Back in Jan 2023 (linked below) we shared some photos of the 40’ Keith Atkinson designed / built wooden launch – SHANGO anchored in Little Oneroa, Waiheke Island. Today thanks to Ian McDonald and tme we get to have a gander below decks. Construction is stripped plank kauri. Built c.1970’s.
SHANGO is powered by a Ford 200hp 2728T diesel engine that gives her a 9 knot cruising speed. At some stage in her ownership life someone must have done some serious cruising her her – she has 1000L fuel capacity.
In the 2017 story thanks to a previous owner – Nigel Drake, we received a wonderful insight into the vessels past.
Today thanks to a Ian McDonal and tme we get to have gander below decks.
Some intel – designed and built in 1962 by Brin Wilson, 39’ in length, built from kauri, carvel construction. Forward motion is by the ever popular Ford 120hp, 6 cyl, diesel engine.
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GLENIFFER – A Peek Down Below
Todays woody is the 39’ classic wooden Bridgedecker – GLENIFFER. A recent addition to tme (thanks Ian McDonald) – as always seems to be the case a few factual discrepancies, so in the interests of getting right on WW , we will go with what Harold Kidd advised in a previous WW story (linked below – great b/w photo there) that she was built by Chas Bailey & Sons and launched in October 1930.
GLENIFFER also made a cameo WW appearance in April 2017 (linked below)
The 1938 launch – MOVARIE II has in recent years made as many appearances on tme as it has on WW. We know that the bridge decker was built by W&G Lowe, is 40’ in length, with a 11’ beam and draws 5’. Powered by twin Ford 80hp diesel engines. The launch started life as a game fishing.
Once owned by Russell Ward so must have been a goody back them. These days there are a few issues, reflected in the current tme listing having $5k start price.
Woody Geoff Fiebig sent in the above photo that he took while doing the Coastal Walk at Ti Point (Omaha / Leigh area, Rodney). The launch was moored in the entrance to the Whangateau Harbour. An interesting blend of styles and a rather large poop deck on her stern.
Can anyone tell us more about the vessel.
INPUT ex SHANE ANDERSON – Shane pointed me in the direction of the Percy Vos book – Launching Dreams – where we learnt she was built in 1966 to drawing by Ken McCormick. 42′ and when launched powered by a 75hp Gardner 6LW
INPUT & PHOTOS ex DONNA LEWIS M father – Don McMillan and his father Neil McMillan went out on the JUDITH AIMEE when she was in Whitianga. My Grandfather retired to Whitianga from the Bay of Islands.
My best guess on the photos is between 1958 & no later than 1962 ( I was 4 years old then and did go boating with my Dad) but never on the JUDITH AIMEE.
I don’t know who owned her but have a feeling it may have been Malcolm Cruikshank who lived next door to My Grandfather on the esplanade.Pictured on the bottom photo is my grandad Neil – we called him Grandad Dick- sitting on top of the cabin with beret facing forward..I wish I new who the others are/ were. I will go on a fact finding mission
24-08-2025 INPUT ex Liz Needham – The captain of Judith Aimee was my Uncle Jim Needham
And on the subject of additions – we have a new leader in the craft that most resembles a block of flats. I wonder what they grow up there 😉 The woody that sent in the photo below should probably remain anonymous. The location looks like Kawau Island.
Chatting to Nathan Herbert yesterday prompted me to do a deep dive in the WW files and jackpot I came across some correspondence from Murray Bridge back in Jan 2020. Murray’s family owned the boat for approx. 20 years (1959>1999) and he sent me a clipping of an article from Boating NZ. Reading the article it appears that MARISTELLA has been a very lucky boat, if she was a cat she would have used up a lot of her nine lives 🙂
In her past life she joined the sub-mariner club when she hit a uncharted submerged rock in Queen Charlotte Sound, was successfully re-floated and refitted. Then on another trip caught fire in Bluff, again repaired. And later ran aground on rocks near Mana in Wellington. I have included an enlarged section of the BNZ article below – click image to enlarge.
