NIGHTINGALE + waitematawoodys hits 5,000,000 Views

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NIGHTINGALE + waitematawoodys hits 5,000,000 Views
The 55’ trawler cruiser started life in 1925, in Invercargill as a sailing ship, Later owned by the Leask family (Stewart Island) who strengthened and converted her to a trawler ‘ fright ship in the area for many years. In 1987 she was taken to Nelson and converted to a pleasure cruiser. In recent years (last 10) she has seen timber replacements and modernising too systems.
Her trademe listing (thanks Ian MacDonald) describes her as a floating bach and that is a good description of the life she has had in the Marlborough Sounds. Sleeping for 8 people and all the home comforts aboard (42” TV) would make for enjoyable Sounds cruising.
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Her beam is 11’5” and she draws 5’5”. Power is via a Detroit 671, that has her cruising at 7 knots.
Any one able to tell us the designer / builder?
Waitematawoodys Gets 5 Million Views
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At some stage last night or early this morning the waitematawoodys.com site clock clicked over the 5 million views mark – I got the biggest buzz when it hit 5,000 and then 1,000,000 – these days its a freight train – just keeps on rolling 24/7.
Why do I do it? – the #1 reason is to motivate people to use their wooden boats more and to enjoy the classic wooden boating lifestyle.
Some of you have been around since day one and stayed the distance, some are what I call ‘flirters’ you come and go and that’s all good.
The back library is very impressive – over 1/2 the daily views these days are people using the site as a reference tool eg searching for details on a particular boat. Sometimes the odd story  might be a bit lame but it gets into the WW system and over time can grow e.g. someone searches the boats name and next thing we have a new (better) story on the same boat and it kick starts the old story.
It is always try to be to be entertaining and informative. I also try very hard to be factual but if we get it wrong – tell us and if you are in fact right, we will correct it.
I never started out to create an encyclopaedia of classic wooden boats – the idea was to create some good chat around what’s happening in the classic wooden boating community.
I also never intended for the stories to be daily, but the appetite was there and I soon discovered there was no shortage of content out there.
Sometimes, not often, after some moron has sent me a nasty email, I question why I do it, but then I have some chat (on-line) with cool people that make it worthwhile e.g there are a lot of blokes that have spent their life in and around wooden boats and these days reading WW is a highpoint in their day. I like that 🙂
I encourage you to use the comments section.
To those of you working on woody projects – send us updates / photos, we love projects. Send to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Thank you for your support ‘flying the WW flag’ via wearing the WW t-shirts – they pop up all over the world.
Best Regards
alan houghton – waitematawoodys founder
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Waipawa – A Peek Down Below

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WAIPAWA AK83 – A Peek Down Below
 

The ex work boat (Waitemata Fisheries) Waipawa has made a brief appearance on WW back in 2016 (WW link below) Now thanks to Ian McDonald’s road trip in the Far North we get to have a look down below.

The photos above show her on the hard at Opua, in mid October.  The 50’ Waipawa was built by Percy Vos and her owner Pete McIntyre, understands she was launched in 1940).

She gets around, having recently been up to Fiji & Tonga, And to Fiordland / Stewart Island.
 

Andiamo

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ANDIAMO

The 20′ Andiamo was originally  known as the  ‘Yellow Boat’ on Lake Rotoiti near Rotorua. She was built by a farmer from Gisborne in 1949 and was reputedly the fastest boat on Rotoiti back then.

She came to her current owners 10 years ago, who undertook a 4 year restoration project to bring her back to her former glory. The work included partial hull replacement, structural framework enhancement and strengthening using marine grade ply, kauri and stainless steel fixings. All timber used was locally milled kauri in keeping with the original construction, and came from a single tree thus the beautiful consistency in the decking – handcrafted piece by piece using kauri with a kahikitea accent and mahogany surround.

The original Dodge 6 was replaced with a 275ci alloy V8 producing 280hp, running through a Borg Warner gearbox to the bespoke brass prop. The engine is computer controlled, inter-cooled and muffled, providing amazingly smooth, quiet and reliable power.

