Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH MARISTELLA  – A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH MARISTELLA  – A Peek Down Below

At the recent Classic Woodys Boat Show at the OBC Marina one of the stand out craft was the 40’ classic wooden launch MARISTELLA, built in 1936 by Sam Ford. The WW camera got to have a gander down below and today we get a peek at the rolling restoration that is underway.

We have commented many times on WW about lucky boats and lucky owners – well MARISTELLA is a double winner. She has in past lives – sunk, caught fire and been on the rocks, and not all at the same time. A succession of good people have put their hand up to bail the vessel out and what we see today is a reflection of everyones vision and commitment.

In particular her current owner gets the big ups from WW having undertaken significant work to the cabin to get her closer to what Sam Ford sent down the slipway in 1936.

Most recently we had a wonderful visual flashback of MARISTELLA from the 1960’s – link below to that story https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/07/30/a-snapshot-of-the-classic-wooden-launch-maristella/

SKIPJACK – A Peek Down Below (SEA DEVIL)

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SKIPJACK – A Peek Down Below (SEA DEVIL)

Earlier this year the 33’ launch – SKIPJACK made an appearance on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) at the time we were told that SKIPJACK was built in 1918 by Chas Bailey. During her life she has twice been ‘modified’ to create more headroom in the wheelhouse and cabin.

Forward motion is via a 80hp Ford Dover diesel engine that gets her along at a comfortable 7.5 knots.

SKIPJACK has had several home ports having spent time in Auckland and now calls Waikawa marina in Picton home.

The launch has made several appearances on WW, the most recent back in July 2019, link below, when she was relocating south (by road). In a previous life was was named SEA DEVIL. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/07/26/skipjack-sea-devil/

RSVP – boat name to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC LOGAN WOODEN LAUNCH – MAXIE – NEEDS SAVING

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CLASSIC LOGAN WOODEN LAUNCH – MAXIE – NEEDS SAVING

If we believe her tme story, the classic wooden launch – MAXIE, was built in 1903 by Logan Bros in Auckland. That makes her royalty in the NZ classic boating world – with a starting bid of $10k, someone needs to snap her up quick. Home is Lake Taupo.

What we know from tme is she is 32’ in length, and powered by a 75hp Ford 2701E diesel engine.

Back in 1985 she had some serious work done which included a new engine, new deck and new cabin. The hull is double skin kauri and in sound condition as is the cabin structure. The deck as seen in the photos has rot and is leaking and in need of replacement.

So woodys who is going to step up and take over ownership of this blue blood classic Logan launch.

UPDATE – I asked Harold Kidd if MAXIE was the real deal – answer below “Yes it is. She was built as LIGAR for H H  Harris of Pelorus but was sold to the Kennys at Picton then on to Wellington in the early 1920s renamed MAXIE. She was there for many years but has been on Taupo recently.She’s in the Logan book as unknown built for Harris in late 1903.”

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Photo below of MAXIE at Paremata Wellington not long after her rebuild and before coming to Taupo – in the 1980’s?

03-02-2026 – INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Good news from Taupo. MAXIE (Logan Bros 1903) SOLD and was taken away for some extensive TLC. The intention is that, in time, she will return to Taupo in pristine condition. 

MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH – ENTRY LEVEL CLASSIC 

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MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH – ENTRY LEVEL CLASSIC 

Todays woody bridge-decker is only a classic because the seller choices to not record her name, nor builder (made not known). What we know is she is 32’ in length, has a beam of 8’3”, and draws just over 3’ and is built from kauri.

Forward motion is via a 4 cyl., 3.6L Fordson Major diesel engine.

Currently inWellington, previously Christchurch and Auckland before that. Given current tme bid of $1500 (reserve meet), could be a good buy given what appears to be a lot of worked / $$ done to her. (thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up)

Can we put a name to the vessel and maybe learn who built her and when.

RSVP TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MOOSE – RESTORATION UPDATE #2

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MOOSE – RESTORATION UPDATE #2

Last Wednesday we did an story on the TCL work boatbuilder Alan Craig had done on the classic wooden launch – ALPHEUS. During the chat with Alan I nudged him for an update on the 28’, 1938, Collings & Bell built – MOOSE restoration, and today woodys we get to share what’s been happening in the Craig Marine shed.

