Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Lolita II – SOS

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LOLITA II (Wondabyne)
 
This fine old girl with a great provenance has put her hand up for help. 
The story goes like this – woody Keith Brady was visiting the Bay of Islands at the end of May and called in to see the owner of Lolita II, Peter Deeming as part of his research into boat builder Dick Lang and his boats.
You will have observed from the above photos that Lolita II is in a poor state, but in Keith’s opinion is in a condition that is able to be restored by an enthusiastic person/s with the skills and vision of restoring an old classic. There is a significant amount of work involved, but with time and funding the boat is able to be restored to its former days.
Keith commented that after talking to Peter Deeming he found him approachable and interested in the boat going to someone who will restore it.  
B/W photos ex Andy Donovan collection.
 
She made an appearance on WW last year, where we uncovered some of her past – WW link below.
 
Boat S/S Water Tank Advice

Asking for a friend (yeah right)……  are there any solutions to repairing small leak (seam) to a boats water tank without removing the tank?
There was talk of a bladder system / product that can be inserted into the existing tank – anyone come across it?
Feedback / suggestions to waitematawoodys@gmail.com.
Woody Classics Weekend #5 Riverhead
RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Aquarius – Restoration Update

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AQUARIUS – RESTORATION UPDATE
I have done two previous WW stories on the 38’ Supreme Craft, 1955 built launch Aquarius. In September 2018 it was an SOS reaching out for someone to save her and bring her back from Waiheke Island where she had been hauled out for approx. 6 years. Then in April 2019 we reported that she was being trucked / ferried back to the mainland. WW links to those stories below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/09/01/aquarius-sos/

Today I’m rapt to share the above work-in-progress photos ex Dave Brown and John Wright, who are restoring Aquarius. These boys are light on chat, they just get on with the work, which is impressive – we will continue to follow this project with great interest – well done guys 🙂
Photos below – first one is from 2018 and the bottom two are from the island ‘extraction’ in 2019.
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Brin Wilson 1958 Classic Wooden Launch – Mandalay

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Brin Wilson 1958 Classic Wooden Launch – Mandalay

Today’s woody was designed by Brin Wilson and built in 1958 by Dave Jackson, so that makes her a special woody. Carvel planked and measuring 35’9” with a 11’1″ beam and drawing 2’11”.
She is powered by a Moon Engines – reconditioned (2000) Ford 120hp diesel, that sips 7L an hour at a cruise speed of 7>8 knots.
Anyone able to put a name to the boat. I understand her owner has had her for approx. 30 years. Its Mandalay (thanks Geoff Bagnall)

Royal Falcon Restoration – Update June 2020

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Royal Falcon Restoration Update June 2020

I had a reason to be pointing the car towards what used to be called ‘Nappy Valley’ (Pakuranga) so decided to call into the Panmure River boat shed where Steve & Colette Pople are having the 38’, 1934 Cox & Filmer built bridge-decker – Royal Falcon restored, ‘having’ isn’t the best word because both are actively involved in the project.
As you will see in the above photo gallery, the team are working at an impressive pace. The Commer TS3 engine is back in and looking very shinny. Very impressed to see the team re-purposing as much timber as possible – we like that 🙂
While there I dropped off an age appropriate search light that I had promised Steve, it didn’t suit Raindance so – ‘spread the love’. Thank you Jason Prew who gifted it to me originally 🙂
You can read / view Royal Falocn’s past at the link below + earlier project photos
Below is a video walk by/thru that I did. Have to say it is so cool to see a real, working, waterfront boat shed. Anyone remember something called ‘Heritage Landing’ aka the Vos Shed………….

Alpheus – A Peek Down Below + Lady Ava In Trouble

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ALPHEUS – A Peek Down Below

Alpehus has previously made a brief WW apperance and today we get to have a peek down below. The 42’ carvel kauri planked Alpheus was built in 1962 and launched in 1963, thought to be a McGeady design, built by Ben Hipkins.
Power is via a 120hp Ford diesel that gets her along at 8>9 knots.
From the photos (thanks Ian McDonald for the tme heads up) she is very well fitted out, a little ‘dark’ for my taste but who am I to comment 🙂
LADY AVA
I have been advised by Cameron Pollard that Lady Ava has had a wee opps.  A fine ship in her day, good enough to have caught the eye of Harold Kidd. Lady Ava, built in 1931 by Ernie Lane (Picton) was once named Miss Ava has popped up on WW b4, links below. + recent photos below.
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2006 – Mahurangi – Jason Prew

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Auckland Harbour – John Wright

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John Wright

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2015 – Panmure River – Jason Prew

Update – photos below taken by John Bullivant in Feb 2019 of LA on the Tamaki River.

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Time – For Sale

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TIME – 4 Sale

Several years ago Bay of Islands woody Dean Wright shared with me a gallery of photos of a yacht built by his friend John Gander. At the time the photos were just for my eyes only, so they have been burning whole in the back-pocket ever since. Then one day out of the blue a marina buddy, mentions he has just bought a yacht that will ‘blow-my-mind’, tells me its called Time and he was a little disappointed to learn that I knew as much (if not more, at that stage) about her as he did.
Some background – the yacht Time was launched in 2001, having been built and designed by John Gander. John felled and milled the kauri for her planking in the Far North (photos below). John’s a very modest man and would want me to mention that a very large cast of helpers and trades people helped with the project and woodys it was a very large project – because John built two boats, the sister ship, Whisper is still owned by John.
Time’s specs are 38 ’x 12’ x 5’8” and she displaces 12 tonnes. Power is via a Yanmar 30hp diesel.
The standard of workmanship and design ergonomics are 2nd to none, you won’t here me say this many times but I could easily go to the dark-side (sail) with a boat like Time. On the water she is a knockout / head turner and down below just gorgeous.
After several years of ownership, a change in circumstances has bought Time on to the market. For anyone looking for a once in-a-life-time classic woody – Time deserves your inspection. Expressions of interest to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Her owner is realistic in his sale exceptions, so Time will sell rather quickly.

