Category Archives: 40′>42′

Rangi Rua (Rangi II)

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Rangi the one that hit rocks in Norfolk.
Rangi11 sailing past the oil rigg having a rest on its way to New Plymouth

 

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RANGI RUA (Rangi II)
 
I was recently contacted by Terry Hall in regard to his ex yacht Ranginui Rua, Terry commented that when he bought her she was named Rangi II (as seen in the sailing photo above) but when he tried to register her with Lloyds – London the name was refused as there was a passenger  ship with that name,  Terry had a Maori friend, a chief in Northland who suggested trying Rangi Rua –  Rua being #2 in Maori, he sent this off and it was accepted. Thence the ‘different’ name on the hauled out photos.
 
Rangi Rua was built by Mark Anthony in Freeman’s Bay and is a Woollacott 42′, Terry believes it was extended with extra frames. Her and a gaff rigged boat called Marpu were probably the last kauri boats to be built in Freemans Bay. Bad luck followed both yachts – Rangi Rua was lost in the Trans Tasman race in 1948 and Marpu was lost in the Pacific on its way home from Japan.
 
Terry owned Rangi Rua for many years and had her moored in the Town Basin in Whangarei in front of the wharf shed. He still has the log book which he kept when he sold her. In the photos of her on the slip, Terry is in the white overalls with his boatbuilder son, Frank and crew.
SUNDAY QUIZ
Yesterday Angus Rogers was doing what most of us were doing i.e. nothing 🙂 so he took an old photo out of its frame to clean the glass. Do we think Angus has ID’ed the yachts correctly ?  Sail numbers starting with A17 Ngatoa on right working left are A11 Ida, A5 Rawene, A3? Ariki and A16? Little Jim. Some of the anoraks may be able to identify the last two from their sails and shape and the yacht on the right with no numbers showing.
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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.

Ranginui – A Peek Down Below

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RANGINUI – A Peek Down Below
Ranginui was built in 1947 and measures approx. 43’and is powered by a 120hp Ford Diesel engine. She has appeared twice before on WW (links to those stories below) but now thanks to her trade listing we get to see down below.
Details as to her actual builder have been debated before on WW. Her trademe listing states Percy Vos but I have checked that name out in Baden Pascoe’s excellent book ‘Launching Dreams – Percy Vos – The Boats & His Boys’ and there is no mention of her on the Vos listing of boats built. In one of the WW stories Harold Kidd commented that he had been told she may have been built by Chas. Bailey & Sons Ltd.
Ranginui has had the same owner for the last 24 years and despite her slightly worn appearance she has had a lot of mechanical and system look done to her. She is for sale with a Coromandel (Wyuna Bay) mooring included, so if you stripped this out of the price , she may have the bones of a good restoration project.
You can see that in the b/w photo below (ex Tudor Collins) Ranginui was a serious looking in her day 🙂
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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

 

 

Felicitare

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FELICITARE

The 40’ classic charter launch Felicitare has made a cameo appearance on WW and at the time John Wicks commented that Felicitaire was built on “spec” by Alec Baxter (in Whangarei) and intended to be a fishing boat. No buyer had appeared by the time she was planked up, so he finished her off as a pleasure boat for himself. John was aboard with him shortly after her launch, and he admired her immensely. After cancer claimed Alec, her second owner put in an even larger Gardner, a 6LX replacing the original 4LW.

These days she is in charter and very well cared for. I was sent the photos of her engine being extracted by Cameron Pollard (Sefton Diesel), who commented that the 6LX has been in the boat for exactly 21 years of faultless service and Cameron is fitting a refurbished 6LXC for her owner.

 

 

Woody Mooching Around Mana Marina

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WOODY MOOCHING AROUND MANA MARINA

Dean Wright was recently reviewing his extensive photo library (he is a professional photographer) and found a file labelled ‘Mana Marina’ and sent it off to me asking if he had already sent it to me 🙂 my answer was no, so today we get to enjoy Deanand his camera mooching around Mana marina, Porirua, Wellington.

