Recently on one of the many boating channels I follow the launch VEDETTE popped up , a gent named Tony Howse was considering buying the boat and needed a builders name to obtain insurance to haul-out for an inspection.
Tony commented that the boat was built from double diagonal kauri planks.
Its believed that she was originally on the Kaipara Harbour and then in the late 1960’s moved to Raglan as the harbour masters boat for a period of approx. 20 years.
Can we learn more about the launch.
01-06-2025 UPDATES
TONY HOWSE – I’ve owned her for 20 plus years.The best cray and fishing boat I’ve ever owned. My 4 kids have grown up learning to fish off her. I have just sold her and she’s hopefully back to the Bay of Islands.
REUBEN PARR – Our family used to own Vedette on the Kawhia Harbour in the late 1960s. She was powered by a Morris Vedette petrol engine. My memory is that my father said she was a Logan and had been a pilot boat, but not sure how correct that was.
As previously promised, last week Alan sent in the gallery of photos above starting with MOOSE in her Lake Rotoiti boathouse at Moose Lodge and finishing up in Alan’s yard with the restoration already underway.
Alan commented that the process went very smoothly, a few of the crew were a little apprehensive that a planked wooden boat will still float after an extended period out of the water. Alan said that MOOSE was all good, with a bit of help from the modern technology of temporary urethane sealant 😉
As with all wooden boat projects things start with unveiling the surprises that lie beneath the layers of paint, but for the experienced team at Craig Marine there are no real surprises these days.
We look forward to following this restoration. (photo below dated 1954)
IT’S A BUYERS MARKET – CLASSIC LAUNCH OKE BAY (DIANA S)
If your selling your classic wooden craft this winter do not set your hopes to high in terms of price.
There are some amazing buys floating around, mainly on tme, todays woody is an example. $15k ono is just silly money for OKE BAY.
Then again so is sub $300k for the majestic woody TRINIDAD , she was the buy of the decade.
The 32’ OKE BAY was built / launched in 1945 by Roy Steadman of Herne Bay, Auckland. At the time of launching she was named DIANA S, her name was changed in 1956. Her hull is carvel construction with kauri planks.
Forward motion is from a Ford Lees 2701 64hp diesel engine giving her a cruising speed of 7 knots.
With some TLC someone will have a nice, very original woody for summer cruising. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.
Previous WW stories linked below. Lots of details in the 2017 link.
Compared to the 2018 photos her recent appearance on tme shows an interior fit out that has ‘drifted away’ from the tradition configuration. From what we can see and at the asking price she may be a bargain + with her power set uo, might also suit a buyer looking for a live-aboard.
Forward motion is via a 180hp 6cyl. Ford diesel.
We know she was built for WWII inner harbour mine patrol use, but never saw service – do we know any of her past, post war and up to 2018. Photo below ex Ken Ricketts dated 1958, when owned by Vince Norton.
Following on from yesterdays story on the yacht – KIATERE, WW was contacted by Ben Butcher, son of the current owner with an update – reproduced below. The gallery of photos were just too good to add to the existing story so today we have a follow up on Tuesdays story – Enjoy
“Hey guys – In relation to the recent article on Kiatere.
I grew up sailing and adventuring around the Marlborough Sounds on her. My dad has taken great care of her over the years but sadly we don’t get out on her enough these days.
She still sits on a mooring in Whatamango Bay, near Picton, and dad still goes out and checks on her regularly . We would love to see her get a few more miles under her belt as she nears her 100th birthday – so yes, still looking to pass her on.
Todays woody story features the 33’8” Claude Smith 1966 built launch – SEAMIST. She made a brief appearance on tme a little while ago and based on her looks and presentation I’m sure she sold quickly.
Built of double skinned kauri, sadly her hull has been splined and both above & below water the timber has been f/glassed.
Powered by a 70hp Fordson 4 cyl. diesel engine SEAMIST she cruises at 7 knots.
As seen in the photos she is very well kitted out.
