Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Lady Ellen Restoration

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LADY ELLEN RESTORATION

The plight of Lady Ellen has been documented on ww in the past (link below). We were able to happily report that she had been purchased by Bruce Mitchinson & 6 weeks ago transported north to Russell in the Bay of Islands.

Lady Ellen

A few days ago Bruce gave me an update on the restoration – read below.
“Restoration work underway with removal of rotten timber around cabin, decks and bulkheads. Much of the interior has gone to the tip. Under the foredeck canvas, near perfect Totara decking, which is drying out ready for a sand and some fibreglass.
Next up, replacing the rotten timbers with old kauri before new side and aft decks go down.
Engine is back together, almost, and Ken Jaspers is sorting out new mounts, gearbox seals and couplings down in Whangaparoa”
Bruce has promised to keep us updated on the project.

27-09-2017 Project Update ex Bruce M

Starting to look like herself again.

Glassed plywood cores for  cabin sides ready for timber finish inside and out.
Slight adjustment made to the rear windows, which always looked a bit odd, but still trying to retain that McGeady look.
Rebuilt coachroof over the aft cockpit to remove the v-shape combing and modified structure so that corner posts are no longer required.
Narrower aft deck now provides enough room for continuous seating around 3 sides of the cockpit and storage.
Galley has gone, including the floor, to make way for a new under floor water tank, raised floor and new galley fit out.
As you can see there is still a lot of work to do.
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Update Jan 2018 – The focus over the last few weeks is to get topsides ready for finishing by the end of the month. A lot of work has gone in to re-fastening and frame repairs to pull everything back into shape, and as you can see the Lady Ellen has plenty of shape. Thanks to our boatbuilder, Brett Avery, we now have a very sound vessel. Main saloon is now completely stripped out, including the old steel diesel tanks and de-greasing the bilge and engine bay is next up, while removing the last of the antifoul underneath and cleaning up the diesel soaked planking. New rudder tube is in and Brett has made a start on framing up the floors so that we have some work space inside to start on the interior work next month.
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UPDATE 24-02-2018 More restoration photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/02/23/an-update-on-the-lady-ellen-restoration/

Rumbotl

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RUMBOTL – Spirit of Tradition – Motor-sailer

Rumbotl is a 42′ motor-sailer, launched in 2002 (hence the SoT tag) but with a very long gestation period (15+ years). She was built/finished off at Warkworth, by & for John Middleton. Her present owner Don Bruce bought her in 2007 off John M. Photos & details ex owner, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

She is built of 1″ strip planked kauri, fibreglassed over, the kauri was retrieved from the BNZ building in Queen St Auckland, during its transformation many years ago.
She is powered by a 1980’s 100 hp, 6 cyl., Ford diesel. She has a lead fin keel.
She is fine example of old/new coming together – certainly deserving of a better name than rum bottle, if she was mine I’d be renaming her 😉

10-06-2018 Hauled out at Gulf Harbour (photo ex Ken Ricketts)

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Classic Pilothouse Ketch

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Pilothouse Ketch

Today’s post is about an overseas visitor, designed by Alan Buchanan & built with teak carvel plank construction by David Cheng in Hong Kong. A true world cruiser and at 17m she would make an ideal live aboard. The boat underwent a major refit and upgrade 2014/2015. Home is Nelson but if your looking for a cheap waterfront home in Auckland she would be a good buy 😉

 

Kingfisher

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KINGFISHER

I uncovered in my ww files the above photos of the 26′ Kingfisher, I checked using the ww search box & found no reference so maybe she slipped between the cracks 😦
The photos were from a trademe listing that Dean Wright tipped me off about back in early 2016. She was built in 1936 in England from NZ kauri and is double layer, one diagonal & one straight. She started life as a lifeboat with an open hull, later working out of Mokau to transport wool bales to waiting vessels. The photos show her in varying degrees to presentation – in the trademe listing it started she was without a motor & needed some work work to the hull & decks, lets hope she sold & the buyer is classic friendly – anyone able to update us?

Dick Hartley – New Escort Run-About

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Dick Hartley – New Escort Run-About

Post my trip to the Lake Rotiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade early this year I was sent the above photos from her new (it) owner. He purchased her last year & is completing a full refit on her. She was built in 1971 & won the best boat at the 1971 Epiglass Boat Show.

The work included wiring & electronics upgrade & full repaint. Hopefully Sam reads ww &  he can tell as what powers her.

Harold Kidd Input – She was the subject of a full boat test in Sea Spray of August 1971. She was a Dick Hartley “New Escort” design built by Ray Fink at Tamahere. Her original power was a Chrysler V8 with a Penta outdrive.