Links below to the previous stories, including the extraction of MOOSE from her lake front boat shed.

WW May 8th https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/05/08/classic-launch-moose-a-sneak-peek/

WW May 26th https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/05/26/classic-launch-moose-on-the-move/ As seen in the gallery of photos Moose is well under way. Plenty of rib and rot repairs done and as Alan commented ‘undoing the sins from years of repairs’. 

With the likelihood of a new Yanmar engine, the old unit has come out. The plan is to try and use the existing V drive. 

As MOOSE will end up out on a Jetty most of the time, the cabin roof will be getting a protective layer of f/glass. Alan remarked that while it seems a shame to cover the nice tongue & groove roof, they want MOOSE to live on many more years yet.

Now that she is in a cradle the boatyard team can attack the underside and are starting work on an interior layout. 

DAVEY JONES NEW BOOK QUIZ WINNER – JAMES HUTCHINSON. Congratulations to James, for all those that missed out – copies available at daveyjonesofwakatahuri@gmail.com

CAN ANYONE TELL US ABOUT THE WOODEN BOAT – LADY JOYCE

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CAN ANYONE TELL US ABOUT THE WOODEN BOAT – LADY JOYCE

Somedays life just gets in the way of writing a WW story, so today’s story is a lazy one eg I was sent the photos above by Dion Lane. Dion had recently purchased the 44’ LADY JOYCE and was seeking more intel on her, makes for an quick story.

Dion commented that he believes LADY JOYCE was built from kauri c.1970 by the ’Carey family’. Home currently is Wellington but she may have spent time in Waikawa, Marlborough, South Island.

The addition of the block of flats doesn’t please my classic eye but as one of my favourite boatbuilders is fond of saying “its only wood and I do own a tungsten tipped chainsaw” 🙂

DAVEY JONES BOOK QUIZ – CLOSES TONIGHT AT 6 pm

Scroll down to yesterdays story for details on the prize and how to enter – FYI – So far the most entries ever to a WW competition and they all have the correct answer ✓ So it seems Davey and vessel are well known around NZ’s coastal ports.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH ALPHEUS FINDS A NEW LAKE HOME – AND SOME WELL EARNED TLC

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH ALPHEUS FINDS A NEW LAKE HOME – AND SOME WELL EARNED TLC

How’s this for a spot of serendipity, or maybe just Siri listening in 🙂 

Yesterday I was chatting online with Alan Craig at Craig Marine, the central north island master boatbuilder / restorer about the 42′ classic wooden launch – ALPHEUS. Craig mentioned that they had recently completed some work on her a few months ago. Mainly TLC, tidying up some of the bright work and a few repairs. 

These days home for ALPHEUS is Taupo, at the marina down in Turangi. Craig commented that the location was definitely not the place to be doing that kind of work in autumn but they were lucky with the weather.

Then bingo today on WW in the comments section a gent named Brian Murphy mentioned he owned ALPHEUS from 1992/3 until he sold her to Ian and Rosalind about 2015. Brain’s family has huge memories of a superb ownership and many enjoyable summers.We used to moor her on D52 at Gulf Harbour. Last I heard of her she was on Lake Taupo as a live aboard (edited) 

Back in the early days before the demise of the classic yacht association motor launch division, Ian Rosalind and ALPHEUS were regular attendees at the multitude of events we hosted. Very happy to see she has a new life on the lake.

View more photos here from a June 2020 WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/06/04/alpheus-a-peek-down-below-lady-ava-sinks/

Photo below showing the TLC was overdue 😉

WAIKARO – Exceptional Classic Wooden Boat – 4sale

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WAIKARO – Exceptional Classic Wooden Boat – 4sale

Todays woody story features the 33’ Roy Parris designed and built (1978) classic launch – WAIKARO. Some history, I brokered the sale of WAIKARO to her current owners back in 2021. At the time she was a very practical classic sedan cruiser , that had been lucky to have good past owners and Geoff Bagnall as their boatbuilder. 

