Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Diablo- Auckland’s next waterfront apartment

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DIABLO – Auckland’s next waterfront apartment

With the average Auckland house price around $1 million the above 41′ Gladden designed/built trawler style launch would be an extremely affordable alternative. Sure with the 1978 build date its not a classic but with her d/d kauri (glassed) hull, its a woody a heart. Powered by a 120hp diesel, 6 berths & extremely well fitted out + all the fruit you would expect on a Marlbourough Sounds boat e.g. a heater. She is for sale on trademe, asking price $165,000 but in today’s market – who knows?
So woodys – sell the villa, buy a beach house somewhere & use Diablo as your Auckland base.

Little Tasman Out Of The Shed & Re-launched

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Little Tasman Out Of The Shed – relaunched

Since last Thursday my mobile has been running hot with woodys letting me know that the 26′ 1925 Colin Wild built launch Little Tasman had left boat builder Colin Brown’s Omaha shed & was now on the hard at Sandspit, for her final touches. ww has been following Little Tasman since back in early 2012 when Mark Edmonds spotted her on a section in Pt. Wells.
There have been numerous ww posts recording her progress, links below. ww thanks Mark Edmonds, Harold Kidd, Jason Prew, Bruce Pullman, Ken Ricketts & Russell Ward for your input & photos.
The story started in April 2015 when Little Tasman was bought by a new owner, fast forward to July 2015 & she is safely ensconced in Colin Brown’s shed, under going a serious restoration.
Ken Ricketts was on hand last week to record the journey to Sandspit & take a few hardstand photos. Unfortunately the conditions were not perfect for photography, but I have tried to digitally enhance them – see below. The photos above were taken by Steve Horsley the next day when conditions were better, but only shot on an earlier model iPhone.

ww understands that Little Tasman’s owner is Wellington based so post sea trials Little Tasman will be heading south 😦

Tasman / Little Tasman

Little Tasman

Little Tasman Gets Some Serious TLC

Little Tasman

The photos below were taken on Saturday by Jason Prew – again dodgy conditions

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23-09-2016 Update – Re-launched. Photos below by Dave Walker, email to me by Ken Ricketts.

In the ‘tractor’ photo below, just look at that hull, Colin Wild knew how to build a pretty boat – whether it was 26′ or 46′ 🙂

 

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Clinkers

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CLINKERS
On Saturday the Picton Clinker Club held a run up the Opawa River in Blenheim to the Raupo Cafe for lunch, 11 boats made the trip. Richmond boatbuilder/ restorer, timber furniture maker & vintage car coach builder – Peter Murton, sent me the above photos.

Chatting with Peter on-line he has some very cool woody projects in his workshop – starting with a  Colin Wild built day launch, see photos below. The launch arrived at Peters’s workshop last December from Auckland. When finished she is off to Christchurch, where her owner has re-located to, he dropped her off on his way past Peter’s workshop. Nothing is known about her, her owner had her stashed in his shed for 5+ years, her cabin sides & side decks are teak – any input from the woodys would be much appreciated.

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Also below are some photos of Peter’s 1895 fantail oil launch which is getting a 1906 Gray marine engine fitted.

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And to finish todays clinker theme – when I went down to Raindance yesterday to do a few chores, I was pleasantly surprized to find the stern off a model clinker dinghy in my cockpit, along with a note from Robert Brooke – “Hi Alan, If it is no use to you, please cut up for firewood. Cheers Robert”. Now Robert knows I have a ‘thing’  for clinkers & while having a workshop clean out he found the stern off one of his model boats & thought it might appeal to me – it surely does – will be a perfect project & this will join my collection of things clinker related (photo below). The clinker cross section in the photo, I bought on trademe several years ago, now I might be mistaken but I think it was built by Peter Murton – if so, its a small world.

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And yes I do own a proper clinker – named Peg.

 

Kenya II

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 KENYA II

As launched Kenya II was a sedan launch, built by Lidgard’s in 1940. She is 47’6” long & powered by a 127hp 6LXB Gardner diesel that allows her to cruise economically at 8.5kts. Built from triple skin kauri.

