Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

PIT-a-PAT – 1928 WOODEN RACE BOAT

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PIT-a-PAT – 1928 WOODEN RACE BOAT

Todays woody would normally struggle to make the cut for a WW story – but there is one huge item that gets her over the line  – her helm wheel – OMG – I want it……

Now putting aside my Model T Ford wheel fixation – what we know about PIT-a-PAT is she was built in 1928 by J.N. Robinson and is described as a ’single step vintage racing hull’.
Built from spruce with kaikawaka gunnels. She won numerous races in the 1929 > 1934 period including  the Teichelmann Cup in 1932, 33, and 34. The cup remains with the boat today and will be passed onto her next owner. (thanks Ian McDonald for the tme heads up)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MANDALAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MANDALAY

Todays woody the 23’ MANDALAY just ticks so many boxes – Its built of full length kauri carvel planks in 1932 – Kauri backbone – copper fastened on steam bent ribs – it has a modern engine >Yammer 3GMD 23 hp – 4 berths – standing headroom in the wheelhouse – easily driven by an auxiliary outboard.
AND – the real bonus – it comes with a purpose built legal road trailer that allows her to be easily taken ashore for routine upkeep and changing cruising location.

With todays spiralling marina costs these smaller, transportable woodys will be the future, or at least what keeps a lot of people in the classic wooden boating game.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up. She has appeared on WW before where we learnt from Harold Kidd that she was built by Ralph Shepherd in Auckland. – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/13/mandalay-2/

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILVERY MAIN + A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILVERY MAIN + A Peek Down Below

Todays woody recently popped up on social media, it looks familiar but I can’t put a name to her.

All we learnt was that she is approx. 34’5” in length and powered by a 150hp Ford D-series engine, that gets her along at 8 knots.

A lot of creative license with the wide-angle lens interior photos, makes her look huge 😉

Keen to learn more about the vessel.

21-03-2025 Update – the boats named SILVERY MAIN – details in the link below to Oct 2015 WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/28/silvery-main/

CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – FLORENCE

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CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – FLORENCE

Todays woody – FLORENCE, was built in 1895 by Miller & Tunnage and started life as a workboat in Port Chalmers.

A double ender measuring 28’ x 7’8” x 3’ and constructed from heart kauri , carvel planked. Forward motion is via a Yammer 45hp 3JH engine.

FLORENCE last appeared on WW back in May 2016  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/28/florence-5/

Not a lot of details of photos on her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) – seller might be best to link to the WW story 😉

Photos below of her in previous configurations 

LITTLE HONEY – 1955 CLASSIC WOODEN RUNABOUT.

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LITTLE HONEY – 1955 CLASSIC WOODEN RUNABOUT.

Back inlet Dec 2024 James McConnell won one of the WW quiz’s and in correspondence commented that he owned a 1955 17’ Mason Marlin, named LITTLE HONEY (not her original name). 

He also mentioned that he was restoring her for the 2nd time in 12mths, now that pricked my ears up, there had to be a good (or sad) story there – so woodys it goes like this, told by James –

“I’ll send a link to some pics of ‘Little Honey’.  No indication of her original name. I believe. I bought the runabout in secret as a surprise for my wife and family in Feb 2024 and had put hundreds of hours into a functional referb to make her a family run about for delivery at Christmas.

It’s not a boat builder quality job but a labour of love with a hard timeline and a fantastic learning curve assisted by the professional English and American wooden boat builders on youtube. It’s all International Yacht Paint products, 5 coats of colour on the hull and roof + 1 coat of varnish and every other varnished surface has 8 coats of Gold Spar original. At some stage in her past life she was converted to outboard power.

All was going well until on her 2nd voyage on the Rangataiki River I hit a submerged log and dislodged the transom.  Good news is I get to tinker for longer and can now engage my 3 boys in the task.

We’ll refresh the engine (Johnson 90 V4 2 stroke), glass the hull and repaint now that I can flip it over and work in daylight and change the prop to suit her better.”

We look forward to seeing photos of the repaired woody.

CYGNET – CLASSIC 1931 WOODEN LAUNCH

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Earlier photo
Earlier photo

CYGNET – CLASSIC 1931 WOODEN LAUNCH

The 32’ classic wooden launch – CYGNET recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). A Sam Ford design built in 1931, but not sure is also built be Sam Ford. As per most Marlborough Sounds craft she is very well spec’ed and was re-powered in 2006 with a new 53hp Yammer 4JH5E engine that gives her an 8 knot cruising speed. 

Can we learn more about CYGNET (if thats her correct name) and where she has been most of her life.

CLASSIC IAN OUGHTRED WOODEN CLINKER DINGHY NEEDS A NEW HOME

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CLASSIC IAN OUGHTRED WOODEN CLINKER DINGHY NEEDS A NEW HOME

WW doesn’t normally do stories like this but the owner of this stunning clinker dinghy is a good friend and a long time passionate classic wooden boat owner. So here goes, in the owner words. 

