Not often I start with an apology– yesterday at Kawau was a wee bit of a cock up. I missed the prize giving. I’ll be polite and say things got ‘Lost In Translation’.
I was working on intel supplied eg prize giving was according to the notice of regatta was Sunday but it was held on Saturday……. Never mind 😄 sorry to the woodys that turned up 😢
During the week WW was contacted by Karl Reynolds the owner of the 1927 Dick Lang built 31’ classic wooden launch – IRENE. IRENE last appeared on WW back in April 2016, link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/04/27/irene-2/
Karl purchased the vessel in March 2025 and has been undertaking a refit, The work started with a good clean in the hull and then Karl and his father managed to complete the following in the 15 days they had IRENE hauled out.
• New larger hatch to remove engine through and lifted height to give me head room at helm
• Bulk heads installed to add support to hull and cut out to reduce visual impact
• New Ford engine with heat exchanger sitting on its mounts awaiting gearbox and alignment
• Closed in stern to keep birds out
If you are undertaking a woody project , please share the work with WW, readers love seeing word-in-progress.
1912 WOODEN EX WHALE CHASER BALAENA – GETS A REVAMP
BACK IN AUGUST 2022 WW ran a story on the classic ex whale chaser – BALAENA, built in 1912. The 2022 story, linked below, featured a Country Calendar programme profiling the Marlborough family that had owned the vessel for 64+ years. https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/20/balaena-110-year-old-ex-whale-chaser/
Fast forward to yesterday and Steve from {the} Cafe Cart in Waikawa sent in today gallery of photos of the classic wooden launch.
BALAENA is looking very well cared for and great to see her kept in very close to as built presentation.
Anyone able to tell us who did the work and what’s she is powered by these days.
Full weekend details in the downloadable PDF file below, which includes the entry (free) form for the sailing events.
Today we get a peek down below. She is a solid old girl, 1-1/4” kauri carvel planked and powered by a 6 cyl. 100hp Ford Lees D series that give her a cruise speed of 7 knots. As Ian McDonald commented “crying out for a Gardner” 🙂
GUNNER was originally intended for work and fishing in the Marlborough Sounds. However, she was requisitioned by the Crown during wartime and transported to the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland for final fitting out. After the war, Gunner was sold and began commercial fishing out of Leigh Harbour. During this time, she also operated a mail run to Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Around 1957, Gunner changed hands again and continued her commercial fishing career from Port Ohope. In 1973, she underwent a 3-year conversion from a working vessel into a pleasure craft. This transformation included extending the wheelhouse and adding an aft cabin.
Each to their own but she appeals to me, a very comfortable boat that could easily do laps on NZ.
1911 CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – KERERU – A Peek Down Below
Today thanks to Ian McDonald’s eagle eye spotting the 35’ classic wooden launch – KERERU popping up on tme, we get to have a gander down below on this woody that was built in 1911 by Charles Bailey Jnr.
Her owner is very frugal with words, all we learn is that its home port is Picton and it is powered by a Ford 80hp engine.
For a craft that is 114 years old we must be able to learn more about her provenance. We did find press clipping from the Southland Times () relating to an incident in June 1933 – reproduced below.
Photo below of KERERU/s sea trial on the Waitemata Harbour, post launching.
LAUNCH ADRIFT– PILED ON ROCKS CREW LAND SAFELY – A NIGHT IN THE SCRUB (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 5,
A Wellington Aero Club _ plane, piloted by Captain Bolt and with Mr R. Morphy as observer, left the Rongotai aerodrome at daylight to search the coast to the eastward for the launch Kereru. When they got four miles past the mouth of Orongorongo they saw the launch piled up on the beach, but no sign of the men. The plane thereupon flew low, returning along the. beach, and soon saw four men walking towards Riddiford’s station apparently in a fit condition. A message frorn Riddiford’s station at about ten o’clock stated that the men had arrived there and had already been sent on their wav to Wellington. The launch Kereru’s engine broke down off Turakirae Head and, afterthat, the sails were tom to ribbons and the launch drifted for 91 hours from mid-day before being driven ashore. The Kereru was manned by A. Wolfe, Wolfe, H. Green, C. Prince and H. Nagle, who left yesterday morning for a day’s fishing off Baring Head. The launch, which is 35 feet in length, was thrown on the beach by a big wave, landed on an even keel and is reported to be undamaged. The men made a fire in the scrub, spending the night where they landed.
