Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

The Continuing Issue of Electrochemical Damage To Our Wooden Boats – Lady Ellen

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The Continuing Issue of Electrochemical Damage To Our Wooden Boats

 I recently received an update from Bruce Mitchinson on the restoration work underway on his 36’,  McGeady built (c.1950) classic launch, Lady Ellen. Unfortunately the old lady has a been struck with a dose of electrolysis.

You can see when the secondary shaft log was removed, electrolysis had destroyed the planking around the plate fastenings. The same problem around the main shaft log, and strut fixings, through structural members, which were all bonded together. The affected timber has been removed and new kauri blocks glued in and around the shaft log, keel bolts and floors.

The to-do list this week includes laminating up pilularis frames insitu, to replace the 15 broken, or electrolysis affected members that have been removed.This will complete the inside structural work, below the waterline, that had been put off until things dried out enough.

Other work has seen the old fuel tank removed and a clean up around the bilge in the engine bay Following this Bruce will be working his way forward with stripping and refastening on the outside of the hull.

The shaft, prop and drive couplings have gone down to Whangaparoa for adjustment, set up, and balancing.

Hats off to Bruce for doing the best of Lady Ellen. To read more on this problem, the causes & remedies – visit Chris McMullen’s WW story – link below. Its the most referenced story on WW.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/05/15/electrochemical-damage-to-wood-the-marine-version-of-leaky-homes/

Read more on her past & current restoration work at the links below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/06/25/mystery-launch-25-06-2015/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/07/14/lady-ellen-restoration/

Three Taupo Boats

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PIRI PONO on her slip at Two Mile Bay, Taupo, in the 1960’s

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PIRI PONO’s Gray’s
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PIRI PONO at her final resting place (Maritime Museum)

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LUYVON awaiting restoration at Taupo Oct 2017

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TUI at the Clinker Boat Exhibition

THREE TAUPO BOATS

Post a visit by Paul Drake & his brothers to the 2017 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition & a side trip to the Auckland Maritime Museum, Paul sent me the above photos & the story below – which I have re-produced unedited as its perfect as is. Read & enjoy J

 In the mid  1920’s, two gents and their families fell in love with Taupo. Both of them commissioned boats from Auckland builders. Hawke Bay’s Guy Rochfort had TUI (16 feet and clinker) built by Percy Vos. TUI was on display at the recent Classic Clinker Exhibition at the Viaduct in Auckland.  Auckland’s Robert Laidlaw had the 17 foot speedboat  SEAHORSE built by an unspecified builder. After a weather related fright on the lake in 1929, Robert approached Collings and Bell, and the 28 foot PIRI PONO (faithful friend) was the result. Honduras mahogany and bright finished, no expense was spared. PIRI PONO is on display at the Maritime Museum in Auckland.  With her 150 HP straight eight Niagara, she weighed just over a ton and could do about 30 knots. Housed in her boatshed at Two Mile Bay, alongside Laidlaw’s house ‘Monte Vista’, access to the water was via a slipway. A private jetty and offshore mooring completed the picture. 

PIRI PONO was the fastest boat on the lake.  But by 1935, she had a rival in the form of local man Stan Gillies’s  LUYVON, locally designed and built by Jack Taylor and measuring 22 feet. She was light (about half the weight of PIRI PONO) and powered with a Dodge, driving through an outboard drive.  Informal drag races indicated that the boats were very similar in speed.  A more formal test was required. Regatta Day 1936 (probably) was the day. PIRI PONO had her bottom waxed, new spark plugs fitted, all surplus gear removed, and half her fuel pumped out.  The day dawned fine and calm, to PIRI PONO’s disadvantage. LUYVON and PIRI PONO lined up for the 20 lap race. LUYVON had the edge because she cornered faster – PIRI PONO would catch her on the straights.  Robert Laidlaw ordered his crew (son Lincoln) to the aft cockpit to get the bow up a bit. Stan Gillies was still ahead. Back came Lincoln, returning aft with the anchor. This was enough. PIRI PONO won and Robert retained his title as fastest man on the lake.