“It’s an Auklet designed by Iain Oughtred (was one of the worlds leading small boat designers, now deceased).  7ft2in long. It was built in the South Island I think in Nelson. There is a builders plate, that says Walker boatbuilder. There is a boatbuilder Richard Walker at Brightwater just out of Nelson who has done some beautiful restoration work on Elray (see https://boatingnz.co.nz/2018/05/restoring-elray-iii/). I don’t know when it was built.  I bought it from a bloke in Blenheim who had too many boats and had to make room at home.  It had hardly been used.  I revarnished it with Altex Timbercoat. I’ve had it under cover for 3 or 4 years and used it for a sail when the urge took me and also for grandchildren.

Comes complete with all sailing gear, oars and US alloy beach tailer that comes apart for stowing.  Also the custom cradles for onboard deck mounting.

Selling as I’m getting older so with some regret I’m selling this bit of furniture”.

So woodys what ever the reason – embellishing your existing classic wooden vessel / rewarding the grand children or just treating yourself – this is the best opportunity to own what is probably NZ’s finest spirit of tradition clinker dinghy – and the price is a steal at $5,500

I dont like publishing personal contact details so if interested drop WW an email at waitematawoodys@gmail.com and I’ll join the dots.

TANDARRA – A Peek Down Below

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TANDARRA – A Peek Down Below

The Lidgard built 42’ launch – TANDARRA has made several appearance on WW , links below, lots of chat so be sure to read the comments sections.

Today thanks to Ian McDonald and Alan Sexton we get to have an updated look at her.

Quick overview – 42’ x 12’5”,  built from triple skin kauri (+f/glassed), currently powered by twin 300hp 6 cyl Ford Sabre engines. 

With a build date of 1976 and those varnished coaming she sneaks into the spirit of tradition category. Her original owners were the  Opperman brothers.

Sure to get a rise from the Lidgard fan club but its been commented that there is some Salthouse influence in her profile, she looks very similar to a Corsair 😉

WW Aug 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/08/30/tandarra/ WW Jan 2023  https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/01/19/tandarra-2/

ARTEMIS – A Peek Down Below

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ARTEMIS – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is ARTEMIS, built by Orams in 1971 though some elements of her do look older than 1971 and some look newer than 1971.

Her specs ar 40’ x 11’3” x 2’11”, forward motion is via Perkins 120hp diesel engine.

Home has been Picton, Marlborough but the craft hs recently sold and will be heading north to the Bay of Islands, don’t they all these days 🙂

Keen to learn more about ARTEMIS’S past life and how and when she ended out a southern gal.

CLASSIC LAUNCH THETIS  – A ROLLING RESTORATION – UPDATE

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CLASSIC LAUNCH THETIS  – A ROLLING RESTORATION – UPDATE

Last June we reported that the classic launch – THETIS had been relocated toAuckland after several seasons in the Bay of Islands – link below to that story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/06/23/classic-launch-thetis-back-home/

Fast forward to last week and I bumped into her new owner Norman Ramsy in my local coffee shop. Turns out after initially spending time at Westhaven marina, home is now across the harbour at Bayswater marina.. THETIS was built in 1955 by Lanes on the Tamaki River, Auckland. Built from single skin/fore and aft kauri planking, her beam is 13’ and she draws 4’. Her twin Greymarine 6 cyl. (1960) 120hp diesel engines were probably best described as a ticking time bomb, in fact I heard one of them ‘let go’ during the pre-purchase sea trial.

Turns out lots of activity has been happening on the boat and Norman sent in the above photos and commented that THETIS is an ongoing project with lots of work in progress.(can’t they all)

A brief summary of work completed to date includes – 

• Engine rebuild by Kris – Marine and Industrial Diesels.

• New manifolds by Aliart – Christchurch.

• New Anchor from Grant Macduff – Ropes Chains and Anchors.

• New Mattresses custom.

• Transport and yard space/hard stand at Boat Boat Haulage

• Walk through Transom and Cabin Roof access for engine removal/refit by Terry – Boat Building and Ship Repair Auckland

I have always said that THETIS is a seriously smart looking craft and is a boat that looks fast even when at anchor, so its great to she her getting the TLC she deserves.

Input ex Russell Ward

“Brilliant that she’s keeping her original machinery: Raise a tot to the owner- long may he continue on this course.

A fine ship always, but she has Gray Diesels -four strokers, Ken. Not any kin to 6/71 “Dripstroit”, “Rocky Mountain Humming bird” “screaming demons” whatever you want to nickname them, although the first were built by Gray. The War stuffed all that and General Motors did the production by the million.

The 6/71s were designed by a very wise man -Boss Kettering- and with the war looming were to be made by General Motors. And they did by the millions. Some wise man told me they were designed by a smart man for less smart men to maintain.  I’m not sure where Grays came into the process for the 6/71 -don’t think they were involved for long. My books on the subject are not with me. 

Any thoughts, Cameron? You got two of ’em!”