboard – Rehia – the rather large, majestic Lidard – Ngaro underway and the ex whale chaser Primadonna at anchor in Woody Bay.
Primadonna
YESTERDAYS MYSTERY LAUNCH QUIZ WINNER IS – Darrin Kennedy. In fact the only one that got both the launch name and location correct. Launch is the 1949 Lidgard built – Kiwitea. Seen in the photo being relaunched at Stillwater Boating Club, after her recent re-power. Well done Darrin 🙂
CLASSIC WOODYS CRUISING THE HAURAKI GULF – SUMMER 2023/24
Now todays post is the one you have been waiting on – the classic wooden (mostly) craft that I spotted around the Hauraki Gulf over the Dec 27 > Jan 5th period.
Probably the best turn out of woodys that I have seen – seems it just wasn’t me suffering from cabin fever 🙂
As always some photos are good, some not so good – direction of sun and distance dictates that. Mostly I’m taking photos as a visual account.
Enjoy the gallery – broken into locations – I have endeavoured to list the craft in the tagged section.
During the week Paul Drake commented that every year he produces a family calendar for circulation amongst my family – brothers, children, nieces and nephews. What a cool idea 🙂
All family birthdays are included. Every year the birthday list grows longer. Paul said it takes a bit of work, but it serves to keep family connected, and it pleases him to know that the calendar hangs on walls in England, Austria, and Australia, as well as in New Zealand.
Every year I choose a photo of one of the familiesboats, for the calendar, this year it features SIR FRANCIS, a photo from the 1980’s, homeward bound on Lake Taupo. Paul brother Michael is on the helm, and out of sight in the cockpit is their mother. Looking at the phot you would think that SIR FrANCIS had just rounded one of the headlands on the east coast of the North Island, a great reminder that Lake Taupo can get little gnarly.
SIR FRANCIS has made several appearances on WW before and is of course is a 1916 Collings and Bell built launch.
Paul remembers that as children, the brothers all thought that any vessel which was not Collings and Bell was rubbish! These days they are not so blinkered 🙂
I’m back on dry land now after 9 days mooching around the gulf – lots of woodys out and about – big story on Monday. Talking of big – the beast below was anchored in Bon Accord, Kawau Island on New Years Eve – the tender was approx. 48’
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