The good news is she survived all those oops and is still with us today as seen in the above photos. The real reason for the story today is her newish owner is in Nathan’s words ‘rejuvenating’ the boat and needs a pair of opening portholes (approx. size = 8.5”), so we are doing a shout out asking if anyone has some gathering dust. FYI – when we ask for help locating fittings its for woody folk deserving a helping hand, not owners that are doing $100k+ work at professional yards. WW points them to https://www.toplicht.de/en/
REBUILDING OF THE FIRE DESTROYED CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – KOKORU
The top photo above is probably the most harrowing photo WW has published and the second photo is one I’m sure will see us all in good spirits. As unimaginable as it seems the 40′ 1960 Jack Morgan built classic launch – KOKORU is currently being rebuilt.
Back in March 2022 the classic wooden boat community learnt of the loss of KOKORU from a dockside / marina accident – fire on neighbouring vessel (refer photo below) that spread to several nearby craft. KOKORU had just been relaunched after an extensive high end refit. She was a right off and her owners made the right call and harvested what they could to start again with another classic launch. Link to WW March story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/03/21/kokoru-ravaged-in-marina-fire-a-call-for-help/
I thought that was the end of the story. Normally is, they sit in a yard for a few years and then end up in a dumpster.
Well not KOKORU, last week I chanced on a Facebook thread that was show casing the work that Burnnand Marine were undertaking to rebuild KOKORU – well done to the owner.
I understand there is a large amount of that very thick paint that comes in rolls being used but we can turn a blind eye to that if it means we get one back from the grave.
Todays woody is – BEVERLENE, the 40’ kauri planked sedan launch built by Owen Woolley in 1968. Her beam is 11’9” and a draft of 3’3”.
As with so many Woolleys the power plant is a 120hp Commer TS3 diesel.
Hasn’t popped up on WW before so keen to learn more about her past life.
INPUT ex Mark Erskine, via K Ricketts – The engine in BEVERLENE is a Rootes 3DB-215 TS3 c.1967>70. Mark reconditioned the engine in 2008 while berthed at Kopu, Thames. Tuned correctly it will produce 140hp. Gearbox is a Borg-Warner 72-C velvet drive.
Today we are state side to have a tour of the 1933 Stephens Brothers built 43′ classic woody – A Dora Blu. I was sent the youtube link by John Dawson – now I ask that you ignore the youtube fluff at the start and the obvious sales pitch – trust me its worth checking out. I was very envious of the boat shed, must make caring for a classic a breeze. Her owners attention to maintaining the boats heritage looks and fit out is wonderful, but when they lift the engine bay covers the sight is a very big wow, twin Yanmar JHC120hp engines, proof that you do not need to weigh these old girls down with huge engines.
(note: some confusion on the build year – the nav light boards say 1931)
ID The Russell Yachts Friday Quiz Winner – Ken Fyle. WW burgee on the way – the yachts were – (L) XANTHO & (R) IIEX. As I thought a lot picked IIEX but only 2 correctly had XANTHO.
COMPASS ROSE – A Peek Down Below The launch Compass Rose popped up on tme nearly a year ago and at the time we ran a story on her that generated a lot of discussion / chat in the comments section around her DNA. We never really established her origins but I tend to lean on the side of Allan Keane’s input – i.e. her builder and as launched name is unknown but c.1986/88 her name was changed to – Arthur Daley. c.1995 she was sold again and renamed – Compass Rose. Allan’s ‘knowledge’ comes from having sold (brokered) the boat 3 times.
In the previous WW story – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/02/lady-fay-arthur-daley-compass-ros/ there was speculation her launch name was Lady Fay and built by Orams & Davies in Whangarei in the early 1960’s. As often happens the collective memories get a little mashed up over the years so very keen to be able to clear up the question marks hanging over her. Thanks to woody John Dawson for the photos.
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