Category Archives: 36′>38′

Des Townson  – A Sailing Legacy – Perfect Fathers Day Present – Ordering Details Below

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Des Townson  – A Sailing Legacy

Back in July Brian Peet contacted me about his latest book publishing project, Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy. Brian asked if I would like to attend the launch night, a smallish gathering in the dinghy locker at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron – of course I said yes and a few days later an advance copy of the book arrived via courier. Well that buggered my plans for that day 🙂
I later asked Brian if I could sneak a couple more onto the invite list, which happened. Then Brian lets me know that things have snow balled and the launch was now in the main ballroom at the RNZYS, things had stepped up a few notches.
Fast forward to last night and the who’s who of yachting is crammed into the Squadron. My guess would be 400+ people. Speakers were the Squadron Commodore Ian Cook, Des’s younger brother – Bill Townson and Brian Peet. Ian built six Zephyrs under Des Townson’s supervision, won the National Champs in 1980. Bill Townson is a skilled boatbuilder, yacht designer and amphibian aircraft designer/builder.
I sneaked in early any took a few photos and videos of some of the exhibits, which included a Starling, Zephyr, Mistral and a 1956 replica of Des Townson’s first commercial design Nimble. What most caught my eye, was the Townson 2.4m dinghy on display that had just been built by Allan Hooper at the NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School. Its for his own use, but if you ask me it should be should be on display somewhere. Talking to Allan I understand the school will have ‘build your own’ kits and how to classes – perfect opportunity to own a Townson.
I later filmed Brian’s talk / presentation, see below – it is a wonderful insight into how the book came about and challenges Brian had over the 10 years it took to complete it.
 
As I have said before – its a great read, buy it, you won’t be sorry – as Brian said last night – it is a “sailing book, about a sailor, written by a sailor”.
 
Enjoy the video, then buy the book – either via the website https://destownson.co.nz  or if you prefer to do a bank transfer, email Brian with your name and postal address and he will reply with bank account details – its that easy info@destownson.co.nz
 
Oops nearly forgot –  Details on how to win a copy of the book on WW, later in the week.

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Woody Classics Weekend Riverhead Trip Report

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Woody Classics Weekend Riverhead Trip Report

We had 23 classic launches confirm for Sundays Riverhead cruise but folks I can report that the weather at times was a little evil. Not too bad for the big girls but the sub 30’ crowd were rocking & rolling. Lots of white water over the top. But it was only for a short time, after Herald Island things improved 🙂
On the day, 15 launches travelled to the Riverhead Tavern and had a ball, neat people , stunning boats, lots of good chat. Big ups to those that came by car to join the gathering, nice gesture.
Now – confession time – on the email I to sent the skippers that had RSVP’ed I gave everyone a big wind up about behaving e.g. Indian File, follow the leader, no over taking etc etc and bugger me – Raindance went aground. Last bend before the hotel & I’m up on deck laying out the lines & fenders and  the ‘duty’ skipper puts us in the mud. No amount of forward / reverse would move her. Thank goodness for my boatbuilder Geoff Bagnall and his wife Theresa on board Achillies, who came to our aid and pulled us off. Not before 1/2 the fleet passed us – very embarrassed. Hopefully the oops cleaned off some Baywater sludge. But I was not alone………. 2 others parked up as well 😉
Not a great day for photos, overcast and drizzle but the sun shone thru at the important times 🙂
Remember to put a big circle in your diary for the weekend of 19/20th of October for the next Woodys Classics Weekend. Its a picnic cruise to Still Water motor camp – Master of ceremonies / Officer of the day / Rear commodore / Chief Poo-bar / Mark Edmonds (who like titles) is finalising dates and details but there could be a band, classic cars / motorbikes and vehicle access for the boat less Woodys – more details soon.
Special thanks to Brendon Gardiner, Margo Hudson, Jason Prew and Alan Houghton for the photos.
Photos below from Michelle Maitland onboard Cleone

