Category Archives: 36′>38′

Eunice K

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EUNICE K
I was recently contacted by Karen Bennett concerning the launch – Eunice K, pictured above in 1980, that her father, Mike McDonald, owned on the 1980’s. Karen & her family lived in Thames & used to cruise around the Coromandel area.
Karen was prompted to contact WW by an old friend John Managh, John had also owned Eunice K, previous to Karen’s family buying her, this was in the  late 1970’s early 1980’s. The McDonalds went on to own the launch Taree, photo below during their ownership in 1987.
Do we know what happened to Eunice K & is she still on the water?

25-10-2017 Update

Received an email from Henk Van Wijk to say that he was pleasantly surprised to read the WW story on Eunice K & he was able to advise that approx.. 8 years ago he found her in a pretty sad state of disrepair and as the family were looking for a project, they purchased Eunice K & renamed her Pathfinder in 2009.

Hank had always been curious about her history & when he compared the photos posted on Woodys of her in the 1980 to what she looks like today, he commented that she obviously has had a few changes done to her.

Hank would love to learn more about her early years, they know that she was built by Collings and Bell in 1948 and was previously owned by Rod Barker and was based at Pine Harbour, Auckland.

Pathfinder has spent most of her time in the lower Hauraki Gulf, and in summer up in the Bay of Islands. Hank commented that she is loved and well used by his family. The photos below show her when they found her and what she looks like today.

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Update 28-05-2021 ex Dean Wright – photo below of Pathfinder , berthed at Tutukaka.

Link to Taree on ww here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/05/01/taree-a-peek-down-below/
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Caroline

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Coroline

CAROLINE
Caroline was built by Roger Carey for Gilbert Rivas of Whitianga in 1951. She still has her original 3LW Gardner & measures 36’L x 10’B x 4′ 6″D. She still has her original 3LW Gardner. She was maintained by Howard Pascoe.

The photo above shows her berthed at Whitanga, Baden commented that it was nice to see an old girl return to her home port.

Do we know anything about her past life?

UPDATE 07-10-2019 Movie below, ex Allen Heatlie,  showing Caroline underway after painting inside and out.

 

Ever Wondered How They Used To Make Rope? Click the link below (ex The Mariners Magazine)

https://www.facebook.com/themarinersmagazine/videos/1910327765888740/

 

 

 

Port Townsend Classic Wooden Boat Festival 2017 – 80+ photos

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Port Townsend Classic Wooden Boat Festival 2017 – 80+ photos
Kiwi woodys Jenny and Malcolm McNicol sent me the below photo essay from the Port Townsend 41st Classic Wooden Boat Festival from The Puget Sounds in Washington State USA. They were holidaying in the Sounds and got to enjoy the festival.
The McNico’s are members of The Rotoiti Wooden Boat Association and are the proud owners of Tauraka, which has featured on WW.

Enjoy the collection – sorry if I have ruined your day ……… 🙂

Remember to click on photos to enlarge 😉

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A Lot Of Boat For Not A Lot of Money

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Water Gipsy > Connie V > Robyn Gae 4Sale

The 1934 Cox & Filmer (Speedcraft Boat Co.) built Robyn Gae has had a very interesting & colourful life – you can read all about it on the WW link below. But to regular WW readers thats old news & not the reason for today story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/06/water-gipsy-connie-v-robyn-gae/ 

Robyn Gae has been ‘hanging-out’ on trademe for a very long time waiting for a woody to takeover her ownership, I in fact gave the sale a plug on WW just over one year ago, but still no takers.

It is rare these days to find an almost original condition classic that is just in a run-down condition. On face value, mechanically she is good, she has just suffered from a lack of exterior maintenance – in my eyes nothing that could not be fixed by a wooden boat enthusiast with the basic skills. Her interior is very ‘as-built’ but that is all good,most woodys have had square edged MDF cabinetry fitted & need to be gutted, give RG’s interior a good scrub with sugar soap & a lick of paint & you could go boating this coming summer & start a rolling restoration next winter. I suspect the right buyer could own RG for not a lot on money. Take a look at the wonderful old photos of her in the WW link & you’ll see the potential she has to be a stunner.

So woodys, we must know someone thats looking for an entry level classic……………..

Woody Winter Weekend

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Woody Winter Weekend

Given the weather in Auckland last Friday you would struggle to believe the above photos were taken over the weekend. I escaped the Principality of Devonport early Saturday morning & headed down to Waikehe Island. Did not even stop on-route to the marina for supplies. The forecast said variable so I was planning on dining ashore.

Well for once all the forecasters got it right – Saturday was a stunner. After a few months of cleaning oil out of the bilge several times & numerous repairs I was very much in the “bugger this old boat gig” mode. We are a shallow lot – one good day / night & I had the bug again J

If you do not like crowds – winter cruising is the way to go.

Coming back on Sunday afternoon I rubbed shoulders with the magnificent ship Felicitare & the 1927, Colin Wild built, Lady Margaret – both looking stunning & doing the same as me i.e. slopping off for some R&R. I was sure Felicitare had featured on ww before but my search showed nothing – what do we know about her?

