Category Archives: 36′>38′

What Became Of The Launch – PARMA + Te Atatu Boating Club 65th Anniversary Celebrations

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What Became Of The Launch – PARMA

WW had an enquiry during the week in regard to the 1958 Brin Wilson designed / built 37’ launch – PARMA. WW readers may recall that back in August 2022 we reported that she  had stuck one of the Auckland Harbour bridge concrete foundations and as good as sunk. She was assisted to Hobsonville Marina, hauled out and sat there for approx. 5 months. Then in December 2022 we made several call outs to any woodys looking for a ‘free’ project boat.

The threat was that she would be despatched to the crusher before Christmas if no one stepped up.

So todays question is – was she saved and if so is she sitting in someones paddock or did she head to the land-fill.

UPDATE – Great news – she was saved and now resides on the Kaipara Harbour. Photos & video below ex Zach Matich via Jason Prew. I understand Ron Matich was the one that did the refit / restoration – well done:-)

Te Atatu Boating Club 65 Anniversary Celebrations – full details at the link below https://www.teatatuboatclub.co.nz/events

REHIA 2024 REFIT – Report #2

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REHIA 2024 REFIT – Report #2

Last we we reported in on the 1938 Colin Wild built launch – Rehia and its xxxxx underway at the Slipway Milford. Today we get an update on the work-in-process. With the current good weather Auckland is experiencing the team at the Slipway have not been holding back, in fact even Cam Malcolm has emerged from his engineering workshop to get ‘on the tools’ 🙂

Sometimes it is quicker to build new than try and save – so a new cabin door has been added to the work list. 

The wonder finish Uroxsys (Alwood) always repays attention to prep, so the 100% back to bare wood will look stunning when it gets the treatment. Her owners will reap the rewards of this work for years to come, and as I said last week, you can’t spend too much on a Colin Wild craft 🙂

LINK TO #1 Report https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/05/03/classic-launch-rehia-gets-a-birthday/

MELODY 

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MELODY 

Todays photo above is most likely the launch MELODY,  it popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb – with the boats name and possible date for the photo being 1940>1949.  

The photo was captioned ’The motorboat MELODY at a jetty’.

Back in June 2021 WW was contacted by Donna Lewis, a kiwi living in Australia who had purchased a collection of 1/2 models from a garage sale on KAWAU ISLAND , the models made their way to Australia when the buyer immigrated. Fast forward they were getting on in life and wanting to down scale so they contacted WW and the models were sent back to NZ.

At the time of the 2021 story (link below – lots of chat in the comments section) we learnt that one of the 1/2 models was most likely MELODY (see below) and K Ricketts commented that the builder was Roy Lidgard and sent in a screen grab (refer below) of MELODY taken from a old home movie shot by KR c.1954 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/29/lidgard-1-2-models-help-needed/

Are we able to learn more about the launch and what became of her.

Poor quality – ex 8mm movie footage

INPUT ex K Ricketts – magazine article below + 2017 photos

Mystery Lyttelton Launch

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Mystery Lyttelton Launch
Again only a mystery because her owner didn’t include a name on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). If we believe the tme story she is a Logan, built in1908, 36’ in length. Powered by a 1970, 65hp Rustin Rover (???) 

And that woodys is all me know – any southern readers able to enlighten us more on the launch.

BUY OF THE YEAR – HEAO – LOGAN 33 – A Sailors Motor Boat – Reduced Price – Low $80’ks – Click link below for details. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/29/heao-a-peek-down-below-4sale/

OMOKOROA – APRIL 2024 UPDATE

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OMOKOROA – APRIL 2024 UPDATE

Following on from yesterdays story on the launch – Omokoroa where we got a peek back to her earlier days, today thanks to a nudge we gave her current custodian – Lyndon Chambers we get to see some to the work thats gone into refitting the boat.

First up is a video from early 2023 of Omokoroa being hauled out to commence the project. Lyndon commented that they used Omokoroa for a while before haulout and he has worked on her reasonably solidly since then. The topsides were repaired and glassed before haul out and he has screwed and glassed plywood over 100% of the hull so hopefully a dry boat now. Not too much left to do and she will be back on the water soon depending on what Lyndon decides to do to the interior.