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And more ex David Plummer and Geoff Steven

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B/W photo below ex Mike Mahoney

WCW Riverhead ex McH

Great view of Jason Prew’s – My Girl below. taken by Angus Rogers. Really shows off her lines, no wonder she is so quick 😉

My Girl @ Riverhead Sept2019

Silver Dollar

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SILVER DOLLAR

Silver Dollar was recently on trademe, she is a Bob Swanson design / build,  her distinctive look is seen in Nov 2017 WW story where we featured a smaller Swanson boat – Link below
Built in 1952, Silver Dollar has a kauri, carvel planked hull and measures 36’. Powering her is a Detroit 271, 60hp diesel.
In a pervious 2014 WW story John Wicks and  Paul Stichbury tell us some of the history of Swanson’s boatbuilding days and provide photos of her launching. What is impressive is she still has the original 2 cylinder ‘Jimmy’ engine (photo below)
Home port is Whangarei, Northland.
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Farewell Bud Nalder, Craftsman Sailmaker & Bagmaker
Farewell event to be held :  
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron –  Quarterdeck Restaurant
Thursday – 22nd August  2019   – 6pm – 8pm
All welcome
To Bud Nalder who passed away on the 31st July 2019
 
But to every sailor comes a time to drop anchor
Haul up the sails and make lines fast
You deep water dreamer, your journey is over
You’re safe in the harbour at last
You’re safe in the harbour at last
WCW Riverhead2019

Judges Bay + YC Italiano

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JUDGES BAY

This stunning photo of woodys hauled out at Judges Bay, Parnell, Auckland comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb. While the year is unknown, given the quality of the photograph, we must be able to ID some of the woodys?
YACHT CLUB ITALIANO 
My youngest daughter is living the life in Europe at the moment and has instructions to send in boating photos, there are not a lot of woodys in this lot but OMG check out the location (Portofino)
They have just done what’s called ’Sail Croatia Week’, the photo of her on the wheel is the only one without a glass in her hand 🙂 Six females and two Aussies blokes on their yacht, how do you get odds like that?
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Three years b4 this, the middle child was in the same spot, but not staying in a hostel 🙂

Miss Sandra (Kokiri)

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MISS SANDRA (Kokiri)

Today’s woody comes to us via Greg Philipott’s fb page. Greg commented that Miss Sandra was built c.1962, probably in Auckland (tbc).
She was named after Lola and Snooks Fuller’s daughter. Then renamed Kokiri after NZ Shipping / P&O purchased Fullers from George Wooller.
Chris Brittain commented on the fb post that Fullers repowered her with a GM 671.
Nathan Herbert also commented that her hull looked like an early Jim Young design.
Greg is keen to learn more about Miss Sandra. So woodys any details, stories, photos?
Input from Graham Clifford
“I was a full time skipper of Miss Sandra from 1967 – 71 when she was engaged in big game fishing, light tackle winter fishing and occasional runabout duties.  I continued my association with her on a piecemeal basis in the years after she retired from fishing in 1971 and took her new name “Kokiri.”  Under this name she was used variously as a scenic cruise boat,  a pilot boat to and from ships visiting Port Opua and a general roustabout.
Miss Sandra was a 36 foot Vindex hull built of kauri in Fullers new slipway shed at Russell in 1966.  I was present during her construction.  In late ‘66 I took over as her gamefishing skipper.  Together we captured a 547 pound blue marlin.  The following season, in March 1968,  we landed and weighed the biggest marlin caught in New Zealand waters, a blue marlin of over one thousand pounds (1017 lbs)
Miss Sandra was originally powered by a 6-cylinder Fordson diesel but was soon repowered with a Caterpillar turbo charged engine which gave her a top speed of 20 knots light. I used this engine for more than two years.  In 1967 I used Miss Sandra and her speed to assist Police in the transfer of a stabbing victim from a ship which arrived in Doubtless Bay. The victim (Wylie Hanby Roberts) needed hospital treatment and would have certainly died had the ship not diverted to Doubtless Bay.  Miss Sandra had the speed to get from the Bay of Islands to Doubtless Bay in time to meet the ship offshore.   The Caterpillar engine was replaced in 1969 with 6 cylinder Fordson and again with another Fordson.  Her final re-powering was with a noisy GM which coincided with her name change to “Kokiri.”  Her gamefishing days were over.  She became a part time scenic cruise boat fitted with airline-style seats and a small public address system.  This role did not suit Kokiri well and I personally shunned her other than to favour her for pilot duties.  The two principle maritime pilots liked her for her speed.”

