Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

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

CLASSIC LAUNCH MOANAROA GETS A BIRTHDAY

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CLASSIC LAUNCH MOANAROA GETS A BIRTHDAY

During the week we were contacted by Rob Griffin regarding his classic wooden launch – MOANAROA. She previously appeared on WW back in Sept 2021, link below to that story. Rob advised they have just completed some maintenance work – I’ll hand over to Rob to tell the story –  
“Work included sand and repaint, a bit of re-caulking, Primocon and anti-foul, new engine mounts, servicing and retiming diesel injector pump and injectors, plus lots of other sundry items. Moanaroa was designed by Jack Taylor and built in Taupo by McLeod Brothers in 1949. She is carvel Totora planked construction, there has not been glassed. Powered by a 90hp Fordson Major diesel, 34.5ft long and these days calls Waiheke Island home.”

WW Sept 2021 https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/09/22/moanaroa/

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – MOANAROA ( more correctly MOANA ROA) was launched at Lake Taupo at the end of December 1949, on the day the Lake Hotel was destroyed by fire. Her ribs are spotted gum and everything else is heart totora, milled at Oruanui (near Taupo). Her build took two years, at the Tamamutu Street home of Don McLeod. She operated commercially for many years, skippered by Don McLeod’s father – known locally as Braces McLeod because he always wore braces in lieu of a belt.

In 1978 the Pointon family got hold of MOANA ROA in a very run down condition. Over a period of a few years they built a new wheelhouse with door and raised a forward cabin, which vastly improved her use-ability. She is a very lucky boat, having had loving owners for a long time. It is very heartening to see that her newish owners are continuing to love her

CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SHANGO (ANI > BRIEF AFFAIR) – A Peek Down Below

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SHANGO (ANI > BRIEF AFFAIR) – A Peek Down Below

Back in Jan 2023 (linked below) we shared some photos of the 40’ Keith Atkinson designed / built wooden launch – SHANGO anchored in Little Oneroa, Waiheke Island. Today thanks to Ian McDonald and tme we get to have a gander below decks. Construction is stripped plank kauri. Built c.1970’s.

SHANGO is powered by a Ford 200hp 2728T diesel engine  that gives her a 9 knot cruising speed. At some stage in her ownership life someone must have done some serious cruising her her – she has 1000L fuel capacity.

Has previously been named ANI and BRIEF AFFAIR.

WW Jan 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/01/17/shango/

CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS

CLEONA MAE – A Peek Down Below

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CLEONA MAE – A Peek Down Below

The classic wooden launch – CLEONA MAE last made an appearance on WW back in June 2017, link here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/06/19/cleona-mae/

In the 2017 story thanks to a previous owner – Nigel Drake, we received a wonderful insight into the vessels past. 

Today thanks to a Ian McDonal and tme we get to have gander below decks.

Some intel – designed and built in 1962 by Brin Wilson, 39’ in length, built from kauri, carvel construction. Forward motion is by the ever popular Ford 120hp, 6 cyl, diesel engine.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH-  LADY CAROLE – A Peek At Stage II

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH-  LADY CAROLE – A Peek At Stage II
Over the last few months we have been following the restoration the classic launch – LADY CAROLE and as seen in Wednesdays WW story LC is now back in the water.Whilst the exterior work has almost been completed and we will not be getting any updates for a while, we asked o-owner Patrick Crawshaw to share with us what’s inshore for Phase II (interior). Patrick commented that she originally had a beautiful kauri trimmed interior and the original configuration will be restored along with the fine timber work she once had.  A few modern additions will bring her into the 21st century, but these will be hidden, or discreetly placed.
The thinking / plans are shown in the drawings below  
Forward Cabin with four berth bunks. Toilet through the mirror in the bow. 

FORWARD CABIN – with 4 berths/bunks – toilet thru the mirror/door > bow

BOW TOILET

COCKPIT

MAIN CABIN – STARBOARD

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GLENIFFER – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GLENIFFER – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is the 39’ classic wooden Bridgedecker – GLENIFFER. A recent addition to tme (thanks Ian McDonald) – as always seems to be the case a few factual discrepancies, so in the interests of getting right on WW , we will go with what Harold Kidd advised in a previous WW story (linked below – great b/w photo there) that she was built by Chas Bailey & Sons and launched in October 1930.

