Category Archives: 36′>38′

Viveen – Update

Posted on by
3

VIVEEN – Update


I first bumped into the 1924 Colin Wild launch – Viveen, back in 2014 at one of the first Classic Launch & Yacht Exhibitions at Auckland’s viaduct harbour. Back then she had recently moved to a new home, in Thames, where she still resides to this day. Prior to this she was berthed at Milford Marina from a number of years.


Back in 2018 her owners gave her a birthday and under took an extensive refit. Angus Rogers snapped the above photos of her over the holiday period moored at Waiheke Island, looking very smart with her new paint job. Being a Colin Wild launch, her past has been well documented on WW – a couple of stories are linked below

https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/22/7368/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/14/viveen/

Woodys Enjoying Their Boats

Posted on by
2
Korowai
Silens
Manuroa

Woodys Enjoying Their Boats

We ran a story on the Owen Woolley designed and built launch – Korowai earlier in the week, then ping the inbox sends an alert and Angus Rogers has ‘found’ another photo – its a stunner – great angle, well done Mr Rogers.

Also above from Angus is a photo of the 1912 Harvey & Lang built launch – Silens on route to Te Kouma. Read / see more on Silens here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/04/22/the-evolution-of-silens/

Lastly we see Manuroa already at Te Kouma – doing what we would all like to do – just hanging out doing nothing. A previous owner of Manuroa believed it may have been built by Bailey & Lowe c.1912, is anyone able to confirm ?

Scotts Landing – photo ex Roger Mills


UPCOMING LONG WOODY WEEKEND

It is less than 2 weeks until Mahurangi weekend – the biggest on-the-water woody event in New Zealand – just check out Rogers Mills drone photo above to get an idea of the turn-out. Almost all of those dinghies are from a wooden boat anchored in the bay. The occasion is the regatta prize giving / BBQ on the Saturday night at Scotts Landing – all welcome, remember to bring a $20 note to buy a copy of the Mahurangi Cruising Club’s brilliant year book – its one of the best boating reads and great value.

On Saturday (30th) morning we have the classic launch parade – more details re times etc closer to the day but please make life easy for the organisers by emailing your name, boat name, and brief description your woody – design, age, length etc to  admin@classicyacht.org.nz
If you’re in Auckland on the Monday (1st) – as part of the Anniversary Day Regatta there will be a classic launch race. Entries for this are now open and you can enter at www.regatta.org.nz It is a handicapped race so everyone has a fair chance of winning some of the great regatta prizes 

Lady Rae

Posted on by
1

LADY RAE
If you trolled back thru the CYA’s archives one of the classic launches that regularly made an appearance was the 1948, Chas Bailey Jnr designed launch – Lady Rae. Built by Chas Bailey & Sons.She last appeared on WW back in March 2014, so is long overdue for an appearance.

Todays photos come to us via the camera (iPhone) of Angus Rogers and see Lady Rae in Chamberlin Bay, Ponui Island. Keen to learn who owns her these days and what’s been done to her over the years.

There is a lot of chat in the comments section of the 2014 story – link below, I’d view K Rickett’s numerous comments lightly – back then I believed most things he said, these days there is a very fine filter applied 😉https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/12/lady-rae-3/

Bay of Islands – 2021 Tall Ships Regatta

Posted on by
3

BAY OF ISLANDS – 2021 TALL SHIPS TROPHY RACE

The above photo essay from the 2021 (Jan 9th) Russell Boating Club’s Tall Ships regatta were sent in by Dean Wright, as always stunning camera work. Dean commented that there wasn’t much breeze on race day so it was a bit of a dawdle. I’m sure that didn’t dampen the legendary post race festivities ashore.

Dean is a good lad and always tries to include a few launches in the mix, even if its a sailing event. #e like that
The photos of the Colin Wild launch – Wirihana, just go to show that if you are a looker, no matter what you hang off her (SUP/Sailing Dinghy/RIB) – you’ll always be a looker 😉
As always – click on the smaller photos to enlarge.

