Category Archives: 44′>50′

CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

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CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

The weekends weather in Auckland certainly wasn’t conducive to boating so on early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and headed to Whangarei for the 2024 Maritime Festival at the Town Basin.

Year two and a quick overview, – more tie-dyed tee shirt vendors and food trucks, a lot more general public – less launches, more large cruising yachts. Steam boat rides were the most popular offering – long queues of kids that probably walked away with a life time memory – well done to all the  steam boat skippers and crew.

Nice to see a couple of woodys from the Waitemata make the trip north – RAWHITI and JOHN DORY. 

As always when she makes an appearance anywhere Dick and Colleen Fisher’s ex pilot boat – AKARANA was the start of the show.

THE AUCKLAND WOODYS HAD AN INTERESTING TRIP HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON 🙂

RAWHITI
JOHN DORY

TUAHINE – 43′ CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

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TUAHINE – CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

When a classic woody has had the same owner for over 50 years, not a lot of people have popped their heads down below, today we get to do that.

The 43’ yacht Tuahine was designed and built in 1957 by the Dickson family, lead by Roy Dickson’s father (grandfather to Chris Dickson). Dickson senior along with Roy and twin brother had all sailed on Ranger with Lou Tercel and got many ideas from Ranger – longish with narrow beam (9’).

Stepping aboard Tuahine is like entering a time capsule being almost unaltered from new, always a sign that the designer / builder got it right first off. Tuahine even has the original Crown Lynn dinner set and on her bulkhead the pennant / decals recording her off-shore races (1977 and 1979 Auckland > Lautoka).

Home for most of the last 40 years has been the Bay of Islands, where she still resides, upstaging her plastic neighbours in the bay.

Her owners have followed a regular maintenance schedule that has included – recently removing the teak decks and plywood substrate laid and the deck relaid. The windows have also been removed and re-sealed. Other work has included the installation of a new Lombardini engine, new stove, new batteries and new main sail.

If the above sounds like an advertisement, it is – the Wooden Boat Bureau has been tasked with finding the next custodian of Tuahine. Her owners are motivated to sell so if you are looking for true blue classic with one of the best pedigrees in the fleet – contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details on Tuahine, and then make an offer.

CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT – KAHENO

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CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT – KAHENO

Todays photos recently popped up on the ‘ Carey Boats’ fb in a post by Phillip Carey and show the very smart looking 46′ workboat KAHENO. Phillip commented that when launched in 1966 she was powered by a Gardner 6LX, which may have been replaced in the 1990’s with a 5LW.

Hamish Mason commented that she was built for his grandfather – Dick Mason. 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 previous WW stories we learnt that she was refloated and in the 2016 > 2019 period underwent a conversion to pleasure craft. Links to those WW stories below.

WW Oct 2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/24/23166/

WW Dec 2019 https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/27/kaheno/

Do we know where she is today.

Full details here  https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz/boatshow

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SAPPHIRE 

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SAPPHIRE 

Back in July 2023 the Oliver and Gilpin 1972 designed and built 48’ launch – SAPPHIRE made a guest appearance on another story (LADY LYNN) as seen in the top b/w photo that came to us ex the Tauranga Museum via Dean Wright. 

SAPPHIRE has recently popped up on fb and she has obviously been on the growth hormones over the years – as seen in the second photo, quite an increase in stature…………  as they say no navel architect got rich on the additions 🙂

But – each to their own – nothing a tungsten tipped chainsaw couldn’t fix 😉

WINTER CRUISING ON A 47′ CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT

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WINTER CRUISING ON A 47′ CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT

Today thanks to the eye / camera of Dean Wright we get to have a virtual Fiordland woody cruise aboard the launch – MONOWAI III. 

Lets start with some background – Dean and partner Deb are ‘frequent flyers’ when it comes to these cruising grounds. They were back there last in May 2019. As before guests of Andy and Brenda Bell aboard their launch – MONOWAI III for a week in Fiordland mid July.

This time they flew into Dusky Sound and worked their way North, Breaksea, Charles Sounds before flying out of George Sound a week or so later. They aced it with brilliant, calm weather and just a bit of rain. The photos above show a few of the amazing anchorages down there.

MONOWAI III is a 47’ Saunders, built by Harold Saunders in 1976, carvel kauri construction. Her beam is 11’10” and she draws 4’6”.

Forward motion is via a 8V71N GM. Lots more info on the boat in the 2019 WW story link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/05/06/monowai-iii/

Some Great Video Action To Finish

Lake Alice Anchorage:

Sportsmen Cove: 

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – IMANOTA > MARION D > JOAN

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – IMANOTA > MARION D > JOAN

Todays 45’ woody comes to us via a James Donald fb post. 

The launch was built in 1918 (launched Dec, thank you Harold Kidd for the intel) by Bailey& Lowe, named IMANOTA.

James grandfather, J Donald bought the launch in May 1921 and changed her name to MARION D. 

When launched she was powered by a 3 cyl. Twigg engine. James commented on the stern on photo that illustrated how beamy the vessel was.

Some time later her name changed again to JOAN, as she is known today. These days JOAn is powered by a Gardner engine.

The colour photo of JOAN I took in Nov 2014 at anchor in Isslington Bay, Rangitoto Island.

The link below is to a June 2018 WW story that as well as an amazing gallery of photos from her past, there is produced a 10 page diary/log from a 1932 Bay of Islands big game fishing trip – its a great read.

The photo below of the angler is most likely to be James grandfather.

