Category Archives: 36′>38′

VIOLETTA

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VIOLETTA

Back in October WW was contacted by Jeff Giddens who advised that his father, Spencer Giddens, has been the owner of Violetts, a 36’ Swanson launch. Which the family regularly cruised the Marlborough Sounds on.                            The Sounds was her birthplace – she was built there in Queen Charlotte Sound by the well known boat builder Bob Swanson, for a Mister Jack Hutton.    It was built to cross Cook Strait as the owner lived in Paremata. It did many crossing, often in rough seas and was known for its sea keeping abilities.                                In approximately 1983 , it was sold to Jeff’s father, who still has it today, but now in his 80s is regretfully, looking to sell.                             She is 36′ by 11’-6″ feet, with a  3’6″ draft. Violetta is powered by a 6 cylinder turbo charged Ford diesel, and will do 15 knots. It is a hard chine planing hull, which is double planked kauri, a
full inch thick. 
Included above s a copy of a Sea Spray magazine article on Violetta dated November 1962. Top photos show the before and after of the alterations Jeff’s father made to the boat eg windows and I top roof dodger, all made to slightly modernise her look.

Out & About – went to a little backyard gathering yesterday and came away with a serious case of blokes shed envy 🙂

KARINA – A Peek Down Below

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KARINA – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody – Karina, was built in 1959 by Brin Wilson, kauri planked she is 36’ in length with a 10’ 11” beam and draws 2’11”. Forward motion is via newish 75hp Yammer diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8 knots. Her owner must like hot showers as her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) states she has 600L water capacity.

Can anyone tell us what Karina has been up to for theist 60+ years.

Input ex K Ricketts – Top photo (b/w) below ex a Ford Dealership advertisement in Sea Spay magazine 1961.  2nd photo (colour) c.2014 ex B Worthington.

PATIO BAY CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WEEKEND – 2023

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Moerani + Ariki
Tawera
Message To Santa – I Want One
Cake Day Entries – It Did Not Win But The Chocolate Cake Was The Best

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.

Tara III – Sailing Sunday

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TARA III – Sailing Sunday

WW recently received an envelop of photographs from retired South Island boat broker – Phil Vining, who these days resides in Motueka.

The above photo was tagged – Tara III , 36’ Chris Robertson built. Phil owned her himself in the 180’s, he sold her to a couple named John & Jane who sailed her around the world.  We believe that she is still owned them and these days calls Mana, Wellington home. Todays photo was taken during Phils ownership period i.e. late 1980’s.

Can we learn more about Tara III and get confirmation on her present location.

HOANI – A Peek Down Below

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HOANI – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody – Hoani has a wee bit of an identity crisis – her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) labels her builder as Salthouse in 1976. In a previous WW story from 2017 (link below – lots of details and old photos) we had great intel that Hoani was built in Coromandel, over a 15 year period by Charley Turner and launched in 1979. On launch day she was 36’ x 12’ x 3’10. Now she is just over 39’, most likely that ‘bit’ tacked onto her stern – a walk thru transom.

2017 WW STORY https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/03/10/honai/

In 2021 Hoani was re-powered with a Yammer 110hp turbo Diesel engine. As they say in the car sales game – she has had a lot of fruit added to her so with a wee bit of TLC would be a nice woody. Back in the day her cabin sides were varnished and she was a looker 🙂

Fantasia

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FANTASIA 

Earlier in the week I was out east and called into Leader Boats on the Panmure River. Dave Patterson and his team are currently breathing newline into a launch named – Fantasia, previously she was ‘berthed’ near-by.

Fantasia started life as a Crestacraft design and was built by Harry Biddle in a shed in Saleyard Rd, Otahuhu c.1968.

She has had several face lifts over the years and at time been a little un-loved. Now is getting what I’d describe as a sport fisher look, check out the new sheer line – close your eyes and think Oliver & Gilpin. The boat was re-engined in 1978, with what I’m not sure – much to K Ricketts disgust, I’m never that interested in the engines.

