CLASSIC WOODEN PERCY VOS WORKBOAT – WAIMANA (AK77)
Back in August 2023 the 51’ ex Seine trawler – WAIMANA popped up on tme and we did a story, then in Feb she was back on line again. This time with more photos including some from her past.
A quick overview – built at the Percy Los yard in Auckland in 1943 for Sanford Fisheries. Spec’s – 51’ x 14’ x 6’3” powered by a Gardner 6L3B 150hp, giving her a top speed of 10 knots at 900rpm.
Very well set up for a live-aboard.
CLASSIC YACHT – WHIRLWIND
Todays woody is the 40’ blue water cruising yacht WHIRLWIND, designed by Holman & Pye and built c.1972 by Ted Ottway. Triple skin kauri.
WW was contacted by Deb George on behalf of her father who is looking to find a new custodian for the yacht. Deb’s dad has owned WHIRLWIND for 30 years and sadly the yacht is just too much for him at this stage of life.
Lots of positives about this craft including new engine. She appeared on the cover of the July 1985 issue of ‘Cruising Helmsman’.
Anyone looking for a very well priced 40’ yacht that provides two options – sail away and enjoy her as is or invest in some upgraded electronics and point her offshore’For details contact Deb George >. debbgrg@gmail.com
LANAI – A Peek Down Below
Todays woody – LANAI was built in 1949 by Lanes. Carvel kauri construction.
She has made several appearances on WW, links below. Its nice to see that her current owner has given her a hair cut and the fly bridge has gone.
There is lots of chat and intel in the past posts but a quick overview below.
32’ x 10’6” x 2’9”, powered by twin Thornycroft 54hp engines, that sees her cruise at a comfortable 7.5 knots, max 10 knots. WW July 2014 https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/07/04/lanai/
WW Jan 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/01/05/lanai-2/
2016 Photo below
(thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up)
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 