Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Korowai – A Feel Good Story

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2021 November – Below

KOROWAI – A Feel Good Story

In the last few days I received several messages about the 34’ Woollacott yacht – Korowai, that had popped up on tme with an asking price of $1,000. One of the woodys that contacted me was Alistair Rowe, who commented that he remember Korowai being at Shelly Park Cruising Club in the mid 1970s owned by Eric Roberts. In those days she was powered by a Ford 10 petrol engine and had no reverse gear, so was a bit of a beast to maneuver in tight places. Quite a few years after Eric’s death, and her sale to new owners, Alistair saw her on the hard at Okahu Bay being given a major birthday.

In the tme listing it stated she had great bones for a restoration – well that she does.
She was being sold as-is-where-is as she had had a few problems eg a leak in the hull that a bilge pump with a float switch was keeping up with. But she had, had a bilge pump malfunction and there has been water inside. The water level went part way up the motor, touching the motor, however the dipstick hole on the motor remained well above water level. It was stated that the engine was in not running condition. But the sails were described as ‘good sails’. Korowai appears to be a really solid kiwi built yacht and a perfect opportunity for the keen handy person to restore her back to her prime at the right price. The seller was very clear about the sale process eg. 

(1) The yacht needs to be out of the marina berth ASAP

(2) The successful purchaser will not be the first person to offer the money but the best and quickest plan for the removal of the yacht from the marina berth

(3) All enquiries must explain how they will remove the yacht and when- if the answer is unsatisfactory then no further time will be spent on the enquire – no time wasters.

Well woodys – must have been a record listing time for a classic yacht – sold to a great new owner and removed from her West Harbour berth and relocated to her new home, last night. Tow boat was Jason Prew’s My Girl – but he assures me he is not the new owner – 2 classic launches and mullet boat yacht is more than enough 🙂

In my travels yesterday I acquired a very dinky 2-1/4″caulking iron – light clean up and it joins the WW global HQ, desktop paperweight collection.

Ngawini – R.I.P.

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NGAWINI – R.I.P.

The 1924 Lanes built launch Ngawini first popped up on WW back in March 2014 via tme listing, at the time I commented that she appeared to be aloof boat for the asking price ($20k).

Fast forward to January 2016 when Rod Marler spotted her anchored in Tryphena, Great Barrier Island. Link to those references https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/28/6596/

Fast forward again and I spotted Ngawini in May 2017 hauled onboard a salvage barge off Bayswater Marina. She appeared to have suffered significant damage to bow and underwater areas and had either sunk or partially sunk. The vessel was taken to the Waitakere Transfer Station (dump) and offered up as parts. Refer WW story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/05/30/ngawini/

Fast forward again and Jason Prew spotted Ngawini ‘repurposed’ as a land based hut at Te Arai, near Mangawhai. In the absence of a white knight stepping in to save her, this has to better than going into the land fill. She is in good company – scroll down to yesterdays story to see Ngawini’s flat mates.

2014


2016


2017

Woody Sleeping Place

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Woody Sleeping Place

Recently the boys at The Slipway Milford ‘moved-on’ one of their semi permanent woodys – Lonestar, a 28’ woody that had its hand up for saving for lengthy period. Sadly covered boat shed space comes at a premium and commercial reality set in – so Cam and Jason loaded Lonestar up and took her to an off the beaten track woody boat park. Lonestar will not be lonely, there is small flotilla of craft being worked on or repurposed.The selection of photos ex Jason Prew will either make you happy or sad – my view – they have been saved from the back-hoe > box of matches, so who knows there is always a chance someone will step up to the plate 🙂
Check out WW tomorrow for a hero > zero woody story.

2022 Lake Rotoiti (Nth. Island) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Buy This Boat & Be There ……. Maybe

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2022 Lake Rotoiti (Nth. Is.) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Buy This Boat & Be There (Maybe)

The above New Zealand built kauri 18’ ex race boat is a project at Murton Timbercraft in Nelson and Peter Murton is looking for someone to takeover funding > ownership of this woody. To quote Peter – ‘finished to any stage’. Originally powered by a 6 cyl. Ford flat-head engine. So woodys buy the boat & get Peter to go into overdrive and maybe…….. you will be winning Best Restoration at the 2022 Lake Rotoiti (North Island) Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. See below for details.

