Kokoru – A Sneak Peek

KOKORU – A Sneak Peek

Almost 2 years ago the Wooden Boat Bureau found a new owner for the 1960, 40’Jack Morgan designed and built launch Kokoru. At the time she was calling Picton home and her new owners bought her north to Auckland and almost immediately hauled her out and into a shed. Kokoru was a very well maintained boat and in great presentation – but plans were afoot.

Yesterday I got a peek at the project – still a few bits and pieces to be signed off so today you just get to see her exterior and the new twin Yanmar 75hp engine installation (below)

The design and workmanship is faultless and very soon you’ll get to see the complete boat.

Link to previous WW story  https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/26/kokoru/

Update 16-02-2022 Name board photo ex Gavin Pascoe

Worldwide Classic Boat Show

Regular visitors to this site will be familiar with my enthusiasm for the uber cool website – offcenterharbor.com (screen grab above), last year the crew behind OCH during CV-19 lock down pulled together a world first, an online virtual woody boat show and today I can advise that its on again in 2022. With a slight twist – this year access is complimentary thanks to the generosity of the OCH founders. Details below

And because I couldn’t not give you a woody treat today – check out this link to a great OCH video, it is one of my favorite videos, I’d be a little embarrassed if I told you how many times I’ve watched it 🙂 Its titled Live Well: The Cruising Smack STORM BAY with Tim Phillips

So woodys mark your calendars — the second annual Worldwide Classic Boat Show is almost here, and friends of Waitemata Woodys are invited to CLICK HERE to register and get a COMPLIMENTARY PASS to the entire Show!

The Show is a completely online event from February 18th-27th, which means you can enjoy this gathering of the world’s best classic boats from wherever you are (without leaving the comfort of your favorite chair). 

More details about the Show are below, and…

You can CLICK HERE to GET YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASS while they last.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

Our friends at Off Center Harbor have used the power of the internet to put nearly everything in the world related to classic/wooden boats on one big interactive Google map…


WHAT’S “ON THE MAP” AT THE SHOW?

  • The Map – Everything related to classic boats is on one interactive Google map
  • Boats – Over 1,000 of the world’s best classic boats (with photos and details)
  • Organizations – Explore festivals, boatbuilders, clubs, museums, schools, etc.
  • Live Presentations – Inspiring presentations featuring experts on a variety of topics
  • People – Connect with other attendees anywhere in the world (right on the map)

YOUR BOAT COULD BE IN THE SHOW:

You can submit your own classic/wooden boat to be in the Show! Again, the Show is entirely virtual/online and will be open February 18th to 27th at ClassicBoatShow.com, and…

You can CLICK HERE to GET YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASS while they last.

Enjoy the Show!

Mahurangi Regatta 2022 – 150+ Classic Wooden Boat Photos

MAHURANGI REGATTA 2022 – 150+ CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PHOTOS

2022 will be remembered as the no frills regatta – no small boats, no beach activity, no beach party (band, bbq’s), no prize giving – but woodys it still rocked. Great turn out of both launches and yachts, and the weather gods delivered a breeze that provided some of the best racing we have seen in a long time.

I was told by someone that should know – that the budget for previous regatta’s is knocking on the door of $50,000 – maybe CV-19 has been a relativity check and maybe – less is more 🙂

I’m told Peter Brookes has Rawhiti in the groove, she is smoking the rest of the fleet – well done skipper and the grey haired crew 😉 for taking out the A division + Little Jim backing up last years Logan Trophy win with another win.

Tomorrow we will have a look at Mondays launch drag race for the quicks – conditions were below average on the inner harbour – correction, bad everywhere, I had the 2nd worst passage back from Kawau yesterday – 4.5 hours of my life I’ll never get back 🙂 . If I ever see the prick in a very large Riviera that went past me at full chat less than 50m away in the Rangi Channel and almost rolled me – he will get a bottle of Thai Fish Sauce in his air-con intake. 

No real story today, just a photo gallery from the weekend – sit back and enjoy. Remember click photos to enlarge. No photos from the Scotts Landing casual gathering – no need for a record ;-).