Diana White

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DIANA WHITE

Today’s woody story is a tad out there – we have a 38’ ex lifeboat looking for a new home. Well to be honest we are really looking for a woody with a big shed and lots of vision. Owner John Fairburn wrote to me saying he had too many projects on the go and needed to find a new home. I’ll let John tell you in his words:

“Diana White has crossed the Manukau Bar in extreme conditions without a worry and travelled at sea when no-one else was, is now for sale. It had always been a slipway boat until it’s 1st private owner previous to me took it over and the huge anodes that earthed the SSB radio brought on a softening of timber through electrolysis around bronze, stainless and galv steel plus alloy cabin.

A lifeboat has many compartments held together with many bolts and special bronze and galvanised steel framework that had begun to rust in a few spots, so it took a bit to get back to bare hull to work on any soft stuff, and then I was going to use epoxied timber to rebuild. It’s a double ender 37’6″ x 12’0″ x 3’6″ with 2 x 23″ propellers in tunnels and weighed 13 tons. 

I was going to re-power and fit twin rudders so sold the 2 D series Fords that returned a litre per nautical mile at sea. At the moment it’s a bare hull so easier to survey (tap hull for soft timber) and is much reduced in weight and therefore easier to transport. I was in process selling props / shafts / stern-tubes / stuffing boxes and couplings, rudder, stainless bow rails and alloy swing down mast with radar reflector and 2 x stainless fuel tanks and the guy across road wants to turn hull into a house/cabin but a local Katikati boat owner reminded me of Waitemata Woodys, so if someone wants to pay me $3000 they can have the lot complete with RNLI drawings (1 inch to the foot) so they can plan their finished project.

I’ve still got a big oak tiller that has bronze end fitting that clicks into bronze shoe for manual steering and a special cutting tool to clear propellers through tunnel access ports.”

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Katoa

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KATOA
Built in 1988, Katoa fits in with my definition of a spirit of tradition launch + being built designed and built by Geoff Bagnall, it was always going to get my tick for a WW story.
Geoff B is one of the few modern day boatbuilders that can incorporate a flying bridge that looks ok to the eye (my eye at least).
Katoa measures 37.7’, is built from 2 skin kauri glassed and powered by a 130hp Lees Ford diesel.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the trademe listing.

Lady Ellen Restoration June ’19 Update

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LADY ELLEN RESTORATION UPDATE – JUNE 2019

Just received the above photos and story below from Bruce Mitchinson, as before, I’ll let Bruce talk you thru the report.
“Over the weekend we cleared out the boatbuilders shed ready to lay out the plywood cores for the cabin coamings, which are to be clad in Iroko inside and out.

This is the last of the major woodworking, apart from the engine box and associated trim and accessories, and fitting the coamings back on the boat.
Galley is complete ready to go in after the interior paint job.
Below deck the cabin woodwork is done and ready for paint, which is all white, with varnish door frames and jambs.

Unfortunately our painter has a hand injury so we are on the lookout for a new painter at the moment. 