Come And Join One Of New Zealand’s Coolest Boating Events – 4 FEB – WAITANGI WEEKEND 2022

Next year, is the 25th annual boat parade and fun weekend and the Lake Rotoiti crew would love to see as many classic or wooden boats of any type join our parade, and make it the biggest ever. The parade starts in the Okere arm of the lake on Saturday morning. It’s expected that around 100 boats will be on the lake.

Following parading by the bigger boats around Okawa Bay, all boats park up for inspection along the beach at Wairau Bay, where everyone enjoys their picnic while on the beach side reserve the fun and games start. View last years parade at the link below -175+photos.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/02/09/2021-lake-rotoiti-classic-and-wooden-boat-parade-175-photos-videos/
So woodys circle Waitangi Weekend 2022 in the diary – it is one of the top 3 classic woody gigs on the boating calendar.

For more information contact secretary, Rachel Jamieson at info@woodenboatperade.co.nz  (or phone 0272812101)

SV Britannia

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SV BRITANNIA

Todays woody is the 38’ gaff cutter Britannia, built in 1898 she has been owned by the same family for 110 years. The video is hosted by Anne Davis who talks us thru how she fell for Britannia and become the 4th generation proud owner.Its a great watch – enjoy 🙂

ANYONE KNOW SOMEONE THAT LAYS / FITS BOAT CARPET – I have the carpet and a template of sorts (1st photo below)– so probably need to check measurements > cut & edge trim.The grey ‘carpet’ (top) was what came with the boat 15 yrs ago, fitted perfectly but looked like it should be in a Haines Hunter. I fitted other carpet (2nd photo below) but have never been happy with the job. So help (paid) wanted. Drop me a line  waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Aranga

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Aranga

The tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) states that Aranga started life as a 22’ Roy Parris launch, well if that is the case, old Roy would not be too impressed with her current configuration – but as they say ‘ each to their own’ and ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’.

Powered by a Nissan SD22 Diesel engine that gets her along at 6 >7 knots.That is about all we know about her, so can any of the Paris fan club confirm the build and supply more intel on Aranga. The photos won’t help the sales process 😉

29-10-2021 UPDATE – just been advise Aranga is not a Parris, so Roy can rest in peace 🙂

Paid your CYA sub? No hurry – zero activity happening for members, but the above debate continues to bubble away……..

Raiona

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Southern Belle (Barney Soljack) – Raiona B.O.I.
Wake boarding
Clive Hutchings hooks a keeper
(L) Clive Hutchings (R) Bob Cleave
Off the Poor Knights
Raiona B.O.I.

RAIONA

The launch Raiona was designed and built in 1919 by Joe Slattery. In the gallery of photos above me see Raiona when owned by Bob Cleave. The photos come to us from the Parsonson Family Collection via Mitchell Hutchings.Mitchell’s father – Clive Hutchings appears in several of the photos.

Raiona has featured several times on WW – link below to more recent photos, very cool to see a woody that has survived over 100 years without being abused at the hands of a wood butcher 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/19/raiona-2/

Photo below dated 2018

04-07-2022 INPUT ex Hugh Gladwell – photo below of Raiona re-launching today after a 12 month+ refit.

And this one of her leaving Kauri Classics yard

Help Needed Identifying This Launch (Caesars Palace > Paris > Alena)

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Help Needed Identifying This Launch – Caesars Palace > Paris > Alena

Can not read the name (something Palace?) and the tme seller doesn’t know the builder or year, but commented that mid 1960’s looks right. Also others have mentioned she has a certain ’Shipbuilders’ look to her. But all the aside, we know she is 34’. Made of strip planked kauri and powered by a Ford 90hp diesel that sees her cruising at 7 knots, with a max of 9 knots. Home berth is the Hibiscus Coast.
Can we expand on the above.

