WAINUI – A Peek Down Below
The 32’ launch – Wainui last appeared on WW back in Sept. 2015, link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/09/30/wainui/
Now thanks to a tme listing (via Ian McDonald we get to have a gander down below.
Quick overview – built in c.1960 and powered by a Ford 60hp diesel engine.
Current home is Monks Bay, Christchurch.
Three Of Our Best Classic Wooden Launches
Post the Slipway Milford’s year end bbq the yard kicked into gear as three of our finest classic launches arrived / left the creek – Gay Dawn (ex MCC Slip) after a Jason Prew Paint Job, Tasman after some TLC – or as Russell Ward says – in for a shave and some war paint. Then Rehia also for a shave and a very fast head replacement . Not often we see three lookers in one spot.
Talking of spots, check out the photo below – someone really needed a pair of disposable overalls 🙂
Way too much eating yesterday, but we never learn.Santa did find me, but i now need a bigger boat.
WAIONE – LATE 1960’S
Todays photo of the 32’ launch – Waione was sent in by Neil Cummings, whose parents owned her in the late 1960’s , in the photo Neil is seen with his older sister, at the time Neil was aged 4>5 years old.
Harold Kidd has previously commented on WW that she may have been built by Joe Wheeler, in Bayswater c.1970.
Waione has made many appearance of the WW site, a lot linked to my ‘recent’ restoration. The link below will take you to a summary go Waione stories.
In the 2022 photos below we see her first at the Mahurangi Regatta and then again in November at Kawau Island.
The fat man in the red suit is scheduled to make an appearance tonight – remember to leave out a piece of Christmas Cake, a glass of whisky and a carrot.
RAWHITI I
Todays woody photo was sent in by Peter Radford who spotted the photo on his sister-in-laws wall, sadly no comments/ notes on the back.
Recently another woody – John Dawson sent in the bottom photo with the comments that he believed the 32’ Rawhiti I was built c.1905 by Bailey & Lowe for Caesar Roose of Mercer.
Started life as a ferry. What became of her after that is a blank to WW.
As you would expect of anything that came out of the Bailey & Lowe shed, she has wonderful lines. The small cabin ‘fits’ perfectly. Very unpractical but as designer William Atkin once said – ‘lack of headroom is one of the least objectionable features a small boat can have’ 🙂
21-12-2023 INPUT ex RAY MOREY – In both of those photo’s Caesar’s baby sister Mary is fourth from the bow of the young girls. This was a picnic outing to what was called “The Rocks” at Pukekawa and later the site of Smeed’s Quarry”. Somewhere I have the complete list of all on board, included is the local P.C. plod. That launch was later sold to Walter Dwenn, Ceasar’s wharfinger at Port Waikato and when in season he was a whitebait buyer, the launch was renamed “Seagull and he sold to the cannery at Tikorahi, up towards The Elbow. After Walter passes away his son Sammy sold it but I don’t know where she went. This was about the very early 50’s. I have a photo somewhere of her alongside the LST when she came in to Port Waikato
22-12-2023 Photo below ex Ray M. of Rawhiti in later life. As mentioned above, called “Seagull” a play on words, Walter was a whitebait buyer in season and seagulls like whitebait too.
TAIHO II – A Peek Down Below
Todays woody is somewhat of an unknown boat – the only time I have seen her out and about was back in November 2022 at our ‘Woodys Beach Picnic’ at Motuihe Island, the top photo is from that outing. Todays photos come to us for a tme me listing, spotted by Ian McDonald.
What we know about the 34’4” Taiho II is the she was built in 1968 by Shipbuilders using double diagonal kauri. Power is via a 150hp Ford D-Series turbo Diesel engine that gives her a 7>8 knot cruising speed.
Back in 2020 she underwent something of a re-birth and her interior is now very modern in layout and build – but as they say each to their own. Certainly well spec’ed in terms of home comforts.
Personally I’d lose the batwing which doesn’t appear to do anything other than be a mounting spot for the anchor light.
Do we know anything about her early days.
INPUT BELOW (press clipping) ex Nathan Herbert
Heading To The Bay of Islands This Summer – – circle Jan 6th 2024 in the diary for the Tall Ships Regatta , hosted by the Russell Boating Club it is always a dozy of an event.See below – more details at russellboatingclub.org.nz
PATIO BAY CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WEEKEND – 2023
Todays story wasn’t meant to happen, the 2023 Patio Bay Weekend was not on the radar but several woody skippers told me late in the week that they were going so I shuffled the plans around.
Saturday mornings weather and sea state was average but sometimes you just have to make the call and head out. I was also suffering from serious cabin fever, so little boating in the last year.