Woody Summer Boating Cruise

Posted on by
1
Rakino Island (West Bay on left – Woody Bay on right)
Raindance & Morgana
West Bay, Rakino Island
Marise
Woody Bay Pizzeria – Rakino Island

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON RAKINO ISLAND – click to play – the singer, Jennie Cruse is Auckland based and available for hire – 021 266 4330

Liberty
Windhaven II
Marise
Manuroa
Waiari
Raindance @ Garden Cove

GARDEN COVE – 360 deg Video – click to play

WOODY SUMMER BOATING CRUISE
The WW story today is a photo gallery from the 2020/21 holiday period cruise on Raindance, the photos are not always that sharp, it was more like “look there’s one” and I would grab the camera and snap a photo. Click on the smaller photos to enlarge 😉


We mostly mooched around Waiheke and Rakino Islands – had 11 great days afloat, a little blowie at times but tucking away in the right spot with a good book was just what the doctor ordered. Only had 2 hours rain on one day, so can not complain. General observation was that it was quiet in most of the bays. I understand Great Barrier Island was very popular.As always there are a few food pix to break things up. The discovery of a pop-up pizzeria in Woody Bay, Rakino was the culinary highlight of the cruise 🙂


Thanks to help from several woodys sending in photos, we were able to continue the WW stories everyday over the holiday period and the viewing / reading numbers were strong thru-out. I think that one of the few positives from CV-19 is that a lot more people have either upgraded their digital devices or are now more tech savvy and are on-line more often.

Enjoy the photos – the next big woody event will be the Auckland Anniversary long weekend at Mahurangi.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/01/wooden-boat-bureau-advice-for-buyers-and-sellers/

Freedom

Posted on by
7

FREEDOM
Today’s boat is named Freedom and is a recent purchase by Neil Hammond. Neil bought Freedom off a gent named Murray Davies in Havelock, Marlborough Sounds, who owned her for 9 years. Her construction is double diagonal kauri (then glassed ) and is 36’ in length and powered by a Detroit 6-71 diesel. From her early service records it appears Freedom was based in Auckland from new.

When advertised for sale, she was described as ‘vindex style’, hopefully not 🙂 you will struggle to find any vindex’s on WW.
So woodys – can anyone help Neil in his quest to learn more about his boat?

09-03-2021 More input from owner – Graeme Mossman appears to have owned and sold the boat in 1988.  I have this name off an old letter in the file, and this name is deciphered from a signature so may be completely wrong.  However, I am thinking that he is the original owner as I am told that the boat was built in 1979/80.  This letter is an introduction of the boat to the new owner who has purchased the boat off Mossman in December 1988.  It also refers to a Doug Walley who is described as an experienced engineer who works as a Tutor at the Auckland Technical Institute and who can do some maintenance on the boat after the new owner has completed the “Christmas Cruise”, before the boat is transported to Wellington.  So, from here it appears to have spent time in Wellington before ending up in the Marlborough Sounds.


Photo below of last nights sunset and still no rain 🙂

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/01/wooden-boat-bureau-advice-for-buyers-and-sellers/

Summer Boating in the Bay of Islands – Part 2

Posted on by
2
Marline
Galerina
Orari II
Serene
Active

Summer Boating in the Bay of Islands – Part 2


Our resident B.O.I. woody – Dean Wright is a star, above is another batch of photos from the Bay of Islands. I was especially rapped to get the top two of Marline, WW readers will know that she spent several months at the end of last year I the shed at The Slipway Milford getting a top-chop. You can read / see more on that at the WW link below. Wonderful to see her back in the bay and with Ken Warne at the helm.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/14/marline-gets-a-top-chop/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/25/marline-back-in-the-water/

The very large – Galerina, is looking the sharpest in many a year – well done to whoever is caring for her. Can anyone put a name to the last photo, the launch with the game poles – its something like ‘Hattele’

I have been getting weather reports from back in the city that its been very wet – my garden will be very happy. But I can report that other than 2 hours of light rain on 01-01-2021, its as dry as a crisp. Photo below from Rakino – West Bay on the left and Woody Bay on the right. 
As always if you spot anyone or thing that might appeal to the WW readers, pull the phone out and snap a photo and send in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Islay

Posted on by
4

ISLAY

WW has been contacted by Nic Innes seeking help on-covering details on this launch Islay. All he knows is that it was previously owned, for 33 years by a Peter Weeks, and built in the early 1930’s by Millers of Lyttelton. Islay is 36’ in length.

