Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Jean 7314

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JEAN 7314

Jean started life as a Jack Guard fishing trawler, launched c1953. She was converted at Havelock in 2005 for pleasure use. She measures 45′ & is powered by a rebuilt 125hp Gardner 6LX that sees her cruise at around 8 knts. 4sale on trademe, she has the makings of a nice live aboard. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up.

Do we know any more about her past?

And at the risk of boring everyone – REMEMBER the Classic Launch Parade & Riverhead Hotel lunch cruise on Sunday 😉

09-02-2020 Input from Paddy Gerard – Built by Jack Guard in Pukatea Bay, French Pass for Merle Rayner of Kaikoura. Jean is presumably named after Merle’s late niece Jean Brooks (daughter of Keith and Wikitoria Rayner), who passed away in 1942 in her mid twenties. Merle died in 1959 and his son, Russell, took Jean to Timaru and continued fishing until he sold Jean in 1978. I understand she later worked out of Lyttleton, Oamaru and Bluff. Vince Armstong from Havelock bought her in about 2007/2008 and spent 18 months stripping her out- new ribs, new deck beams, engine overhaul, recaulking, and a brand new wheelhouse fitted. I coincidentally bumped into the chap who did the caulking a few months back – he mentioned that when they pulled the Gardner out they found the bilge had been filled with concrete! I think Vince sold Jean in about 2012 and she has had four owners since then. One of those owners tragically lost his life in the Platino yacht accident in 2016. I am now living on her in Wellington and look forward to giving her plenty of TLC and learning more about her past.

Mananui

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MANANUI

I was contacted recently by Greg McNabb looking for info / photos on his & wife Maria’s ex pilot boat Mananui. From what Greg knows / has been told – she was built in 1913 by Harvey & Lang. Greg’s grandfather & father bought her (ex Whitianga) in 1973. She is powered by a 120hp D series Ford and has been for the last 50 years or so, although rebuilt.
The ‘old’ photo of her sitting on the grid was taken in Whitianga on the day the family purchased her. She was originally commissioned by Edward Parish and back then named ‘Heare Mai’.

From the above photos we can see that Greg has done a wonderful  refit on her. These days her home port is Tauranga.
So woodys can we shed any light on her life pre. 1973?

Photo below at Sulphur Point Marina, Tauranga ex Paul Drake

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Hope

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HOPE

I was approached last year by a wooden boat admirer who was looking to purchase a Mason Clipper & with the help of several woodys reviewed several potential candidates.
This gent has impeccable taste so it was always going to be a big ask to find a Mason that ticked all the boxes. During the search he came a cross a 19′, 1968 Marlin Marauder which had the WoW factor. Again with some woody help the boat passed the pre-purchase ‘survey’ & now as a new very happy owner.

Hope is rather special & as I have predicated (talked up) in the past, is a perfect example of the rise in popularity of trailer-able woodys. With the cost of marina space for even a 10.5m berth averaging out at $650 a month, one of these is a no-brainer + the ability to keep it at home or in storage makes maintenance so do-able.

I will feature more on Hope on ww soon 😉

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My Girl Restoration Update

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My Girl Restoration Update
Work on Jason Prew’s launch ‘My Girl’ is processing along well – but not at the speed indicated by the above photos. Jason remembers to take photos, but he is a bit slack with telling / showing people 🙂 In fairness, he does keep his weblog up to date, you can see & read more on the project at the link below.
http://www.my-girl.co.nz/mygirl/Restoration/Restoration.html

TAURIMA

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TAURIMA

I was contacted recently by Alice Morrison with the news that she had just bought a 1960 (circa) Billy Rogers sedan launch named Taurima. She is 36′ & constructed of double diagonal kauri. Unfortunately the previous owner didn’t know much history about her so Alice is hoping that some of the woodys out there can shed some light on her?
She is obviously a sister ship to Margaret Anne  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/03/margaret-anne-2/ , both very lucky boats as they both have lady owners 🙂

So woodys can we help Alice?

14-02-2017 Update ex Alice M – She has a 110hp Lees Marine Ford. The previous owners were Kevin & Bryce Thorne from Whangarei but the vessel has been moored in Opua or Jacks Bay in the Bay of Islands. I have asked Bryce to find the contact details of the owners before him. All he knew was that it used to be in Auckland where the owner used it to take him from the city to Waiheke all the time.

Marie J + Hirawanu

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MARIE J

Marie J was built in Whangarei by Master-Craft ( M Ryan) in 1956 & measures 30′. Built of kauri & presently owned (for approx 5 years) by Peter Croft  & kept at Gulf Harbour.
Peter C.  bought her off a Mr Hambrook of Auckland, who bought her in Motueka (2005) & cruised her to Onehunga, Auckland, via the West Coast. Then a quick road trip over to the Waitemata Harbour. Her history at Motueka & before that, is unknown.

She has been powered by a 4 cyl 90 hp Ford diesel since new & due to some very bad luck has had a total of 3 of these engines, including one installed  this week by Moon Engines.
The engine history goes like this , whilst in the care of a previous owner, she was tied to a wharf one day, at low water & when the  tide came in she got jammed under the wharf & ended up with water on the wrong side of the hull, which flooded the engine. This resulted in a replacement identical engine. Then the  present owner Peter C. had the misfortune to be cruising along one day & an oil cooler hose ruptured & sprayed lubricating oil all around the bilge & pumped the engine dry, which then promptly seized up. Thanks to Peter Croft & Ken Ricketts for the photos & details (edited by Alan H)

OMG – words fail me……………….. Its a bit like one of those dogs with a big body & very short legs – normally the result of a hole in the fence 🙂
For the record – it’s a 1948, 38′ Lidgard named Hirawanu.

