The 42’ launch Glenaray was built in 1942 by Shipbuilders in Poore St, Auckland. She was built to be a WW II mine clearer, but never saw service and was converted to pleasure use. Powered by a 180hp Ford diesel. She last appeared on WW back in 2018, link below – she was also looking for a new owner then – https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/05/01/glenaray/
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the recent trademe heads up, which is no longer viewable, so fingers crossed someone got a bargain floating man bach 🙂
UPDATE 10-07-2023 Just popped up again on tme, the cabin top storage boxes tell you it doesnt leave the dock often – live-a-board?
Bay of Islands Big Game Fishing Boats Today’s great photos from the 1960’s, come to us from Hylton Edmonds and show Miss Helen (1930 Colin Wild) and Leilani at ‘work’ in the BOI.
Hylton commented that Leilani was owned at the time by George Wooler of Waihi Akrad Radio fame – later PYE Radio (NZ) and had the legendary skipper Jimmy Whitelaw at the wheel. Leilani was later sold to Bill Hall. Miss Helen was predominantly skippered at the time by Neville Fuller – Norman’s brother.
In the background of the Leilani photo, Hylton thinks the launch could be George Warne’s – Rosemary.
WW contributor – Scott Taylor, sent in the link to the above short film – titled ‘New Zealand’s Deep-Sea Fighting Fish’. The film comes to us via Archives New Zealand, and was originally produced by Neuline Film Studios, Auckland for the Dept. of Tourist and Health Resorts.
The film isn’t dated but both Scott and myself believe it is from the early 1950’s, can any one date the film from the footage?
There is an impressive collection of woodys featured, all looking very ship-shape, and most still afloat today.
WHO OWNS DEODAR – Looking for the current owner of the ex Auckland Police launch Deodar – can you contact WW at the email address below – trust me its worth your while 😉 waitematawoodys@gmail.com
In early 1961 Auckland hosted the British Medical Association conference, with attendees from all over the Commonwealth attending. Included in the conference was a ‘break’ day where the delegates and wives were taken on a picnic to Motuihe Island.
In the photo above we see the launches that were transporting everyone to the island, assembling off Westhaven. At the time it was one of the biggest organised gatherings of pleasure craft seen in New Zealand with over 66 laid on.The weather gods smiled on the day and Arnold Baldwin’s launch – Valsan was the convoy flagship.
There are a lot of woodys in the photo that still grace the Waitemata today. The photo and details come to us from the April 1961 Sea Spray magazine via Angus Rogers.
MOVARIE Movarie the 1938, W & G Lowe built bridge decker has just popped up on tme, she is a very well built woody with an amazing pedigree.
One of the better woodys around – Russel Ward, once owned her – RW has a good eye and nose for great boats – BUT, she will sit on tme for a long time, because the seller hasn’t posted any photos and the only details are as below.
ROYAL FALCON RE-LAUNCHED We have followed the restoration / refit of Collette & Steve Pople’s 1934 Cox & Fimer built woody – Royal Falcon on WW and been blown away with the quality of the workmanship happening in the Leader Boatbuilders shed.
Today thanks to Mark McLaughlin taking his launch Mapuna for a run on Sunday we get to she Royal Falcon afloat again. Boat shed photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/05/31/royal-falcon-restoration-2021-update/ We understand all that is required is the final interior finishing, which we will update you on shortly.
LADY JANET / POCO LENTO NEEDS A NEW HOME – All Offers Considered
A quick heads up, Poco Lento (Lady Janet) has appeared on WW several times and is currently for sale, the vendors are retiring from boating and moving into a retirement village, so woodys as they say in the real estate game – make an offer, you may be surprised at the prize…………. See more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/08/07/poco-lento-lady-janet/ Contact via waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Woodys Riverhead Tavern – Winter Cruise Yesterday was one of those days where the weather forecasters got it wrong -big time. Took the dog for an early morning waterfront walk between the showers and the ferries on the harbour were sounding their fog horns – fast forward 2 hours and the suns out, water glassy flat and we are going boating. Quick side trip to collect our quests – Margo & Jamie (MV Lady Crossley) from Westhaven and we are off.
