Category Archives: 40′>42′

1929 CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SOUTHERN MAID SAVED

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1929 CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SOUTHERN MAID SAVED

Lately too many WW stories have been about wooden craft that have an impending appointment with a back-hoe. Today is a feel good story – the 1929 classic 42′, Ernie Lane of Picton built wooden launch – SOUTHERN MAID has been saved.

Let’s back the truck up – back in June  2026 we ran an SOS story on SOUTHERN MAID, reaching out for someone to step up and save her. Link here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2026/06/13/sos-southern-maid-classic-1929-motor-launch-needs-saving/

On Saturday I received an email from Jeff Giddens – reproduced below

“As you often post, of boats that are heading for an appointment with the back-hoe, this one brings joy. 
The vessel “Southern Maid” which had fallen into hard times, had been placed up for sale, was once owned by the McAllister family in the Marlborough Sounds for a very long time years ago, has now been purchased for $1 back to the family to be restored to her former gory. Such a fantastic outcome”.

We look forward to following the project.

NGATIRA – RARE CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT FRESH FROM RESTORATION & READY FOR HER NEXT CHAPTER

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NGATIRA – RARE CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT FRESH FROM RESTORATION & READY FOR HER NEXT CHAPTER

Heads up – when it comes to the 1904 Chas Bailey Jnr. designed and built yacht – NGATIRA, I’m a tad biased. I have known her owner , Steve Horsley for 25+ years, in fact he is responsible for igniting my passion for classic wooden boats. We worked together in the same advertising agency and I used see Steve each year crafting the Mahurangi Cruising Club Year Book and view / read the wonderful tales on wooden craft that participated in the Mahurangi Regatta.

At the same time Steve was undertaking a FULL rebuild / restoration on NGATIRA. I witnessed the highs and lows of a hands on, one man, self funded project. The fact he came thru it (twice) is a testament to his fortitude and a very sympathetic wife 🙂

Steve has owned NGATIRA since 1998 and converted her back to original gaff configuration over a 5 year restoration 2005-2010.

Then he undertook a second 5 year restoration in the 2020-2025 period.

As she sits today NGATIRA is in immaculate condition, better than as launched 122 years ago. 

Steve is one of those people you hate, he can turn his hands to just about anything – what you see in the above photos is Steve’s work. Including bespoke traditional rigging, spars, blocks.

She sports a very traditional sail wardrobe – main, topsail, jib and staysail.

Forward propulsion when not sailing is via a Yanmar 3YM30AE diesel engine.

If you have read this far you will be starting to think that NGATIRA is for sale – well woodys she is – now is the chance to own an immaculate classic yacht that is ready to sail away today – either classic cruising  and racing with the Auckland’s classic yachting group. 

Classics with the WoW factor that NGATIRA exhibits are very rare and its a buyers market.  

Interested parties to initially connect Steve Horsley at srhorsley@gmail.com

CLASSIC WOODEN GAME BOAT – MARGARET ANNE 

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CLASSIC WOODEN GAME BOAT – MARGARET ANNE 

I start todays classic woody story with an apology – I can not recall who/how I received todays photo of the classic wooden launch – MARGARET ANNE.

Lots of woodys on WW named Margaret Anne, my clouded memory says she is a Oliver & Gilpin design / build.

Obviously from the photo she spent time as a big game boat. 

Todays woody question – is today woody the same vessel as below. What throws me is the visual look of the photo, maybe its just the camera angle but it appears shorter than 42′ – thoughts?

FRIDAY FLASH BACK – CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH RONGO 

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FRIDAY FLASH BACK – CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH RONGO 

Back in June thanks to input from several WW followers we had a wonderful peek back in time on the classic wooden launch RONDO. https://waitematawoodys.com/2026/06/07/classic-wooden-launch-rongo/ 

Earlier in the week Tobias Forsyth contacted WW to say his mother – Carol Forsyth had been going through a few old photos after Tobias’s dad, Iain, had found a few photos of his own on RONGO. The hunt was prompted by a WW story mentioned above. Tobias commented that some were taken at Kawau Island at ‘Two House Bay’ and some from Iain’s place at the entrance to Helliers Creek. The bare timber shots would have been in the boat sheds down at Ngapipi Road when Ernie Gordon (owner c.1985>2007) did a full strip.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH SILVER FIN (TUARANGI)

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH SILVER FIN (TUARANGI)

Following on from Saturdays WW story on classic wooden launches hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club, today we see the launch – SILVER FIN getting some TLC. (photo ex Geoff Fiebig)

SILVER FIN has made several appearances on WW, and in 2018 Bryan Wagstaff sent in the b/w photo above and confirmed that SILVER FIN was built by Lidgard Bros for a H.S White & launched in 1950, when launched she was named TUARANGI. 

White sold her in 1951 to Bruce Winstone. She was 42’x12’x4’3″ and originally had twin 90hp 6-cylinder Redwing petrol engines. During Whites ownership, she blew up while refueling at Whitianga.

Bryan’s father, Eric Wagstaff, purchased the damaged boat from the Bruce Winstone. It was collected from Whitianga and towed to Tauranga by a boat called RAINBOW which was an old bridge decker owned by Eric. RAINBOW had a marinised Rolls Royce engine and was built for the Mills Bros who were Bay of Plenty farmers. Post the explosion the roof section from SILVER FIN  was basically upside down and pretty much in place on collection. The boat had been beached at Beach Road, Otumoetai.

