Category Archives: 36′>38′

SILENS – A CLASSIC BOAT OWNERSHIP  OPPORTUNITY – WHO WILL STEP UP

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SILENS – A CLASSIC BOAT OWNERSHIP  OPPORTUNITY – WHO WILL STEP UP

Yesterday WW was contacted by the owners of the 1912 Harvey & Lang built, 38′ classic wooden launch – SILENS and advised that post her recent sinking (refer WW story link below) they had made the decision to walk away from SILENS. https://waitematawoodys.com/2026/04/01/an-update-on-the-sinking-of-classic-wooden-launch-silens/

WW has been asked to help locate a suitably woody enthusiast interested in taking her on as a project, that has the time, resources and space to work on her.

A lot of people buy an older wooden boat and do not bother with a survey and subsequently discover they own a black hole that they are constantly tipping money into. SILENS could be the opposite eg you know exactly what you are acquiring and any surprises have been identified.

SILENS was/is great boat and probably just needs a systems upgrade. Do not let a couple of days under the waves put you off – the membership list of the ‘Classic Submariners Club’ is not as exclusive as most would think. Even my own woody has spent time (weeks) sitting on the bottom.

Interested parties to initially make contact via email to facilitate the process re liaising with the insurance company. Contact Leigh-Ann leighann.newton24@gmail.com

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH MATAROA RETURNS HOME & GETS SOME TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH MATAROA RETURNS HOME & GETS SOME TLC

In late 2023 the Wooden Boat Bureau brokered the sale of the 1928 Joe Slattery, 36′ classic wooden launch – MATAROA. Named KENYA when launched. At the time she was berthed in Wellinton and her new owner relocated (by road transporter ) the vessel to Auckland. 

Fast forward  to 2025 she was transported by road to the South Auckland (inland) yard of Burnand marine for a birthday. 

Thanks to John Dawson’s eagle eye on fb we get to have a gander at the work and her re-launch in November 2025.

Its always a win win when we get a good looking woody coming home to the Waitemata ✔️

A selection of previous MATAROA WW stories here, lots of photos and history

Oct 2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/31/mataroa-kenya-2/

Jan 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/01/27/mataroa-re-launched/

April 20217 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/29/mataroa-kenya-3/

April 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/04/03/mataroa-kenya-looking-for-a-new-owner/

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH REHIA GETS SOME UNPLANNED TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH REHIA GETS SOME UNPLANNED TLC

Post an oops (non skipper related) at the recent Auckland wooden boat festival, REHIA needed an appointment at the Jason Prew beauty salon at the Slipway Milford yard. 

This 1938 woody is a showpiece of Colin Wild’s design and build team and a big nod to her owners who present her in magnificent condition. 

photo ex Angus Rogers – Rakino Is.

20-04-2026 UPDATE – 3ed and final coat ✔️

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

150 YEARS OF NZ SHIPBUILDING – Reference Guilde

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150 YEARS OF NZ SHIPBUILDING – Reference Guide

Released in 2012 as a compact disc (CD), by Miles Hughes and covering the period 1795 > 1945, this booklet is of epic proportions – topping out at 837 pages.  For easy of reading in todays digital world the ‘book’ is below in PDF format.

The publication contains more than 1,200 NZ shipbuilders, shipwrights and boatbuilders and includes their biographies and the names, specs and first owners of over 5,600 craft.

150 Years of New Zealand Shipbuilding_260414_080355Download


HEADS UP: WW can not vouch for the accuracy of the content and when reviewing the list of contributors , several stood out as ‘being fond of interviewing their typewriter’ i.e. they make up what they either do not know or are unsure of. So woodys best treat it as a guide 😉

WW would be interested in feed back on this guide – maybe chose a designer/builder well known to you and review the content. 

As an example below is the listing on my boat RAINDANCE, some of the content is correct and some unknown or speculation that I have been told over the last 18 years of ownership, but it is very close her provenance.

So the question of the day – is this an amazing reference tool or to use that old school english saying ‘A Load Of Pants’ ?

UPDATE – Still available in print version at Boat Books in Westhaven, Auckland.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – FANTASY – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – FANTASY – A Peek Down Below

There are a few classic wooden launches that I would never take my partner onto – one of them is FANTASY, the 1952 McGeady built launch. Powered by a 72hp Sole diesel engine.

Her interior fit out would have me having to create some excuse as to why she wouldn’t be suitable for us. FANTASY ticks most of your boxes and has the added bonus of a fire / heater.

The launch made a brief appearance on tme last year and then disappeared, hopefully her owners changed their mind 🙂

EASTER ON THE WATER – Classic Wooden Boat Cruising

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EASTER ON THE WATER – Classic Wooden Boat Cruising

Just back from three days on RD , Friday was one out of the box, simply stunning. Saturday was another goody and Sunday a tad overcast but still warm. Very happy with the number of classic woodys at Rakino Island over the weekend. I managed to catch up with a lot of the skippers, general consensus was ‘grabbing a few days afloat before winter kicks in’. 

