NOMAD
Nomad is a perfect example of how confusing the issue of ID’ing a classic launches name can be. Harold Kidd has supplied the intel on Nomad below.
This launch started life as an amateur-built 35 footer, partially built by a chap called Elley in Ponsonby who sold her to J.P. Aldred of Ponsonby. He had her finished off (most likely by Collings & Bell) and launched her in December 1919 as IRIHAPETI (maori for “Elizabeth”) powered by a 30hp Doman supplied by Collings & Bell. Aldred sold her to H.F. Butler of Remuera in November 1921 to commute to his property on Browns Island. Butler changed her name to NOMAD and kept her until about 1929, having repowered her with a 56hp Ferro around 1925. He sold her to Nops who sold her to W.E. Fullerton of Remuera in 1931. Fullerton sold her to Stan Parker in 1935 and he had her converted to her present configuration by Lidgards who added 7 feet to her amidships, taking her out to 42ft., renaming her ARAWA and having a 65/90 Deutz diesel installed.
After WW2 she was renamed REHUTAI. (the photo above, dated 1937, is from the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts)
Valhalla featured on ww back in April of this year but we had no interior photos, Ken Ricketts has just emailed me the above. You can read more about her & her past, including photos at this link. Enjoy 😉
23-12-2016 Update – photo below (ex Ken Ricketts) suggests that she was named Valhalla 1 when launched but the plate looks newer than the 1960’s so the jury is still out.
Kia Ora
A 43 foot wooden boat powered by a Gardner 6LH through a Gardner gearbox. Kia Ora is an ex fishing vessel converted to a pleasure boat for her well deserved retirement.
Built in 1939 at Kaikoura by local fishing legend Syd Cormack & launched on the foreshore at Kaikoura.
She is very well known along the South Island east coast, not many places you won’t bump into a fisherman thats worked on her.
With her Gardner ticking over her cruise speed is 7 to 8Knts and fuel usage is around 5 to 6 liters per hour.
Any of the woodys able to tell us more about Kia Ora, Ian McDonald alerted me to the trademe listing, hopefully she survived the earthquake & tidal activity that it the area this week.
Harold Kidd Input
KIA ORA was built by Syd Cormack in Kaikoura and launched in 1940. Her first engine was a 50hp Bolinder. Her dimensions are (official reg) 41.2′ loa x 12.7′ beam x 5.6′ draught, 13.03 tons gross and 3.88 tons net. Cormack was her first owner. She was registered as LN 93. When Ainsley Sinclair of Akaroa owned her in 1950 he steamed her up to Auckland for the Sanders Cup contest. During her life she has been sunk and salvaged three times.
Sheds at Clyde Quay Wellington
The capital has also been suffering the effects of the earthquake, Gavin Pascoe sent me the photo below. This is the result of earthquake surge + king tide + torrential rain. Hopefully the water did not do much damage to the sheds contents – click this link to view the sheds on a good day 😉 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/12/31/ever-wondered-whats-inside-those-sheds/
Fisher Lassie
Built in 1938 by Miller & Tunnage, Fisher Lassie is a 39’3″ converted fishing boat that is powered by a 1952, 3LW Gardner with a 2UC gearbox & a keel cooled dry stack. The Gardner has done 3380hrs in the last 17 years with no grief using about 3 litres per hour.
She cruises at 6 kts, her ex work holds provide lots of storage & combined with her extensive fit out, has the basics to be a nice live-a-board.
Given the amount of interest / chat on trademe, a northern woody might have trouble getting her North 😉 those southerners do not like losing boat north 😉 Current bidding is in the low $3k’s so a good buy. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the vessel.
Any of the work boat woodys know anything more about her?