A NIGHT OF TRIAL CREW’S DESPERATE FIGHT. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 5.
The story was told by the crew of the launch Kereru on their return to Wellington to-night of their fight to keep the boat from being wrecked on the stormy and rock-bound coast in Palliser Bay. The party fished off Baring Head until noon and then decided that as the wind was rapidly freshening, they would return into the harbour. The engine was started, but owing to a defective water pump it continually became overheated and would not function for more than a few minutes at a time. At about 4.30 p.m. the northerly wind changed to an increasingly gusty south-easterly, which threatened to drive the partly disabled vessel on to the coast. Two small sails, a jib and jigger, had been set, but these soon carried away in the heavy squalls. The skipper tried to head the launch for a less forbidding part of the coast near Riddiford’s station, but the engine worked only intermittently, making that objective impossible. The crew’s main efforts were then turned to keeping the launch away from the long shelterless coast on to which the wind was driving it. As darkness grew the men on board the storm-tossed Kereru began to lose all idea of their position. They could only tell they were still dangerously near the coast by the sound of breakers on the rocks. As a last desperate resource, Prince, who was at the wheel throughout, decided to anchor- the launch and try to ride out the gale which was approaching hurricane force. Two anchors were dropped when the launch was two or three hundred yards from shore, but the seas continued to increase until they were breaking on the deck. At about 9.30 p.m. a huge wave broke over . the launch and snapped both anchor lines.
“We rushed out on deck,” said Prince in describing the adventure, “and were buffeted about in the seas which flooded the deck, sometimes five feet deep. Another great wave caught the launch and in the darkness we felt it lift and strike the shore. We were simply amazed when we jumped down and found ourselves standing on a small sandy beach. There was the launch out of reach of the waves lying on the beach on an even keel. We all shook hands and considered ourselves (he luckiest men alive.” The party lit a fire from driftwood and spent the rest of a wild and cold night in the scrub. In the morning they made their way to Orongorongo station. The launch was left on the beach, only slightly damaged. Arrangements will be made for it to be towed back to the boat harbour on the first suitable day.
INPUT ex BRIAN BICKNELL – Kereru was built in 1911 for the Hay family of Pigeon Bay as a sister ship to Bailley’s Phyllis, and I believe they had her for ten years. I am not sure what happened next but my understanding is she came up the coast in 1968-69, possibly by members of the Carey family, for Alan Crawley of the Marlborough Harbour Board. It then went to a marine engineer, Roger Frazer around 1975, who had it out of the water for some time and totally renovated her. She was then owned and lived on by Bruce Vickers in the Sounds and we bought her in 2005. There are also a couple of great articles by Harold Kidd and Robin Elliott on the Hays and their boats. I have never heard of her being in Wellington, or having sails, but there are large gaps in her history so it is possible. Such a seaworthy and comfortable boat but our family is older now and we use it less so it is time to let her go. Hope that gives a bit more background,
The classic wooden launch VIVEEN is one of Colin Wild’s early landmark motor launches, built in 1924 for W.G. Rapley of Devonport. A vee bottom bridge-decker VIVEEN has always had an impressive turn of speed.
Her original power plant was a 35hp Kermath but that was upgraded to an even more high-powered Winton. Her early owners raced her consistently until launch racing died out during the Depression when feeding such monsters with benzine became impracticable.
Berthed in the Milford Marina for many years, she relocated to Thames marina in early 2000’s. Todays photos are a gallery from 1938 to more recent times. Recently she appeared on tme and thanks to that listing we get to have a gander down below.
WOODEN CLASSICS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE 2025 WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL
Early Saturday morning I pointed the car north and arrived in Whangārei just in time to catch the soft early light — perfect for photography and well before the dockside crowds arrived.
Whangārei’s Town Basin really is the ideal setting for a maritime festival — easy dock access, great viewing angles, and plenty of nearby cafés and attractions. Add in the buzz of the Saturday markets and you’ve got all the ingredients for a standout event.
