Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Bonita

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BONITA

Todays double ender 36’ woody launch just popped up on tme (thank you Ian McDonald) and is just such a looker. Home is Waikawa Bay in the Marlborough Sounds. Currently only set up with two berths, she is crying out for a full conversion to pleasure use.

Power is via a 80hp Ford diesel, that according the the tme story has a wee oil leak.

Who ever choose the colour scheme and name font as a good eye. I hope I have the spelling right?

Can we learn more about the boat?

INPUT ex Dick Hall – Correct name ‘Bonita’. Built 1923 by Ernie Lane in Picton as a typical sounds passenger boat with two cockpits both forward and aft of the wheelhouse. Originally powered by a 12hp Kelvin benzine engine. Modified for fishing in 1959 for the Guard Brothers of Port Underwood. Lately used as a pleasure boat by various owners.

INPUT ex Richard Neighbour – Bonito (launched Bonita) 1926, sister ship to Mariner (Shakespeare Bay- Queen Charlotte Sounds) I have emailed the history up to 2016 as given to me by Beth Gordon (original owners daughter). Bonito is a lovely old girl. My wife and I hope to find a suitable owner that will maintain her for many years to come as we have moved from Marlborough and don’t get back as often as we hoped to. Bonito has many years left in her yet, with much credit to the Ruffles family (previous owners of 40 years).
Richard & Helen – current owners.

Hirawanu – A Peek Down Below

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HIRAWANU – A Peek Down Below

The 1946 38’ Lidgard built launch – Hirawanu has appeared several times on WW and generated chat around the hot-house ‘up top’. I have included below a photo of her as launched to show her on a good day 🙂

Forward motion is via a Ford 120hp diesel, giving her a stated cruising speed of 8>10 knots. 

Now thanks to tme & Ian McDonald we get to have a look down below.

Check out the previous WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/11/27/hirawanu/

Cachalot

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CACHALOT

The name Cachalot has graced the stern of several whale chasers, this one if you believe the 4sale advertisement (back in 2021) was built c.1950’s by Jack Morgan. Sometime in the 1980’s her hull was refurbished (not my words) and then in 1998 the current cabin top was popped on. Being based down south, I suppose the design is best described as ‘fit for purpose’

Sadly several of these ex whale chasers with very efficient, speedy hulls, were ‘modified’ using the following items – a few sheets of plywood and a skill-saw.  Certainly no marine/naval designer was engaged. Then on the other hand we have wonderful examples like – Primadonna.

Cachalot is powered by a 210hp 8 cyl. Caterpillar 3160 engine that gives her a top speed of 12 knots. Probably quite down on her working days.

Input from Cameron Pollard – Just shows how looks can deceive you all.
This is Cachelot 2. Built by Morgan’s as a whale chaser.
Originally had a V12 gas gobbler.
1 of 3 Cachelots.
1 was destroyed.
She was cut down the middle by the Wells brother’s. A huge undertaking but they made her over 3ft wider and raised the bow for commercial use.
Nothing fazed the Wells.
Rex Sellers fished her commercially for some time with a set of gallows on bak deck.
Had a gm and then worked thru a couple of cats.
After commercial use she was pleasurised into her current form. Photos below

Ubique

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UBIQUE

The crew behind the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (Hobart) are very clever with their promotional support to promote the bi-annual festival. One of the tools / channels they use is a very cool video series (tagged Boat Folk) that showcases the festival and the people and boats connected to the area. I have posted some of their previous ones on WW.

Todays video showcases a beautiful local built vessel named – Ubique. Very few boats have the pedigree of Ubique both historically and which has spawned a thousand blue water cruising dreams. Famed yacht designer, Lyle C Hess, originally based the design for Ubique (pronounced U-bee-qway) on the legendary Bristol Pilot Cutter – the epitome of yacht design in the mid 1800s to early 1900s. 

Ubique is a sister ship to Taleisin, being commissioned by Brad Hampton via the Shipwrights Point School of Wooden Boat Building at Franklin, in Tasmania. Now, owned by David and Michelle Shering, the boat hosts many quiet family sailing voyages in the Channel. Click play and enjoy – I did 🙂

The dreaded covid was the kiss of death to the last festival so next years event – 10>13th February 2023 will be huge. Hope to be there myself.

Check out the 2019 festival below

Manuia – Back On The Waitemata

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MANUIA BACK ON THE WAITEMATA

Very happy to be able to confirm that – Manuia, the 32’, Joe Slattery designed and 1928 built launch has made the shift from the Bay of Islands and is now back in Auckland. 

Her new owners have classic woody blue blood in their veins so no-doubt over time she will be tickled up to the standard a Slattery launch deserves. Her last owner, sadly had declining health, so there is some deferred maintenance to address. 

A few years ago Manuia had a heart transplant and now sports a 100hp Yanmar 4JH3-HT6 that I’m sure pushes her along at a good clip.