Special thanks to Murray Deeble and Glen Keeper for sending in photos 🙂

Update 02-02-22 Mahurangi weekend photo gallery below sent in by Graeme Finch

In Case You Are Hiding At Home, Wearing 2 Masks And Wondering What You’re Missing This Weekend – Check Out the 2019 Mahurangi Regatta

MAHURANGI REGATTA  2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos

FRIDAY NIGHT

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SATURDAY – REGATTA DAY

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SATURDAY NIGHT AT SCOTTS LANDING

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SUNDAY MORNING

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MAHURANGI REGATTA  2019 – The biggest & best classic wooden boat regatta in NZ – 90+ photos

WoW what a woody weekend – simply stunning on all fronts –  sun > wind > location > people & of course the boats. On my estimate, the biggest turnout of classic wooden craft ever. Record numbers for Saturday mornings launch parade.
I’ll go out on a limb & repeat a comment made to me on the deck of Lidgard House, Kawau Island on Sunday night by one of our most prominent & influential classic wooden boat people – “Mahurangi is the real Auckland Anniversary Weekend Regatta” & after cruising back into Auckland today, & not seeing a lot of yachts, I would have to agree.
On Saturday between Jason Prew on My Girl & myself with Raindance we hosted three of the wooden boating world’s superstars – if you read or follow the WoodenBoat magazine, Classic Boat & the hottest property on the block – the vblog, https://www.offcenterharbor.com
then the names Maynard Bray, Benjamin Mendlowitz & Steve Stone will be very familiar to you. These gents were motored around the harbour & very selectively photographed / filmed our beautiful woodys. When I mentioned that I had cancelled my trip to next months Hobart Wooden Boat Festival, one commented “why would you go – it’s all here” & woodys – it was.
I have never attempted to understand the ‘politics’ / issues between the Mahurangi Cruising Club & The Friends of Mahurangi people – but between them they turn on a wonderful day, that equals anything on the world classic wooden boat calendar. As with anything, a few wee niggles e.g. crap PA sound system at the beach prize giving meant most people didn’t know the results – but I can tell you that Tony Blake & the crew on Thelma gave all the other A division skippers as master class in regatta sailing. It was wonderful to see the big 5 Arch Logan yachts – Thelma (1897), Rainbow (1898), Ariki (1904), Rawhiti (1905) & Rawene (1908) all on the same race track together, for the first time ever (I think I’m right – Harold?) The results were:
Thelma, followed by Rawhiti, followed by Ariki, then Rainbow & Rawene.
As a result of playing driver for the overseas crew – I’m a little light on sailing photos, but you can see from the gallery above that it was a special day.
Well done MCC and F. of M. for another magic weekend.
If anyone else had the camera out & captured some goodies, email them to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com
We bailed out of Mahurangi on Sunday morning & headed to Kawau Island for some family R&R – photos below.
Question – what do you do when there is no shotgun to signal sunset & the lowering of the burgee? – well a few lads decided to bang some pots together, then drop the flags at Lidgard House – me thinks there might be a letter in the mail to certain members 🙂
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A WEE BIT OF PR GOING ON HERE – WW T’s & OFF CENTER HARBOUR CAPS 🙂
THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE A FOOD SHOT – KAWAU BOATING LUB, DINNER SUNDAY NIGHT.
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Check out the video below of Rawhiti – sent in from Benjamin Mendlowitz from Off Center Harbour

http://offcenterharbor.com

Update – due to not all launches completing 2 laps of the launch parade – I missed photographing a few boats – photos below ex Justine Ricketts (edited by myself)

AND MORE – link below to the Off Center Harbour video of the 2017 regatta, featuring Steve Horsley’s stunning 1904 Chas Bailey Jnr – Ngatira

New Zealand’s Mahurangi Regatta – Featuring Chas Bailey’s NGATIRA

UPDATE ex Graeme Finch of the A Class fleet racing Saturday + one of Raindance showing myself & Steve Stone from Off Center Harbour filming / clicking away 🙂

As always – click photos to enlarge 😉

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Also from Graeme – one of Bruce Tantrum’s pride & joy – Paramour + Graemes stunning ship – Te Arahi 🙂

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UPDATE – An early Saturday morning drone fly-by over Sullivans Bay, Mahurangi. Filmed by Neil Lawton, heads up on the movie from Ian Gavin.

30-01-2019 Update – photos of Laughing Lady ex Jason Prew

Update 11-02-2019 photos below ex Angus Rogers.

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The Endless Summer

Tasman
Viveen
Waiari
Juanita
Pacific

Peter Loughlin Photos Below

Lady Margaret

The Endless Summer 

I know I’m tempting fate with the headline, but who can remember when it last rained? Todays gallery of woodys comes to us from the camera of Nathan Herbert (Pacific) as he mooched around the Hauraki Gulf last week. The last 5, are from Peter Loughlin (Lady Margaret -CW) doing the same thing.

We see Tasman, Viveen, Pacific, Arihi, Escape, Chandos, Zoe, Motunau, Waiari, Juanita, Pacific, Lady Margaret (CW), Rehia, Ngaro and a few that I can’t put a name to.

A question – did Colin Wild ever design / build an ugly boat? 

It was a pretty wild and woolly weekend in some parts of the north and reviewing the news and photos, Tutukaka took the brunt of it – sad to see the carnage. Angus Rogers sent in the photo below from Russell last night – tagged ‘After the Wind’ showing the Russell ferry and the launch Miss Brett, bottom right closer in.