A great turn out for mid-winter, saw 60+ woodys gathering at the historic waterside Riverhead Tavern for lunch – special thanks to those that came by car and helped with berthing the boats at the wharf. As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉
Nice to meet some new faces and if there was an award for most travelled attendee, woody Bruce Rowe on board – Ngarimu would be the winner. Bruce and his ‘decky’ mate – travelled from Thames to attend. The boys left Thames on Friday, stayed at bottom end of Waiheke, then off Stanly Point / Bayswater on Saturday night and will be heading home today. Talking to Bruce, Saturday night sounded heaven – tucked up in their warm bunks, rain on the cabin top, listening to the Auckland Blues rugby game, then the NZ v India cricket test – not a lot of sleep was had 🙂
We were also graced with the company of John and Diana Olsen on their steam boat – Dancer, The Olsen’s towed Dancer from Cambridge and launched her at the old Salthouse yard to make the trip up the creek.
Check out the Woodys Classic Weekends Event Calendar at the link below, for upcoming outings – our next one is an overnight BBQ cruise up the Clevedon River on the weekend of 14 > 15th August – a heads up – numbers will be restricted due to berthing / anchoring limits -so RSVP early.
Feb 2021 Islington BayAs launchedGraham Gibson at helm1988- Owner Stewart Bridgford,- center
KAIKOURI – A Flashback
The 40’ Kaikoura was built in 1951 by P Vos. It is believed she was built for the owner of Kaikoura Island at the mouth of Fitzroy Harbour, Great Barrier Island, as transport between the island and Auckland.
She has always been a zoom zoomer – when launched she had twin165 engines that gave her a top speed of 25 knots. These days she is a regular compeditor (& winner) at CYA race events. The flybridge was added in 1988, by then owner Stewart Bridgford,
20-06-2021 – Input on Kaikours’s twin Perkins 510, 8.36 liter, V8 4-stoke diesels from Mark Erskine The 510 (cubic inch) V8 was the first V8 model manufactured by Perkins, UK in 1965 and were rated at 170 HP at 2,800 rpm and were used predominantly in trucks and a few bus models.
The 510 was followed by the more reliable, longer stroke 540 cubic inch V8 Perkins at 8.84 liters and 170 HP at 2,600 rpm.
Other than their considerable size and weight for a modest power output, the 510 (and 540) proved reliable enough in commercial vehicle operation, so would make good, reliable marine engines when run at constant lower revs and moderate loads.
“Kaikoura’s” previous Kermath inline 6-cylinder engines were side-valve (or “flat-head”) design and all side-valve engines have a lower crank center line to top of engine measurements than overhead valve and overhead cam inline design engines.
The lower engine height above crank shaft center line helps boat builders retain flat cabin floors in larger boat designs.
Most V8 design engines (including overhead valve) also have lower crankshaft center line to top of engine measurements because the cylinders and cylinder heads are inclined in “V” shape out either side of the crank shaft center line.
So although the 510 (and 540) Perkins V8 diesel engines are considerably larger and considerably heavier than the previous Kermath inline 6-cylinder engines for similar power output, the top of the Perkins V8 engine wouldn’t have been much higher than the top of the inline 6-cylinder Kermath side-valve, which means “Kaikoura” would have likely retained her same flat cabin flooring over the Perkins engines – a nice feature in all boats.
REMEMBER RIVERHEAD TAVERN LUNCH CRUISE ON SUNDAY – TIMES BELOW. Join in by car if you are boatless.
Around The Yards – Centaurus Angus Roger’s 42’ 1967 1968 Bailey & Sons built launch – Centaurus has been tucked away over winter in a shed up the Tamaki River getting a serious serving of TLC to her hull. I understand that there was an accumulation of old anti-fouling removed, back to bare wood, and the process started again. Looks very impressive and back in the water later this week, Just in time for the Woody Riverhead Tavern lunch cruise on the 20th June.
Since buying Centaurus in late 2019, Angus has undertaken numerous upgrades and enhancements to the vessel, that sees her in the best condition of her life. I will have to reserve him a ringside wharf berth at the Tavern wharf 😉
MAKA MILE – A Peek Down Below In a previous WW story we uncovered that the 40’ Maka Maile was built in 1937 by Sam Ford, but rumoured to be not designed by him.Maka Maile is rather unique in that she has only had 3 owners in her 84 year life. During this period she was laid up for approx. 25 of those years.
Her current owner bought her as a shell only and under took a 10 year refit that included re-powering her with twin 120hp Nissan 4 cyl diesels. The engines give Maka Maile an impressive turn of speed – 20 knots max, but she cruises very nicely at 10 knots.
These days she sports a very spacious interior that closely reflects her build year but incorporates modern fittings to make life aboard more comfortable. A surprise feature is the main saloons sliding roof. Previous WW stories below
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