Category Archives: 35′

Clevedon Woody Mooching

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Lady Gazelle
Mystery Couldrey
Antares

Clevedon Wood Mooching

Had a good excuse to point the car south yesterday so took a side trip to Clevedon and mooched around one of the ‘private’ docks.

Very pleased to see that work is underway of Lady Gazelle, you may recall back in March she came to grief during Cyclone Gabrille (WW story link below) – a new owner has stepped up and we look forward to her relaunch. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/03/02/lady-gazelle-on-the-rocks/

The mystery Couldrey has been put out graze but is all rugged up for winter. Last appeared on WW back in August 2022 – link below  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/16/a-call-for-help-2/

I spotted the 36’  c.1950’s launch – Antares , one of the better looking launches to come out of the Supreme Craft factory. More on her a future story. Previous WW story and lots of photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/09/25/antares-2/

Also a few boats, below, looking unlikely to see the ocean again.

A Recount Of Our Classic Wooden Craft DNA 

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Grace under sail
CLICK The Headline – Grace Under Sail to view

A Recount Of Our Classic Wooden Craft DNA 

Recently I was sent a link to an article that appeared in the New Zealand Geographic magazine back in 2000 – in fact issue 45 , Jan-March. The article was headlined – GRACE UNDER FIRE, written by Vaughan Yarwood with supporting photos from the late Henry Winkelmann and more recent photos ex Hamish Ross and Paul Gillbert.

The stars of the article is the 42’ 1908 Logan built gaff rigged cutter – Rawene, and her then skipper Russell Brooke.

This is a brilliant insight into the early days of boating in and around Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, I’m sure there will be some mix ups re dates, skipper/craft names but overall we get to see and read the history of these magnificent craft, a lot of which are still sailing today.

Have a read, its only 10>15 minutes, longer if if you linger over the photos 🙂  – even a die-hard motorboat owner like myself found it a fascinating read.

Arizona – Gets A Happy Ending

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ARIZONA – GETS A HAPPY ENDING

Mooching around online I came across this great tale from Russel Subritzky, when you hear stuff like this it makes the rubbish we get feed in the mainstream media fade away – I’ll let Russel tell the story

“Arizona  my 42ft brdgedecker ..boat has a lot of history with my family..a photo of this boat towing a Subritzky  boat across the Kaipara bar was big new in 1933 as the boat had been presumed lost with all hands for over 9 mths..while doing its regular run to Fiji and surrounding islands it hit a reef..my grandfather was the skipper..the 10 year old cabin boy was to become my father..i asked my dad many times over the years how they survived..they chopped down trees and beached the boat using pulleys and ropes and hand cranked winch to pull boat ashore .repair holes and damage and get it back in water ..i would say something and he would bellow ” we were men” and i would say no dad you were 10 years old..but yes they were gone but returned  ..the boats name  ” the Greyhound” ..

So this boat was gifted to me because when it was for sale i called and related the story and about this boat being on front page news paper ..and the person on phone says to me did someone put you up to this and how do you know what is hanging on our wall..they had the original newspaper article..when i met the woman who had boat and we spoke and i walked around boat..she came out and said that the boat was mine..that she couldn’t believe how much the boat meant to me..So theres my little boat of family history for you.”

Russell also commented that the boat was currently out of the water (up north) and today her interior has been done and just needs to be re caulked and a paint job. I’m a little confused re the reference to the name ’the Greyhound’ – hopefully someone can explain. In the earlier photos there is KPA 98 visible on her bow, possibly a Kaipara number – commercial fishing? Zach Matich will know the answer. Back in December 2022 we ran a story on her with several photos – I’m assuming this was prior to Russell ‘acquiring’ the boat – link below to that WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/12/08/arizona-where-is-she-cya-heritage-basin/

What more can we add to her story – we know that she is 36′ and possibly built in 1914.

1926 Collings & Bell Launch

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1926 Collings & Bell Launch – MANAAKI

If the tme story supporting todays woody is to be believed she must have had several realignments – supposedly built in 1926 by Collings and Bell and one of the half-a-dozen boats built for the Zane Grey big game fishing fleet.  36’ in length and carvel hulled. Forward motion is via a 75hp Ford (Lees) diesel engine.