Wooden boat numbers were a little down on last year, but a few visiting commercial vessels — including Customs, Pilot boats, fishing craft and a pair of Waka — helped round out the fleet. From a public point of view, it was still an impressive line-up. Given the number of classic boats that have migrated north in recent years, it would be great to see more of the region’s wooden heritage on display next time around.
It was great to catch up with so many familiar faces — clearly the new highway was busy with Aucklanders heading north for the weekend.
All up, a thoroughly enjoyable day. Hopefully today’s photo gallery will inspire a few more of you to make the trip in 2026.
And there is always a few foody pix – hands down the best two seafood fritters ever – one mussel and the star – one whitebait. And a free KOWHAI coffee because she liked my WW t-shirt.
FYI – when I’m at an event I point the camera at what catches my eye , sometimes I miss a few boats but I like to think the photos are more like someone strolling the docks rather than someone trying to capture the whole caboodle 🙂
I have very few regrets in life and only one when it comes to classic wooden boats. What is it ? – not buying the 36’ Arch Logan launch NGAIO when I had the opportunity.BUT – hand on heart, NGAIO went to a better owner, Jan Barraclough.
Over recent years Jan has undertaken what we call a rolling restoration – and the centenarian has never looked better. BUT – there’s my better and Jans better, so currently NGAIO is undergoing a major refit to return her helm / cockpit area closer to as-built allowing for some creature (height) comforts.
Artisan classic boatbuilder Paul Tingey started on the project this week and no time was wasted in removing her existing ’structure’. Given the presentation of the existing structure, photos below, most of us would have been very happy as is, but not Jan and we admire her for commissioning the work and look forward to the re-launch.
Check in for updates.
20-10-2025 UPDATE – work continues, today we see the reinstatement of a tram-top window to match her earlier style. Also we see the ‘brains’ trust pondering and a photo from her early days.
REVIVING A CLASSIC – INSIDE LEADER BOATBUILDERS AS FANTASIA PREPARES TO LAUNCH
Back in November 2023 I was mooching around Leader Boatbuilders on the Panmure River and Dave Patterson showed me around the 36’ 1968 (possibly 1963), Harry Biddle built (to a Crestcraft design) launch FANTASIA . Link to the 2023 story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/11/16/fantasia/
Today thanks to Mark McLaughlin’s visit to the shed last week and his guided tour from Ken we get to see what’s been happening to FANTASIA in the last 3 years. If I recall she came into the shed for a paint job, and now look at her – close to relaunching after an extensive refit 🙂 We love companion selling e.g. “Would You Like Frys With That?”
Mark commented that the new hull colour gets his tick of approval and I agree. We need more colour afloat – the bias for white-on-white must make Coastguards work a challenge .
Photos below from the past and prior to entering the shed + 2023 work in progress.
INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – I understand that these were Customcraft. Crestacraft were fibreglass trailer boats
Most of todays woodys have appeared on WW before but its always nice to see that they are being cared for.
A woody, my lips are sealed, was at the lake doing a recce on a woody there and snapped a few photos for us.
Also today we share a couple of photos from a recent project on CENTAURUS, owner Angus Rogers is a talented DIY’er and after the recent re-power took on upgrading the dash. See below
As I have mooched around the bottom end of Waiheke Island over the years, ono of the craft I have spotted most frequently is the 26’ BESSIE FLORENCE, link here to a Jan 2016 WW story. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/16/bessie-florence/
BESSIE FLORENCE is a ‘mini’ trawler designed by Jay Benford and built in 2006 by Paul Jessop of Waikawa, Picton for Cook Strait fishing and Sounds use. With her build year and construction method (glassed ply) she sits outside of what we would label a classic wooden boat , but probably slides into the spirit of tradition family.
Forward motion is via a 30hp Yanmar 3GM30 diesel engine that which averages approx. 3 litres per hour when cruising at 5-6 knots.
Recently her owner made the call to move the craft on and I can report that her new owner will be relocated BESSIE FLORENCE to the Coromandel area and changing her name to TOBY.
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