The photos we taken last year, no doubt at the start / end of one of his southern cruises.
The windy city woodys are not afraid to splash a bit of colour around when painting their boats 🙂
Enjoy
ps each to their own opinion – but I do like the lines of Ajax.

Miss Betty > Kalua

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Miss Betty > Kalua

Today’s wooden started life back in 1952, named Miss Betty and built by Lidgard as a purpose built work boat for Rope Shipping to tow timber barges on the Kaipara Harbour.

She was sold c.1970 to a doctor who renamed her Kalua and had her converted into a pleasure launch. She was then sold approx 17 years later to Jock McKenzie from Clevedon who had her for 10 years until the current owners father (Mike) brought her. Mike went everywhere in her. She was a great sea boat and approx. 12 years ago Mike gave her a birthday which was a major makeover by boat builder Peter Reynolds.
Kalua is 2 skin kauri, measures 42’, 11’ beam and a 4’ draft. Power comes from a Ford 180hp turbo, that sees her cruising at 8-9 knots.

As a result of her trade listing (thanks Ian McDonald) the seller, Todd (son of Mike) was contacted by Steve Parker those uncle Gordon Brown (still alive at 103) was the second owner. He purchased her from their uncle Dick Rope & brought her over from the Kaipara. He owned her for 21 years. Steve was an apprentice mechanic & helped install the 120 hp Ford. Kalua featured on TV in an ad for Farmers Trading Co. His daughter Lynette featured in the ad. Gordon sold the boat to the doctor, Gordon changed the name to Kalua, not the doctor.

FYI re the name Miss Betty – Betty was Dick Rope’s wife.

Another visual case study in the evolution of an old woody as styles and usage changed over the year.

Input from Harold Kidd – For what it’s worth, the APYMBA records show her builder as “Rope/Warmington”, date of build 1950 (perhaps a Lidgard design?). Owner in 1964 was G.W. Brown of 35 London St Ponsonby with a Fordson then W. Curtis, 28 Cornwall Park Ave in 1966 and then back to G.W. Brown by 1973. Query, is this the KAHLUA that was pinched from Shoal Bay by a bank robber in 1982?

 

CYA Double Banger – Riverhead Launch Cruise + Vintage & Veterans Yacht Race

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Achilles

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My Girl

Little JimA16 + Raindance
Oke Bay
Summer Wine
Monterey
Manapouri + Altair
Manapouri
Achilles
(F) Volantis (R) Altair + Tasman Star + Nana

 

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My Girl + Raindance

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Monterey, Te Arahi, Altair, Manapouri

CYA Double Banger – Riverhead Launch Cruise + Vintage & Veterans Yacht Race

While mooching around under the Harbour Bridge waiting for the launch stragglers , I snapped a few photos of the yacht fleet tuning up for the start of the annual Vintage & Veterans yacht race – Photos below
The weather for the launch cruise was almost ideal, after we had arrived at the Riverhead Tavern and had planted ourselves in the bar, the rain started, so while we by dinning and chatting – the old girls got a fresh water wash down – perfect.
A good turn out for late in the season – 16 woodys – made up of 12 CYA members and 4 woodys that joined us for the day. I convinced one to join, but Jason Prew tells me I need to improve on my 25% conversion rate 🙂
Nice to catch up with those that made the trip by motorcar.
As always the food was excellent, just a wee hick-up with a power oops slowed the service down a tad but all good.
Sorry if I missed your woody with my camera – the fleet were very spaced out, so arrive times didn’t suit the need to sustenance 😉
As always, click photos to enlarge.
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Rawhiti A2 + Rainbow A7 + Waitangi A6

Arcturus K8638
Rainbow A7 + Rawhiti A2 + Ariki A3 + Little Jim A16
Rainbow A7 + Waitangi A6
Spray II. 725
Katrina II. K100
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Arcturus K8638

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Little Jim A16

Photos below of Thelma sent in by Simon Smith

Woody Waiheke BBQ

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Not sure what these two were up too but the t-shirt gets the WW of approval

Woody Waiheke BBQ

Saturday (30/03/2019) saw a group of hardy, the barometer was not saying summer, CYA members gather in Putiki Bay, Waiheke Island for a post CYA yacht race BBQ. The photos have been enhanced, it wasn’t quite that sunny 🙂