Shalimar

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Shalimar

I had Shalimar all lined up to be a mystery boat story and I received an email from Leane Barry advising that they had purchased the boat last week.
Shalimar’s past is a little cloudy as the previous owner (Andrew) purchased her off a deceased estate, with zero background on the boat. On board there is a small brass plate with the word ‘Jedda’, so maybe a name change at some time.
What we do know is she is 28’ in length, designed by William Atkinson c.1960. Powered by a Volvo 30hp diesel engine.
Check out the interior photos, at some stage she has had the hands of a good wood worker on her.
With some attention to the exterior she will be a smart entry boat into the classic wooden boating movement. I would paint the coamings a ‘varnished wood’ like colour, something similar to La Rosa (photo below) Or go all out and strip back and varnish which would look spot on.
Anyone able to shed some light on her background?
Harold Kidd Input – SHALIMAR was owned by KLE Upton of Merchant Ave Te Atatu South in 1973. He was a member of RNZYS. As far as the cutter at Okura is concerned, the Redvale Lime works were developed during and after WW1 by the Durey and (I think Pye) families. Driving home to Dairy Flat I drive along Durey Road to avoid the current road works bottleneck at the top of the Albany Hill. I haven’t been able to trace this vessel today.
La Rosa May2020

 

Mystery Work Boat Question

I have been asked by Ken Durey if we can ID the boat in the photo below – seen here landing lime in the Okura River in the late 1920’s. Behind the vessel, on the shed, is a sign ‘Redvale Agricultural Lime’.
Ken found the photo in a family box of photos belonging to his father. Ken’s sister (aged 89) suspects the boat may have been called ‘Joan Glide’.
Can we help put a name to the boat and any other details?
(nice looking clinker on deck)
Input from Ken Durey – Vessel was loading lime for delivery to Barrys Point Road gardens .
My Dad started Redvale Lime Co. from a small quarry 1km from the river.
He was also engineer on the Huia for a time and worked for Aspen Shipping Co. His first trip at sea was on the scow the Scot
Joan Glide?

Lady Mellon

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LADY MELLON
Bay of Islands woody, Dean Wright,  sent in the photos above of – Lady Mellon. Not your traditional row boat that we see on WW, check out the rower seat 🙂
I understand from Dean that her time afloat was short lived, these days she lives as a ceiling decoration in a grand Waipiro Bay home.
 
Do we know anymore about Lady Mellon – design, builder?
Input from Dean Wright – It was built by a chap in Russell Bruce Black
12-07-2020 More Photos ex Dean W
 
How To Not Sell Your Boat
The photos below recently popped up on two on-line 4sale listings – do people really believe that someone will view these photos and go “my god what a boat, I so want to own her”.
And then the seller wonders why the vessel remains unsold and they get bitter and twisted about the journey of ownership of classic wooden boats.
Well Presented Woody 4sale
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Harrier – Our Biggest Woody

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HARRIER
At 70’ Harrier would have to be the largest woody on the Waitemata Harbour. Built by Brin Wilson (year unknown) to a Sparkman & Stephens design, she has a 16’5” bean and draws 4’11”. Powered by twin Yanmar 165hp engines, I’m no engine guru but I would have expected bigger, but combine these engines with a 5,000L fuel capacity, this girl is set up for long haul cruising.
In her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) there is no mention of her performance.
You will observe from the photo gallery above, she is fitted out for just about any situation – but you will need a Lotto win to own her 😉

A Peek Into The New England Marine Scene

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A Peek Into The New England Marine Scene
 
If you are a follower / reader of Wooden Boat magazine, you will be familiar with the work of photographer – Tyler Fields, again thanks to the world-wide lock-down, life has been given to another previously ‘stalled’ project, which we now get to enjoy 🙂
I’ll let Tyler tell the story – 
“More than a year ago, Woody Metzger of First Light Boatworks and I started a video project introducing some of the people behind New England’s marine industry. The small network of boat builders, sailmakers and artists that make up what we do are the best in the world. Woody and I wanted to provide an quick introduction to the people behind these brands with the hope that getting to know us might encourage boaters to support the locals when buying new, restoring old or just keeping our lives on the water going. Our idea was simple; ask our friends four questions. 1 -Why has your business survived and where do you see it going? 2- What would you do if you weren’t doing this? 3- Would you like to see your kids do this? 4- Do you love your job? The responses we filmed were a mix of the expected, unexpected, humorous and a little sobering. After a handful of interviews, life caught up and we set our big idea on the back burner. Woody and his crew started building and launching boats one after another, after another and my schedule of chasing boats around New England ate up any free time we had. Well, the world has a habit of keeping us on our toes. At the moment, we all have found some extra time. So, last week I started digging through the footage and decided to start putting the interviews together. Oddly enough, the questions seem more fitting now than they did when we first asked them. We want to send out a huge thank you to each of the people and businesses who gave the time and let Woody and I into your shops. For the rest of us, it’s more important now than ever to support these small business. They are not just logos, they’re friends and family right here in our local communities.”
 
TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE
Popped down to Waiheke Island yesterday to show a potential buyer over Kailua, stunning day, stunning boat. More details at the link below: