Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Santa Maria – A Peek Down Below

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Santa Maria – A Peek Down Below

Todays trawler style woody is the 42’ 1955 ex workboat – Santa Marie, built in Nelson by Curnow and Wilton for the ‘Italians’, fishing hapuka and crays in Cook Strait. She subsequently worked various roles around much of the rest of the country. Powered by a Gardner 127hp engine she was converted to leisure use around 20 years ago.

I was aboard a couple of years ago in Kerikeri and she truely is a magnificent craft. One could easily spend extended periods aboard.

Thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up on this woody.

INPUT ex Brian Kidson – Santa Maria was launched 7th Sept 1949, Curnow and Wilton’s, Nelson. Built for Mr Basile of Island Bay, Wellington for fishing around Cook Strait.

Full details on this Saturdays woodys picnic at Stillwater have been emailed out – if you didn’t get the email let me know and I’ll add you to the mailing list. (email link below)

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Caernarvon

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Caernarvon underway
Caernarvon all planked up
Caernarvon undersail
Caernarvon on the wind

CAERNARVON

WW was contacted recently by Rhys Hanna who back in 1972 had built and launched a 33’ Woollcott yacht named Caernarvon. She was based on the original plan of the Bert Woollacott designed Vectis , and redrawn by John Woollacott as a ketch with a more raked bow and a raised fore-deck.  Caernarvon was built of kauri with much of it being demolition timber from the bank building on the corner of Queen Street and Wyndham Streets, in Auckland.

Rhys had built her to go cruising but the children grew up too quickly and she was sold in 1975. Rhys replaced her with 36 ft John Lidgard yacht named Mon Desir, which he renamed Caernarvon II. In 1976 they sailed out for a 3 year trip and returned to New Zealand in 1996. That is impressive. 

Rhys last saw Caernarvon again in c.2014. He had been to the Burt Munro motorcycle rally in Invercargill and on the way back had a day in Picton waiting for the ferry booking and wandered out to Waikawa Marina and saw her there on a berth. She had been re rigged with a new main mast and a bowsprit. Res commented that he was really chuffed to see that there was only one plank seam showing (port side and close to the waterline) he had really worked hard to get the planking right. 

Rhys did have a couple of phone calls from various people when she came on the market about 4 years ago. Is anyone able to update us on the whereabouts of Caernarvon?

INPUT EX CHRIS LEECH – photo below, date and location unknown.

Details on next Saturdays Woody picnic at Stillwater will be sent out later today – life catch up got in the way yesterday. 8 days away from home in the midst of a cyclone equaled a long ’TO DO’ list from the first mate 🙂

Maori Lass

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MAORI LASS – Who Can Enlighten Us On Her Name

Master woody boat builder Colin Brown dropped me a note re the yacht Maori Lass at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, so off I went to find her.

What we know is that Maori Lass is 30’, was built in 1950 by Ron Andrewartha to a H. E. Cox design from Celery Top Pine, using carvel construction. She was built as a club racer in Hobart, her show card stated that “ Maori Lass reflects post WWII optimism in Australia’.

So woodys the question today is – what’s the significance of the name. Has to be a good story there 🙂

GOOD BUGGERS

During Auckland’s recent cyclone I was quite concerned about my woody in her marina berth – on the night of the big storm (13/14th) at 2am NZ time I received the below txt message from woody Dan Renall who keeps his Herreshoff yacht on the same pier – and then an update later in the morning. 

Thank you Dan – I owe you 🙂

ADELA at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival + Details On The Next Big Woody World Event

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ADELA at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival + Details on The Next Big Woody World Event

One of launches that caught my eye was the 26’ Adela – built in 1925 from Huon Pine, carvel construction. Designed by Charles Snook and built by James Andrewartha , she is described as a ‘Gentlemens Racing Launch’. Her 10hp Brooke engine gets her along at a very respectable 10 knots. Owned by maritime historian – Colin Grazules. 

I want a helm seat like that………….

See The World’s Best Classic Boats (from your favourite chair)
Tomorrow the third annual Worldwide Classic Boat Show kicks off, and friends of Waitemata Woodys are invited to CLICK HERE to get a Full Access Pass to the Show!
It’s just $10 for the entire Show – 100% online from February 17th-26th – which means you can enjoy this gathering of classic boats and fellow enthusiasts from around the world without leaving the comfort of your favorite chair. 

There are quite a few NZ woodys in the Show again, among 1,200 great classic boats from around the world. And while the boats are a main attraction, there are also daily live presentations and movie events, featuring experts on a variety of topics including:

– Hidden Stories of the Herreshoffs with Evelyn Ansel

– The Aesthetics of Top Classic Yacht Designers with Maynard Bray

– The Race to Alaska Movie Night

– Synthetic Standing Rigging on Classic Boats with Brion Toss Yacht RiggersThe Show is entirely virtual/online and will be open February 17th to 26th at ClassicBoatShow.com CLICK HERE to GET YOUR FULL ACCESS PASS.

Enjoy the Show!

Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – 50’ HALVORSEN MOTOR LAUNCH

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Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – 50’ HALVORSEN MOTOR LAUNCH

Hello Woodys

While the Australian Wooden Boat Festival is done and dusted the woody camera is loaded with photos – today we feature the 1947 built, 50’ Halvorsen motor launch – Minocqua. Designed and built by famous Australian boat builder Lars Halvorsen, she was one of seven built in the late 1940’s. If my memory is working, the Australian Americas Cup legend – Ian Murray owns one (possibly this one).

76 years later she is still a very imposing vessel and stands out anywhere.

Something for the petrol heads – check out the video below of a 1945 Tasman Marine engine, two stroke, 3hp, single cylinder. Built by the Tasman Engineering Company. 

TURN UP THE SOUND

And Then They Were Gone 😦

Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 5

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Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 5

Hello Again Woodys  Felt slightly guilty this morning when I called home to advise Air NZ had cancelled my Hobart > AKL flight. Next available – 7 days away…. A little bit of online work and I found a flight out of Sydney on Thursday night. So 2 more days in Hobart 🙂

One big plus – I get to see the very cool kiwi singer- Marlon Williams live in concert. 

Anyway back to the boats – today is an extension of yesterdays gallery – there is just so many woodys to see. 

FYI – WW viewing numbers spike when the weather is bad and people are at home, so yesterdays numbers were approaching an all time high. Today (Tuesday will be another bumper day)

Boat Of The Day – HEATHER BELLE, a 24’6” gaff rigged pilot cutter, built in 1990 by Andrew Wilson to a Lyle Hess design. She is a sister-ship to Larry Pardey’s – SERAFFYN.

And compulsory food shot – lunch = seafood chowder 🙂

Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 3

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Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 3

Morning Woodys – a stunning day today on the weather front – clear blue skies and not to warm, perfect. The docks today were a Zoo, just so many people and a high % of rubber neckers. Hats off to the boat owners for answering all the ‘blonde’ questions e.g. “is it made of wood, or has it got a special paint effect” etc etc. On the advice of a seasoned festival attendee I hit the docks very early in the morning and again early evening.

Lots of chat with owners and good awareness of WW. I decided today to engage the right side of the brain and caught the ferry to MONA (Museum Old New Art) its like nothing I or probably you have been to – check out the website https://mona.net.au

In todays WW story we focus on some of the smaller craft at the festival , with a leaning on steam propelled. Enjoy – if you don’t like it blame Russell Ward, his side of our movement needs a leg up 🙂

The Boat Of The Day   – TAMARESK

And a wee sea shanty for aboard the Tall Ship – ENTERPRIZE – enjoy

TURN UP THE VOLUME

And lunch was X12 fresh Australian prawns – never seen the inside of a freezer, soooo good 🙂

Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 2

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Woodys On Tour – Hobart – Australian Wooden Boat Festival – Day 2

Morning Woodys

Todays was the first official day of the festival, commencing with the – Parade of Sail, that see 200+ wooden craft arriving in mass into Hobert Harbour. Where they join 100’s more that have already berthed dock-side.

My day started at 6.45am for a coach ride to Woodbridge where we boarded the 110’ brigantine – Windewood Bound for the passage to Hobert. Conditions we a little damp and overcast, but things improved later in the day. You know me, so I struggled with the first 4+ hours of ’sailing’ at 4 knots but once we joined up with the fleet it was a special experience. The Windewood led the fleet into the harbour that was lined with spectators and craft of all types, size and construction.

Todays story is on the Windewood + a taste of dockside life. I’ll cover the passage and all the Parade of Sail fleet in a later story. And tomorrow we will jump into the expanse of wooden craft on show

Boat Of The Day – this very smart picnic boat

Enjoy

Below – the scallops on a stick were smash hit and washed down with my attempt to get some goodness into the body – all fresh juice – pineapple, apple, lemon, ginger, orange, vitamin C and a double shot of vodka. Sounds like a good idea for breakfast…

Kurangi

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KURANGI

In todays story we feature the 1960, 35’ Oliver and Gilpin built launch – Kurangi.

WW does not know a lot about her other than she is powered by a 100hp Ford diesel. When she was advertised late last year for sale on tme, her then owner had had Kurangi for 15 years. Thanks Ian McDonald for the listing heads up

So woodys – did she sell ? And can we learn what she has been up to for the last 60 years.

Belfast

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BELFAST

Todays woody – the 32’ Belfast was built by Jack Guard in 1940 and has spent time in survey, based on her presentation that would have to have been a while ago. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up.

The owners are pushing a sale with the suggestion that she be hauled out and re-purposed as a ’tiny home’.

Can we expand on her past life.