Mystery Whangarei Launch

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Mystery Whangarei Launch

Today’s launch, if you believe the trademe listing (thx Ian McDonald) is a 26’ ‘Bayee Low’, built in 1960. He rhull is kauri carvel.

Zoom zoom is from a 60hp Isuzu diesel.

Do we know any more about her?

 

2018 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – The New Zealand Sailing Dinghy

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2018 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – The New Zealand Sailing Dinghy

This years Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition, hosted by Tino Rawa Trust, at Karanga Plaza in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, was a 3 day celebration of the New Zealand Sailing Dinghy.
The event showcased many of the successful designs that created our world class sailors & formed the backbone of your sailing clubs.
I went along on Friday morning to the opening morning tea 🙂 & rubbed shoulders with some of our wooden boating legends, these morning teas are always a special treat. We were entertained by another of Robert Brookes talks – always beautiful delivered & an entertaining insight into Auckland’s sailing past. If you have not seen Robert’s & the Brooke families latest book ‘Memories – Roads of Destiny’ (WW link below) grab a copy at Boat Books in Westhaven – its a must have / read.
I’ll let the photos tell the story of the show – enjoy.
Brooke Book Link

Matariki

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Matariki
This 16′ launch has got Lake Rotoiti written all over her. With a build year of 1973, the only reason she gets to make an appearance on WW is her very salty looks.
Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) states she was built by A. Westrupp in double diagonal timber & then glassed.
Zoom zoom is from a rebuilt MTU 30hp diesel that sees her cruising at 5 knots. Included is a road trailer, so easily re-locatable from her current home in the Marlborough Sounds.
Ps Nice ass 🙂
And below, something to watch while you are having your morning brew. The video tells the story of the re-launch of the British speedster Bluebird, its a great watch & a just shows what can be achieved when people have a vision.

Estrela

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ESTRELA
Estrela a double-ender, triple skinned kauri launch was built be Joe Fell in 1920. Her zoom zoom comes from a Hino H07C- 158 hp diesel. 
She  measures 43’in length & from her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) she appears to be very well kitted out. 
At 42′ with her hull & the Hino engine, she must have a healthy turn of speed.
 
Being a double-ender makes her very distinctive so hopefully we can un-cover more on her.
Update – Woody Chris Leech has asked if the above launch is previously named Dawn Star, once owned by ex DYC member John Mitchell – see photo below. Sure looks like it to me (AH).
Dawn Star
Input from Harold Kidd – I didn’t know that Joe Fell built double-enders. The rest of his launches were mainly cream launches for the Hokianga Dairy Company and clones of SIERRA with a tuck stern for carrying capacity. I wonder which one she was originally? Can’t place her.
Dave Jackson will probably know.

Te Haruni

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TE HARUNI
Back in June 2016, woody Mark Edmonds was cruising around Waiheke Island (ashore) & came across an old launch hauled out at a residence in Surfdale. We did a ‘Mystery Launch’ story on her but never uncovered any more details.
Now out of the blue I get an email saying that her name is Te Haruni & she is for sale on Facebook.
A little digging around & I found the fb listing, the asking price is $1800, she has no motor & would have to fit into the ‘work-in-process’ category.
In the listing it states that it was the sellers fathers working project & now needs a new home. I have a contact ph # is anyone is interested.
Hopefully with a name & the above photos we can ID the old girl.

Lucinda 4sale

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LUCINDA – 4sale

I have had a long vicarious association with Lucinda, myself & friends used to sit in the Devonport Yacht Club & look out at her moored in what appeared to be the main channel of Waitemata Harbour. I think we even took bets of how long before she sank, then one day Nathan Herbert rocks up, tracks down the owner & buys her. Her extraction & removal of her beard was covered off on WW her at the link below:

https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/11/lucinda/

Then she was towed to Milford Marina & hauled out for a 2+ years restoration (some photos from then included above). Nathan is an engineer & very fastidious so all the work was 120%. You can view her relaunch at the WW link below:

Lucinda Re-Launched

I do not normally do ‘long’ 4sale features on WW but (a) Nathan is a mate (b) Lucinda would have to be the best presented, best looking, value for money classic woody on the market. For $30k, you will be boating this coming weekend. And for the record, given the extent of the work done on her – I think Nathan is a little low on the asking price, it should be closer to $40k in my eyes.

