Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

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Looking for a Sounds Floating Bach or a Lake Boat?

Today’s woody lives in the Marlborough Sounds but could equally be a perfect North Island lake boat. She measures 24’6″ & is constructed with kauri carvel hull, with glass on ply cabin & deck.
Power comes from a 3QM Yanmar 30hp diesel & as you can see in the photos had been fitted out to a very high standard.
Asking price is $9.5k, that is not a lot of $$ for a woody that is presented in the condition this one is 😉

Its hard to read her name but Ian McDonald who tip me off on the trademe listing feels it could be either Scuffy or Scuppy – any woodys able to ID the boat & supply more details on her?

No Salt – 4Sale – All Offers Considered

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NO SALT

NO SALT IS BACK ON THE MARKET – I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF WORK & MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT ON CORRECTING THE ISSUES SHE HAD. NOW 4SALE & ALL SENSIBLE OFFERS WILL BE CONSIDERED. CONTACT ROGER – 021 02546184

I have spoken before about the emergence of what I call ‘the floating bach’ – well No Salt fits that category perfectly. I predict in the next 5 years we will see more & more of this ‘trawler’ style classic motor boat on our harbours & lakes. Just look at the camper van scene, it has exploded but camper vans only appeal to a % of the population & the biggest negative is  you have very little control over who your neibour is 🙂

No Salt is the real deal, a genuine wooden Grand Banks, from the desk of the renowned American designer Ken Smith. She was built / launched in 1973 & is one of the last wooden Grand Banks before they switched to GPR production 😦  40′ on the water (the yanks assign the LWL length to their craft so she is a GB36) she is mahogany carvel planked on sawn frames & features a full length keel that provides protection for the twin props/rudders – perfect for nudging into that secluded bay.
Powered by twin Ford 120hp (non turbo) engines she cruises at 9knots & would run on the smell of an oily rag, this efficiency combined with 720L fuel tanks makes her perfect for extended cruising. While she carries 800L of water if I owned her I would drop a water maker on board & then there would be no stopping you.

The Americans can be a little OTT in terms of safety but in No Salts case her high bulwarks & all round teak railing make her very family / older person friendly. Another bonus is the window / seating height in the saloon – few boats get this right, with No Salt you can be seated & enjoy brilliant exterior views.

Yes No Salt is for sale & would have to represent the best value for money in the leisure / lifestyle market.
Who will buy her? with her 7 berth layout there are lots of options with this floating bach & while I would not like to see her leave the Waitemata, what a low-cost lake pad she would be & you have the best view on the lake + you can fish from your door step.
As always click on any photo above to enlarge.

Tarata

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TARATA

Today’s ww story one of the ones that makes it all worth while – Alan Sexton contacted me a while ago trying to track down a launch his father (Howard) owned in the 1970’s – Tarata. Never confirmed but the family believed the 32′ sedan launch was built by Snow Waters, possibly to a Couldrey design. Alan had not photos of her & the last known where abouts was that she was moored in the Tamaki Riv just up from HMB.
Alan’s father sold her to a Wayne Kidd (the broker at HMB) and a partner in 1979.
Now Alan works overseas & returned to NZ last week from Chile & was in the Pakuranga area last Thursday and having been advised that Allan Keane at HMB Brokerage had some history on Tarata, Alan took the opportunity to drop into to his office. He kindly searched thru his sales records and found  the last transaction he had done in 2003 and gave Alan his display photos (as above). Attached are scans of the photos.
As a result of Alan’s time with Allan Keane & other sniffing around he has been able to assemble the details below on Tarata. Still very keen to learn details on her recent history & current where abouts.
” Tarata was built by Snow Waters and launched in 1962 for Lloyd Kitchen (of the H.C. Kitchen formica family). Designer is believed to be Bill Couldrey but this is not certain. She is 32’ x 10’6” x 3’, hull is 7/8” single skin kauri on steam bent ribs with solid timber floors, decks are one diagonal and one fore and aft tongue and groove sheathed with canvas & fiberglass. Cabin coamings are solid timber and cabin top appeared to be plywood over solid beams with the surface between the beams Formica lined. Original engine was a marinised 60hp Fordson Super Major with a Paragon 2:1 mechanical gearbox. The engine installation was quite cunning, the engine is mounted forward of the main cabin and offset slightly to starboard to allow sufficient width for the passage to port and a narrow bunk. The drive train consisted of truck assembly double universal and sliding spline shaft, with thrust from the propeller taken by a rigidly mounted thrust bearing. All tanks were copper as were the bow rails and cabin top hand rails. She has a mast approx. 6m tall fitted with a jib used as a steadying sail.

The Kitchen’s sold her about 1967 to Arthur Wagner and my father, Howard Sexton bought her in 1971, owning her until 1979. She was then bought by Wayne Kidd and a partner who owned her until approx. 1983. She has had a number of owners since and last record is that she was sold to Barry and Jane Radford from Kerikeri in 2003.

She was re-engined sometime in the 80’s with a slightly larger 85hp 4 cyl Lees Ford and a hydraulic gearbox. Otherwise she appears virtually unchanged, at least in 2003 when the photos were taken. She was a tough little launch and would plug on thru just about any sea. There is at least one sister ship, Yin Yang at Westpark, who has had her cockpit extended. At one time we were told Snow had built up to 6 of this design but this is not certain.”