GLENIFFER also made a cameo WW appearance in April 2017 (linked below)

WW April 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/11/glenifer/

WW April 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/13/woody-on-tour-havelock-marina/

Her name came from her original engine make -a Gleniffer. These days her forward motion is via Ford D series 6 cyl engine.

Home is Port Tarakohe, Tasman, Sth Island.

CLASSIC WOODEN FROSTBITE GETS SOME SERIOUS TLC

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CHARISMA

CLASSIC WOODEN FROSTBITE GETS SOME SERIOUS TLC

The two photos above are of Colin Pawson’s Frostbite sailing dinghy – CHARISMA which Colin is currently giving a birthday. Interesting observation – the new ribs aren’t steam bent, but laminated with the aim to be much stronger and lighter. As we have come to expect from Mr Pawson over the years attention to detail is 10/10.

Owning a Frostbite is a Pawson family thing – son Adrian owns – KITEROA, (photos below) and both sail out of the Taikata Sailing Club in West Auckland which on a good day has 15+ Frostbites racing.

KITEROA

CYA YACHTS PLAYING CRASH & BASH AGAIN

The woody spies report that the classic yacht skippers haven’t learnt from the past – first race of the season yesterday and we have a collision in the inner harbour – details are unconfirmed but it appears WAITANGI and KATRINA ‘came together’ and Katrina lost her mast – I’m not getting into specifics but if I was a betting man I know which skipper I’d be pointing the finger at 😉 Hopefully no injuries and insurance sorts out the damage.

UPDATE – Both boats reaching down the harbour. Some how they came together so it will be a ‘windward boat keep clear’ or ‘overtaking boat keep clear’.You have to ask how two classics came together on a very nice afternoon, easy sailing on the harbour.Too much testosterone ……………

CLASSIC MASON MARLIN WOODEN RUNABOUT MORPHS INTO A SPEEDBOAT

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CLASSIC MASON MARLIN WOODEN RUNABOUT MORPHS INTO A SPEEDBOAT

During the woodys trip to the Clevedon Cruising Club last weekend, one of the members brought along a recent project.

The speedboat SUZI Q started life as a Mason Marlin but her cabin top was toast so the call was made to start from scratch and the end result is what we see above.

Quite an impressive conversion and no doubt a flyer, did not get a chance to talk to the owner but it would be interesting to learn how she performs / handles at speed. I image a windscreen will be on the shopping list 🙂

THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE ONE OF THE STRANGEST COMMENTS ON THE WW SITE

Classic Wooden Craft Overnight Trip Up The Wairoa River 

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NGARUNUI + LUCINDA ON-ROUTE TO CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB
DOCKSIDE STROLL

Classic Wooden Craft Overnight Trip Up The Wairoa River 

Over the weekend we had our first woodys event for the classic boating summer season – a cruise up the Wairoa River to overnight at the Clevedon Cruising Club. Due to lock downs and weather bombs we had skipped a couple of years so the weekend was long overdue.

Given tidal access restrictions the weekend always starts with an early departure to the mouth of the Wairoa River, the smart ones leave on the Friday. 

The weather early (<5am)  Saturday morning was raining cats & dogs, but as if prearranged at 5.30am it stopped and we enjoyed a very pleasant dawn passage. The group gathered at 8.45am and journeyed up the river, always a tad anxious but it was a 3.6m tide so all good.

I snapped a gallery of photos of the woodys that are moored on-route – separate WW story tomorrow.

Our hosts , lead by Commodore Alister (Al) excelled themselves from the RIB on-hand to assist with docking to the world famous (on the river) Saturday night BBQ. The evening included raffles, outdoor fires, a singer and karaoke and even dessert provided. I can report no-one in the woodys group stepped up to karaoke the mike 🙂 Woody Dave Giddens donated several ‘old’ sails to the club which will be repurposed as shade sails around the clubhouse.

If you have never been on one of the trips you need to – the club facilities and hospitality is so traditional /  old school but in a cool way.

Included in the raffle prizes was a WW chopping board… I’ll need to talk to my copyright lawyer 🙂

We eat very well – sorry about the food pix but thats what you have to put up with 🙂

If you think that classic wooden craft are all sub 7 knotters check out the videos below of a couple of the voom-voomers.

(photos & videos ex Jason Prew & Alan H)

MY GIRL
LUCINDA

And a couple of the more relxed woodys

MOKOIA (fenders…….)
RAINDANCE