And the question you are all most likely thinking – “Why is he selling?” – simple answer, he had the opportunity to purchase a classic woody that has been in his family for 100+ years, you don’t pass on something like that, so Nathan is back in the restoration mode.

My advice to anyone interested in her – buy her & quick, unlike most classic woodys, she will not be on the market for long.

Below is her story & details on the restoration project.

Lucinda was built in 1930 in Auckland by LC Coulthard and has a beautifully sound single skin Kauri hull with solid kauri cabin. With the help of classic boating experts, I completed a 2.5 year restoration/rebuild of her that saw her stripped back to bare hull and cabin sides, fully checked over and all other components rebuilt/replaced. Lucinda has covered over 1000 miles since relaunch in 2016. 

She is a good looker from every angle, is extremely roomy for her 27ft and uses very little fuel with her relatively modern diesel engine.

Lucinda is very seaworthy and with her high bow and V-bottom hull shape she barely rolls and rides over waves well. She is easy to manoeuvre and with her 2ft 6” draft it is easy to find safe anchorage close to shore!

All of Lucinda’s gear is built to last and top quality. 

Hull

Stripped bare inside and out and repainted in Altex system.

Kauri carvel construction with copper fasteners. 

Large pohutukawa knees throughout with extra large kauri knees in the bow area. 

All sawn frames re-fastened. 

Both bulkheads replaced, with extra sawn hardwood frames added in these areas. 

New solid Jarrah engine beds fitted.

All keel bolts replaced with large custom-made copper bolts.

Keel is solid kauri with no hogging.

Decks

Foredeck (bow area) stripped back to original laid kauri deck. Some planks replaced, then whole deck ply covered and fibre glassed over.

Side decks excellent condition kauri planked with solid pohutukawa belting. Stripped bare and laid over with new fibre glass.

Cockpit roof completely replaced with treated plywood and fibre glassed over. Other cabin roofs are sound, and fibre glassed already.

Cabin sides

Solid Kauri sides stripped bare inside and out and repainted in Altex system. Windows all removed and resealed with sikaflex.

Drivetrain

c.1990 Perkins Prima 50hp diesel rebuilt (new pistons, rebuilt block, crank, valvegear, head) by Taylor Automotive in 2017.

Borg Warner velvet drive 2:1 hydraulic transmission.

Solid bronze shaft. New custom- made 4 blade propeller to match.

Steering gear

New marine grade stainless steel rudder. Teleflex cable steering.

Solid bronze shoe from keel to rudder pintle

Practical and unobtrusive Garmin GPS/fishfinder etc.

Interior

All upholstery replaced, with double V-berth in bow and two singles in saloon area.

Sink and solid kauri bench / seating in cockpit. I have always used a portable gas stove and a portable compressor fridge for simplicity, which are not included in the sale.

Full headroom in the cockpit and bridge (very tall interior in bridge) and about 5’5” in saloon area. 

Marine toilet located underneath a lifting section of the for’d berth to starboard. 

General fittings

Solid bronze cleats, bow roller, electric anchor capstan etc etc. 

Manson Boss anchor with 16m chain, spliced to rope, very safe system.

Full-height varnished hardwood Samson post for anchoring. 

Oregon mast on bronze tabernacle.

Varnished hardwood grab rails.

Top quality fitted cockpit covers.

Automatic deluge-resistant ventilators on foredeck.

Varnished hardwood folding duckboard.Teak cockpit doors.

Electrical

All wiring replaced

High capacity deep cycle house battery with separate starting battery.

BEP switches with VSR, plus earth isolating switch. New alternator.

Auto bilge pump with small secondary pump if required.

All LED lights. Stereo with Bluetooth.

Watch Her Underway

And I’ll Finish On Some Plastic Boat Humour (sort of) down By The Boat Show  – not sure what happened but looks expensive.

