CLASSIC WOODEN LAKE BOAT – HEATHER DAWN – A Peek Down Below
Thanks to the eagle eyes of Ian McDonald who spotted the 21’ ex workboat – HEATHER DAWN on tme, today we get to have a gander at this craft that has an interesting back story.
Built in Glasgow Scotland in 1950 by Darroch and Espie Boat Builders, she carries the serial no 1666. D&E were famous boatbuilders, particularly lifeboats for major shipping companies back in the day. So HEATHER DAWN started life as a lifeboat, built from oak and was bought off a tug called DASHER in Auckland. Her wheelhouse and decking a later (NZ) addition, being made from kauri.
Powered by 30hp Yanmar 3 cylinder shaft drive, giving a cruising speed approx. 6 knots. Very well fitted out – the diesel oven / heater caught my eye.
I can just see HEATHER DAWN fitting in very well with the Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is) flotilla.
A CLASSIC WOODEN TRAILER-SAILER YACHT – Yeap You Read That Right 🙂
As covered many times on WW the cost of a marina berth is the #1 deterrent to owning classic wooden craft. I have speculated that smaller trailerable woodys will be the future of the classic boating movement in NZ.
MERLN – todays 22’ clinker kauri built, gaff-rigged sloop is one such boat that ticks all the boxes. And most importantly MERLIN is a looker and we like that.
Built c.1902 as a motorboat she was converted in the 1920>30’s to a yacht (deadwood/keel added etc). Then in the late 2000’s restored by professional Christchurch boat builder – Davie Norris.
MERLIN received another birthday in 2015/16 with restored gaff-rig and ‘converted’ to tabernacle set-up, plus new sails and all rigging. Also included was a new custom trailer and new 4-stroke 6hp outboard.In the last 10+ years MERLIN has been shed stored and only used on Lake Hood, Canterbury, South Island.Her current status is in storage and as with all traditional built clinkers may need some tweaking / re-caulking to the garboard seam.
So woodys if you’re considering stepping up to life as a classic woody owner, MERLIN is the vessel for you and at the end of a days sailing you get to take her home. Interested parties to initially contact Andrew andrew@siseed.co.nz for more details. And almost forgot – she will sell for around $25k – a bargain.
Todays thanks to the owner of the launch – IONA II we get another peak at the wooden boating scene on the other side of the world. The family are currently cruising the Canal du Midi in the South of France for a week and sent in some photos of the local work boats earning their keep. Most of the boats are old converted steel bulk barges (with wooden wheelhouse and interior) or the modern plastic rental boats. The photos of the rarer wooden boat on the canal is rather smart
.
CAN YOU HELP LOCATE THIS WOODEN BOAT
Last week WW was contacted by John Chambers the owner of the launch – NGARUNUI, asking for help locating a boat from his past – I’ll hand over to John to tell the story –
“In my earyl years, aged 10 to12 years i.e.1957 -58, I lived at Okura River (Long Bay / Wade River) after school, weekends, holidays – the river was my playground. I was the only kid on the river full time, there were only 11 locals living there at the time plus 2 farms. The 1st was Warmans just up from the houses, 2nd was Jacksons about 1mile up the road down a long drive. Mr Jackson built a big boat in the shed which I used to check out every few days. Launch day – boat was 60’ long, a double end ketch, heavily built in kauri and teak. The boat was towed across the paddocks by bulldozer to the river where a ramp had been bulldozed and a wire cable across to big tree on the other side then back to the dozer. Boat in water high tide, my job lead the way down the river to deep water, job done. Next hurdle a big ketch that had broken the mizen mast on the new harbour bridge. The point of this – what was her name and were did she go? I think the plan was to sail back to England.I think the boats name was Tyrant or Truant “.
WW was contacted over the weekend by Mark Wakefield regarding his grandfathers launch – KOALA, previously named AMARYLLIS.
Mark sent in the above photos, the photo of the baby is in fact Mark in a high chair on the freezer of KOALA in about 1978. Mark commented that one thing he remembers is the freezer had a Hauraki Gulf navigational map on the top with epoxy over it. In a previous WW KOALA story in April 2015 we had a photo of a launch that Mark is confident was wrongly labelled as being KOALA, Mark pointed out that the featured boats roof line was different and KOALA also never had a davit attached. ( I have made a note on the previous story)
In another WW story in Oct 2021 a comment was made about the fenders being out while underway – Mark said that was probably because his dad and his mates were on board – all rough dairy farmers from the Waikato at the time. The grandfather, the skipper, would have had his hands full dealing with them.
KOALA cruised at around 6kts, and was terrible in a following sea. Mark’s dad reckons he saw the speedo dial max out once at over 20kts, stuck riding a wave and was fearful for his life as it was not overly controllable.
Mark is keen to learn if anyone might know what happened to KOALA.
The 1938 launch – MOVARIE II has in recent years made as many appearances on tme as it has on WW. We know that the bridge decker was built by W&G Lowe, is 40’ in length, with a 11’ beam and draws 5’. Powered by twin Ford 80hp diesel engines. The launch started life as a game fishing.
Once owned by Russell Ward so must have been a goody back them. These days there are a few issues, reflected in the current tme listing having $5k start price.