PIRI PONO was commandeered by the Air Force during WW2 and was the Commodore’s launch at Hobsonville. They replaced the Niagara with a Chrysler (Crown?) and built a cabin over the forward cockpits. Having won the war, the Air Force returned PIRI PONO to Taupo.  She was re-engined with twin Gray’s which are in her to this day. There are conflicting stories as to how this came about. One source has it that she was returned by the Air Force without an engine. Another has it that Laidlaw was disappointed with the speed produced by the Chrysler. Yet another has it that the Air Force wrote off the Chrysler while trying to reverse PIRI PONO off her transporter and into the lake (overheating due to lack of cooling water).

Laidlaw was an enthusiast. He was the founder of Farmers Trading Company. He was a very active Christian, and his name lives on in Laidlaw College, formerly the Bible College of New Zealand, which trains people for Christian ministry. He also has a rock named after him, informally at least. During an early evening spin in PIRI PONO, with 23 POB (so it is said), PIRI PONO struck, at speed, the large flat rock in Mine Bay between the islets and the shore at the eastern end of the bay. The damage must have been enormous and she quickly sank in a few metres of water. Passengers, some of them not-so-young ladies in fur coats, were rescued by nearby launches.  Jack Taylor’s PONUI and VICTORY salvaged PIRI PONO the next day and she was repaired in time for the following summer. 

Meanwhile, TUI led an uneventful life, and lived afloat in a Taupo Boat Harbour boatshed. LUYVON lived in a boatshed nearby, but was kept dry (and light) by being lifted clear of the water on a cradle once in the shed. LUYVON also survives, still owned by the Gillies family, and has been awaiting restoration for some 30 years now. 

The book by Ian Hunter, ‘Robert Laidlaw – Man for our Time’ makes a very interesting read.

UPDATE 01-11-2017 Photo below showing TAMATI in the Lake Taupo Boat Harbour, with the fishing lodge (ex TONGARIRO) in the background, and the Collings and Bell PIRI PONO in the fore ground.   

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Lady Carole

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LADY CAROLE

I was recently contacted by Nelson boat builder / restore Peter Murton who was seeking some info on Lady Carole that he has in his shed at present for some TLC.

Unfortunately, Lady Carole has suffered some electrochemical / rot issues which Peter is correcting along with a few shoddy repairs she has incurred in the past.

Nathan Herbert has told me that at one stage Lady Carole was owned by his father’s uncle & was based at Whangaroa.

There is speculation that she may have been a Couldrey design, but Harold Kidd commented that she does not appear on Couldrey’s list of designs, but she could well have been inspired by his designs.

So woodys – anyone able to tell us more about Lady Carole?

Make sure you check out WW on tomorrow, there is a great post on the yacht Pirate

 

Echo – A Peek Down Below

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ECHO – A Peek Down Below

I have rowed past Echo numerous times at Mahurangi Regatta weekends & admired her. She is a very smart classic woody & the workmanship on her is 2nd to none.

She has appeared on WW before but yesterday she popped up on trademe, so we can enjoy a peek down below.

Echo is a kauri carvel launch built by Les Coulthard in 1935 at Onehunga. She measures 31.81’ & is powered by a Perkins 75hp diesel engine, this allows her to cruise along at approx 7.5 knots.
For the last 17 years Echo has been owned & maintained by a professional boat builder. During this time, she has been recaulked below the waterline & had her topsides kauri splined, the cockpit area has been rebuilt &the bow re-worked to give her a proper anchor bowsprit.
You will see from the photos that Echo is beautifully maintained & presented –  Echo is an amazing buy & would see you cruising in a classic woody this summer.

Someone needs to buy her & quick J

14-11-2017 Update: Someone did buy her – a gent named Mark Dixon

11-01-2018 Update Photos below taken by Angus Rogers of Echo at Parekura Bay, Xmas 2017/18

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Rosemary

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ROSEMARY

The name Rosemary must be one of the most commonly used names for a wooden motorboat. Today’s Rosemary has just popped up on trademe , but the interior decorating style rings a bell with me, seen her before but can’t recall where & when.

According to the listing she was built in 1927 by Bailey & Lowe, measures 29.52’ & is powered by a 48hp diesel engine – that folks is all we know. Can someone remind me why this Rosemary is familiar ?

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.

Margaret Anne

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MARGARET ANNE – For Sale

WW has followed the progress of the 1953, Billy Rogers built classic launch Margaret Anne for several years & as we all know; some boats get lucky & land the perfect owner – Margaret Anne is one of those. When Helena Willes bought her back in 2014 she committed to undertaking a bow to stern restoration that included taking a chainsaw to the fly bridgeJ Over the following few years Helena transformed Margaret Anne into the magnificent classic you view above. Given all the time & dollars in the restoration, I was surprised to get a call from Helena advising she was selling Margaret Anne to up roots & head off blue water cruising (yacht).