CLASSIC WOODY LAUNCHES 4SALE

CLICK TO READ > VIEW MORE https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

ENA – Australia’s Finest Steam Yacht

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ENA Australia’s Finest Steam Yacht
The other day I stumbled across a photo of an amazing classic woodys named – End, I assumed that it was of US / Europe  origins but a quick search online and there she is next door eg Australia. Some background 

Ena is a 116′ steam yacht that was designed by Sydney naval architect Walter Reeks and built by WM Ford Boatbuilders, Sydney, in 1900  for Thomas Dibbs, the commodore of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. It was used as his private vessel for entertaining guests on Sydney Harbour and Pittwater until the beginning of World War I. In 1917 the yacht was purchased by the Royal Australian Navy and used as the auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS Sleuth in the waters around the Torres Strait and Thursday Island, before later being used as a training ship tender based in Sydney. In early 1920, the navy disposed of the yacht and it returned to private use until later in the early 1930s when it was sold to Tasmania.

Based in Hobart and under different owners SY Ena was used for a number of purposes including transportation of produce and fishing. It was converted to diesel power in the mid-1940s and renamed Aurore. After sinking in the early 1980s, the yacht was re-floated and eventually restored as a steam yacht close to its original configuration.

Ena subsequently circumnavigated Australia, as part of a visit to Western Australia during the 1987 America’s Cup and then served as a private charter vessel. Ena is now owned by the Turner family, one of Australia’s leading maritime families ( they founded the Sydney Maritime Museum) and she is based in Sydney at the Australian National Maritime Museum where it is part of the National Maritime Collection, and is also listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.

Ena considered to be one of the finest examples of an Edwardian period steam yacht in the world.

Omaha – Project Boat

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OMAHA – PROJECT BOAT

Must be the week for ‘be-kind-to-woodys’ – todays story features a 30’ launch named – Omaha, built in the mid 1950’s.

Her tme (thanks Ian McDonald) listing states she is an ex work-boat (fishing) from Tauranga.

Current owner has had her in a covered shed for the last 10 years, as they have undertaken the re-fit. The hull has had that ‘F’ word applied to it and it appears most of the structural work has been done. Next step – fitting out and she needs an engine etc. She does come with a drive shaft, prop and a few other bits.

Has a buy-now price of $4.5k so could be project in the making – currently stored in Auckland area.

MV Thetis

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MV THETIS

The 45’ (49’ overall) bridge-decker – Thetis was built in 1955 by Lanes on the Tamaki River, Auckland. Built from single skin/fore and aft kauri planking, her beam is 13’ and she draws 4’.

Twin Greymarine 6 cyl. (1960) 120hp diesel engines give Thetis a comfortable cruising speed of 8+ knots.

Lots to read about her from back in the construction  / launching period at Lanes in this WW previous story https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/13/thetis-ii-the-lane-motor-boat-co/

Thetis is an exceptionally well built launch and is presented in near original fit-out, which is always a good sign that the designer / builder got it first time. Her subsequent owners have chosen to maintain her as intended and with some modern upgrades, followed by routine maintenance she will continue to be one of the most admired woodys in our classic fleet.

I say this about very few classic boats – but Thetis is one of those boats that attracts admirers both at anchor and as you can see from the above photos – even when she’s hauled out.

INPUT FROM OWNER – The print below of Thetis in turbulant water was the work of a retired Hollywood artist, rather effective
Most wives would say they were glad not to be aboard that day!

Little Tasman Restoration

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Click Image To View Video

LITTLE TASMAN RESTORATION

We followed the refit of the 26′ Colin Wild 1925 built launch – Little Tasman extensively on WW, links below will give you a great insight into the project undertaken by Colin Brown and Josh Hawke at the Omaha Yard.

The other day I uncovered a very cool video put together by Kauri Classics that gives us an overview of the project.

Post re-launching Little Tasman was relocated to her new home in Wellington.

PAST WW LITTLE TASMAN STORIES:

https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/08/11/little-tasman-gets-some-serious-tlc/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/18/little-tasman-2/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/09/19/little-tasman-out-of-the-shed/

https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/01/02/little-tasman-moves-south-after-91-years-in-auckland-waters/

Waimana – AK77

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WAIMANA – AK77
You have to love the upfront honesty of someone trying to sell their boat when they open with this line – “Waimana is not a gin palace but a public bar, so a bit rough around the edges, so she needs a bit of TLC”. That line gets them a plug on WW 🙂

She was built by the Percy Vos yard out of 1.5” kauri planks over double hardwood frames for Sandfords in the 1940’s and converted to a live aboard pleasure vessel in the1980’s. Length is 55’ and her weight is roughly 35 ton. She has two forward cabins and a side berth sleeping 6 in comfort with a further 4 berths in the saloon. Powered by a 6L3B Gardner diesel using 5-8 litres per hour and 7 knots @ 700rpm on a 3/1 reduction box with a 40+” prop.

A quick search in Baden Pascoe’s excellent book – ‘Launching Dreams – Percy Vos, The Boats & His Boys’, tells us she was 51’ and built in the 1941>43 period for Waitemata Fisheries. Built of single skin on sawn frames and while under construction the US Army requisitioned her in Oct 1942 but later cancelled the requisition. Waimana was completed in 1943 and fished out of Auckland and Onehunga into the 1970’s.

Any of the work-boat crew able to tell us more about the boat?

Looking For Some Woody Boat Parts

One of the WW readers is having a tidy up and the items below are excess to needs – xxx would prefer one clean sale, but who knows……. Contact Al on 027 200 0057