Back in Feb 2020 one of the WW spies spotted the launch – AVALON ‘parked’ on a lawn in Auckland’s north shore. From the subsequent WW story , linked below, we learnt that the 24’ AVALON was built be Sam Ford and launched in 1954 . AVALON has enjoyed one extended family ownership since new and at the time Tobias Forsyth (MV Callisto) was planning to give the launch a birthday. The top photo (launch day) above was sent in by Cameron Pollard Feb 2020https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/02/17/mystery-sam-ford-launch/
Fast forward to Nov 2021 and Tobias gave us an update, link below, which included a wonderful collection of historical AVALON photos over the years. He also shared a design sketch of the thinking re the ’new’ look (4th photo above). Nov 2021https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/29/resurrection-of-avalon/
Then last Friday the gallery of work-in-progress photos above landed in the WW inbox. The Forsyth family, including father Ian (MV MEOLA) are very talented chaps as you will see from the work underway. Tobias commented that it had “been a busy few weeks with some big milestones but plenty of work has gone on since she was installed outside my kitchen window. Getting onto the shiny bits new with new solid Honduran mahogany cabin sides with a slight more sleek take on Avalons original design, engine is in and things are progressing well. Hopefully she can be in the water for summer 2026 in a rough and ready mode.”
As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉
UPDATE ex TOBIAS FORSYTH – AVALON will be re-powered new Mercruiser 3.0 petrol engine with new hydraulic transmission.
The old engine (Morris Naviigator) was too far gone and finding parts made it uneconomical. Its still sitting in my garage if someone looking for parts as there’s all sorts there and spares too including the Paragon box with 2:1 reduction. Would make a good static museum piece as it’s quite neat with the hand crank start etc. it seems too good to take to the scrap dealers.
The new engine is half the weight, 8 x more HP , narrower and shorter, so gives me much more internal room. And it should be nice and quiet inside the cabin when running. Plus she may boogie a little faster now.
I intend to tow her around the country and visit a lot of the lakes and hard to reach spots right down south in the future so she will be a full trailer boat now. Plus the anniversary races etc.
Tobias also commented that he is the second owner of Avalon, his grandparents had her hull and cabin sides built by Sam Ford in early 50’s and grandfather transported her home on the truck and finished her outside their kitchen window over a period of about 6 months with what ever he could find that would do the job, tounge and groove and canvas cabin tops. They then kept her at their wharf in Helliers Creek that Avalon help build as she towed the logs to Riverhead to be pressure treated and milled before towing/carrying them back rather overloaded at times. Tobias’s Grandma used her regularly well into her 80’s before she ended up on the lawn . Tobias’s mum Carol is the baby in Granddads arms on launching day.
AVALON is a genuine one family owned vessel since new.
The 42’ ex workboat LYNNRAE has been popping up on and off the normal 4sale sites for a while, I’m assuming still looking for a new owner.
Her owner has done a lot of work in the conversation to pleasure use, but still very much a blank canvas. Perfect for someone with the basic skills to compete the work.
All of the expensive systems, nice to haves, have been installed so posting interior fit out / cosmetics.
Built in 1968, possibly in Naper, wooden hull, powered by a 200hp Detroit 8v71 diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8 knots.
Her stern says Houhora, so home must be in the Far North. The listing (thanks Ian McDonald) mentions she worked (fishing) the Three Kings Islands and northern waters.
Todays classic wooden launch has recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). Terrible listing, eg so few details but putting that aside with an $8k asking price, PUTIKI could be a great project for the winter. Some boatyards would charge you more than $8k to make that butterfly hatch.
What we know is she is 32’ in length, kauri planked (but sadly f/gased – but maybe thats keeping her a float) and powered by a 80hp 4 cyl. Ford Lees diesel engine.
Home is currently Kerikeri.
The boat and name is unknown to WW so keen to learn more on her past .
06-05-2025 INPUT ex STEV LITTIN – Putiki was owned by my father Albert Littin while in Port Albert from about 2003 till 2010 and then moved to One Tree Point, Whangarei till sold about 5 years ago to Totara North. Current engine was rebuilt and fitted by Dad to replace the engine that broke a crankshaft and self destructed while fishing on the Kaipara.
Built 1907-10 we believe in Mangawhai. Dad has a picture from I think the 1940’s-50’s taken on the Mahurangi River.
The wooden launch RANGATIRA recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) and reading the listing it sounds like an abandoned vessel forced sale.
34’, kauri hull, Perkins 6 cyl. engine (not working) – that is about all we know other than a $1 reserve.
Possibly beyond a restoration but surely someone needs some kauri for a project……
I BOUGHT A YACHT
Well a small one, very small eg vintage pond yacht. Another one for the collection. Very good condition.
On the centre cockpit there is a cover (to keep water out – this one actually sails) on the top are the letters ‘RMYC 1923” and two burgees / pennants – refer photo below. My initial thought was ‘Royal Melbourne Yacht Club’ but can’t find any reference to that other than a Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and they have no reference on their website to those two ‘flags’. Anyone ablate help ID the graphics / yacht.
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