The photo above is reflective of the launch when Nic bought her approx. 2 years ago. The photo below is as current. Nic has been restoring/changing her for a while now. Nic commented that she was pretty much completely rotten on the top side and he has gone for a more usable cabin space. However the immediate goal for now is to just keep it dry so it can be used and enjoyed in the mean time with all the modern luxuries. Nic understands that she has been in Havelock for a long time.


Can anyone help Nic in his quest?

Harold Kidd Input

 (1) I’ll stick my neck out and say that this ISLAY was built by J.McPherson of Dunedin in September 1927 with a 25hp 4 cyl Kermath. R L Kennett of Christchurch bought her in 1936 and had her refitted by Millers. Kennett owned her right up to WW2. G. Davis owned her from 1946 to at least 1962. He replaced the Kermath with a 100hp Austin in 1953. R.B.McMillan of Lyttelton owned her in 1973.

(2) ECLIPSE was built in Dunedin by McPherson in November 1922. Maybe kejo’s two photos are from some McPherson provenance and maybe his ISLAY is a different boat from the McPherson-built Dunedin boat, although they were of the same length and both Kermath-powered. The Kermath was a popular engine at the time, however. Still, the Dunedin ISLAY vanishes at about the time an ISLAY pops up in Lyttelton.  Just to add to the mystery, it’s just possible that Kennett’s ISLAY was his PASTIME, renamed after a rebuild at MIllers..Who says launches are simple?Happy days!

Katoa

Posted on by
Reply

KATOA
The photos above of the 37’7” launch Katoa , were sent in by Bay of Islands woodys – Dean Wright. Dean snapped Katoa in the Te Puna and Kerikeri Inlet area last week.

Designed and built by Geoff Bagnall in 1988, she may by ‘youngish’ for a woody but she is an oldie at heart 🙂 Powered by a 130hp Lees Ford diesel.


Katoa has appeared on WW before – link below for a peek-down-below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/06/19/katoa/

DONATE HERE https://givealittle.co.nz/org/nztbs

Almeda – Mapuna – Sisters?

Posted on by
2

ALMEDA –  MAPUNA – Sisters?
Recently Alan Sexton and Mark McLaughlin were plating hooky from work to check in of the launch Trinidad that is receiving some serious TLC at Greg Lees shed at Sandspit. 

Back in February 2017, Alan sent in some photos and details on a local (Matakana) classic launch named Almeda, at the time he commented that the designer was unknown but it appeared to have John Brooke’s name all over it – link to that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/02/almeda/

While at the Lees yard they spotted Almeda hauled out at Sandspit Yacht Club and are both sure she is a slightly updated version of Mark’s launch – Mapuna. Alan commented that Almeda’s keel is obviously rather more substantial and that Greg Lees told him they fitted the deeper keel to Almeda quite a few years ago for the previous owner. The pieces attached to the keel are the lead ballast relocated from the bilges. She has a reduced transom tumble home but the bow and hull lines look identical to Mapuna (first photo below ex Mark).

Mark is keen to hear peoples thoughts re comparing Almeda and Mapuna with Tarata, also by J Brooke. Tarata is rather deeper in the forard sections, no doubt to provide the buoyancy required to offset the forward mounted engine in the smaller hull. (Refer second photo below, also ex MarK). https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/21/tarata/


So woodys – thoughts, comments, opinions ?

Harold Kidd Input – There was a strong connection between Snow Waters and Jack Brooke, witness SCOTT COLVILLE. Robert Brooke worked for Snow about this time and will know exactly what the story is about these designs.

Yesterdays winner of the Off Center Harbor cap was – John Hunter, with the answer Lady Ellen

Mapuna
Tarata