Tasman Star – A Peek Down Below
Built in 1935 by Dick Lang, she started life as a commercial fishing boat – Danish seine netting. She measures 42’6” & is powered by a 150hp LXW Gardner. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up.
You can read about her colour-full life on this WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/19/tasman-star/
Update photo from Greg Fenwick – Easter 2018 @ Whangaparapara
MATAREKA II
Recently I was contacted by Chris Laird on behalf of Mavis and Louis Fenelon who own the Logan launch Matareka II (46 years) The Fenelon’s rescued and rebuilt the cabin and interior some years ago.
Due to advancing years & the requirement for some structural repairs beyond their capabilities, they have reluctantly decided to find a good home for Matareka.
Matareka is an iconic classic vessel, I have looked over her personally while hauled out in 2014 & I can vouch for her build quality & presentation. She is an absolutely superb launch, built with safety in mind. A Logan, so say no more.
The Fenelon’s are passionate woody owners & do not want to see Matareka II lost.
Any buyer needs to demonstrate that they have the resources / ability to undertake the work and return Matareka II to the lovely vessel that the Fenelons created.
They are very negotiable on price and want the boat to go to a good home. Anyone interested can contact Chris in the first instance (email address below) & he will put them in touch with Mavis and Louis. chrislaird@xtra.co.nz
NOTE: there is an estimate of $20K for the commercial repair of the hull issues, given the overall condition of the vessel & her provenance, this is not an excess figure. Someone with the skills could reduce this figure substantially
Further reading:
During 2014 we began a major refurbishment of Matareka, which cost $25,000. She had a complete and thorough repainting – antifouling, and all surfaces above the water-line. Complete interior painting and varnishing. Re-sealing of windows etc. where required. New water piping (input and distribution pipes) for the two 55 gal stainless steel water tanks. Servicing of water taps. Replacement of old winch with fully automatic anchor winch. New Supreme anchor. Replacement of anchor rope with 60 metres of 3/8ths anchor chain. New teak bowsprit and bow roller. Cleaning and re-painting of underside of engine gear box. Four x 6 volt new engine batteries (arranged in two banks).
After all this work, on her third run in January 2015, we had the incident at the Ngapipi Road Bridge and she was repaired under Insurance during 2015. We also decided, at our expense, to completely repaint the hull again – both white and anti-fouling.
Her inventory also includes the following:
• A 371 Detroit diesel 90HP engine complete with a hydraulic 3:1 Allison forward/reverse gear box (replacement cost $25,000-00, though Detroit agent has said our engine will go forever).
• Large (original) bronze rudder.
• 1 ¾ inch dia. bronze prop shaft driving a 26 inch X 32 inch bronze propeller
• Hydraulically operated steering from a (unique) five spoke ship’s steering wheel
• Auxiliary emergency steel hand tiller
• Heavy duty towing bollard (so far used only for towing dinghy)
• 12 volt high capacity bilge pump
• 2 x 75 gal black steel diesel tanks
• All main cabin glazing is ¼ inch toughened glass
• Canvas double-zipped cock-pit cover
• Head with s.s. basin and chemical toilet
• 6 bunk x Dunlop sponge rubber Dralon-covered squabs in very good condition.
TAMAHERE – A Peek Down Below
Tamahere last appeared on WW back in 2014 (link below), now thanks to a trademe listing we get to see down below.
She is 40′ long & powered by a 85hp Isuzu diesel that pushes her along at 6>8 knots. Its claimed she was built in 1903.
Back in 2014 we were unable to uncover any details on her, there lots of thousands of more WW readers these days, so hopefully we can unearth more on her.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.
See / read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/17/tamahere/
18-04-2018 ‘New’ Photos below ex trademe
PRESTO – Is She Or Isn’t She?
If you believe the trademe listing, this is a very old lady – it says Presto was born 1898. Built by Charles Bailey, 42’ in length, 3 skin kauri. Originally powered by a steam engine but now powered by a 1950 100hp, 471 Detroit diesel.
Our resident Bailey guru HDK should be able to confirm or destroy this woodys birth details. Builder aside – what more do we know about her?. Current home is Taurangi. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-up 🙂
28-07-2017 Comments ex Russell Ward
Port Doctor’s Boat. General workboat around the place when I was a kid at school. Had a boxy wheelbase with control position atop. Always scuttling round Hobson Wharf. Eventually retired.
She lay at Barry Brickell’s Diving Creek property in Coromandel for many years and was sold to a man who did the honours and but put the rakish upper works on her. Painted her green which is what I always remembered her as. Her old wheelhouse may still be at Driving Creek.
Comments below ex Ray Morey
1st an aft view of PRESTO under steam, that cut from the pic of Lady Vie and pan-am flying boat at mechanics bay
2nd is part of the blue boats dated 1973 from left is RANGI-SPRAY-unknown and just showing on the right is PRESTO after rebuild. This when Subritzky owned her.
Photo below from Dave Stanaway from when he knew her in the 1960’s when Bryce Subritzky was her master.
Input from Harold Kidd – below is a clipping from the Auckland Star, 30 March 1898 – covering the launching.
Read lots more on the Comments Section
Drunken (Isslington) Bay Dec1938>Jan1939 – Aft hand = Eric Clay
Drunken Bay 1938 – Speed = 10 knots
Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island
Maka Maile + Waitematawoodys Hits 3,000,000 Views
Today’s photo essay on the 1937, Sam Ford built, Maka Maile to me is what makes WW so special – out of the blue a comment gets posted on WW by Perrin Reilly advising that he has a collection of photos of Maka Maile that belonged to his Grandfather-in-law, one Eric Clay. Eric crewed on Maka Maile in the late 1930’s. When launched Maka Maile was 41’ in length, with a 10’5” beam & powered by a Chrysler 77 petrol engine that pushed her along at 12 knots.