Can not read the name on the stern – can we ID the boat and confirm the above details. Would be nice to know what she has been up to over the years. I was commented that she had recently relocated to Auckland from Northland.

INPUT EX GAVIN BRADLEY – Yes, that’s Manaaki looking very much worse for wear. She was moored briefly inside the entrance to Marsden Cove Marina either just before or after changing hands in 2021and was looking reasonably loved at the time. And just to clarify, there were 4 boats built for the Zane Grey Sporting Club – Otehei, Manaaki, Zane Grey and Lorna Doone. Lorna Doone was wrecked at Peach Island in Whangaroa Harbour many years ago (1970’s?). The other 3 are still afloat. The bill from Collings and Bell for the 4 boats was 2000 pounds! Total. Refer below copy of 1927 balance sheet for the Zane Grey Sporting Club.

Woodys Riverhead Tavern Cruise – Record Turnout – 21 Woodys

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Woodys Riverhead Tavern Cruise – Record Turnout – 21 Woodys – Trip Report 

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 

Three Minutes Of Wooden Boat Porn

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3 Minutes Of Wooden Boat Porn

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

RSVP (boat name & approx crew #) TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Rata – A Peek Down Below

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RATA – A Peek Down Below

The launch Rata is 35’ in length, has a 9’ beam and draws 3’.

Rata was built in 1926 from Kauri, carvel method by Dick Lang in St Mary’s Bay.  Powered by a 85hp Ford Lees Marine diesel, giving her a 7 knots cruising speed.

And that is all we know, lots of craft named Rata on WW but this ones a newbie. Was hauled out on the hard at Waiheke Island for an extended period. Thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up.

Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 5

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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 🙂

Kurangi

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KURANGI

In todays story we feature the 1960, 35’ Oliver and Gilpin built launch – Kurangi.

WW does not know a lot about her other than she is powered by a 100hp Ford diesel. When she was advertised late last year for sale on tme, her then owner had had Kurangi for 15 years. Thanks Ian McDonald for the listing heads up

So woodys – did she sell ? And can we learn what she has been up to for the last 60 years.

LAKE ROTOITI 2023 PARADE OF CLASSIC & WOODEN BOATS – 150+ PHOTOS

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LAKE ROTOITI 2023 PARADE OF CLASSIC & WOODEN BOATS – 150+ PHOTOS

As has become my norm for Waitangi holiday weekend early on Saturday morning I pointed the car south and made my way to Lake Rotoiti in the middle of NZ’s North Island. 

2023 marked the 26th anniversary of the event and after a horror week of ‘once in a 100 years’ rain storms I had concerns that the parade might be postponed or cancelled. Well woodys as you’ll see from the above photo gallery, my fears were redundant.

The day started overcast with some light drizzle but this passed thru before the parade kicked off at 11am. Numbers were down a little from last year but conditions were perfect on the lake. 

Enjoy the gallery above – if you’re craft is featured above and you want a high res copy of the photo, drop me an email at the address below. Apologise if I missed your boat or if the odd photo is a little out of focus – just me in a run-about jiggling the throttle, looking out for other boats and holding the camera 🙂

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

My pick of the boat I’d most like tied up at my imaginary lake jetty is – ELLEN (#14), 26’ in length, built in 2004 in strip planked cedar from a plug taken off an old abandoned hull found in Kopu. Thought to be a ‘Milkmaid’ design by Bailey & Lowe. Powered by a 29hp diesel.  In my eyes just perfect. Photo below

Special thanks again to Dave and Glenys Wilson for the loan of a boat to get me out on the lake.

As always – click on photos to enlarge.

Lastly I never tire of the sound of big V8 (5.7L)  water exhausts. Shawn Vennell, the owner of Judy H, was lining me up for a prop shower – a few words of warning as to what my reaction would be, made him change his mind 😉

TURN THE SOUND UP