Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

ADA / IDA – Can We Join The Dots

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ADA / IDA – Can We Join The Dots

Recently WW was contacted by Tom Gordon in relation to his boat – ADA that Tom is trying to find out more information – I’ll hand over to Tom below:

“ ADA,  I have been told is one of the 3 kauri hulled boats. The three I believe were built by Miller and Tunnage in the 1920’s however so far I’ve not been able to find out some more finer details in regards to exact build date or archive type photos. I’m looking to repair ADA and re float to maintain some heritage now that I’ve learned some history. 

Sir Clifford Skeggs was an owner and one of his ex workers ‘Squidly’ from Taieri Mouth, Dunedin did own it also. Sadly he has now passed and I’m unsure if Cliff is still alive.

I’m wondering if the vessel – INA in the WW archives (WW link below) is definitely one of the three sisters to ADA. I’ve also heard of the names ROA and IMP,  potentially one of these is the 3rd? “https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/11/ida-woody-classics-weekend-stillwater-picnic-cruise-update/

Can we help Tom out with more intel on ADA and potentially the ’sisters’

A DORA BLU

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Today we are state side to have a tour of the 1933 Stephens Brothers built 43′ classic woody – A Dora Blu. I was sent the youtube link by John Dawson – now I ask that you ignore the youtube fluff at the start and the obvious sales pitch – trust me its worth checking out. I was very envious of the boat shed, must make caring for a classic a breeze. Her owners attention to maintaining the boats heritage looks and fit out is wonderful, but when they lift the engine bay covers the sight is a very big wow, twin Yanmar JHC120hp engines, proof that you do not need to weigh these old girls down with huge engines.

(note: some confusion on the build year – the nav light boards say 1931)

ID The Russell Yachts Friday Quiz Winner – Ken Fyle. WW burgee on the way – the yachts were – (L) XANTHO & (R) IIEX. As I thought a lot picked IIEX but only 2 correctly had XANTHO.

COMPASS ROSE _ A Peek Down Below

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COMPASS ROSE – A Peek Down Below
The launch Compass Rose popped up on tme nearly a year ago and at the time we ran a story on her that generated a lot of discussion / chat in the comments section around her DNA. We never really established her origins but I tend to lean on the side of Allan Keane’s input – i.e. her builder and as launched  name is unknown but c.1986/88 her name was changed to – Arthur Daley. c.1995 she was sold again and renamed – Compass Rose. Allan’s ‘knowledge’ comes from having sold (brokered) the boat 3 times.

In the previous WW story – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/02/lady-fay-arthur-daley-compass-ros/  there was speculation her launch name was Lady Fay and built by Orams & Davies in Whangarei in the early 1960’s. As often happens the collective memories get a little mashed up over the years so very keen to be able to clear up the question marks hanging over her. Thanks to woody John Dawson for the photos.

MYSTERY LAKE LAUNCH

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MYSTERY LAKE LAUNCH

Well woodys it is only a mystery because the owner, trying to sell her chooses to not show the vessels name – a tad crazy when selling a classic – the name is what joins the dots.

What we are told (thanks IanMcDonald / tme) is that she was built in 1978 and is described as a Woolley 25, kauri planked, powered by a Volvo Penta 28hp diesel engine and calls Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) home.

The ability to trailer the boat is a big bonus – but sadly the trailer is probably worth more than the boat 😉

Hopefully one of the Lake Rotoiti woodys can enlighten us more.

OSCAR – Born Again

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OSCAR – Born Again
Back in May 2022 Oscar made an appearance on WW, link below to that story, back then she was in a very sad state and being offered for sale via ‘As Is Where Is’ condition.At the time we learned that the 34’6” Oscar was designed by Sam Ford and commenced the build c.1968>70. Sadly Sam passed away and his son Trevor completed the project. When launched the she was named – Shimca’. 2022 WW Story https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/05/01/classic-boat-barn-find/

Recently I was contacted by Mark Pearce who purchased Oscar and undertook to refit the launch (see Marks words below) – as seen in the above photos. Currently 4sale on tme.

“I’ve stripped the outside from the deck down. I re-fastened the hull bottom and sides to the frames and put thousands of screws into the inner diagonal and outer horizontal planks which are about 12mm thick on the topsides and 15mm on the bottom.
I replaced a small part of one rotten plank but the rest are in great condition.
I then glued and screwed 6mm ply strips on the bottom and topsides and cut out ply to shape for the deck. I glassed the whole boat with 200g cloth and two pot inter protect followed after lots of sanding filling and fairing.
I replaced the cutlass bearing after dropping the strut 10mm to line the shaft correctly.
The boat has new paint from cabin sides to keel.
We had to hiab the engine up to remove and repair some holes in the cast aluminium sump.
New electric toilet was fitted along with a new gas stove, VHF and an am/fm radio.
It has a new electric anchor winch as well.”