Her owner commented to me that he only came in for a new duckboard and paint job 🙂 I said to Dave that he could always get a job at McDonalds i.e. he’s the champion of companion selling – “do you want fries with that” 🙂

Still very much a work in process but you can see from the photos what she will look like.

HAROLD KIDD INPUT – According to the contemporary APYMBA records FANTASIA was built in 1963 By B. Everett of 51 Kiwi Esplanade Mangere. No mention of a designer. Make of that what you will. Did Everett simply pay for her to be built? That’s not the normal way APYMBA recorded information. Did he finish off a hull perhaps?

The Halvorsen Story

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Neutral Bay, Sydney – 1936
25′ Wonglaa
42′ Pollyana – 1934
38′ Kweena – pre restoration
Kweena – post restoration
Kweena – interior
60′ Tooronga – owner by A/Cup skipper – Ian Murray
57′ Sinana

THE HALVORSEN STORY

Todays WW story comes to us via the crew at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and features a video presentation by Tony MacKay on the legendary

Australian boat building dynasty – the Halvorsen family. Tony gave the presentation at the 2023 festival. 

Some background on Tony – he has been on board Halvorsen boats all his life, having owned nine substantial cruisers, all of which were significantly and lovingly restored. Through his involvement with the Halvorsen Club, he has passed some of this passion and energy to like-minded owners of these beautiful craft, also assisting with the improvement of skills and historical information. He has also represented the family for significant events at the Australian National Maritime Museum, exhibitions, on water parades, birthdays and even eulogies. It has been a lasting passion. 

Tony is a real character and has a very salty Australian vocabulary e.g when referring to a narrow beamed craft he said “it would roll on a wet lawn’.The photos above are just a taste of the many in the presentation – linked below – ENJOY.

Hauraki Gulf Mooching

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WAIKARO
AC/DSEA
HINEWAI
KOWAI

Hauraki Gulf Mooching

Bay of Islands woody Dean Wright reversed the trend over the Labour Day holiday long weekend and pointed the car south for some Hauraki Gulf cruising aboard his friend’s classic 33’ launch Waikaro. Waikaro was designed and built in 1978 by Roy Parris and later underwent a major refit at the hands of boatbuilder Geoff Bagnall.

Waikaro’s owners, the Smit family have given her a new lease of life with system upgrades and a return to varnished coamings.

Dean also spotted several other woodys out over the weekend – in the photos above Waikaro, AC/DSEA and Hinewai are anchored off Ocean Beach at Motuihe Island. Kowhai is in Waikalabubu Bay at Motutapu Island.

As always from Dean, stunning photos.

Previous WW Stories

Kowai https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/22/kowai/

Hinewai https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/06/21/hinewai-a-peek-down-below/

AC/DSEA https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/02/18/ac-dcs/

Waikaro https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/10/waikaro-emerges-from-the-beauty-parlour/

Woody Euro Tour

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Siesta – approx. 45′ canoe stern bridge-decker – Stockholm
Vasa – 17th century warship – Vasa Museum – Stockholm
Oslo, Norway
Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Gothenburg
Probably steel

WOODY EURO TOUR

Todays story comes to us from the camera of Rick McCay, owner of the 1920 MT Land built 47’ launch – Luana. Rick has been tripping around the northern hemisphere. Rick didi a similar trip back in 2017, you can view that story at the WW link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/11/02/a-woody-on-tour/

Where known I have tagged the locations – enjoy the photo gallery.

MILADY – A Peek Down Below

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MILADY – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is the Billy Rogers designed and built launch – Milady. Milady was launched c.1955 , approx 38’ in length she is powered by a Ford 130hp diesel engine. In recent times she underwent an extensive refit, in my eyes a tad too modern in places, but certainly a very well presented craft.

Thanks to Ian McDonald spotting the tme listing we get to have a gander below decks. 

Previous (Aug 2015 WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/08/31/milady/