The white bridge-decker above was a mystery to me, short 4 letter name – Nathan what say you?

On Saturday I caught up with Bill Brown whose family (Corrine & James Brown) owned my launch in the late 1960’s. Back then she was named LADY GAY. Bill works off shore but keeps a very smart woody yacht (SusanJane) at Westhaven for when back in NZ. 

We meet a few years ago via a mutual friend and the WW site, the penny  dropped re the boat link and Bill sent me a great album of b/w photos from back in the late 1960’s.

 I spend a lot of time matching other people and boats from the past so it was extra special to have an ‘own goal’. 

One of Bill’s photos below of LADY GAY (RAINDANCE). For those interested more on RD’s past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/04/23/lady-gay/

Late 1960’s
2026

CAN WE DATE & ID THESE CLASSIC BAY OF ISLANDS GAME BOATS

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CAN WE DATE & ID THESE CLASSIC BAY OF ISLANDS GAME BOATS

Today’s very cool photo has been rattling around in the “too good not to share” tray for a few months now… and frustratingly, I can’t recall where it came from — so apologies upfront for not crediting the source.

The photo is tagged – ‘Bay of Islands Game Fleet’ and first two boats are the legendary Collings & Bell built launches – Alma G II, followed by Alma G.These launches were part of the original wave of purpose-built game boats that helped put the Bay of Islands on the world big game fishing map.

Can any BOI game fishing launchmen ID the other boats for us, would be great to bring the fleet to life again. 

INPUT ex GREG PHILPOTT

Was working recently on IDing these launches in a similar photo and with the help of Hylton Edmonds and Brett & Shelley Arlidge the occasion was identified as the “funeral” procession for the scattering of the ashes of veteran gamefishing boatman HW (universally known as Peter) Williams who died on 9th August, 1949.

The launches in that procession were Alma G II” (Mervyn) , “Alma G” (Francis), “Idolon” (Fred Baker), “Marline” – Leon Warne ??, “Reliance” (Les Blomfield)??,  “Pirate” (Jimmy Whitelaw / Otto Summers) and possibly given he was of that era – George Warne and the “Rosemary”?.

The general consensus is that the photo was likely taken from the stern of William’s boat “Avalon”.

AN UPDATE ON THE SINKING OF CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILENS 

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AN UPDATE ON THE SINKING OF CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILENS 

Firstly apologise for the short story today – I was boating yesterday and the day just slipped by.
On the 29 March we reported on the sinking earlier in the week of the 1912 Harvey & Lang built, 38′ classic wooden launch SILENS while moored in Algies Bay, Mahurangi Peninsula.

We received the below note (edited) from her owners –“I’m the owner of Silens and we read the WW article about her very unfortunate sinking last Thursday during the cyclone at Algies Bay. 

Good news is that she was salvaged on Saturday and on a dry dock, we have been working tirelessly since to strip her interior and clean her up, an her engine has been preserved thanks to the amazing team at Marine Services Auckland Ltd for salvaging her, Greg at Lees Marine Sandspit, Wayne at Mahurangi Marine and Dan at Northern Marine Electrical for assisting so far.  We had arranged for her bilges to be serviced on Monday, 3 days prior to her sinking, everything was in working order and can confirm water ingress was the cause of her going down. 

Talking to many locals in Algies Bay since, including boat owners, they advised the have not seen so much rain fall in such a short period of time that hit the area.

We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken, and will do and are doing our best to restore Silens back to her former glory. “
Yesterday I had reason to be at Sandspit Marina and called into Greg Lees yard to view SILENS. I can report that she is structurally in great shape and that the motor has been flushed and running, underway is a complete interior deep clean and thoughts on how to address the electrical areas. I briefly meet her owner and things are still very raw but SILENS couldn’t be in a better place at present. 

I’m sure there are things that were damaged or lost in the process so if we can help supplying any items – I will let you know.

MYSTERY CLASSIC BROOKE MOTOR LAUNCH 

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MYSTERY CLASSIC BROOKE MOTOR LAUNCH 

Todays woody made an appearance on tme in early 2025 and at the time we were told the launch was designed by Jack Brooke, built of kauri and launched in 1965, was 36’ in length and powered by twin 65hp Ford D Series engines, that gave her a cruise speed of 6>8 knots.

A serious lack of exterior photos, hard to get a good look at the boat, bow on isn’t her best angle. Quite a smart woody down below, juries out on the second story addition……..

And that woodys was all we learnt, so looking to put a name to the vessel and where she is these days (when for sale, Tauranga was the listed location)

(thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up)

CLASSIC SOUTHERN WOODEN WORKBOATS 

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CLASSIC SOUTHERN WOODEN WORKBOATS 

Earlier in the month Glenn Martin was mooching around the South Island on a bike  (I assume motorbike) and sent in todays gallery of woody workboat photos from Bluff. 

Not all capable of heading out to sea but wonderful to see them still intact, if that was Auckland they would have made a oneway trip to the landfill years ago.