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Nana – Rescued & Restored

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NANA -Rescued & Resored
Over the weekend while at the Mahurangi Regatta, I spied Nana sliding by on numerous occasions, which made me smile – it is always good to see a woody that has been rescued from the chainsaw / backhoe.
Firstly a history lesson – Nana was designed by C. Bailey Jun. &  built by C. Bailey & Sons for Mr F Alison of Matiatia, Waiheke Island in1934 & launched in late November / December. She is 35′ with a 8′ beam & a 3′ draft. A day cruiser, all her controls were in the raised top amidships. When launched she was fitted with a 100hp Redwing engine & expected to reach a rather speedy 17 knots. You can view a photo of her taken during her early December, 1934 sea trails at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/07/05/nana-2/
Alison had her built for trips to town (Auckland City) & for taking friends out to the fishing grounds in the gulf.

Back in 2014 Nana was hit, whilst moored, in a storm. She suffered reasonably extensive structural damage around the deck line, stern and aft cabin top & was leaking badly, resulting in a flooded > seized Ford diesel 125hp engine, refer hauled out photo below. She was bought off the insurers as a wreck.

Enter the very talented, woody restorer John Wright who has worked his magic on her. The above marina photos were taken by John Wicks while Nana was recently at West Harbour (Hobsonville) marina. The under way photos are from your truly at the Mahurangi 2017 Regatta weekend. Would like to see some photos of the restoration process – John ??

YESTERDAYS WOODY WEEKEND STORY ON WW BROKE ALL THE RECORDS IN TERMS OF VIEWING NUMBERS & VISITORS TO THE SITE.
THE STORY WAS VIEWED OVER 16,000 TIMES IN THE FIRST 24HRS.

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Rosemary M – A peek down below

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Rosemary M – A peak down below

Rosemary M has appeared numerous times on ww in various ‘states’, in todays photos she is looking very smart, possibly the best she has in her 102 year life.
She was built in 1915 by Lanes & named Rothesay, which became Maude T, that became Speedwell, that became Jean, that became Rosemary M. No wonder we get confused on the provenance of these classic motor boats 🙂

As a result of her trademe listing we get to have a peek down below, again very impressive.  Enjoy the tour 🙂

If the weekend has gone to plan, tomorrow there will be coverage from the Mahurangi Regatta – the biggest on-the-water classic boating event in NZ.
I promise lots & lots of photos.

If anyone has photos from either Mahurangi or yesterdays Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta – email in to waitematawoodys@gmail.com.

New photos added 16-11-2017

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Silver Hawk

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SILVER HAWK

Even though Silver Hawk is built of wood, her 1986 build date & style would normally exclude her from appearing on ww, but she makes a guest appearance today solely based on her drop dead, stunning 127hp Gardner LX6. Have you seen another better? I can hear Dick Fisher’s (MV Akarana) jaw dropping when he opens ww today, its also a wee bit of a challenge to John Sloane who is currently having his Gardner restored by Peter & the team at Shaw Diesels, workshop photo below. The Silver Hawk photos are ex CYA Launch Captain Angus Rogers.

Can anyone tell us more about Silver Hawk & also who did the restoration on the engine?

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Korara

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KORARA

Korara was built in 1962 by Snow Waters to a design by naval architect, John E. Powell, UK.  The 37’6″ design is for a ‘sport- fishing’ motorboat which can cruise at a good speed in the rough conditions of the English Channel without slowing.
She is a very practical boat with an extremely well built kauri carvel hull. Zoom zoom comes from a 120hp Ford diesel that sees her cruises at 8 knots using very little diesel. While she probably can sail without the engine, her owner has never tried. She has a main stored on the boom under a brand new cover (beige, not shown) and a couple of headsails which have never been out. The main works excellently as designed, to steady her in a sea.
Some specs:
• There are two large plastic fuel tanks in a walk around engine room with about 5ft headroom. Engine room even has its own porcelain hand basin!
• Her propeller and rudder are bronze, the rudder being supported by a large, beautifully cast solid bronze shoe.
• Sleeping is via – 5 singles and 1 double berth.
• Decks are double (possibly triple) diagonally laid with no leaks and no movement save for the odd small seam crack.
• Coamings are all varnished teak including skylight, hinged 2 ways and removable all on bronze fittings, over the aft double cabin.
• Interior is in excellent condition, with all solid teak mouldings. Floorboards are teak and all wear areas are very thick teak (staircases, steps, handles etc)
• Gas stove / grill / oven is used very little. Water in 3 basins is fed from a header tank which is topped up by manual pump from a large stainless underfloor tank.

Korara is a special boat that has been fortunate to have been owned by a very talented & passionate woody. This owner is asking a very reasonable price – $75k ono, I hope a good buyer steps up soon & buys her, she deserve to be passed onto someone who will continue to appreciate her & care for her.
I’m not always a fan of the high gloss varnish coamings but Korara would look like a million dollars if you did the Uroxsys (Awlwood MA ) varnish treatment on her 😉

I very rarely post trademe links but I like the owners & I like the boat – so here you go – buy it.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/auction-1237123330.htm
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