Input from Robert Brooke – Tarata was built by Snow Waters to a modified ” Mapuna” design of my fathers

Jade – Sailing Sunday

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JADE – A Herreshoff style weekend/daysailer

Jade fits into the classic category that we call ‘spirit of tradition’ – a gaff-rigger that not only sails well but also has none of the maintenance headaches that other wooden boats have.
Specifications: LOA: 7m, Beam: 2m, Draft: Centerboard up: 650mm, CB down: 1.5m Sail area: 20sqm, Ballast: 300kg, Displacement: 1300kg.
She is 4sale on trademe. With her custom trailer & cover + being a center-boarder she would make a great lake boat. You could even troll for a trout with the 8hp outboard 😉

Fisher Lassie

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Fisher Lassie
Built in 1938 by Miller & Tunnage, Fisher Lassie is a 39’3″ converted fishing boat that is powered by a 1952, 3LW Gardner with a 2UC gearbox & a keel cooled dry stack. The Gardner has done 3380hrs in the last 17 years with no grief using about 3 litres per hour.
She cruises at 6 kts, her ex work holds provide lots of storage & combined with her extensive fit out, has the basics to be a nice live-a-board.

Given the amount of interest / chat on trademe, a northern woody might have trouble getting her North 😉 those southerners do not like losing boat north 😉 Current bidding is in the low $3k’s so a good buy. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the vessel.

Any of the work boat woodys know anything more about her?

A Woody Dilemma – Buy original & restore? Buy restored? Buy an import?

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A Woody Dilemma – Buy original & restore? Buy restored? Buy an import?

Given the current state of the 4sale market for our wooden classics, whether they are original or restored, at some stage woodys will start to consider importing a woody from the USA – why?
#1 reason – the price
#2 reason – the high standard of presentation
#3 reason – the volume of ‘stock’
#4 reason – readily available parts & specialty service outlets.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Today’s woody was brought to my attention by Pauline Evill & is currently listed for sale on craigslist.com. She is a  28′ 1960 Chris Craft Constellation, made with mahogany planked batten seam construction on the topsides and double planked below the waterline. In excellent condition, having been restored in 2010, which included a new a single prop 307 engine. Her condition reflects the fact that she has always been kept in a covered slip. Asking price is NZD$25,000.

WAIRIKI – A Peek Down Below

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WAIRIKI – A Peek Down Below

Wairiki, the 1934 Colin Wild built launch has appeared on ww before – link below, & created a lot of ‘chat’ in the comments section. If you read Nathan Herbert & Harold Kidd’s comments you will discover her true provenience 😉
Having just popped up on trademe, we have the chance to have a peek down below. Enjoy

Wairiki – Yes, No, Maybe?

Sailing Sunday Eye Candy – Kahurangi & Manitou

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Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS

Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS
Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS
Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS
Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS
Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS

Photo © Nico Martinez XXII REGATA ILLES BALEARS CLÀSSICS

Sailing Sunday Eye Candy – Kahurangi & Manitou

Baden Pascoe forwarded me the above photos of Kahurangi ex Pepe d Miguel. The ‘old’ girl is looking very sharp & looking very much at home on the Med. classic sailing circuit. She was built by Percy Vos in 1952 & would have to be one of the prettiest yacht to slide down the Vos slip.

MANITOU – JF Kennedy

 

Check out the link to the video clip below to view JFK’s old yacht, Manitou. Same bloodlines as Dorade & Stormy Weather i.e. a Sparkman & Stephens (Design #90), she is one of Olin Stephens finest. Launched in 1937, LO= 62′, LW= 44′, Beam+ 13’9″, draft= 8’6″. She carvel & made from mahogany on oak frames. Rumour has it that Aristotle Onassis tried to buy her once. The open fireplace is very me 🙂
If you are interested – 4sale in France for USD$1.3 million – makes the sale price of our Rawhiti the buy of the century.

Penguin

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PENGUIN
Penguin the 34′ ex Navy survey tender has appeared on ww before (link below for full details). She recently surfaced on trademe, so thanks to Ian McDonald’s tip off, we are able to have a good peek down below. Enjoy – she will appeal to Russell Ward 😉

Ex Naval Motor Launch

17-05-2017 WARNING – IF THIS BOAT IS OFFERED FOR SALE  BE CAREFUL. FYI – READ THE LINK TO THE POST BELOW.

Vacuna

Ranui

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RANUI
Ranui was built in 1948 by Lidgard Bros. following a Chris Craft design. She measures 48′ & is made of kauri. The  zoom zoom comes from twin 120hp Fords. She recently returned to Auckland & has just had some TLC at Gulf Harbour that included her coamings being re-varnished.
Check out the link below to a 29 page PDF file that show cases renovation a few years ago & also the history of Lidgards & the Chris Craft marque .

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The photos below ex Ken Ricketts show the recent Gulf Harbour work.

24-02-2017 Update – Photos below ex Robin Elliott of Ranui berthed in Dove Cove Marina, early Jan 2017