So woodys another classic is available for sale – in turn-key condition i.e. step aboard & go cruising this summer. I have summarized below all the work done to her. A snap shot – 11m long, 1.2m draft, powered by a Ford Lees 80hp diesel, steading sail, sleeps 5, cruises 8>9 knots.

Helena has asked that interested parties contact the broker she has appointed to handle the sale – Steve Rhea at Vinings 09 376 6737

New since 2014: All new fresh water system including deck wash foot switch fitted and new hose. All wire stays and through bolts are new. New sheets, blocks and lines. Deck light fitted. Stanchions repaired and painted. Bow rails repaired, epoxy sealed and 10 coats of varnish. Hull painted. Entire electrical system is new with state of the art control panels and connections. 2 new deep cycle house batteries (2016), 2 x 150w solar panels, regulator and controller fitted. 800w inverter. Fly-bridge removed, old canvas stripped and brought back to bare wood. Entire roof fibre-glassed and 2 pot epoxy sealed, painted white and then added KiwiGrip for nonskid. New mahogany hand rails fitted, epoxy sealed and varnished 10 coats. Cabin sides stripped and varnished, window beadings removed (rotten) and replaced with Sikaflex. 
Full interior re-paint. All floorboards sanded, filled and oiled. New custom made inner sprung mattress, forward hatch refurbished and epoxy sealed, new hatch light, new toilet & 20L holding tank (all seacocks replaced), new shower head/hose, new taps. New fridge installed. New squabs and covers in saloon and galley. Full exterior canvas cover system, blackout curtains in saloon. Bilges cleaned, red leaded. Rudder post serviced, re-packed. New hydraulic steering ram installed (a spare steering pump and wheel are part of the sale). New steering station panel and instruments: tachometer, depth/fish finder, monitor (solar etc.) Gas locker fitted with two 10kg bottles, solenoid/gas detector and isolation valves. Engine regularly serviced by Moon Engines, new heat exchanger, gear box serviced, new hoses, new lift pump, new exhaust to manifold fitting, new exhaust pipe. Oregon boom fitted for shade and dinghy lifting mechanism. Flagpole renewed. Two new stainless rod holders. New vinyl in galley. All seacocks replaced with plastic. 90L plastic fuel tank system with isolation valves fitted. New fuel line to primary filters. New 50m anchor warp spliced onto chain. The boat has been hauled and antifouled yearly with kiwi prop applied.

We Love Long Weekends

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We Love Long Weekends

In the photo above (ex Baden Pascoe) we see members of the Auckland Power Boat Association enjoying the 1st picnic of the season at Takapuna. Hopefully a lot of you will be out & about this weekend enjoying the spring weather & giving the boat a treat.

MY GIRL UPDATE

One person who will not be afloat will be Jason Prew, life for Jas at the moment is centered on the rebuild of his classic launch My Girl. Search the name in the WW search box to see details.

Jason has a great blog recording the work being done – link below. Check out the scale of this project!

http://www.my-girl.co.nz/mygirl/Restoration/Restoration.html

Big WW story tomorrow – lots of photos (a tease below) & if you or anyone you know is looking for a classic wooden launch that requires nothing done to her – you have to read Mondays story 😉

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MV CLEMATIS – An ideal floating bach

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MV CLEMATIS – An ideal floating bach

WW readers will be familiar with my views on how compared to the price of waterfront property these days, you can buy a classic wooden vessel for a fraction of the cost, that offers the same benefits + more.

Clematis at 45’ is one such vessel, launched in 1939 & built of kauri by Miller and Tonnage Ship Builders in Port Chalmers for J. Falconer & Sons of Timaru.

Her past has seen her serve with the New Zealand Maritime Department, initially in the NZ Navy during WWII & with the various other ad hoc parties until 1995. She was the only vessel still attached to the navy, serving from WWII until c.1995. She was seconded to the US Navy during WWII & during this period she was refitted on three occasions and even given a copper bottom by the Americans for her use in the Pacific Islands. She was later a training boat for the Maritime Department and Ministry of Fisheries.