Great Workmanship

I own several dinghy’s from classic clinkers to what Harold Kidd once called a ‘Baby Riviera’ – he was referring to my American built Walker Bay dinghy. I bought her 2nd hand & have owned her for 10 years – towed behind a woody, she is pig ugly but without a doubt the most stable tender I have come across.

She was looking very sad & the inflatable tube patches were out numbering the good areas. So had to make the big decision – take the tubes off & just have a normal dinghy or order replacement tubes from the USA (US$850). Enter Terminator Boats (Kevin Tomlin) in Albany. They said they could manufacture a new set of replacement tubes, I was a little hesitant about the final look, but went with it & as you’ll see in the photos below, they have done a brilliant job, in fact better than new. I highly recommend them https://www.terminatorboats.co.nz

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A Big Parris

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A BIG PARRIS

To the best of my knowledge there were not a lot of big Roy Parris launches built, was there a reason ? shed size?. This one was built in 1960 & is 36′ & made of kauri. Zoom zoom is via a 120hp Ford diesel that comfortably pushes her along at 8 knots @ 1750 rpm.

She has been a very lucky classic woody in that as well as having the same owner for the last 20+ years, she has also been moored in a boat shed during this period.
Do we know anymore about her past?

She is 4sale on trademe, I can’t make out her name, but one of the woodys will recognize her 😉 Appears to be a lot of boat for the money.
As always – thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the listing.

Airini

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AIRINI

The above photos of Airini have been sitting in the ww files for over 2 years, I think its obvious way ……… but at least its only a temporary addition & folds down so wouldn’t need Jason’s tungsten tipped skill-saw 😉

I understand from Ken Ricketts she has belonged to Don Mac Donald of Auckland for 9 + years, & he bought her off a Selwyn Toogood, he thinks the name was, (not ‘the money or the bag’ one) Toogood may have had her for 5 or 6 years, & lived in the Paeroa – Te Aroha – Ngatea area, & kept her at Coromandel, where she was moored when Don took delivery of her.

One of the photos shows her on the hard stand at Mahurangi Marina, she has been moored by Don At Gulf Harbour originally, then up to Totara North, & presently at Mahurangi.

She is 37 ft overall, with a 34ft waterline. Powered by a 6 cyl Ford diesel. Her builder is unknown but Don believes she was built in 1965 in Whangamata.

Anyone out there know more about Airini’s past?

Tamara – Sailing Sunday

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TAMARA – Sailing Sunday

I popped down to the marina to check on the boat last week & discovered I have a new neighbour – the yacht Tamara. I know almost nothing about her other than her owner has just finished an 18mth restoration, the standard of which made me think she was a new build, quite stunning & a wonderful mix of painted surfaces & varnished trim. Looks seriously set up for some offshore cruising.
Any woodys able to tell us more about Tamara?

Input from Neil Chalmers

A Dennis Brown design . A talented yachtsman/ boat builder/ designer . He lived in the BOI and designed wholesome wooden cruising yachts – Chantal, Freya , Harmonie , Solita

I’m not out boating this long weekend but I’m very close to the water, in fact there boats are tied up at the edge of the lawn. If you ever wondered what happens when Waikato dairy farmers get too old to tend their farms, the answer is they lease the farm > sharemilker & buy a waterfront pad + marina + big plastic boat. Must be nice to have your boat at the bottom of the garden, but it would limit the ability to sneak away for a wee snooze on the boat 🙂

RAIRA – A Peek Down Below

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RAIRA – A Peek Down Below

Raira was launched in Devonport in February 1915. Built by the McLeod Brothers to a Collings and Bell design.  She has appeared on ww before but now thanks to her trademe listing we get to have a look inside 🙂
The great looking interior is the result of a full restoration completed in 2011. This included: new steamed ribs with copper fastenings, new bulkheads, new keel fastenings, all paint removed back to timber and her hull re-caulked + just about everything else on board was replaced or upgraded.

In late 2016 Raira was repowered with a 120hp Ford on an zero hour rebuild, that pushes her along at between 7.5>9 knots. At  the same time she was treated to exterior paint job.

Woody Ian McDonald commented that when he used to slip his boats at Omokoroa in the early 1980’s, Raira was on a swing mooring there & unless mistaken, the game poles are just as they were back then.

She is a pretty boat, but I’m not sure about the ‘poop’ deck 🙂

ps sorry about yesterdays story & the link not working, technology let me down 😦

How Serious Are They About Selling?

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How Serious Are They About Selling?

The above 36′ gaff rigged motor sailer is powered by a 60hp Ford diesel & is made of wood – that is all her ad tells us. Now if that was enough to get you fizzing at the bung with ownership anticipation, the photos would surely close the deal – yeah right……………… A few hours with a bucket of warm water & some sugar soap + off loading all the cr_p would help sell this boat, but then maybe the owner doesn’t really want to sell her?