Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TANTALUS – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TANTALUS – A Peek Down Below

THE 36’ Classic Wooden Launch- TANTALUS made a cameo appearance on WW back in late Dec 2021. The top photo above I took then, now today thanks to a recent tme appearance and Ian McDonald’s hawk eyes, we get to have a gander down below.

What we know about her is that she was designed by Tim Windsor and built c.1963 by Tim Wilson and Jack Taylor at the Shipbuilders yard. Construction is kauri plank, her beam is 9’ and she draws 3’3”.

These days her forward motion is from a Ford 120hp diesel engine.

Anyone able to tell us more about her past.

How Cool Is This Bed

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/16/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TANGMERE – UPDATE

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THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TANGMERE – UPDATE

Recently WW was contacted by Megan Ede regarding the 1949 classic wooden launch – TANGMERE, Megan had come across a story on WW about the launch undergoing a restoration. Megan commented that her parents – Allan and Margaret Norwood had owned the boat when she was in her teens. They purchased her in 1982 from the Rogers family and then sold in 1996 to Jim Cardow.

WW was tasked with obtaining an update on the restoration. The hull for TANGMERE was built by the Shipbuilders yard and W.J. Endean, the first owner, designed and built the cabin.
A quick email to current owner Bill Endean (son of WJE) and we had the below. In May 2020 Bill gave us a wonderful history of the launch and a peek at the start of the project – link below to that WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/11/tangmere-finds-her-way-home/

Progress has been slow but sure, TANGMERE has had all the internal structure removed (including all ribs), new floors and bulkheads, glassed inside and out, new engine beds waiting for engine install, new superstructure  (replicating original).  Retained the old deck beams, new self draining cockpit arrangement.The photos above show the work done on the inside, stripped out the riveted ribs and replaced with a simpler  structure, and then glassed in. The photos of the outside show the glassed hull  and replaced superstructure ( dodger yet to be built ).
Bill commented that he knows some in the classic world have a dim view of  “ glassing”, but he is obviously not one of them. Nor was his father who in 1964  built the 43′ ketch Portobello using strip planked cedar  glassed inside and out, following the trend set by his friend Tony Mason with the Clippers… so Bill comfortably believes WJE might approve of this restoration of his first boat.

Photos below give you an indication of how ‘tired ‘TANGMERE’ was before Bill Endean took her back into the families ownership.

07-11-2025 UPDATE ex Bill Endean – coming along…… slowly 🙂

CLASSIC MOTORBOAT – VANESSA TICKS ALL THE BOXES 

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CLASSIC MOTORBOAT – VANESSA TICKS ALL THE BOXES 

Get first glance you would think that the 49’ motorboat -VANESSA , falls into the converted ex-workboat group. But not this girl, she is a purpose built spirit of tradition woody. Designed and built in 2005 by Devonport boat builder – Rob Roberts as a custom passage maker. Her hull has two layers of 15mm ply over 150×150 mahogany ribs, and laminated kauri stringers, then glassed .

 Powered by a Caterpillar 3160, 210hp diesel engine that was reconditioned in 2005, the Cat will see her comfortably cruising at 8+ knots and she slips 8L an hour, very impressive for a 20 ton wooden craft. Combine that with 3,200L of fuel tankage + 1,600L water, she really lives up to the passage maker tag. 

In the interests for low maintenance , long haul cruising – her systems are very ‘old school’ i.e. no turbo, no ‘blackbox’ engine electronics etc. But no money has been spared on her navigation and house systems.

VANESSA has just returned to the water after her annual maintenance work (photos below) and is now for sale and presents in hop on > sail away condition. 

A wonderful craft that visually has all the feel good vibes of a classic boat but with the low maintenance benefits of a 2005 build date utilising the best materials and construction methods.

09-11-2024 UPDATE – Video below of VANESSA docking at Sandspit Yacht Club today

VANESSA 09-11-2024

CLASSIC LAUNCH – NANA – SAVED AGAIN

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CLASSIC LAUNCH – NANA – SAVED AGAIN

The classic wooden launch – NANA started life in 1934, designed by C.Bailey Jnr and built by C. Bailey & Sons. 35’ in length she was very quick in her early days eg 17 knots.

Fast forward to 2014 and she was hit on her mooring and took on a lot of water. The wonderful shipwright- John Wright stepped up and rescued the boat and restored her (photos below c.2017/8 when relaunched.

Fast forward again to June 2023 and WW was running a SOS story looking for a new custodian, not sure the outcome but one of my woody spotters John Dawson saw a fb story by John Woodcock advising he had purchased NANA and had commenced a refit on her – as seen above.

Hopefully we can follow the project and keep you updates.

13-11-2024 UPDATE ex John Dawson ex John Woodstock fb. Strengthening broke ribs, bilge prepped for repainting, recon Ford 2725e 135 hp to be fitted.

18-11-2024 UPDATE – Coming along nicely 🙂

Screenshot


RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

SOUTHERN WOODY MASON MARLIN RUNABOUT + Riverhead Tavern Lunch Cruise Details

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SOUTHERN WOODY MASON MARLIN RUNABOUT

I was contacted about todays woody earlier in the year, at the time the boat was based in Queenstown and was looking for a new owner.