The launch Invader appeared on ww in early Sept 2016, looking a tad sad, being partially submerged (link below). This story prompted her owner for the last 30 years, (sadly the late) Morrie Dunwoodie to contact ww. Morrie’s uncle bought the boat in 1966. Morrie included the above photos & well documented details on her past. Ken Ricketts & myself have edited this into the story below. Sunken Invader Link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/09/13/sunken-launch/
The History of Invader (as told by Morrie Dunwoodie) Invader measures36′ with a 10′ 2″ beam & is a single skin hard chine, kauri hull & originally had a 6 or 8 cyl petrol engine, with an auxiliary wing motor, with a port side shaft. The wing motor was removed some time before the present owner bought her. She had been bought by Peter Harrison, in 1957, who owned her until 1959, at which time he sold her, because she as too slow, & had a 40′, 22 knotter built, to replace her, by Owen Woolley. Between the Laidlaw & Harrison ownership (later 1940s &/or early 1950s) she belonged to the Townsend family. It was during their ownership that she sank, as seen in the perivous ww story.
She was bought in 1959, by Jim Ansell of Hamilton & moved to Whangamata. He owned her until 1966. During his stewardship he repowered her with 75 Hp TS3 Commer diesel. In 1966 she passed to George H Morrison & remained moored at Whangamata Harbour. He did some upgrading adding sponsons, ‘Tauranga’ deck & new rails. George M. sold her in 1986 to Morrie J Dunwoodie of Thames, the boat is kept at Whangamata. He has replaced the 75hp Commer TS3 with a newer larger 117 hp TS3. In 1988 she underwent a refit with new windows, stainless rails, re-glassing of cabin tops. Then in 1995 replaced decks with ply, & glassed them. She was extended at the stern in 1998, by .9 of a metre to 42 feet. In 2004 Morrie added 3′ to her stern & a 3′ duck board. 2008 saw her get a major out of boat, engine overhaul.
Interested to uncover details on her builder & launch year?
07-05-2018 Update from Mark Dunwoodie
“Invader moved a couple of weeks ago from Whangamata to Hobsonville marina. Her new owners are fantastic people, an experienced sea family and passionate about her. Mum, my sisters and I are very chuffed.
Mark Erskine, Tom Hunt….thank you for your wise counsel in all matters since Dad’s death….and even more so, thank you from Dad for your long friendship and shared passion.
Dad was out on Invader with Uncle George as often as he could from the day George purchased her. From that time he only missed 1 or 2 of the annual end of February trips to Great Barrier….around 50 trips. As soon as we were old enough my sisters and I (and then our children) were regular crew on the daily summer and overnight excursions from Whangamata. Speed mightn’t have been her forte but her seaworthiness, easy layout and the steadiness given by hull shape made her a fantastic vessel.
With the contact from this website Dad had been reinvigorated to research Invader’s history and was enjoying it immensely. Ken, thank you for your kind comments, Dad was enjoying talking to you as well. In the past he had said that it was hard to get to the right people and records from Thames…but had recently been making progress.
I’m not sure where he got to researching her construction date.Uncle George had always said she was built by Lanes in 1936. When Dad lengthened Invader’s hull, he removed the original copper fish tank. The tank had a 1936 coin soldered into the side of the tank. With no hole behind the coin there seemed to be no other reason to put the coin there other than to mark the construction year. From the comments above it looks like this might not be the case.
Anyway, thank you to all.”
08-05-2018 – Update ex Ken Ricketts – overhauled 2008 Roots T23 engine being installe
11-05-2018 New photos ex Mark Dunwoodie
In the gallery below the b/w photo of her high & dry is on the reef, south side Whangaporoa Peninsula. Invader has had her share of oops – in another WW post she is seen submerged https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/09/13/sunken-launch/
Update from John Wicks – Invader hauled out at Hobsonville Marina Nov. 2020 for some TLC
In early January Nathan Herbert was poking around the Te Atatu Boating Club haul out area & spotted the launch Wairiki. It sparked a wee moment of ‘could it be…………’ & Nathan dropped me a note with the 2 photos above – “I won’t put my life on it, but I doubt I’m wrong. Same flare, same forward sheer, same bridge location, same twin for’d portholes. Wairiki as original moved to Wellington I’m told, and I have seen a photo of the modified one in Wellington in say the 1960’s. Without dodger. Add to that the correct name, and far too many coincidences.”