Updated photo 02-05-2018

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Arima

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ARIMA

The above photos of Arima were emailed to me by Ken Ricketts & according to info attributed to her owner, she measures 36′ & was built in 1955 of planked kauri by Salthouse to a Colin Wild design.
Arima has a 110 hp. 6 cyl., Ford diesel that sees her cruising at 8.5 knots. with a top speed of 10 knots. Home port is Whangarei.

What else do we know about her & is this provenance correct?

Mystery Launch 05-07-2017

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 05-07-2017

The above launch has just appeared on trademe & according to the listing the owner due to health reasons is unable to continue with the project. The owner states that he believes she may be called ‘Leigh on Sea’, can anyone ID / confirm a name / more details.
She is 39’4″ in length & powered by a 120hp diesel, it states the engine year is 1920 but I suspect that wrong, more likely the build year?

That is one impressive cradle, built for the Queen Mary 🙂 Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the listing.

Sirius – A Peek Down Below

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SIRIUS – A Peek Down Below

The 1956, 32′, Owen Woolley built launch, Sirius, has appeared before on ww, you can read all about her at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/23/sirius/
Now thanks to a trademe listing we get a peek below. Quite a smart classic, just not too sure about the mast > main > jib set up (there is a photo of her motor sailing in the link above). Not what you would expect, but I’m sure they do the trick, because its been like that for a long time. Again thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up.

Michelangleo

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MICHELANGLEO

Michelangleo is a 15’, twin cockpit classic lake boat, built in 1950 & fully restored approx. 10 years ago. Current home is the South Island, Nelson Lakes area.

Powered by a fully rebuilt 272 wide block Ford V8. She is direct drive (so no gearbox or reverse). Sitting top of the V8 is a 350 2 barrel Holley carb + electronic ignition, heat exchanger and a stainless fuel tank.

I love the stern photo, a pretty backside & the noise from those exhausts would be music to my eyes – ok I’m a petrol head 😉

She is for sale on trademe if anyone is looking for a zoom zoomer 🙂

 

Nereides Centenary Book

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NEREIDES CENTENARY BOOK

Nereides is a very lucky boat – primarily because in Mark Lever she has a wonderful owner who treats her well, in fact better than well – she would have to one of the best presented classics in the CYA fleet. She is also lucky because she has survived a few oops, but we won’t dwell on those.

Mark sent in the above photos of Nereides showing her new cockpit covers & new Pohutakawa jaws he fashioned out of some knees George Emitage gave him. The photos give you a peek at the rest of the boat. I’m told Marks workshop is rather impressive 😉 The first 2 photos I took at Patio Bay several years ago & I included them to show off her lines.

Mark has reached out to WW for some help, you see Nereides will be 100 in 9 years & Mark has started gathering resources for a book he plans to write.

Fate can be a wonderful thing & recently there have been some very strange coincidences – I’ll let Mark tell the story.

“My daughter Lucy just happened to have the Great granddaughter of J Jukes (builder of Nereides) move in with her. Have contacted the family and waiting for their return from overseas.  Also a friend I made a few years ago went past with her father in another boat and said his parents were friends of the owners back in the 1960s and his brother Peter used to go out in her a lot. Well after a bit of digging soon realised it was my friends Grandmother and her Uncle Peter who were on the boat during the Wahine rescue…how about that!

I rang Peter and had a good long chat and was fascinating to hear the story again from the very person who was there. He’s going to send me the contact details of the Mr. Pain’s (owner during the 60s) and see if there are any old photos kicking about.

Had a look on the Royal Port Nickolson Yacht club and found just a couple of photos (below)

Basically would love to find any other Nereides related leads, maybe Harold Kidd might know where to look?

Also when she was being repaired at Half Moon Bay an elderly gentleman said his father bought Nereides in the 1940s and she still had a machine gun mounted on her bow. Now that would be great to reinstate! Apparently I heard she used to patrol the airfield and look for mines during the war. I tried to find out more info a few years back but had no luck. Wonder if there is some enthusiast who knows about wartime service for these old girls? Anyway enough for now”

So woodys can we help Mark with the publication of the Nereides Centenary book?

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30-11-2025 UPDATE – NERIDIES is turning 100 in 2026 and their owner has been giving the old lady a tickle up. Looking very smart in the photos below. 

Also, does anyone have a lamp matching the one in the photo, owner would like to pair his one up. And a rare request, owner also keen for a ‘pre-loved’ ensign, the new flashy ones look out of place on this period correct classic.