View previous Omokoroa WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/04/24/omokoroa-in-former-times/

06-05-2024 INPUT EX ROB HARRIS – below photos from when Rob owned ( many years ago) the launch, location – Beachlands 

NOR-EAST A Peek Down Below

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NOR-EAST A Peek Down Below

Back in February we did a story on the 38’,  1959 Fred Wilkins designed, Allen Williams built launch – Nor-East. That story was a great comparison of her as launched and with the help of a Feb 2019 photo of the craft moored in the Tamaki River we were able to see the ‘additions’ (I’m being polite) check out that story here, lots of great photos  https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/18/nor-east-before-and-now/

Current forward propulsion is via twin Ford 80hp Diesel engine that get her along at 8 > 10 knots. There were two almost sister ships – Sou East and Nor West

Now thanks to Ian McDonald and a recent tme listing we get to have a gander down belo

OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough

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OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough

When I received the photos above the first thoughts were ………… where and why. 

Chatting with the sender, Ant Smit, I learned that the location was the MacKenzie Basin, which is situated approx. 1/2 way between Christchurch and Queenstown in the South Island. The area is almost the dead centre of the island.

Ant advised that a friend was on a motorcycle tour and spotted the boat and couldn’t not stop and snap a few photos.

I quick chat to my WW steam guru – Russell Ward and we learn she was purchased ex Picton and should currently be viewed as ‘art’. Lets hope there is a long term plan to restore her.

Her back story is a good read and she appeared on WW in May 2020 – link below. We learned then she was made of steel in 1987 and was originally named – James Torrey, and was used for trout fishing tours on Lake Tarawera –  lots of details in the story. In the photo below we see her at Picton when she was running as a commercial passenger vessel.     https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/17/ss-duke-of-marlborough/

Anyone able to enlighten us more on her future 

INPUT ex DAN CONAGH (owner) – I can confirm that I’ve purchased and moved the Duke to a section of land I own in Twizel. Our intention is to restore, repaint and return to service on one of the lakes in the MacKenzie District.

Unfortunately the boat is showing the signs of having been stored next to the ocean in Picton. The hull has some rust that requires attention. The wooden topside has some sun damage. New varnish required, and the PVC roll up sides are beyond repair. The photos in this article are very recent as I was up there on Saturday cleaning up all the coal spread across the floor inside.

VENTURE – A Peek Down Below

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Russell Wharf – B.O.I.

VENTURE – A Peek Down Below

I last saw the launch – Venture, back in June 2021 when she was berthed at Hobsonville marina. Link below to that story + a Aug 2017 story that has some wonderful photos from her days big game fishing in the Bay of Islands.

Venture was built by Morrie Palmer in c.1964 and while several people have made reference to being designed by Colin Wilde, at best, probably safe to say ‘influenced by’ 😉

36 in length, 12’1” beam and draft of 3’7”. Forward motion is via 6cyl Ford 90hp Diesel engine.

Today thanks to a recent tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a gender down below.

WW Aug 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/08/26/venture-2/ WW June 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/06/23/can-we-id-this-launch-2/

KIRIKIRIROA – A Peek Down Below

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KIRIKIRIROA – A Peek Down Below

Well after two days of ‘wall2wall’ classic woody porn it was always going to be a big challenge to back up with a run-of-the-mill story, so I thought its Wednesday so must be time for a Work Boat Wednesday story.

Todays woody is the Terry Bailey built 1983, 36′ ex workboat – Kirikiriroa , a woody thats been on my top 10 list ever since I first spotted her at Gulf Harbour marina many years ago. Built from strip plank kauri.

She was originally built for the mussel industry on Great Barrier Island and later used for various fright and cargo transportation. While not currently in survey (on hold), she is still capable of carrying 5 ton of cargo.

AND – down below is a 70hp 4LW Gardner…………….

Kirikiriroa recently popped up on tm , thanks Ian McDonald. I could own her but I’d have to stop churning out WW everyday, I’d be too busy polishing that engine 🙂

Link here to the previous WW story  April 2016 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/15/kirikiriroa/

2016 photo ex K Ricketts

07-03-2024 Input ex Russell Ward – Kirikiriroa was ashore at Gulf Harbour for a tidy up when I had Hinemoa’s Boat up for the same several years back.
The sign in the wheelhouse appealed to me somehow.
She was looking a bit tidier back then, but she’s an appealing wee boat for a real man.

HAVE YOU RSVP’ed FOR THE WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN – SATURDAY 16 MARCH

RSVP > waitematawoodys@gmail.com

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