Category Archives: 44′>50′

Sandpiper – A Floating Motorhome

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Sandpiper – A Floating Motorhome

While not an oldie, built 1986 by Hodemaker in Wellington, she is a woodie – & has been in the same family since new. This is a go anywhere boat & has circumnavigated New Zealand about ten times and is extremely seaworthy. So if you were looking for the equivalent of a motorhome to tour NZ by sea, this would be it. Sleeps eight people in two cabins, has a toilet and two showers (one inside and one outside), a diesel heater for those cosy winter nights, oven, cooker, microwave, a three way fridge and a large fridge/freezer on the foredeck. The deck is massive as you can see in the photos.

For the specs – she is 43.62′ long, planked in kahikatea, powered by a very economical 127hp 6LX Gardner, has a 12kva generator, weighs 20 ton net, holds 2,000 litres of fuel and 1,000 litres of water.
4sale on trade me. Thanks to Ian McDonald for digging out the name & builder.

Lady Karita

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LADY KARTIA

I very happy to be able to advise that the 1938,43′ Sam Ford designed bridge decker Lady Karita is now in the hands of a new woodys friendly owner, Murray Shaw. Murray also owns the Collings & Bell bridge decker Kawhiti so the man has been bitten by the bug 🙂 . Work is already underway to return her to her former glory, see photo above, ex Steve Thomas, of ‘work-in-progress’ restoring her brightwork. The immediate plans are for her to remain in the Nelson region, but hopefully one day we will see her back on the Waitemata.

Lady Karita was built in Kauri for a flag officer of the Ponsonby Cruisng Club, Mr Victor Salek. Powered by Ford 130hp diesel, shaft drive, sees her cruising economically at 8.5 Knots. For many years she has been based in the Pelorus Sounds.

Back in June, CYA member Mark McLaughlin (Mapuna) alerted me to the fact that LK was on the market, Marks father has been Lady Karita’s caretaker/skipper for the last 15 years in Havelock & supplied the 2 press clippings below.

 

04-04-2018 Photo below ex owner Murray Shaw of Lady Karita hauled out in Nelson. In the background is Lady Ellison – nice to see the two Sam Ford built launches together 🙂

LADY KARITA + LADY ELLISON

 

BEAUFORT -50′ Woody Motor Cruiser

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Floating Apartment –  Beaufort a Grand Banks 50

With the average house price in Auckland knocking around $1million, this 50′ wooden Grand Banks currently on the market for $429k sure beats a wee box apartment.
Launched in approx. 1972, she is built like a brick outhouse, constructed in mahogany and Burmese teak. She is hull number 37, of 65 produced & the current owner of 6 years, bought her in Virginia, cruised her down to Florida then shipped her to New Zealand.
This woody offers amazing cruising comfort and luxury with a large covered cockpit leading to a massive main saloon. To starboard in the saloon is an L shaped settee with dining table and chairs. Opposite is a settee and buffet and, forward to starboard is the bar and fully-equipped galley. To port is a walkway to the huge pilothouse with guest seating and access to the wide covered side decks through port and starboard doors. Before entering the pilothouse, there is a stairway down to the sleeping accommodation. The two forward staterooms each have 2 x single berths and share 2 x toilets and 1 x shower. The passage to the master aft provides access to the port and starboard engine rooms and the master features 1 x double and 1 x single bed with own ensuite with head, shower and, tub.
Powered by twin 210hp Caterpillar 3160’s & a fuel capacity of 3,800L she falls into the long range cruiser class if you were considering extended trips.

24-12-2016 photos below ex Ken Rickets

 

WAIRIKI – A Peek Down Below

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WAIRIKI – A Peek Down Below

Wairiki, the 1934 Colin Wild built launch has appeared on ww before – link below, & created a lot of ‘chat’ in the comments section. If you read Nathan Herbert & Harold Kidd’s comments you will discover her true provenience 😉
Having just popped up on trademe, we have the chance to have a peek down below. Enjoy

Wairiki – Yes, No, Maybe?

Ranui

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RANUI
Ranui was built in 1948 by Lidgard Bros. following a Chris Craft design. She measures 48′ & is made of kauri. The  zoom zoom comes from twin 120hp Fords. She recently returned to Auckland & has just had some TLC at Gulf Harbour that included her coamings being re-varnished.
Check out the link below to a 29 page PDF file that show cases renovation a few years ago & also the history of Lidgards & the Chris Craft marque .

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The photos below ex Ken Ricketts show the recent Gulf Harbour work.

24-02-2017 Update – Photos below ex Robin Elliott of Ranui berthed in Dove Cove Marina, early Jan 2017

Mahanui Refit

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October 2016

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October 2016

Mahanui Refit

Over winter Angus Rogers (CYA Launch Captain) booked Mahanui into Greg Lees yard at Sandspit for a wee facelift. Mahanui has been a frequent visitor to the surgeons – she was built by Keith Atkinson in 1977 & originally launched as Jacinta II. Eight years ago her then owner changed the name to Mahanui & converted the portofino stern topsides to conventional topsides and added a new duckboard. He also shortened the flying bridge coamings.
Angus purchased Mahanui in February 2012 & in May 2012 she went into Lees Boatyard at Sandspit for a 9 months total refurbishment that included new engines – full details can be found here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/10/mahanui-jacinta-ii/

This winter saw the canopy over Mahanui’s cockpit replaced with a permanent structure & the finished article is a perfect fit. But as I have said before, we expect nothing less from the team at Lees Boat Builders. Compare the first two photos above & I think you will agree. Below is a ‘as launched’ photo.