The boat was lifted onto a transport trailer by Bert Godfrey, the founder of the NZ Lumber Company and moved to Eric’s joinery factory in Judea. The top was replaced and Eric consulted with Willy Oliver, who was a friend, on the design of the new cabin. The motors were replaced with 60hp Fordson diesels converted by Lees marine.                                              Back in 2018 Bryan commented that the family enjoyed many a trip on the Silver Fin. She was chartered for game fishing for a while in the days of Bob Gray. 

The boat was sold c.1959 to Dr. Kennedy the family doctor, who painted the boat green. Back in 2016 she was for sale and at that time was powered by twin 110hp Hino engines.

CLASSIC 1920’S WOODEN LAUNCH – DUCHESS – One Of The Most Impressive Woodys To Grace The Waitemata

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CLASSIC 1920’S WOODEN LAUNCH – DUCHESS – One Of The Most Impressive Woodys To Grace The Waitemata

I tend to rotate the laptop screen saver image on a regular basis – for the last week todays photo of the ccc classic wooden launch DUCHESS has been the photo of choice, hard not too – she is such a looker.

DUCHESS has made numerous appearances on WW , starting back in 2013.

Thanks to a 2018 story and input from Harold Kidd and Nathan Herbert we learnt the 40’ DUCHESS was built in the late 1920’s by Bailey & Lowe. In 1934 she has a wee incident with Eel Rock, off Cowes Bay, Waiheke Island. Photo below.           More details on DUCHESS here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/03/25/duchess/

More details and photo from her past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/13/duchess-2/

Todays photo is from Ian McDonald via Lew Redwood , via the Auckland Maritime Museum. It was commented that the location was Kawau Island, date unknown.

A CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH IS HIDING HERE – CAN YOU FIND IT

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A CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH IS HIDING HERE – CAN YOU FIND IT

There is a lot of craft named RESOLUTE, todays one was designed by Sonny Levi & built by Shipbuilders for Stan Waters in the later 1950s or earlyish 1960s.The photos were sent in by Ken Ricketts who was friends with a later owner – Ray Bailey (1970’s).

Waters replaced RESOLUTE with another slightly larger but similar boat to some degree to another Sonny Levi design, which he called the ILIKAI. 

She was originally powered by 2 x 4/53 GM Detroits & were replaced post  2000 with 2 larger engines (Yanmar 6 cyl. I think). She was lengthened & the original coamings seem to have been replaced. 

Apologise for the bottom two photos, sourced from KR 8mm movie footage back when Ray Bailey owned her.The top photo was taken on the hardstand at Gulf Harbour while having her new engines fitted. This photo gets auto entry into the ‘Boat That Most Resembles A Block Of Flats Award’ and is currently in the lead by a long margin …………..

SOS – SOUTHERN MAID – CLASSIC 1929 MOTOR LAUNCH NEEDS SAVING

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SOS – SOUTHERN MAID – CLASSIC 1929 MOTOR LAUNCH NEEDS SAVING

The 42’ 1929 wooden motor launch – SOUTHERN MAID, built by E.R. Lane in Picton has just popped up on tme with a call out for someone to help save this significant southern woody. Current owner is unable to continue the upkeep of the vessel and the call has gone out for a new owner to step up.

As we can see from the photos below, she hasn’t always been in the ‘as presented for sale’ condition.

There must be a woody follower in the South Island that can bring the SOUTHERN MAID back to the condition she deserves. ( thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – RONGO

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – RONGO

WW was recently contacted by Joan McCracken regarding a classic wooden launch – Joan is helping prepare a 2027 calendar for the Alex Turnbull Library.

During her search for photographs matching the calendar theme ‘Picnics’ she came across the photo above that is dated March 1952 and tagged ‘RONGO in Queen Charlotte Sound’.

The photo was taken by K. V. Bigwood. Joan is hoping WW readers can help with any information on the vessel, the photo, and specifically  who owned the RONGO at this time – and is the owner / captain the person in the cap serving tea in the photo.

Back in May 2013 we a RONGO story that featured RONGO, at the time Harold Kidd provided extensive details on vessels named –  RONGO / RONGO I, RONGO !! – Link below to the 2013 WW story –  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/29/who-can-id-this-launch/

01-07-2026 INPUTS ex IAN FORSYTH – photos below of RONGO towing LINDA up Heliers Creek 1986

Below – Lloyd Mumme with Tobias Forsyth on the bow of AVALON alongside RONGO

Below – RONGO atRambler Crs. wharf, Helliers Creek


FRIDAY FLASH BACK  – CLASSIC WOODY BOATING CLUB  

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FRIDAY FLASH BACK  – CLASSIC WOODY BOATING CLUB LIFE 

Todays woody story comes to us from the Shelly Park Cruising Club (East Auckland) via woody owner James Dreyer (MV LAUGHING LADY) . James sent in the above video that was pulled together by one of the club members from the clubs archives and with the help of AI (image retouching and historical data input) we get to have a flash back to how the boating club scene snowballed in the 1970’s > early 1980’s.

After the first minute we get to see some amazing craft, a lot of which are still very active in the classic wooden boating movement today.

The film is less than 5 minutes so make yourself a cup of your poison and sit back and enjoy the film.