WW June 2018 Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/06/29/marion-d-joan/

04-11-2024 Input ex Steve – I have that rod and reel, A Hardy Bros 7 inch Sea Silex and the Tanekaha rod my Grandfather said his father made himself. I am searching for history on James Donald OBE, My Great grandfather.
I have found out this reel was made from 1925 to 1927 and it was his first reel. That photo has to be post 1925 at least

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CAROUSEL – Launch Day & Present Day

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT CAROUSEL – Launch Day & Present Day

Bay of Islands based woody and professional photographer Dean Wright and his partner Deb have just returned from a couple of weeks afloat in Fiordland, thats another story.

Today we see the 1967 Oliver and Gilpin launch – CAROUSEL, on her mooring in Te Anau. Dean also sent in the b/w photo from her launch day (Nov 1967) on the Wairoa River. Which solved a mystery for me, I had the same photo but no reference to the boat name.Links to previous WW stories below.

CAROUSEL resides these days on Lake Te Anau and operates as a charter boat. 

JUNE 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/25/carousel/
AUG 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/09/carousel-2/

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

LAURA MAY > LAURA VEE

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LAURA MAY > LAURA VEE

Todays classic wooden launch is the c.1965/6 Oliver & Gilpin built 48’ launch – LADY VEE , named LADY MAY when launched. 

The top b/w photo is from the Tauranga City Library collection and was taken not long after launching.

In the 2nd photo ex Jason Prew (date unknown) we see her in Chamberlains Bay, bottom end of Waiheke area.

The 3rd photo was taken in Jan 2019 by Peter Loughlin and the location is Great Barrier Island. Peter at the time commented that he had been aboard and she was post a recent refi and looking very smart.

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC LAUNCH THETIS – BACK HOME

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CLASSIC LAUNCH THETIS – BACK HOME

Back in March we reported that THETIS had been sold and was now back in Auckland via Exclusive Transport and Boat Haulage. She was taken straight to the Tamaki Haulout Yard.

Early in the month owner Norman Ramsay advised that he scraped and repainted the bottom and had her put back in the water within a couple of weeks. She then motored down the Tamaki River to a berth in central Auckland. In the last photo above the launch in front of THETIS is Norman’s other launch – a Formula 4000 named ISLAND TIME.
A t the time of purchase / sea trial they was an issue with one of the Graymarine diesel engines, so Norman commented that engine work is ongoing in the berth at the moment and they are working through options from rebuild to replacement with Duetz engines. Post this the next step will be the interior.

Very happy to see THETIS back on the Waitemata and looking forward to reporting on the rolling restoration.

LOTS TO READ & SEE AT THE TWO PREVIOUS WW STORIES LINKED BELOW
https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/02/thetis-a-peek-down-below/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/13/thetis-ii-the-lane-motor-boat-co/

MANURERE – A Peek Down Below + 4sale

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MANURERE – A Peek Down Below + 4sale

Back in November 2021 we ran a story on the 43’ ex workboat – MANURERE, at the time we learned that she was designed and built by Miller & Tunnage, Port Chalmers and launched in 1937.Constructed from 1 1/2” kauri planking over spotted gum frames.

In her early days ( see b/w photo below) she fished commercially (cod and crayfish) in the Otago and Stewart Island areas, and later in her life was converted to pleasure use. 

At the time of the 2021 story she was looking for a new custodian.

As I’ve mentioned many times on WW some woodys get lucky in terms of owners, MANURERE is one such boat, over the next 3 years her new owner continued to undertake a rolling refit. In fact when purchased MANURERE was effectively set up as a day-boat, her owner undertook to re-equipped and updated her to be able to undertake passages to isolated areas and provide crew comfort for extended periods. As the photos show MANURERE presents in better than new condition. Roll forward and her owner has made the call to return to a life of sail and have asked {the} Wooden Boat Bureau to find a new owner to take over the vessel.  So woodys best we tell you more about her – 

MANURERE’s hull, engine and ancillary equipment are in very good condition. The interior was recently restored, ‘in keeping’ using native timbers. Powered by a Iveco 120hp marine diesel, she uses about a litre of diesel per nautical mile at 8 knots.  Recently work included the injectors being tuned, new water pump and starter motor and a powered second alternator fitted, upgraded bilge pump and system. Modern electronics fitted including AIS. , 230V power with power points throughout. Smart charger charges the 3 battery banks simultaneously.

MANURERE is rigged with steadying sail, main and mizzen. 2 x 2 speed winches. Anchor operated at wheel house or deck. Life raft, heavy duty Coppin’s drogue, second CQR with spare 50m 10mm chain, EPIRB, VHF etc. Hot and cold pressure water, shower on rear deck. Electric toilet, holding tank and LectrSan sanitation unit (use optional). Gimballed hob in wheel house with barbeque rear deck. Dometic fridge freezer (24v/230V) under wheel house seat. Near new 2.5m RIB with 3.3 Mercury. And being a southern lass she has a diesel heater – we like that 🙂

Whats especially compelling about MANURERE is that she’s ready to use – now. So, if your looking for an exceptionally well built and maintained classic motorboat with plenty of life left in her, to have your own adventures, this might be it. We do not normally include pricing on WW stories but I predict that MANURERE will find a new owner very quickly. Why? Because at $136k she would be the best classic on the market in terms of size, condition and functionality + cool factor.

Interested parties to initially contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Ps – If the other 1/2 saw the error of her ways and showed me the door, I would be buying MANURERE in a flash and doing laps of NZ 🙂

Old (2021) photo below to show off her cute rear end…………..