JOAN + AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND CLASSIC BOATING MUST DOs 

JOAN + AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND CLASSIC BOATING MUST DOs 

While sliding down the harbour the last week, I was passed by a very grand old lady – the 42’ Joan, built in 1919 by Baily & Lowe. She just slices thru the water with ease – no doubt helped by the very rare Gardner 612 engine. I have reproduced Harold Kidd’s notes below from a 2014 WW story – link to that and another story at the end.

“JOAN was built by Bailey & Lowe in December 1918 as IMANOTA for William Lang Casey of Hamilton Road, Herne Bay, the then President of the Victoria Cruising Club. She was 42ft x 11ft and was fitted with a Millar engine. Casey sold her to James Donald in early 1922 and he renamed her MARION D, although the name didn’t stick very well and she was often referred to as IMANOTA for years afterwards. During the winter of 1922 Donald re-powered her with a 30hp (rated) 3 cylinder Twigg and had the dodger built on. Donald owned her until just before WW2 when Athol Umfrey Wells of King Street, Panmure bought her and renamed her JOAN, probably after a daughter because his wife was Gladys. During WW2 she was with NAPS as Z19 under Wells’ command and the Twigg was replaced by a Gardner in 1944. Athol Wells owned her for many years, I think until he died in 1975. A chap called Walker owned her in the mid eighties when her provenance had transmogrified into her being built by Chas. Bailey in 1914 and being used by Zane Grey for game-fishing, all myths.” LINKS TO WW JOAN STORIES – more insights here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/20/joan-2/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/17/joan/

A Pot-Pourri Of Woodys

Viveen @ Te Komua 
Raira @ Te Kouma
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A Pot-Pourri Of Woodys

Today’s collection of classic launches come to use from a collective of woodys photographers that are cruising the Hauraki Gulf and outer waters – thanks to Angus Rogers, Murray Deeble, Colin Pawson and Lindsay McMorran.

And if you need a reminder of the cleverness of Chris McMullen, check out the link below to the story of his Herreshoff steam launch – just updated with shed photos post her ‘pretend’ (waterline check) launching.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/26/chris-mcmullens-herreshoff-steam-launch-2/

Rarangi – A Peek Down Below

RARANGI – A Peek Down Below

The bridge – decker Rarangi was built in 1951 by the Lanes Motor Boat Company using kauri planking. She is 39’ in length, with a beam of 12’5”, and draws 3’11”.

The forward motion is via twin Ford 80hp diesel engines, reconditioned 100 hrs ago by Moon Engines. Being a Southern boat (Nelson) Rarangi is very well spec’ed. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up, Ian commented that Rarangi had been quite a famous Mayor Island game fishing launch. Run for many years by Bob Gray and then his daughter Jill. A photo of Rarangi at Mayor Island at the WW link below – https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/04/21/classic-launches-at-opo-bay-mayor-island/

NOT MANY POSTAGE DAYS LEFT ON THE CALENDAR IF YOU ARE WANTING WW GEAR FOR THE SANTA SACK

Ordering details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/

HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT …….

HOW MANY MORE SUMMERS WILL YOU LET SLIP BY WITHOUT A BOAT ………

Waitematawoodys has a sister  – its called the Wooden Boat Bureau and we sell classic wooden boats – launches, yachts, big and small. We like to fly under the radar, as do most of our clients. Someone asked me what I did the other day – below sums it up (sounds a bit fluffy, in reality I just sell boats.

Inform and enthuse interest in the joys of owning and sailing traditional and classic wooden boats. And we do this by promoting partnerships between the boats, the sellers and the buyers, for the benefit of all. At the end of the day – its all about the boats, as most will out live their current owners.

To view a sample selection of classic woodys berthed at the virtual Wooden Boat Bureau dock, click this link –  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

Myself and David Cooke (MV Trinidad) are almost always available to offer advice to sellers and buyers – in the interests of marital harmony – in the first instance email to the below

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Raiona

Southern Belle (Barney Soljack) – Raiona B.O.I.
Wake boarding
(L) Clive Hutchings (R) Bob Cleave
Off the Poor Knights
Raiona B.O.I.

RAIONA

The launch Raiona was designed and built in 1919 by Joe Slattery. In the gallery of photos above me see Raiona when owned by Bob Cleave. The photos come to us from the Parsonson Family Collection via Mitchell Hutchings.Mitchell’s father – Clive Hutchings appears in several of the photos.

Raiona has featured several times on WW – link below to more recent photos, very cool to see a woody that has survived over 100 years without being abused at the hands of a wood butcher 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/19/raiona-2/

Photo below dated 2018

04-07-2022 INPUT ex Hugh Gladwell – photo below of Raiona re-launching today after a 12 month+ refit.

And this one of her leaving Kauri Classics yard