Todays woody is the very salty looking Woollacott yacht – MAIA II. Built in 1949 she is one of the ‘Ghost’ designs and is 28’ x 8’ + a draft of 4’6”.Her owner asked for a plug on WW re her being for sale, and of course I said yes – the boats very smart and Devonport based so couldn’t say no.When required forward motion is via a 13hp Shibaura engine and the sale includes a spare engine.Again dont normally talk $$ on WW but at $12k ono it has to be a bargain for someone wanting to join the classic wooden boating movement.A very strong and active Woollcott owners association is a bonus. Initial interest via email – sazoriginals@hotmail.com
Sea Scouts Need Some Help
Recently WW was contacted by Keith Christensen from the Kotuku Sea Scout Group in Levin asking for help finding a new home for one of their boats – I’ll let Keith tell the story –
“This is a 17′ kauri clinker standard Sea Scout cutter, #112 Moutere, built in 1967. She has spent most of her life in a shed and on Lake Horowhenua with occasional trips to Wellington. Her greatest stress has been trailering across town from our boat shed to the lake. Her major challenges are a split strake, a few cracked ribs and a very interesting repair in the front. I have started renovation by stripping 95% of the paint. She comes with a trailer different than she is on in the photos which will need work as it has no mudguards. We have the rudder and some stretchers and can rummage up a mast (Oregon). Any money donated to our group will be used for our youth programs as well as repairs to our other 3 Cutters. It’s sad to let her go but she has spent 13 years untouched so we need to focus on our other boats. Because this is standard boat you will be able to find other people who have done refits. I think it’s common to put an inboard in them. The transom on our other one got a bit beaten up with a Seagull so I wouldn’t recommend it.” Contact Keith Christensen at drkchristensen@hotmail.com
CLASSIC LAUNCH – LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #4
Today co-owner Patrick Crawshaw walks us thru the latest work, different layout today, might make it easier to follow.
The last couple of weeks have been focussed on getting the sanding finished for first coat and the wood work finished. The forward hatch, which had been blocked up was re-instated. Tthe forward cabin, where the mast once was had been opened up to make way for a hatch. Two of the ribs had been cut into and this was compromising the strength. So, ribs were replace and the hatch filled in so that the mast can go back to its original location.
The main cabin hatch (shown below) which is above the helm had to be moved inward to allow for the railings to match the other side – from front to back. At some stage, it had been cut too close to the port side and so the railings had to start back behind the hatch which looked awful. This is about the lines – again.
The windows have been a complex and long process. Firstly, we had to find the old curved line which ran along the side connecting the forward cabin to the aft curve.
We had to completely fill the existing windows in so that we could draw that line. Once that was drawn, we could then find out where the windows (from the photograph above) once were. The filled in ply was then taken out and cut to the new window lines. Then they had to be rebated for the glass to then be glued in. Next week is the glass templates and once the glass is in, we will have to cut the trims to go around the windows… The windows have been the most complex part of the job with so many elements and stages to the process. It’s so important we get this right, as they are crucial to the lines of the boat, and we can only work off this photo and a few other tell tale signs.
Rod holders…such fun getting the angle right so they are flush on to the transom.
The owner of the 36′ classic launch IONA II currently midway thru a total refit at the Slipway Milford is currently mooching around in Venice and sent in the above photo gallery of the hard working Venetian woody water taxis. Nice to have window into the other side of the world and to see the sun 🙂
The scope of the work on IONA II is next level and includes conversion to electric powered – there will be no combustion engine or generator i.e. not a hybrid. Really looking forward to following the project. IONA II was designed by Bruce Askew , and built in 1994 from strip planked wood + some f/glass, all good on a 1994 craft. Link below from when the work first commenced. I’ll get down there later in the week for an update, or maybe Jason Prew could put the tools down for a minute and send in some iPhone photos 😉 https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/05/28/iona-ii-gets-a-birthday/
Yesterdays winner of the quiz to name the launch – TEINA , John Dawson returned the favour and sent me the above photos of the launch – MOANA.
John commented that it was on tme late last month with a $1 reserve. According to the listing she was built in 1930, is 33’ in length and powered by a Ford 40hp engine. Located in Rawene, Northland.
As we can see she is looking very sad and probably beyond restoring.
Keen to hear what became of her and any known history.
Todays woody isn’t really a project because all the hard work had been done, a buyer just need to decide on the finishing touches and they would be sailing this spring.The yacht was designed by Denis Brown and according to the plans is tagged a ’10.6m Ocean Cruiser Cutter’ and is a sister ship to – TAMARA that has been on WW, link here – https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/06/04/tamara-sailing-sunday/ (photo also below of TAMARA) FYI – TAMARA was built by Denis in the Bay of Islands and launched in 1990. He then sailed her to the States and returned a couple of years later.Her cruising pedigree is undeniable and there is a very interesting article in Wooden Boat November/December 1994 regarding Tamara’s trip, “The Evolution of an Ocean Cruiser”. Denis now lives just outside Hikurangi and is still sharp as a tack aged 90 years, what a life of experiences he has lived.
Todays yacht was built in a barn just outside Kaikohe over a period of 40 years by engineer Bruce Edge. Built from treated 28mm kahikatea, strip planked, concave-convex epoxy edge glued. Her deck is laminated timber. Unfortunately Bruce Edge passed away without seeing his yacht touch the ocean. She is beautifully finished and there really is only cosmetic work, external paint, some internal paint, as well as a mast and rigging needed to complete her.Included is;
main mast extrusion for the gaff rig
a steel keel and three ton of available lead for pouring before the keel is bolted to the Keelson
a Yanmar motor (condition unknown)
four brand new sails made by Willis sails –
lots of miscellaneous hardware
two Murray winches for the inner headsail already fitted to the boat
a set of plans which Denis has kindly supplied.
Her current owner (an experienced boat builder) acquired the yacht just over a year ago with the intention of completing her but life circumstances changed and how she is for sale.Her owner had two experienced boat builders check her over and they both commented she is very well built
The location of the boat is just outside KeriKeri and has good access for transportation. In terms of price, the owner is only seeking to recover costs to date and mentioned that $13,000 will see her change ownership. That woodys is a very fair price, so do not bother looking if you think a low ball offer will get the boat. Initial enquires to Hamish at vcstcere83@gmail.com
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