Her then owner had spent a lot of money on her, the Honda 50 hp 4-stroke would have broken most peoples budget.

No name visible – keen to learn if she sold and where she ended up.

EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING LABOUR WEEKEND WOODY SPRING SPLASH AT KAWAU ISLAND. Below are details on the next woody event after Kawau – circle the calendar. 

RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

IF I WON LOTTO – WHAT CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WOULD I OWN

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Deal Island 50

IF I WON LOTTO – WHAT CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WOULD I OWN

Well woodys the first thing I would do is jump on a plane and fly to Melbourne , Australia and go and see Tim Phillips at The WoodenBoat Shop in Sorrento. I met Tim in Feb 2023 aboard his 100 year old ’cruising smack’ – STORM BAY at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania. Tim, family and cruising buddies had sailed over for the festival. Fresh crew attire was supplied via the waitematawoodys merch bag. (Photo below of Tim aboard STORM BAY)

At the time I just thought Tim was a genuine good bugger but unbeknown to me Tim is the powerhouse behind Australis’s leading wooden boat yard – The WoodenBoat Shop. And that woodys is who I would trust to build me my dream boat. Visit the website here to view / read more about them www.woodenboatshop.com.au

The TWBS team have just launched their latest creation – WINTER COVE, the Deal Island 50, on display this weekend at the Melbourne International Boat Show at Docklands Marina.

As well as building and restoring wooden boats, the WBS have their own custom range of bronze chandlery.

In the photo gallery above, most of the photos are of the WINTER COVE the Deal Island 50, but I have included a few workshop and other TWBS craft images to help set the scene.

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – PATINA (Le Reina) A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – PATINA (Le Reina) A Peek Down Below

The 39’ wooden launch PATINA, built in 1913 by Ernie Lane in Picton has made several appearances on WW but we have never had a decent gander down below. Today thanks to Ian McDonald and tme we do .

I have included a link below that will give you a summary of all the previous WW stories. 

Built from double skin kauri, when launch she was named LE REINE.

The forward motion is via a Yammer 54hp Diesel engine.

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Patina&submit=Search

CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

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CLASSIC WOODY BOAT FESTIVAL AT THE WHANGAREI TOWN BASIN – 48 Photos & Videos

The weekends weather in Auckland certainly wasn’t conducive to boating so on early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and headed to Whangarei for the 2024 Maritime Festival at the Town Basin.

Year two and a quick overview, – more tie-dyed tee shirt vendors and food trucks, a lot more general public – less launches, more large cruising yachts. Steam boat rides were the most popular offering – long queues of kids that probably walked away with a life time memory – well done to all the  steam boat skippers and crew.

Nice to see a couple of woodys from the Waitemata make the trip north – RAWHITI and JOHN DORY. 

As always when she makes an appearance anywhere Dick and Colleen Fisher’s ex pilot boat – AKARANA was the start of the show.

THE AUCKLAND WOODYS HAD AN INTERESTING TRIP HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON 🙂

RAWHITI
JOHN DORY

TUAHINE – 43′ CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

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TUAHINE – CLASSIC YACHT 4SALE – MAKE AN OFFER

When a classic woody has had the same owner for over 50 years, not a lot of people have popped their heads down below, today we get to do that.

The 43’ yacht Tuahine was designed and built in 1957 by the Dickson family, lead by Roy Dickson’s father (grandfather to Chris Dickson). Dickson senior along with Roy and twin brother had all sailed on Ranger with Lou Tercel and got many ideas from Ranger – longish with narrow beam (9’).

Stepping aboard Tuahine is like entering a time capsule being almost unaltered from new, always a sign that the designer / builder got it right first off. Tuahine even has the original Crown Lynn dinner set and on her bulkhead the pennant / decals recording her off-shore races (1977 and 1979 Auckland > Lautoka).

Home for most of the last 40 years has been the Bay of Islands, where she still resides, upstaging her plastic neighbours in the bay.

Her owners have followed a regular maintenance schedule that has included – recently removing the teak decks and plywood substrate laid and the deck relaid. The windows have also been removed and re-sealed. Other work has included the installation of a new Lombardini engine, new stove, new batteries and new main sail.

If the above sounds like an advertisement, it is – the Wooden Boat Bureau has been tasked with finding the next custodian of Tuahine. Her owners are motivated to sell so if you are looking for true blue classic with one of the best pedigrees in the fleet – contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details on Tuahine, and then make an offer.

KIRI – CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH

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KIRI – Classic Wooden Launch 

Todays 30’ wooden launch has made a recent appearance on tme – at first glance you would have to assume that a previous owner has been an automotive glazier and had access to low cost windows. There is a lot of glass action going on. Forward motion is via a BMC Commander diesel engine.

The hull looks a tad modern so maybe I’m being too generous in the use of the ‘classic’ term. Home is Picton

WHANGAREI MARITIME HERITAGE FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

Hopefully as you read this I’ll be pointing the German peoples car north and visiting the Whangarei Town Basin for the festival. Expect lots of photos on Monday.;-)

Full details here  https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz/boatshow