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And the other side – ouch 

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And Now On Film

Skacen / Skagen

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SKACEN / SKAGEN
Now this wee ship (she is a ship) has been on WW before but she is such a honey & now for sale so she deserves an encore 🙂
Skacen measures 36’ with a beam of 10’7” & draws 4’11”. Zoom zoom comes from a 5LW Gardner (of course).
She was built by Salthouse in 1973, with a carvel kauri hull. You will see from the above photos she is very well fitted out with lots of character.
In the photos you may have picked up something strange – on the port side her name is Skagen & on the starboard its Skacen ?
As Ian McDonald commented when he sent me the trademe link – not many boats of her size have a walk-in engine room.
She would be perfect for a couple wanting mooch around the NZ coast in almost any weather, as she spent over 10 years in commercial fishing on New Zealand’s East Coast.
Woody – David Glen has advised that she was moored in the Whangapoua Harbour, off Matarangi Wharf, for the best part of the last 20 years. She was owned by a local resident who worked in the local forests. She caught David’s eye at Matarangi in 1990’s and she appeared to be well maintained, but seldom used.
And speaking of David Glen, he sent me yesterday the photo below from Amsterdam of this lovely, what I assume is a hire boat. Loving the top & down windows.
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Wairuna

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WAIRUNA

Anyone looking for a low entry cost woody project?
I have been contacted by Phil Gilbert concerning Wairuna a 28’, c.1938-40 Bailey and Lowe launch.
Wairuna has had one owner for the last 30 years, who sadly is now deceased, & the vessel has been sitting on a mooring at Tryphena for a bit.
She is now in Westhaven & will go on trademe next week with a reserve of $500 unless a keen woody wants a bargain.
She is powered by a 90hp Ford diesel, including hyd box.
The hull has been re ribbed, and appears in good nick, no visible electrolysis, top is glassed, original foredeck under the ply and glass. Hull extended
under boarding platform, bigger fuel tanks, no water tanks, and galley has been removed as it has only been used as a day boat for many years.
To quote Phil ‘her bones are great, but the makeup has run a bit’ – all offers considered.
Would be great if we could find a new home & return her to Auckland’s classic woody fleet – or even Lake Rotoiti 🙂
Contact Phil at.   phil@gilbertmarine.co.nz

Lady Mavis

Lady Mavis

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LADY MAVIS
WW was recently contacted by Kathy Makan asking for help in her quest to track down the launch – ‘Lady Mavis’ for which she has been searching for some years now.
Lady Mavis was built by her grandfather Ray Sutcliffe and Kathy spent every moment of her childhood from the day she was born into her 20’s on her.
Lady Mavis started out at 32′ built in Ray’s back yard and was launched in 1954 at Browns Bay (North Shore, Auckland). In 1958 she was lengthened to 42′ at her grandfather’s factory at Barrys Point Road, Takapuna where he built flat bottom boats for flounder fishing and dingys for HC Kitchen Ltd.
Her radio number for calling Music Point was Z.M. 2117.  Kathy believes she was built of kauri with two six cylinder engines.  Ray was appointed an ‘Honorary Launch Warden’ in 1963 under the Harbours Act 1950 by the Minister of Marine.
During summer months she was moored at Waiake Beach in Torbay where they lived and would then be shifted to the Milford Marina during winter. The family cruised extensively to Rangitoto, Tiri, Rakino, Motutapu, Wade River, Kawau Island, Mahurangi River to Warkworth, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel and their favourite the Bay of Islands.
In the photos above we see Lady Mavis & Ray Sutcliffe. Ray’s family were friends with the Fullers from the Bay of Islands and used to go fishing with Mr Fuller on his first launch ‘Udine’.  From his late teens into his twenties Ray used to catch the steamer ‘Clansman’ from Auckland up to the Bay of Islands where he spent his holidays  out on the Fuller’s launch ‘Knoxie’ and going out on the ‘Cream Trip’ as well as other special trips.  He used to stay with the Bullen family who was Mrs Fuller’s sister. Below is a photo of Ray with a kingfish caught on Mr Fuller’s launch ‘Udine’, as well as photos of ‘Knoxie and the ‘Clansman’.
Greatgrandfather Sutchliffe

Seaway – A Peek Down Below

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SEAWAY – A Peek Down Below
Seaway was designed / built by Sam Ford & measures approx 31’, with a beam of 8’10” & drawing 5’6”. Zoom zoom is via a ^0hp Ford diesel.
She has appeared on WW before but now thanks to trademe & Ian McDonalds spotting, we get a better look at her interior.
There has been a lot of TLC applied in the last 2 years & she appears to be a good buy at $25k, a good entry into classic wooden boating 🙂
You can see & read more on Seaway on this WW link, check out the comments section – lots of chat there.