So would what do you think – same boat?
Volante is a 39′ 1916 Bailey & Lowe motor sailer that two years ago under went a total restoration, her interior is a little too ‘ikea’ for me but its a work of art in terms of craftsmanship. With her sailing set-up & powered by a 55hp diesel Volvo she would be perfect for extended cruising.
Some on-line research by woody, Ian McDonald, has turned up a photo (below) on the Wellington Classic Yacht Trust blog of a Volante, built by Charles Baily Jr. in 1915. She was in NAPS in WWII (1942-3) & extensively damaged in a fire in 1943.The name plate on board (appears to be a modern addition?) says Chas Bailey & Sons.
Interested to confirm / learn more about her past before her recent ‘make-over’. Currently for sale, asking $250k.
Harold Kidd Input – The information on VOLANTE is basically correct although the Baileys have been confused rather effectively. She was built by Chas. Bailey Jr NOT by Bailey & Lowe. Nor was she built by “Chas. Bailey & Sons”; the sons didn’t appear on the letterhead until around 1934. She was built for H. G. Anderson of Wellington in the winter of 1915, shipped down unfinished and Anderson finished off her cabin-top etc. She originally had twin engines of 40hp (total?). She must have grown a bit because she was built as a 36 footer.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER – MOVIE REVIEW
Last nights screening of Nina Wells ‘Birds of a Feather’ movie at the Vic Theater in Devonport was a cracker. Its a great kiwi tale & appeals to even those with low interest in smelly old outboard motors. Not a spare seat in the house, in fact never before have I seen so many woodys (& partners) together in one place 🙂 & everyone left with a big smile on their face. For those that missed it, I’ll find out if & when there is another screening & let you know 😉
Harold Kidd Review – The film last night was just amazing. Made you want to rush out and buy back all the Seagulls you once had. I recommend buying the DVD for a great laugh and a real Kiwi experience.
With the average Auckland house price around $1 million the above 41′ Gladden designed/built trawler style launch would be an extremely affordable alternative. Sure with the 1978 build date its not a classic but with her d/d kauri (glassed) hull, its a woody a heart. Powered by a 120hp diesel, 6 berths & extremely well fitted out + all the fruit you would expect on a Marlbourough Sounds boat e.g. a heater. She is for sale on trademe, asking price $165,000 but in today’s market – who knows?
So woodys – sell the villa, buy a beach house somewhere & use Diablo as your Auckland base.
Now Manana has appeared before on ww but we have never seen ‘down-below’.
First some background – Manana is a Colin Wild sport fisher built in Auckland in 1953 by Collings and Bell. She spent many years serving as the Durville Island water taxi based in French Pass. She was then rebuilt and faithfully modernised into the vessel that you see above.
Construction: double diagonal kauri – LOA: 40’; beam: 13’; draft: 6’
She is powered by twin 120hp 6 Cyl Fords that allow her to cruise at 8 knts & top out at 11 knts
UPDATE 13-04-2021 – now residing in Bayswater Marina
Huge interest yesterday in the Lucinda re-launch story – over 7,500 views in the first 24 hours. But interestingly ww still can not crack the UK scene, see below a list of the top 14 countries viewing ww yesterday, ranked by viewing numbers. Peru rated better than the UK 😦 Now if you are wondering about some of the countries, I have a theory – ww enjoys high readership among the super yacht crews, who have a high % of kiwis aboard, thence the ‘unusual’ countries popping up 😉
We are told (trademe) the above boat was launched in approximately 1950. Her specs are 42’ x 12’1” beam with a 2’11”draft. She is powered by twin 110hp Hino’s. She is well set up for recreational diving with a compressor in the cockpit bilge for dive bottle refilling & customized multi dive bottle storage in the cockpit. As with most broker listings they have omitted to include the vessel’s name…… so I omit to include theirs 🙂
Any one able to put a name to the launch & provide more details on her?
Lots of details in the comments section + some history at the link below. A little sad that she has ended up looking like the above 😦
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