She was eventually sold to Christchurch businessman, Bryan Mullaly, in 1995, who based her in Picton. Later use saw her working for a time in Lyttleton as a whale watch boat. Back then (c.1995) she was powered by an Isuzu truck / bus engine, converted to marine use, this replaced a Gardner diesel.

Mullaly sold her to her present owner, Pam Holt in 2003 & Pam brought her up to Coromandel & Gt. Barrier, where Clematis became her floating home. Her large saloon, galley, 2 cabins and spacious covered deck made her ideal for enjoying the spectacular scenery and sea life.

With lots of blue ocean miles under her belt, Clematis is a proven seaworthy boat. Having been in MSA survey (expired) for 18 passengers, 10 to Great Barrier Island.

Pam’s days afloat are over & she is looking for a new custodian for Clematis, whether as a floating bach or a fabulous event venue or for sightseeing cruises.

You will see in the photos that she has recently had a lot of TCL applied & is now offered for sale. Interested parties can contact Pam direct at pamclem@hotmail.com

B/W photos below from launch day.

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Input from Russell Ward

Below are two photos, the colour one is a shot of her on Otago Harbour set to Russell by Ian Mclean –she spent a lot of time in Dunedin –Sea Cadets boat.

The b/w photo shows Clematis on the right in working rig. To her starboard is Aorangi’s bow, Shenendoah and over astern a smattering of the pride of the Auckland fleet. Centre stage, wearing her original funnel in pride is Melodeon.

This pic would be in the ’50s or early ‘60s. A view of the viaduct before it became a eating and watering and posh boat hole 🙂

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Input from Peter Marshall

Actually, Brian Mullaly sold CLEMATIS to me around ’95 and I took her to Lyttelton. She was put into survey as a commercial boat in 2001 but was almost immediately involved in the destruction of the marina at Magazine Bay and was out for the 2001-2002 summer season.
Expertly and comprehensively repaired by Stark Bros., CLEMATIS then operated as Godley Head Dolphin Company watch out of Dampier Bay and around the Banks Peninsula until ’95 when I gave up the cause of making Lyttelton a reasonable environment for chartering and she was bought by a young woodworker from Auckland.
As an added note, she was lent to the Yanks during WW II, who took her up into the Pacific and clad her hull in copper to protect her from worm and used her as shallow water picket duty. The Navy League had her on Otago Harbour for around 30 years, and scads of harbour-dwellers knew the sound of her old Gardner.

Cavalaire – A peek down below

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CAVALAIRE – A peek down below

Built by Brin Wilson in 1967, she measures 34.76’, with a 10’7” beam & draws 3’3”. Kauri carvel planked & powered by a 120hp Ford 6cyl. diesel.

That’s about all her trademe listing tells us, can any of the woodys expand on her provenance? Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-upJ

25-06-2019 Updated photos ex new trademe listing

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Lyttleton Basket Case ( Kia Ora) + Yum Yum

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Lyttleton Basket Case – Kia Ora

On Nathan Herbert’s recent trip south, he spotted the above ‘yacht’ in Lyttleton. From her stern, it would appear she was named Kiaor or Kiaok – the last letter is part missing. Anyone able to tell us about her past?

 

What Happened To Yum Yum?

Woody Daniel Renall contacted me to say he had been fortunate to visit Neil Beken at his boat building spot in Beach Haven. Neil gave Dan a bunch of plans he had acquired for Dan’s yacht, Jonquil.

While there he showed Dan a picture of a yacht he restored in the 1990’s called Yum Yum, very similar to Gloriana. It was owned by someone in Wellington and was trucked up for a couple of classic races in Auckland.

Neil mentioned that Yum Yum had vanished and nobody had been able to track her down.

So woodys – can anyone shed some light on Yum Yum’s whereabouts & have a photo?

Harold Kidd Update – KIA ORA was designed by Prof R.J. Scott of the Engineering School at Canterbury and built for himself by Jack Collins of Lyttelton in November 1898 as a 5 rater cutter to replace an earlier 2 rater KIA ORA Collins owned. She was in the BRITANNIA/MOANA mould with a spoon bow. She was racing, later under a yawl rig, until the 1960s.
Very historic Lyttelton yacht in the same category as PASTIME.
YUM YUM and her Herreshoff inspiration is discussed in passing in my article on IDA in the November Boating NZ (plug)..