Perrin emailed the above photos to me & now instead of gathering dust in some one’s bottom draw, they can be shared with the classic wooden boating community. You can read more about Maka Maile’s past on this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/19/mako-maile/
Waitematawoodys.com Milestone – 3 Million Views
When I started this weblog I never imagined that it would grow into the site that it is today, with just over 2,000 stories & followers/viewers from almost every corner of the world. Obviously NZ tops the list with the USA & Australia 2nd & 3rd, after that its everywhere. As always with sites like WW, it would be nothing without the input of people like Perrin Reilly who take the time to send in their stories & photos, so to all of you – many thanks for sharing. And on that topic, please keep sending in content – whether it’s old photos / stories, restoration projects or just you enjoying your woody.
I would like to slip an apology in – in the first 6>12mths of WW, I only really had 6>8 people who sent me content, I can tell you it was a real challenge doing a daily story back them, now I get over 100 emails a day. So the apology is for not always being able to answer your emails, it’s not that I’m lazy or rude – just busy working on the tomorrows story 🙂
Enjoy today’s WW story & remember there are over 2,000 more in the back library 😉
Alan Houghton
The 1946 Launching Of Mahara
Harold mentioned on the Mahara ww 2015 post (link below) that he had an upcoming article on the Shipbuilders Ltd’s SupaCraft launches in the August issue of Boating NZ magazine. Included in the article is the above great photo taken in 1946 of Mahara being launched. The photo came from boat builder, Tim Windsor’s collection. Thanks go to Harold for sharing Tim Windsor’s photo, its superb quality & showcases what a stunning wooden vessel she was / is.
Check out the link for more photos & details.
RUMBOTL – Spirit of Tradition – Motor-sailer
Rumbotl is a 42′ motor-sailer, launched in 2002 (hence the SoT tag) but with a very long gestation period (15+ years). She was built/finished off at Warkworth, by & for John Middleton. Her present owner Don Bruce bought her in 2007 off John M. Photos & details ex owner, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.
She is built of 1″ strip planked kauri, fibreglassed over, the kauri was retrieved from the BNZ building in Queen St Auckland, during its transformation many years ago.
She is powered by a 1980’s 100 hp, 6 cyl., Ford diesel. She has a lead fin keel.
She is fine example of old/new coming together – certainly deserving of a better name than rum bottle, if she was mine I’d be renaming her 😉
10-06-2018 Hauled out at Gulf Harbour (photo ex Ken Ricketts)
MYSTERY LAUNCH 05-07-2017
The above launch has just appeared on trademe & according to the listing the owner due to health reasons is unable to continue with the project. The owner states that he believes she may be called ‘Leigh on Sea’, can anyone ID / confirm a name / more details.
She is 39’4″ in length & powered by a 120hp diesel, it states the engine year is 1920 but I suspect that wrong, more likely the build year?
That is one impressive cradle, built for the Queen Mary 🙂 Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the listing.
WAKAITI
Wakaiti is a 39’4″, kauri carvel launch built by Dick Lang in 1920, as a commercial tow boat. In today’s world having the same owner for the last 55 years is a very rare thing but all good things come to an end & as the sign on her bow say – Wakaiti is now for sale.
She was re-powered c.2001 with 120hp, 6 cyl. Ford diesel running a 2:1 PRM box and 24×16 3 blade prop. This set up pushes her nicely along at 8 > 10 knots, with a top speed of 12 knots. Her beam is 9’10” & draft is 5’10”. (the interior photos have had the benefit of what they call the real estate salesman’s best friend – the wide angle lens 🙂 ) Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe heads up.
So woodys, what do we know about her past?
Harold Kidd Input (lots more in the Comments Section)
WAKAITI = “little ship” in Maori. Dick Lang built this 36 footer at his yard in St. Mary’s Bay in 1922. She was launched on 2nd September of that year for Parry Bros of the Mahurangi to carry cream on the river. By 1928 the Parrys were using her as a tow boat on the Waitemata. In 1936 they sold her to R.G. Brain of Coromandel. Eventually she ended up in the ownership of Ernie Seagar, marine engineer of wide repute in Auckland. Ernie’s not well and is obviously selling his beloved launch.
I was in the 5th Form at Takapuna Grammar with Ernie Seagar. He had been in that Form for 3 years, unable to get School Certificate because of distractions such as being the Captain of the First 15, Head Prefect (in the 5th Form!!) and an outstanding yachtsman and general sportsman.
Later he went on to get his Marine Engineer’s tickets at sea and then ran his engineering business at Sulphur Beach alongside Dave Jackson. An amazing character.
13-09-2022 UPDATE: Back on trademe, current owner bought in Jan 2022, repowered with a Ford 130hp, 6 cyl diesel – BUT since this 2017 story the launch has been seriously negected and would be best described as a project, a large project.
TAKITIMU
AIan Sexton took the above photos of the Owen Woolley built ‘Takitimu’ at Whangaroa. Takitimu was launched in 1975 for the then GM of NZ Forest Products, Doug Walker. She is 42′ and was powered with a horizontal 250hp Volvo, possibly still is looking at the smoke coming from her 🙂
The Walkers started boating the same time as Alan, their first launch was Gay Dawn in 1971, a couple of years later they purchased the Woolley Karere II, followed by Takitimu. They owned Takitimu for approx 10yrs then downsized to a 10.5m Woolley flybridge launch. Doug’s son Paul later ran the Woolley launch Alchemy in charter.
The only change to Takitimu since launching is the raised flybridge windscreen and solid canopy.
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