Andiamo is an iconic piece of New Zealand maritime history that has been preserved and is now offered for sale. Her owners  want her to go on to her next adventure with a new family – and are selling well below value. to make that happen.

Andiamo will be available for viewing at Lake Tarawera over Labour Weekend.

(thanks to Rod Prosser for the trademe heads up)

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RSVP   waitematawoodys@gmail.com

 

 

 

Kiwiannah

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Kiwiannah
Todays boat is a rather big work-in-progress, but the owner is realistic about its worth – the leading bid on trade is $415 and the reserve has been met (thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up).
Under all that plywood is a pretty hull, deep pockets needed, but some one will get a bargain.
What we know – kauri hull, 40’ long, powered by a 120hp Ford diesel (seized). Been sitting on a pile mooring at Waipuna for the last 4 years, owner lacks the time and skills to complete the project.
So Woodys, if you have somewhere to haul her out and cheap storage, this could be a good project.
Anyone able to give us a name and provenance for the vessel?
Update – Mark McLaughlin has advised the launch is named – Kiwiannah
IMPORTANT NEWS – NEXT WOODY CLASSICS WEEKEND EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Woody Classics Weekend - Clevedon

CENTAURUS – A PEEK DOWN BELOW – Before she is sold

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CENTAURUS – A PEEK DOWN BELOW – Before she is sold
Recently we featured on WW the magnificent motorboat Turongo and she will be bought by someone looking for the pinnacle of classic wooden boating, one of only 5 vessels of her size and grace – but at  56’ she is a ship and not everyone wants a woody that big. So today we featured  what I believe is the best sub 45’ classic motorboat available for purchase – the 1968 Bailey & Sons built CENTAURUS.
There are lots of boats supposedly ‘on the market’ but none in the condition of Centaurus or with a realistic, motivated vendor. Centaurus is a genuine turn-key vessel, just add food and water and you will be boating this summer.
Centaurus is what I call a lucky boat – her first owner had her for 45 years and since then there has only been 3 custodians, each passing her on in better condition than when purchased. I have been on most classics and with out a doubt Centaurus has the largest main cabin – seating for 12. She spent a long period in the South Island so has been ‘off-the scene’ in Auckland until returned home to the Waitemata a few years ago.
PLUS – in todays tight marina market – Centaurus has the bonus of a 14m Westhaven marina.
I would encourage anyone looking for a iconic classic motorboat to contact waitematawoodys immediately, Centaurus will be snapped up before the start of the summer season. Expressions of interest, initially to  waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Snapshot
• 42’ x 13’3” x 4’
• 1.25” heart kauri carvel planked
• Cummins 215hp V6
• 6 berths
• 800L Fuel / 800L water
• Webesco cabin heater
• Uroxsys varnished
WW Links

Woody Classics Weekend – Stillwater Picnic – 26 Classic Wooden Boat Photos 

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Woody Classics Weekend – Stillwater Picnic – 26 Classic Wooden Boat Photos 

All week, the weather gods have been saying that Sunday was going to be the best day for boating – well folks that it was 🙂
Barbara Cooke summed it up perfectly in an email  – “Great day today team! Great to see people enjoying the good weather, relaxing and lolling about on picnic rugs, some with pooches. Interesting bikies! Nice boats too! 
 
Today’s story is just really a photo gallery of the day – the boats and bikes, the venue and the people + a few woodys I spotted along the way. 
A hell of a lot of work goes into organising these events – and I would like to acknowledge the team that bring it all together, without their help and input there would be no Woody Classics Weekend events. Barbara & David Cooke, Sue & Mark Edmonds, Nathan Herbert, Jason Prew and lastly yours truely.
 
Lots of chat about the next event in November – just working thru the logistics, more details ASAP.
 
The day was made extra special by the inclusion of a display of classic motorcycles ( see below) and their owners were big admirers of our classic woodys.
 