Home is the Marlborough Sounds & she is 4 sale on trademe. A quick walk around that flybridge with a titanium tipped chainsaw would do wonders for her looks 😉

For more details on her past & photos click the blue link below. When you compare the photos above to the ‘as launched’ you will she that she could very easily be returned to her former glory.
https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Kenya+II&submit=Search

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Lady Sandra

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LADY SANDRA
Built by the Lane Motor Company for Len Peckham in 1947, powered with 2 x 6 cyl Scripps petrol engines. One of the glamour boats in her day but misfortune followed her around – she once picked up a tow line from a boat being towed, off Devonport wharf & got the tow rope around both propellers & pulled the propeller struts out of the hull & sank, just as they got her to the nearby beach. Later on in life  she went to Fiji where she was wrecked in a storm in the 1980’s. In the photos above the photo of the boys & man on the wharf, – the man is Alan Horsefall who owned Mansion House at that time.

The photos of her tied to the right hand side of the Mansion  House wharf have the Nancibel & Korora inside her. The bridgedecker, we can see a little of the dodger of in one photo, is most likely Royal Falcon. Also the boat in the Alan Horsefall photo is almost certainly Valsan.
Today’s photos are from Ken Jones & were emailed to me along with comments by Ken Ricketts. You can read more of Ken’s recollection of Lady Sandra here https://wordpress.com/post/waitematawoodys.com/1166

I’m loving the A.M.Y.C. life buoy in the bottom photo 🙂

Laughing Lady Restoration Update

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Laughing Lady Looking Very Shiny

Trolling the web I came across the Seven Oceans Boatworks facebook page, the above photos do not need any copy, if you want to see lots & lots of photos of the work being done on Laughing Lady, check out sevenoceansboatworks on facebook 😉

24-09-2016  Update – getting closer. Love the ‘n0w you see it now you don’t GPS unit” 🙂

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Click to view GPS Unit ‘jack-in-the-box’

Kailua 2016 Refit

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Old Interior – that seat 🙂
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KAILUA 2016 REFIT

ww readers will be familiar with Graham Guthrie’s 1960 classic Bob Salthouse sedan launch – Kailua. During Graham’s ownership Kailua was maintained by classic woody master tradesman Mark Stapleton & always presented in immaculate condition by Graham, refer first photo above.
Early in 2016 Kailua changed hands & her new owner is Stephen Langton. Classic wooden boat enthusiasts will be happy to hear that Stephen has good woody genes, being the son-in-law of Margo & Jamie Hudson, owners of Lady Crossley.

Now while Kailua’s configuration was fine for Graham’s usage, Stephen had other plans & has engaged the services of West Harbour boat builders – Nautique (Neil Williamson and Ben Freedman) to completely ‘make-over’ her interior & at the same time give the exterior paint and bright work job a very big fright. A new boarding platform has also been added. The workmanship & attention to detail looks up there with the best & I can’t wait to see her again once the Awlwood MA (Uroxsys) is applied. I always gave Graham a hard time about the plastic helm seat, so I’m very happy to see the new one !

Kailua is a very deceptive classic, she is fast – several years ago James Mobberley from Moon Engines, shoe-horned in a 160hp turbo Hino engine & this provides Kailua with the means to lift her skirt & dance. Moon’s have done the same transplant to several other classics (Falcon, Romance II) placing them all in the serious zoom zoom category (for old classic wooden craft).
Splash date is late September so will update you with ‘finished’ photos 🙂

ps a few years ago Graham arrived late to the CYA Xmas Weekend Party at Patio Bay, Waiheke Island & in true Guthrie style proceeded to drop anchor right off the beach (on a dropping tide) – “I’m a local, I know where the best spots are” – fast forward 2 hrs & Kailua is starting to sport a wee lean. Now normally few people see our oops but not today – 150+ classic boat owners & crew all had to row past Kailua to get ashore for the BBQ. Again in true Guthrie style, Graham just laughed it off. BUT he told me if I published a photo, I would never enjoy Waiheke’s finest syrah on Kailua again – well the boats sold now…………. photos below 😉
BW photo also below from her early days when named Lady Beryl.