Her new owners were newish to classic craft and over the next 4 years undertook a rolling restoration / refit – lots of system upgrades and corrected some deferred maintenance. Work included removal and full service of anchor windlass, replacement of 7 windows, with 8mm toughened, new engine mounts, exhaust, hull repaint, replacement of nav lights and wiring, fitting of bow thruster, new anchor chain & anchor and new Lawrence plotter/sounder.

But it didn’t stop there – with a lot of lobbying from myself and Jason Prew (Slipway Milford) WAIKARO’s coamings were taken back to bare wood and she got the Awlwood (Uroxsys) treatment + the additional of some shiny bronze bits. And that transformed WAIKARO into the striking craft we see today. See below photo of WAIKARO as purchased with painted coamings.

As per most of Roy Paris’s builds forward motion is via a 120hp Ford 2715, non-turbo. With her semi displacement hull, the 120hp sees her comfortably cruising at 9 knots, with a top speed of approx. 14 knots. Construction is carvel planked kauri. Her beam is just short of 10’ and she draws 3’3”. (Fits a 10.5m marina berth).

And woodys it is pretty obvious this is a 4sale story – WAIKARO is a family partnership boat and the crew are saying – ‘bigger, faster boat please’.

It Is easy for me to say this, but its true – rarely do boats of this standard and looks, come on the market. It is currently a buyers market, her owners have invested more than their purchase price on her, so someone will get a good buy. In summary WAIKARO is a timeless blend of elegance, craftsmanship and performance.

Interested parties to initial connect waitematawoodys@gmail to arrange an inspection.

MYSTERY SHIPBUILDERS WOODEN LAUNCH + SPRING SLASH REGATTA DETAILS

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MYSTERY AC DCS – SHIPBUILDERS WOODEN LAUNCH + SPRING SLASH REGATTA DETAILS

Well todays woody is only a mystery because (1) the owner didn’t put the vessels name on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) and (2) the phots are out of focus, stopping reading the name board.

All that aside we learnt that the launch was built in 1959 by Shipbuilders, is 36’ in length and powered by a 90hp Ford Dorset engine.

Hull is 3 planks of diagonal kauri so built like the brick out-house.

As for the Sea Nymph transplant canopy on top…………………….. I suppose it would be simple to remove ✓

UPDATE – as advised by John Bullivant the boats named AC DECS and resided on the Tamaki estuary, near the Panmure yacht club. It is shown in the ‘a woody tour of the Tamaki river’ WW story and also featured in a Feb 18 2023 WW story – linked below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/02/18/ac-dcs/ Ken Ricketts advised it was named WHIRONUI and has previously commented that she was most likely a Shipbuilders ‘kitset’ boat.

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR – LABOUR WEEKEND SPRING SLASH REGATTA @ KAWAU ISLAND

The place to be on the long holiday weekend of October 24>27th is Kawau Island and the crew at the Kawau Boating Club and Ponsonby Cruising Club are again hosting the world famous (in NZ…) Labour Weekend Spring Splash Regatta. waitematawoodys are chuffed to by involved with organising the classic woody parade on Sunday, details in the flyer below + downloadable PDF file, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events. Link below to 2024 eventhttps://waitematawoodys.com/2024/10/29/kawau-island-spring-splash-regatta-review-70-classic-wooden-boating-photos/

ATTENTION YACHT SKIPPERS – If the coastal classic isn’t your scene, put the Kawau Spring Splash Regatta on your radar ✔️

LABOUR WEEKEND SPRING SPLASH (2)Download

EX WORK BOAT ARGO – A Peek Down Below

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EX WORK BOAT ARGO – A Peek Down Below

Back in May 2022 we ran a story on the 55’ ex commercial fishing boat – ARGO, that at the time she was berthed at the Kaipara Boating Club (west coast of Nth Is) during an extended (3yr) cruise around New Zealand. Link here WW May 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/05/22/argo/

Fast forward and she is currently calling Milford (Sth Is) home and has recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald).

A very tasteful conversation to pleasure use and being built in 1944 by Miller & Tunnage ARGO is more than capable of handling any conditions that Mother Nature might throw at her.

ARGO is powered by a 240hp Caterpillar D334 diesel engine that gives her a comfortable cruising speed around 8.5 knots.

So woodys today we get to have a gander below decks.