Enjoy and as always, click on photos to enlarge – alan houghton

Jaguar – mini me

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JAGUAR – mini me
 
John Bullivant is a very talented man, one of his talents is building classic boating models – not the kit-set ones, we are talking about drafting them by eye from what ever resources are still around. John had mentioned he was keen to build one of the 40’ Jaguar, which he had wanted to build since back in the days when she was moored down the road from John’s place at Bucklands Beach in the 1960’s > 1980’s, (the photo of her on the hard at Bucklands in the 1970’s below). 
John didn’t have a plan to go off, just this photo, some movie grabs from Ken Rickets and some info from on-line sources. The model is R/C and powered with two water cooled (pump) 540 brushed motors and has independent motor control. It also has twin sound units (unfortunately they haven’t got Detroits in the program, but they make a reasonable sound – check out the youtube link below.
Has the usual lights etc, and cooling water comes out of the exhausts and side telltales. Model is glass over planked balsa with a ply deck and balsa coamings.

Youtube video of the model –https://youtu.be/VqUNmWlKdGw

 

 Previous WW story on Jaguar.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/16/looking-for-jaguar/

 
Its the 2nd Woody Classics Weekend today – 20+ boats cruising to the Stillwater Motor Camp for a picnic – lots of photos tomorrow 🙂
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UPDATE: Photos below showing John’s attention to detail – the one of the original boat under way (ex Ken Ricketts video footage, filmed in the 1970’s) and the one of the ‘as launched’ model (also ex KR) – shows matching colours on the deck and dinghy.
Plus more from KR of the launch day.

Valerie

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VALERIE – A Work In Progress
Valerie was built in 1931, in Milford. 31’ kauri planked with an oregon cabin top. As you will observe from the photos she really is a project boat crying out for someone to take her on and completer the restoration / rebuild. She comes with a 1990 Ford 60hp diesel.
Currently hauled out on Aucklands North Shore – any Woodys looking for  project?
Her trademe listing is light on details- does anyone know more about Valarie?
UPDATE 22-10-2019 ex Nathan Herbert – Valerie was built by W.Kendall and H.G. Lodge at Milford, c.1938. Photo below
Valarie 1938
15-04-2021 ex Brian Fulton ex NZ Herald
Woody Classics Weekend – Stillwater Picnic- This Sunday – Weather Looks Spot On – See you There 

Governor

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GOVERNOR
I got a subtle dig in the ribs yesterday that (a) I hadn’t featured anything very quick of late and (b) there had been a noticeable lack of varnish – So todays woody is a very ‘fresh’ restoration / rebuild i.e just launched (2019).
Governor started life back in the 1960’s, with the hull being built by Brin Wilson, her trademe listing comments that she was originally built following the lines of Chris Craft boats.
The project saw her totally rebuilt (in fact lengthened by 6’ – now 21’3″), glassed and a reconditioned 2016 4.3L 214hp Mercuriser TKS engine installed. One of the lake boys needs to buy her……….
Thanks to Rod Prosser for the elbow in the ribs 🙂

34’ Swanson Launch

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34’ SWANSON LAUNCH

We do not know a lot about the above 1964 launch, except she was built by Bob Swanson, is 34.5’ in length, with a 10’9” beam and draws 3’7”.
The trademe (thanks Ian McDonald) listing will tell you all about its cabin heater and solar panel but there is no mention of her having an engine 🙂
Some people really make selling their boat hard and its a brokers listing……………
I’m guessing from the phone number that the boat is located somewhere in Blenheim.
Anyone able to tell us more about this woody?
Input from Mark McLaughlin – It’s “Maritza”. The orignal configuration was the same as Silver Dollar but a new cabin was built in the 1990’s when she was in Havelock. Currently at Waikawa Marina. Power is a 6cyl Ford diesel I believe.
23-10-2025 UPDATE ex NATHAN HERBERT – The 37ft Maritza ex- Cyrena was burned to the keel on the beach at Parengarenga after being stolen (purchased with a forged cheque) from Jack Lidgard in 1959.
I Have Emailed Out The Details For This Sundays Woody Picnic Cruise to Stillwater, if you have not RVSP’ed – its not too late, but do it now.