Category Archives: 35′

DOROTHY – Collings & Bell

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DOROTHY (Collings & Bell)

Back in July 2015 we shared a photo of the 1911 Collings & Bell built 35’ launch.  – DOROTHY, in the photo ex Barry Davis,  she was under power and looked very impressive. Note: the photo had been retouched many years ago. 

At the time of the 2015 story Harold Kidd contributed a wealth of intel on DOROTHY and her original owner – W.J. Quelch + her builders, Collings &Bell. Clink below to the story 

WW July 2015 story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/07/01/dorothy-2/

Through the powers of the WW archives, Lynley Stone discovered the 2015 story and reached out to share todays photo of DOROTHY and to advise of her grandfather – Lindsay Burrell Stone connection to the launch – I’ll let Lynley tell the story :

“ The above photo of the Dorothy – I think it was probably taken summer 1915-16. It is from my grandfather’s photo album. Either he took it, or it was a gift from the Frys. 

I have evidence that Roland Fry owned the Dorothy at least as early as September 1914. 

My grandfather was Lindsay Burrell Stone. His father Arthur was first cousin to Roland Fry.  Lindsay joined up when war was declared and sailed from Auckland with the Main Body of troops, leaving in September 1914.  

In a letter he posted from Colombo, en route to Egypt in 1914, he asked after The Dorothy and sent his best wishes to Roland. This indicates that he had developed some sort of relationship with the launch before he left.” (Photo ex Lindsay Burrell Stone album)

AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Dockside Gallery – 75+ Classic Woody Photos – Part 1

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AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Dockside Gallery – 75+ Classic Woody Photos

Slight change of format today. Normally we do one big gallery of event photos, but the 2024 Auckland Wooden Boat Festival deserves two stories – why? Well in the eyes os of the woodys I spoke to, the off-the-water (in the shed) exhibition was on equal footing to the exhibition afloat. So woodys come back tomorrow to see the off-the-water gallery, you won’t be disappointed.

From my mooching the #1 feedback I got was ‘where do they all come from’ i.e. people have never seen this number of classic wooden boats together #2 (from owners) was ‘it is so great to meet all the owners / caretakers’. I think a lot of people were quietly hoping their partners were thinking “there are other zany people out there, my partner isn’t the only eccentric old boat nut in town”.

For a three day outdoor event in Auckland we were gifted to have two (Fri/Sat) days of amazing weather, Sunday was a on/off rain day but it didn’t seem to slow down the people. I believe over 8,000 people were counted thru the dock-gate (it was free entry).

The photos tell the story today – its takes a lot of people to pull something like this off, so well done to all those that rubbed up against the show and well done Tony and team for pulling it all together.

PART TWO – THE OFF-THE-WATER SECTION – LINK BELOW https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/03/05/auckland-wooden-boat-festival-off-the-water-gallery/

AS ALWAYS – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

AND YES I DID BUY THE T-SHIRT 🙂

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

ROMA + Next Woody Cruise Details

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 24-02-2024 – ROMA

Mid last year the above photo popped up on a Keith Humphreys fb post – we learnt that the photo was from the Darroch Collection and the vessel is thought to be one of their craft. 

We were told there is an ‘R’ carved in amongst scroll-work at the bow. And those port holes have to be a giveaway.

No mention of location but the photo is ex the Devonport Museum, she is flying an ‘Auckland Motor Yacht Club’ pennant + sporting a #8 – so may some Waitemata Harbour launch race / event?

INPUT EX NATHAN HERBERT – The vessel is Roma, she made a WW appearance back in August 2016, in that story Ross Dawson and Harold Kidd advised she was 35′ in lenghth, built in 1910 by Tom Le Huquet. Sadly she came ashore in 1918 and broke up.. Link to the 2016 story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/31/mystery-launch-31-08-2016/

HAVE TO RSVP’ed FOR RIVERHEAD TAVERN WOODYS LAUNCH CRUISE

RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Details below – RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with boat name and approx. crew numbers.
DATE: Saturday 16th March TIME: Meeting at Lucas Creek area at 11am. Arriving hotel at 11.30am TIDE:  HW @ 1pm – 3.3m

NEREUS – Where Is She

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NEREUS – Where Is She

WW was recently contacted by Richard Heath regarding the whereabouts of his 1970 Woolley 35′ launch – Nereus.

The photo above was taken during Richards ownership period and they sold her c.2005.

Can anyone help with details.

Woody Aground

Dennis Macinaghie sent in the rather sad looking photo below of vessel that has been aground for several days now in Waiomu Bay on the Coromandel Coast, north of Thames.  We don’t know the name or any circumstances but she keeps filling up each high tide. Looks as if its been ‘prepared’ for abandonment i.e. very bare looking.Could be wrong but I suspect there isn’t much real wood in her, has the plywood look.

2024 LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – 200+ PHOTOS

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2024 LAKE ROTOITI CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT PARADE – 200+ PHOTOS

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

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE 130+ PHOTOS 

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My GIRL
MEOLA
Launch Parade

2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCH PARADE 130+ PHOTOS 

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 

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RANONI
ENTERPRIZE
ARETHUSA
IORANGI
ALOFA
VALHALLA
RAMPAGE

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.

CLASSIC WOODYS CRUISING THE HAURAKI GULF – SUMMER 2023/24

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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.

AS ALWAYS CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

If you have any good photos, send them in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

RAKINO ISLAND

KAWAU ISLAND

WAIHEKE ISLAND

OUT & ABOUT – on route

Three Of Our Best Classic Wooden Launches 

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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.

What Happened To – IKA

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What Happened To – IKA

The photo above comes to us from Papers Past > NZ Herald 5 March, 1928 and show the 35’ launch – Ika after she had been salvaged and towed into Whangarei Harbour. 

The launch had set out from Auckland on a fishing trip but her (near new) 15hp engine broke down near Tiritiri Island and she started to drift off shore. The weather on Tuesday 27 February 1928 saw her drift approx 50 miles and in addition she was taking on water. The crew of 3 put a mayday call out and the R.M.S. Niagara located Ika near the Hen & Chicken Islands. Her owner/crew made the difficult decision to abandon ship and Ika was left to drift with the expectation she would sink.

While the crew were steaming to Sydney aboard Niagara, the vessel Eva put out to salvage Ika and towed her to Whangarei.

Question of the day is – who designed / built Ika and what became of her

(Photo sent in by K Ricketts)

BAYSWATER 12M MARINA BERTH – SHORT TERM RENTAL / PURCHASE – very attractive pricing. Email waitematawoodys@gmail.com

SOORY FOR LATE POSTING OF YESTERDAYS STORY – I SET THE CLOCK TO PM INSTEAD OF AM