SORRY FOR A FEW RANDOM POSTS YESTERDAY, SYSTEM WAS HAVING A FEW HICCUPS 🙂

LADY BERYL

Markson > Pacific Sunrise > Last Vintage

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Markson > Pacific Sunrise > Last Vintage
I have been contacted by Samuel Wayne who has been working under a shipwright in Tasmania. They recently did many months work on the 110 ft ‘Last Vintage’ which has been renamed twice; originally it was ‘Markson’ & before that ‘Pacific Sunrise’. The reason Sam emailed ww was because this ship was purchased by the New Zealand Government and refitted circa the year ~2000 & Sam was wondering if ww knew any information as to where and who did the work.
While working on Last Vintage they replaced some planks, refastened the hull and rebuilt the rear living area / saloon walls (frame + exterior) to provide solid anchor points for the mizzen mast.
More information on the work done and many photos can be found at lastvintage.com.
Sam will be flying in to Auckland next week and driving around the northern island with his girlfriend and would appreciate the chance to look around and meet some of the people doing similar work on wooden boats or people that worked on the ‘Last Vintage’  while he is in the country. Contact is   samdavidwayne@gmail.com

Manana

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MANANA

Now Manana has appeared before on ww but we have never seen ‘down-below’.

First some background – Manana is a Colin Wild sport fisher built in Auckland in 1953 by Collings and Bell. She spent many years serving as the Durville Island water taxi based in French Pass. She was then rebuilt and faithfully modernised into the vessel that you see above.
Construction: double diagonal kauri – LOA: 40’; beam: 13’; draft: 6’

She is powered by twin 120hp 6 Cyl Fords that allow her to cruise at 8 knts & top out at 11 knts

You can read more on her past & view as launched photos at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/09/20/friday-quiz-can-id-this-launch/

UPDATE 13-04-2021 – now residing in Bayswater Marina

Huge interest yesterday in the Lucinda re-launch story – over 7,500 views in the first 24 hours. But interestingly ww still can not crack the UK scene, see below a list of the top 14 countries viewing ww yesterday, ranked by viewing numbers. Peru rated better than the UK 😦  Now if you are wondering about some of the countries, I have a theory – ww enjoys high readership among the super yacht crews, who have a high % of kiwis aboard, thence the ‘unusual’ countries popping up 😉

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Lucinda Re-Launched

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My little launching gift – a bronze good fortune star from Arthur Beale, London.

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LUCINDA RE-LAUNCHED

Well woodys, after nearly two & half years hauled out at the Milford Cruising Club slip, on Saturday afternoon, Nathan Herbert re-launched his 1930, 28′ L. Coulthard launch – Lucinda. A group of approx. 40 family & friends came together to celebrate the event & help ease Luci back into the creek.

A few cold beverages, some bubbles & a good old fashioned kiwi spread – sausage rolls, asparagus bread wraps, bacon & egg pie & a cake – doesn’t get much better my eyes.
In the above photos, you’ll see lots of Nathan sporting a PS (permanent smile) & rightly so, it was after, his day. I apologize for the background noise in the videos, the wind was howling at the time. Remember if you click on the photos, they enlarge 😉

You can read & see more on Lucinda here     https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/05/18/lucinda-hauls-out/

While mooching around the creek I spotted something that I thought I would never see – the ex whale chaser, Rorqual sans her hot-house top, see photo below. It is only temporary as new owner Andrew Miller is half way through a make over that will see her returned to a similar look as before but utilizing the best materials & systems. And if I did not post a photo of Murray Deeble’s wee day boat I would have ended up in the creek 🙂

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And its not too late to complete the on-line ww classic boating activity survey – click blue link below

Which classic wooden boat activities would you like to see more of ?