Also they would have to win the award for the most ‘off-the-wall’ question on the tme listing – see below 🙂

UPDATE – seems the boat has had multi name changes – thanks to Darrin Kennedy we now know she was called Paris and before that Alena and probably something else b4 that 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/26/paris-alena/

Beautiful Classic Cruiser – Racer

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Beautiful Classic Cruiser – Racer

Let me draw your attention to a scary fact  – there are only 10 weeks till Christmas Day, so my question to you is – will you be on the water over the Christmas / NY holiday period?If you have been thinking that 2021 is the year you move up to owning a classic wooden holiday home – read on.

KIARIKI
Woodys with age-less classic looks, racing pedigree and un-rivalled provenance are very few and far between in New Zealand, so when the time comes for an owner to start looking for the next custodian, the drums start beating.

The yacht Kiariki was designed by owner Jack (John) Brooke and built by John / Jack Logan / John Salthouse and launched in 1959. Using the best kauri, her specs are 40’ x 8’9” x 6’. During the Brooke family ownership period she was always one of the top 3 yachts in the K Class fleet. But to the Brooke family Kiariki was as much a family cruiser as a racer, and John Brooke had a wonderful ritual of recording every cruise in the form of a chart overlaid with caricatures of notable and amusing events – refer examples below.

After a period of ownership outside of the Brooke family – Russell Brooke acquired Kiariki back in 2009, completing the ownership circle – grandfather > grandson and commenced a restoration at the Salthouse Yard – Russell’s brief to the yard that originally built her was simple ‘return her to the thoroughbred form she was in when she was launched’. The work included her decks stripped, caulked and painted – new fastenings, teak rails, sea-cocks, hatches and skylights. The cabin top roof was replaced and her interior was refitted. Not surprisingly her planking did not need repair – originally fitted by Jack Logan, his perfectionist approach meant the hull was still as good as it was when it was new.

I would recommend that anyone interested in Kiariki or in fact the K Class, should purchase a copy of the magnificent book ‘K CLASS – The Hauraki Gulf’s Iconic Racer – Cruiser’.

Chatting to one of the leading lights of the K Class division, they had this to say “Kiariki is one of the faster and larger boats in the fleet and of course with great provenance.  I was on board a few years ago and she certainly appeared to be one of the best in the group”. Another K Class owner commented that he recalls that in Kiatiki’s last season of serious racing, she beat Katrina (one of the fastest boats in the fleet – then and still today) across the line in 11 straight starts – so whilst a very comfortable cruiser, to use the horse racing term – Kiariki has got legs.

I can advise that we have been tasked with finding the next custodian for Kiariki – so woodys if you or someone you know wants to be cruising this summer – initial expressions of interest to waitematawoodys@gmail.com  

30-10-2022 UPDATE – Kiariki has had a post winter tidy up, and will be ongoing detailing over summer. The K Class would have to be one of the smartest looking keelers afloat.

Te Rauparaha

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Te Rauparaha’s designer & builders

TE RAUPARAHA

Judith Gardiner sent in the stunning photo above of Te Rauparaha when owned by Mr Harry James Mills of Upland Road in Remura, Auckland. Harry had 4 sons – Adrian, John, Douglas & Robert.

The 55’ Te Rauparaha was designed by Chas Bailey Jnr. and built in 1938 by Chas Bailey & Sons, see read more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/22/te-rauparaha/

Judith commented that her father Walter (Keith) Young was friends with Robert Mills. Keith, born in 1925 and a builder, also built boats in his spare time.  Later on, he went farming in Silverdale, just north of Auckland. One such sailing boat was called the Iona.

Judith recalls that Keith would often talk about the Baileys, through his family line, his father’s side he / we are related.  The Baileys, Scotts (From Scotts Landing in the Mahurangi) and Archibald Young ( Judith’s 2nd great grandfather) were all involved in the ship building and related activities.  Archibald was apprenticed to George Darroch and Archibald was at one time the master of the ‘Sovereign of the Seas.’  When he retired from the sea, he worked for George T. Nicol who was also a boat builder.Judith also sent in the 1914 photo of the Bailey family.

I have also posted below photos of Te Rauparaha (named Samara) from her current tme listing, I understand home port is Noumea, New Caledonia. I won’t comment………..