We also lost our engineer, Ken Jaspers, who looked after our engine through its recondition, sourced all the new parts and running gear, and had things primed ready for assembly and paint.
Ken battled bone marrow cancer for the last year and was still working on our job up to a week before he checked out.
There will be a plaque for Ken, ‘Engineer to Lady Ellen’ that will go on the bulkhead in the engine bay. 
The trailer and engine which became a feature in Ken and Eileen’s driveway for over a year, is now up in the boatyard, ready for Brian to finish the assembly.
All the finished parts are stacked in the shower cubicle in the shed, ready to bolt on.
 
Still a lot of work to do, but it looks like a boat now.”

Mahurangi Regatta 2019 – Classic Wooden Boat Movie

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Mahurangi Regatta 2019 – Classic Wooden Boat Movie

The weather forecast is for a very average day today so I decided to share some serious eye candy with you. The video above comes to us from the very talented Roger Mills via his drone camera.
Once again Roger was out and about over the regatta weekend and captured some amazing classic woody footage.
I have to comment that it was very pleasing to see the classic woody launches featured, thank you Roger. All to often people forget there are more wooden motorboats afloat on the day than the stick and rag boys 🙂
Enjoy the video – its a goodie.
To view a high res / quality version of the movie – us the link below.

The Marine Photographer’s Eye, Benjamin Mendlowitz – OCH Video Featuring Kiwi Classic Wooden Boats

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The Marine Photographer’s Eye, Benjamin Mendlowitz – OCH Video Featuring Kiwi Classic Wooden Boats – The best photos of our fleet you will have ever seen!

Today’s story is rather special as the team at offcenterharbor.com have given waitematawoody readers access to their latest video that features woodys from this years Mahurangi Regatta. The OCH site contains over 500 videos (& 500 articles) that range from boatbuilding, to trimming sails, to a complete course on understanding every aspect of your marine diesel engine. There’s even a 42-part series on how to build a Caledonia Yawl camp cruiser. The collection of videos features mariners and craftspeople at the very top of the boating field, showing exactly how they do things, and which products they use in their work.

One of the OCH founders is Benjamin Mendlowitz who, in my eyes, is the worlds finest photographer of classic wooden boats, this January, Ben and his co-founders escaped the US winter and headed down under. Whilst in NZ their #1 mission was to attended the Mahurangi Regatta and to this end on the Saturday Jason Prew with My Girl & myself with Raindance hosted – Maynard Bray, Benjamin Mendlowitz & Steve Stone for a Regatta photo shoot.

In the 11 minute video, Ben talks us through his day on the water filming woodys. In the opening section when Ben is commenting on our classic fleet he says “I was newly inspired in my photography”. When a photographer with as much experience as Benjamin Mendlowitz says that – that is saying something about our woody fleet. Plus the video is a master class for anyone interested in marine photography.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND SIT BACK AND ENJOY + CHECK OUT THE COOL OCH OFFER BELOW

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/marine-photographers-eye-benjamin-mendlowitz-in-new-zealand/ww190523

SPECIAL 50% OFF – LIMITED TIME OFFER

The OCH site is 100 percent membership driven, and they do not accept advertising. Not lining their pockets with advertising enables them to provide OCH members with the unvarnished truth, straight from legendary masters of their craft – without worrying whether they piss off an advertiser 🙂

In addition to allowing WW woodys to view the video at no-charge, they have also put together a one-off subscription offer for WW readers.

They are offering 50% off the annual rate – thats an amazing US$24.50 – BUT woodys be quick it will not last for long + there is a Risk Free Guarantee – try it for a few days, if your not happy they will provide you with a 100% refund. I’m a subscriber – I love the site, I have watched one story probably 10 times.

JUST CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE  

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/join-now-2450-ww/

WHAT YOU GET:

  • FULL ACCESS to everything on the site for 1 full year (including our growing library of over 1,000 videos and articles)
  • Your membership includes three full “how-to-build” video series (80+ videos worth over $500 that you get free)
  • You can get your questions answered in the “comments” section under each video and article
  • Join our community of “off-center” boating enthusiasts around the world