Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Rakira

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RAKIRA

Rakira is a carvel kauri launch / motorsailer, built in 1955 at Kawau Island. She measures 29.52’ & is powered with a 54hp Mazda Bongo diesel motor.

That’s about all her trademe listing tells us, if the Kawau build is correct, we must be able to uncover more about her provenance.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.

The New Zealand Clinker Boat booklet winner – Is Mike O’Dwyer. Well done 🙂 A lot of you need to read the entry conditions i.e. via email. I’ll give way another copy on Friday,so look out for the quiz.

 

 

Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition 2017 – The NZ Clinker Boat – 50+ Photos

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Baden Pascoe

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Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition 2017 – The NZ Clinker Boat

Over the weekend the Tino Rawa Trust hosted the 10th Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition at Karanga Plaza on Auckland waterfront Wynyard Quarter. If you missed the event, you really did miss something special. The feature this year was the New Zealand Clinker Boat.

I went to the opening commemorative (Tony Stevenson, likes flash words) morning tea on Friday, if you were looking for a wooden boat builder or a fountain of knowledge on wooden boats, you would have been stunned at the guest list, it was the who’s who of NZ classic wooden boat movement. If you weren’t there you must have done something really bad in a past life to not be invited 😉

Above is a selection of the boats on display, taken on Friday when the crowds were light. Enjoy 🙂

Talking to Tony Stevenson, Jason Prew & Baden Pascoe last night & this years event was hands down the most successful in terms of attendee numbers, Saturday being huge. Well done guys. 

 

SLAINTE Relaunched

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SLAINTE Relaunched

Back in early August I posted photos / details on the restoration / rebuild of the 1947 27’ Chris Craft Super Delux – Slainte at Craig Maine at Lake Rotoiti (link below).

Yesterday Alan Craig sent me photos from last Friday’s relaunch on the lake. Alan’s a man of few words e.g. “ It floats, all went well” J

Slainte is a stunning addition to the Lake Rotoiti woody fleet – well done Alan & the brave owner that commissioned the project.

Slainte

 

Matira

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MATIRA

Chatting recently on-line with Bryce Strong he mentioned his ownership of the 1956 Collings & Bell launch Matira, the lead photo was taken at Great Barrier Island & also shows Altair nearby, Bryce commented that the water was so still you have difficulty deciding which way the photo should be up.

Bryce kept her on the Clevedon River & at one stage there was a flood & Matira pulled out the front mooring pole, and swung around and collided with Altair, moored behind on the pontoon. Only held by a single stern rope which held her until Bryce could sort it.

Bryce sold Matira in 2009 to Steve Martin, a boat builder who carried out an extensive and immaculate refit in 2011, setting up Matira for another 30 years. Photos below of Steve’s work. There is an extensive documented history of the vessel here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/03/matira/

Link below (blue) to a spec sheet of Matira from during Bryce’s ownership period.

Short spec updated version

Note – this shows her powered by twin 4 cyl.Ford 75hp engines, in late November 2015 she was re-powered with twin 110hp Yanmar’s that while lifting her performance, significantly reduced the running noise. Her owner Guy Warman commented to me post her re-launch sea trial, that that alone was worth the cost 🙂 Matira is a lucky lady to have been so well loved & cared for over the years.

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Poaka

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POAKA

Back in Feb 2015 I did a story on the 1960 Snow Waters built launch ‘Poaka’ & questioned where she was today. Nathan Herbert gave us a heads up in Feb 2017 that she had popped up on trademe & she is still there today.
Looks like she has had some TLC & being a Waters craft she should be a solid ship. Interesting the difference between the painted cabin, versus the ‘as launched’ varnished finish (photo below), certainly looks sharper with the varnish (in my eye)
Powered by a 72hp, 4 cyl. Ford Diesel.
A nice entry level woody that with a little more work, could be a pretty classic.
See / read more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/14/poaka/
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Yesterdays winner of the Auckland On The Water Boat Show tickets was – Tim Christensen – owner of the classic launch ‘Yvonne’

Arohia – A Peek Down Below

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AROHIA – A Peek Down Below

Given that in the first photo above the A-class keeler, Arohia is flying a Logan flag I assume that she is a Logan design, odd that her owner would leave that out of her 4sale listing……….. We do know that she was built in 1949 by Colin Wild for John Seabrook. The timber was supplied by Gordon Pollard on the proviso that he would get first option to buy if ever it was sold. As a result the best NZ kauri was used, hand picked by Gordon Pollard. Full length (47′) planking, triple skin kauri.

Arohia has an impressive racing history both local & off-shore & is now for sale by her owner of 34 years.

(sorry for the photo quality – that is all there was & wont be helping the sales process)

A Little Classic Sailing Porn
The video below is from the recent Vela Classic Menorca-Mahon Regatta – its 15mins of stunning classics & race footage.

 

Nukutere – Part 1

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NUKUTERE – Part 1

The owners of Nukutere have asked if the WW readers can supply anymore details / history on their launch. We know that she was built by A. Sang & Sons, of Wellington in 1942 & she is 46’ in length & kauri planked.

Currently powered by twin 80hp Ford (Lees) diesels – installed in 1979 that push her along at between 9>10.5 knots. Home these days is Onahau Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound in the South Island.

She may have been used as a patrol boat in Wellington during the war.

WW understands she is 4sale – would be nice to see her head north & join the CYA cruising fleet 😉

A Lot Of Boat For Not A Lot of Money

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Water Gipsy > Connie V > Robyn Gae 4Sale

The 1934 Cox & Filmer (Speedcraft Boat Co.) built Robyn Gae has had a very interesting & colourful life – you can read all about it on the WW link below. But to regular WW readers thats old news & not the reason for today story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/06/water-gipsy-connie-v-robyn-gae/ 

Robyn Gae has been ‘hanging-out’ on trademe for a very long time waiting for a woody to takeover her ownership, I in fact gave the sale a plug on WW just over one year ago, but still no takers.

It is rare these days to find an almost original condition classic that is just in a run-down condition. On face value, mechanically she is good, she has just suffered from a lack of exterior maintenance – in my eyes nothing that could not be fixed by a wooden boat enthusiast with the basic skills. Her interior is very ‘as-built’ but that is all good,most woodys have had square edged MDF cabinetry fitted & need to be gutted, give RG’s interior a good scrub with sugar soap & a lick of paint & you could go boating this coming summer & start a rolling restoration next winter. I suspect the right buyer could own RG for not a lot on money. Take a look at the wonderful old photos of her in the WW link & you’ll see the potential she has to be a stunner.

So woodys, we must know someone thats looking for an entry level classic……………..

Mystery Lidgard Launch

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Mystery Lidgard Launch

The above launch is only a mystery because the broker has not revealed her name.

I can tell you that she was built by Lidgard’s in 1955, is 35’ in length, with a 10’5” beam. She has a kauri planked hull. The zoom zoom comes from a 120hp Ford diesel & home is the Marlborough Sounds.

Any southern woodys able to ID this launch?