The bay filled up with a good collection of woody yachts and launches. The CYA committee even put on a band – well done guys.
Special thanks to Chris Sadler for the use of his launch – Moeraki as the start boat for the yacht race. Moeraki is a very smart looking woody, I have always admired her – great to see her out on the Waitemata. You can read / see more on her here (lots in the comments section).  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/26/mystery-launch-26032014/
Woody launches in the bay included – My Girl, Lucille, Waimea, Puawai, Lucinda, Matuku, Summer Wine, Wirihana and Mahanui – some I suspect were moored there.
Special thanks to Jason Prew and Mark Edmonds for the (phone) photos.
As a special treat for the skipper of Lucille – I have include the youtube video below 😉

Sterling

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STERLING
I have been contacted by Murray Wilson the owner of the 40′ ex workboat – Sterling, he bought her a couple of years ago and is in the middle of a ‘rolling’ restoration. Murray has been told that she was built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1926 to tow logs out of the Sounds.
 

It’s rumoured that Sterling was involved in an incident in Tasman Bay in the 1960s or 1970s that involved the boat being found with a scallop dredge in the water, engine running and no one on board. When the dredge was lifted the skipper came up with it. 

 
Murray is keen to confirm and learn more of Sterling’s history.

Input from Harold Kidd – This STERLING was built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1925 for L.J. Steele as a passenger vessel to carry 60 pax and had a 1924-built 3 cylinder 27hp (rated) Sterling marine engine bore 4.5″ x stroke 5.5″, dimensions 34′ x 9′ x 3’9″. The engine was changed to 27hp Ruston-Lister diesel by 1940 when she was owned by N.A. Steele and converted to a fishing boat under No. PN29. There was a Marine Dept enquiry in 1946 when she ran on rocks in the Tory Channel with the loss of two lives.

That 34ft loa was the MOT Thames measurement length. She was a 40 footer really.
Historical notes below from recollections of Lex Wells, recorded by Mike Davidson
Preface
Lex Wells has lived all his life in the Marlborough Sounds and has worked on and owned
many working boats in the fishing, scalloping and mussel industries. Lex is now over 80 and
has extensive memories and knowledge of many of the working boats and launches in the
Sounds. Arguably there is nobody better informed about Sounds vessels than he is.
History of the Motor Launch “STERLING”
1. The “Sterling” was built by Ernie Lane in the late 1920s for Matt Steel and joined his small fleet of passenger launches.
2. Matt Steel sold his fleet to Queen Charlotte Launches in the late1940s. Lex is not sure if
“Sterling” went to Queen Charlotte Launches as part of that deal; she might have been sold earlier.
3. In the 1960s or 1970s, “Sterling” was sold again and used for fishing and scalloping out of Nelson. One day, in the 1970s, the “Sterling” was found drifting, unmanned, on the scallop beds. The skipper had been working by himself. His body was found in the dredge when it was lifted.
4. After this accident, “Sterling” was sold to a new owner and went fishing out of Taieri
Mouth and was based there for many years.
5. “Sterling” was then bought by Ronnie Wells (a cousin of Lex’s) in the late 1970s or early 1980s and he brought her back to the Sounds. He used her for quite a few years in the scalloping and fishing industry, operating out of Havelock.
6. “Sterling” had a Gardner engine in it when Ronnie Wells bought it. At some stage
afterwards that engine was destroyed when an oil filter failed. It was replaced with a Russel Newbury (RN) engine. That engine was too old and had been poorly maintained and it eventually died one day when “Sterling” was working at sea. Lex towed her with his vessel into Havelock where a four cylinder Ford engine was put in “Sterling”.
7. Ronnie Wells then sold “Sterling” to Sunny Sunbeam and his business partner (might have been his brother). She was taken to Picton where a lot of work was done on her, including new top planks on the hull and a new and much larger cabin on the deck. She was taken back to Havelock soon after.
8. Sunny Sunbeam later sold her and she was taken away from the Sounds by her new owner.