2022

Probably NZ’s Biggest Classic – TSS Earnslaw

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Probably NZ’s Biggest Classic – TSS Earnslaw

I had cause to spend sometime last week/end in Queenstown and made the effort to take a ‘cruise’ across Lake Whakatipu on the 1912 built coal fired steamer –  TSS Earnslaw. I have visited Queenstown a lot in the past but mainly for business related events and was always running to a tight agenda – not so this trip.

A wedding invitation was the excuse for a visit, so while the rest of the family went for a long walk I boarded the ship, at nearly 160’ in length she is a ship.

Trip included a brief stop at the Walter Peak farm – a very impressive looking complex.

The conditions were perfect and woodys I would encourage you to do it if you are down that way. Enjoy the photo gallery.

And the wedding was a stunner – the best of everything – people, venue, food, wine and music. I think I danced more in one night than in the last 20 years, hopefully no one was filming 🙂

KONINI – A Peek Down Below

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KONINI – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody slips onto WW primarily because home of the 34’ launch – Konini is Queenstown and thats where I am today. Thanks to a tme listing back in Nov 2023 (via Ian McDonald) we learnt that Konini started life as a fishing boat from the east coast of the South Island. Her owner back in 2023 bought it from a fisherman in Bluff.  Her hull is double skin kauri plank and the cabin and wheelhouse were rebuilt about c.2017.

A 51hp Perkins 4.108 pushes her along at 6>7 knots. I’m sure she gets some sideways looks from tourists onboard the TSS Earnslaw, but as they say – ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ 🙂

NOR-EAST A Peek Down Below

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NOR-EAST A Peek Down Below

Back in February we did a story on the 38’,  1959 Fred Wilkins designed, Allen Williams built launch – Nor-East. That story was a great comparison of her as launched and with the help of a Feb 2019 photo of the craft moored in the Tamaki River we were able to see the ‘additions’ (I’m being polite) check out that story here, lots of great photos  https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/02/18/nor-east-before-and-now/

Current forward propulsion is via twin Ford 80hp Diesel engine that get her along at 8 > 10 knots. There were two almost sister ships – Sou East and Nor West

Now thanks to Ian McDonald and a recent tme listing we get to have a gander down belo

GEORGENE

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GEORGINE / GEORGENE

Todays woody has a few question marks alongside her provenance – on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) her owner has said she was built by Lanes to a Logan design and a commentator has mentioned maybe / possibly built by Charlie Gouk in Herne Bay. Build year is listed as 1928, measures 32’ in length with a 9’ beam. Built in traditional kauri carvel planking. Forward propulsion is from a Nissan LD20 engine, reconditioned but not operational.

The name draws a blank with me so it would be nice to clarify the boats DNA and what she has been up to for the last 96 years. Home is Picton, South Island.

INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – G Tanner of Auckland was the first owner. Later she was sometimes called GEORGENE T. She was registered with APYMBA as late as 1935 as GEORGENE T with the number 20..

16-04-2024 UPDATE – Never believe what you read on tme 🙂 the listing named the boat as – Georgine, so that was the name we used for the WW story. Harold Kidd commented above about the name – Georgina T.

Then yesterday well doing a deep dive in the WW archives for another vessel I came across the March 2016 story based on a trip south by Nathan Herbert.

The photos below and link confirm that the boats name is – Georgene. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/03/09/georgene/

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW CLASSICS 4SALE

OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough

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OUTSTANDING IN A PADDOCK – Duke of Marlborough

When I received the photos above the first thoughts were ………… where and why. 

Chatting with the sender, Ant Smit, I learned that the location was the MacKenzie Basin, which is situated approx. 1/2 way between Christchurch and Queenstown in the South Island. The area is almost the dead centre of the island.

Ant advised that a friend was on a motorcycle tour and spotted the boat and couldn’t not stop and snap a few photos.

I quick chat to my WW steam guru – Russell Ward and we learn she was purchased ex Picton and should currently be viewed as ‘art’. Lets hope there is a long term plan to restore her.

Her back story is a good read and she appeared on WW in May 2020 – link below. We learned then she was made of steel in 1987 and was originally named – James Torrey, and was used for trout fishing tours on Lake Tarawera –  lots of details in the story. In the photo below we see her at Picton when she was running as a commercial passenger vessel.     https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/05/17/ss-duke-of-marlborough/

Anyone able to enlighten us more on her future 

INPUT ex DAN CONAGH (owner) – I can confirm that I’ve purchased and moved the Duke to a section of land I own in Twizel. Our intention is to restore, repaint and return to service on one of the lakes in the MacKenzie District.

Unfortunately the boat is showing the signs of having been stored next to the ocean in Picton. The hull has some rust that requires attention. The wooden topside has some sun damage. New varnish required, and the PVC roll up sides are beyond repair. The photos in this article are very recent as I was up there on Saturday cleaning up all the coal spread across the floor inside.