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As launched

Kaheno

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Kaheno Looking For A Cheap Waterfront Bach

This 45’9” 1966 classic trawler styled Carey motorboat is built using stripped planked kauri & powered by a 135hp Gardner 6LS engine. She was converted to a live-aboard & ticks all the boxes for what I call a floating bach.

Asking price on trademe is $249k, I suspect it will sell for less but what ever the price – it’s a cheap holiday home or a city waterfront apartment. Again thanks to Ian McDonald for sniffing this one out 🙂

Update from Ian McDonald
It would appear that the vessel is ‘Kaheno’ – desined by Carey of Picton & built in 1966 by Sinclair & Melbourne. She was once owned by the Salvation Army to service Rotoroa Island. She tragically sank with the loss of 4 lives in the Tamaki Strait circa 1986 whilst carrying timber as deck cargo from memory.

Ma Cherie

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Ma Cherie (Adi Cherie)

Ma Cherie was built by the Lane Motor Boat Co in 1962 for L.G. Foster of 4 Awatere Road, Hamilton. She measured 50’/14’6″/4′ and was powered with twin Ford 6 cylinder diesels. Her name was changed to Adi Kuila but owner Markham Thomson has done the right thing & gone back to the original.
You can find more details & photos on her past here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/22/adi-kuila/

Ma Cherie has just seen a major re-fit that included fiberglassed topsides, rot removed / rebuilt, rewired, starting/charging system upgraded, new interior, engines head jobs & new water tanks. She is looking very smart, in fact she even gets away with the hothouse up top, just the right height.
Details ex Harold Kidd.

Tide Song

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Tide Song

Built by Oliver & Gilpin c.1970, Tide Song is 48’ long & built with single plank kauri. Powered by the original 2 x 70hp Perkins marine diesels.

Over the last year she has under gone an extensive refurbishment that included – engines, hull, cabin, most of the mechanical bits & all the safety fruit.
Her owner says the refurbishment is 95% complete but due to poor health Tide Song is on the market.
A pretty boat, just a shame about the patio doors 😉  still a good wooden boat builder could correct that.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe tip off, Ian wondered if Tide Song is her original name & suggested she may possibly be a re-modeled Lady Tana.

So woodys – what do we know about her?

Update – Brian Worthington has advised that Tide Song was in fact Lady Lynn, photo below of Lady Lynn on launching day. He says she was built at the Oliver & Gilpin shed in the Wairoa River & there would have been input from Willy & John Oliver. Ted Gilpin owned her for a while & renamed her Tide Song from being Lady Sophia.

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Update 12-10-2020 The photo below of Tide Song (Lady Lyn) steaming in from Cape Brett was sent to me back in 2018 – opps that on slipped between the cracks 🙂

Golden Gate AK33

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GOLDEN GATE – AK33

Today’s post has come together with the help of a bunch very knowledgeable woodys, all members of the Work Boat Study Group – Harold Kidd, Baden Pascoe, Russell Ward, Keith Ingram & Bob McDougall. The fishing photo above is from the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts. The stern on photo is ex Baden Pascoe from Theo Lowe’s scrap book.

Golden Gate was built by WG Lowe Ltd in mid>late 1930’s. She measured 46′ LOA & was most likely powered by a K3 Kelvin from new, these were the engine of the choice of most of the dally Waitemata fishermen. The Kelvin would push her along at 8 knots. Most of the fleet were eventually re-powered by Gardners fitted by Shorty Sefton, the grandfather of Andrew, Cameron and Matthew Pollard.
The number ‘714’ tells us that this is a wartime photo, as these I/D numbers being allocated from 1940. During this period she was  Auckland-based & owned by a M. Modrich. There’s a good chance that the man in the photo is the owner himself, Mr Modrich.

Golden Gate was later based at Tauranga, and was wrecked on Whale Island on 1 September 1957. At the time she owned by Golden Fisheries Ltd, Tauranga.

Now there was some debate as to what she was up to in the top photo, some suggesting she was aground & about to get a tow. Keith Ingram has however voiced his opinion that she is fishing and doing beach seining, when they were allowed to do it in the Gulf. The bow will be on the puddy and the tide coming in. If you look closely the engine is ticking over ahead. The skippers mate will be on the other end of the net on the beach. You had to haul the ropes by hand.

The cool thing about these ‘old’ work boats was that while they were ‘commercial’ they had style, something that is missing from most of todays ocean harvesters 😦

01-10-2016 Input from Harold Kidd – ex Paperpast, the headline answers the engine questions.

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02-10-2016 – Perhaps the mystery is solved. Baden Pascoe sent me the photo below (Tudor Collins again) that shows the Dalmatia about to tow Golden Gate off the sand/mud. Baden commented that a couple of things in the photo lead him to believe that it is a tow job –  the weight of the line, this is too big for seine coil. The other thing is that all the fishing gear is aboard. They could have well got into this situation from doing what Keith says above. Baden advised that Dalmatia is still around.

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17-02-2026 INPUT ex JO EVANS – photo below of GOLDEN GATE and DALMATIA (no. 299) at Leigh Wharf. (photo probably Tudor Collins)