As the day unfolded the weather improved but from the fireside chat post race, the classic yachts racing down did not have a pleasant trip.
CYA numbers were down significantly from previous years , in fact I was the only launch in the bay.
The venue hosts, the Mahoney family, ensured a great time was had by all, with the emphasis on an old-school / retro boating gathering e.g. open fire / bbq, Pohutukawa and driftwood smoke and the legendary barrel of rum……….. on that subject most were amused when the yacht “Prize” won her division – part of the winning is having to re-fill the rum barrel the following year – I was told Prize’s skipper historically has gone to great lengths to sidestep the expensive.
The assorted collection of photos above is simply to give you a glimpse of the weekend, and showcase the magic of Aucklands woody fleet and Patio Bay. Enjoy (passage photos B15 Frances & dark hulled yacht ex Dennis & Sue Rule) – (some photos below average in definition – long lens the camera).
Xmas Boat Reading – 10+ years ago I asked at my local 2nd hand book store, about an out of print copy of a book titled “Hemingway’s Boat’ by Paul Hendrickson – out of the blue last week I got a call telling me one had turned up – I started to read over the weekend and after just 10 pages put it down, just a gem, to be saved for the summer xmas /ny trip. Best $15 I have spent. If you see one for sale, grab it.
SPEEDWELL – Vanishes At Sea
Todays woody story is a deep dive back to 1927 and concerns the mystery surrounding the reported loss of the 33’ game fishing launch Speedwell.
In the photo above ex Papers Past, ex Lew Redwood via by K Ricketts, we see a 215lb swordfish across the stern of Speedwell. The fish was landed by a Mrs. Dunville listing from Ireland. Some sniffing around in Parers Past told us that the photo was dated 11 Feb 1926. The photo was used to highlight the plight of the launch after it went missing on a passage from Auckland to Russell in the Bay of Islands. The launch owner / skipper – Mr. Edwin Walker departed Auckland on 26 September and was last seen off Leigh, Warkworth by a local fisherman..The NZ Herald covered the unsuccessful search and also reported on the discovery in June 1937 of a hull washed in the Whananaki Inlet area.
Below are press clippings of the event.
Can anyone tell us the design / builder of Speedwell. I’m assuming no more information / finding surfaced on the vessel.
Article above es NZ Herald 7 October 1927
QUEST – Heads Home
WW got alerted last week that the Roger Carey built double-ender – Quest was heading back to Picton after my time in the winterless north. Sad for the northland fleet, but good news for the southern woodys.
Now Quest has been well documented on WW (use the WW search box) but we have never really got to have a good look aboard. Today thanks to the camera of Dean Wright we see Quest in all her glory.
The short story is – built 1959 as Roger Carey’s private boat, later converted to a work boat, then converted back to pleasure. She sat on the hardstand in Picton for a number of years and then came north, where she was given a major refit. Specs – 33’ x 9’9” x 4’6” and powered by a Gardner 5LW. A lot of boat for 33’ and in my eyes her new owners bought very well.
Nows The Time To Order WW Kit For Xmas – click link for details https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/
OZONE
The launch Ozone was built by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei for Harold Vipond Silverdale for the Wade River <> Auckland trade (thank you Harold Kidd – WW story link below)).
Then in the early 1920’s Ozone was taken to the Bay Of Islands for the big game fishing trade which as just starting. Then we have a big info hole until she popped up in the late 1980’s in the Mahurangi Harbour, where she is today, as a fishing / pleasure boat.
What we know about her from her recent tme showing (thanks Ian McDonald) – built c.1914, 32’ in length, 8’6” beam and powered by a Ford 90hp engine.
Keen to learn more about the missing years. Would be nice to see her return to a configeration closer to her early days – photo below
WW 2016 story link – https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/29/ozone/
UPDATE 25-11-23 photo below sent in by Linus Fleming.
NAUTILUS – On The Move
Todays woody is a wee bit of a mystery, while the Nautilus name has graced numerous classic launch sterns, this one appears to have disappeared off the radar.
In the photo above we see the 34’ Nautilus being transported on a lorry from Auckland to Onehunga for loading onto the coastal vessel Ronaki. The destination was Raglan, where her new owner lived. The photo is dated 24 July 1933.
So woodys can we learn more – designer / builder and what became of this Nautilus.
(Photo ex NZ Herald 25/07/1933 and comes to WW via K Ricketts, ex fb)
When Comes To Docking – There Is Always Someone Worse Than You
Photo below ex Bayswater Marina, Auckland………… remember woodys, it always pays to give way to plastic boat owners.
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