Category Archives: A Peek Down Below

Lady Doreen – B.O.I.

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LADY DOREEN – Bay Of Islands

A story for the Woodys mooching around the Bay of Islands over the New Year.
Woody Dean Wright visited Snooks and Lola Fuller last week and came away with (another) box of old photo negatives to scan. There are some goodies, which Dean has ok’ed sharing with you all. More soon 😉
Today’s photos are of Lady Doreen.I love the wheel, no doubt from a Ford Model T.
 Enjoy
And Happy New Year 🙂

Southern Cloud

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SOUTHERN CLOUD
Southern Cloud is a 1927, 40’ Lane (Picton) built kauri double ended ex commercial fishing vessel converted to pleasure cruising / live-aboard.
The engine is a 90hp, 371 GM.
Included in her trademe listing is a survey / summary of the vessel so I have reproduced that below.
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Tiromoana

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TIROMOANA 4 Sale
I have featured Tiromoana several times on WW, mainly because she is just such a gorgeous classic woody. One of those vessels that looks just right from any angle.
She was designed and built in 1937 by Bill Couldrey, from double skinned, diagonal planked kauri, and measures 38′. Current zoom zoom is from a 60hp Gardner 5LW
Tiromoana has an interesting background – having served as a Naval patrol vessel during WWII and later as Aucklands first police launch.
Below decks her layout is very original and features anything and everything one would want and expect of a vessel of her class.
She is for sale on trademe and includes a 12m marina – which are as rare as hens teeth in Auckland these days.
Anyone looking for a very smart classic woody should check Tiromoana out 🙂
To view more on her – click this link   https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/15/tiromoana-2/
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Mystery Ruakaka Launch

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MYSTERY RUAKAKA LAUNCH
Todays woody is 32’ in length and powered by a 45hp Lees Ford diesel. Built in kauri, with carvel construction, approx. 20 yrs ago the hull was filleted and f/glassed. In her trade listing (thanks Ian McDonald) her owner comments that he believes given the style / construction used, the boat may date from the early 1900’s period.
Currently located at Ruakaka.
Can anyone give us the name of the vessel and anymore details on her?

Lady Ellen Restoration Update – December 2018

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Lady Ellen Restoration Update – December 2018

Owner Bruce Mitchinson sent in the photos above & report below:

“The focus over the last few weeks has been on the exterior and cockpit. We have gone through 65 litres of high-build surfacer, and sanded half of it off, to get the topsides and below waterline fair.
Barrier undercoat applied to the topsides and another round of sanding to take out minor blemishes.
The above photos show polyurethane undercoat going on the topsides last Friday, the wet look gives a taste of what’s to come after the finishing sand and the top coat goes on later this week.
While we are on a roll, the cockpit will be painted, the deck head will be undercoated, and the interior bulkheads finished off before interior work kicks off again.
Everything is ready for the bottom paint so we might get this on before my painter goes on holiday.”
To see/ read more on this restoration project – enter Lady Ellen in the WW search box 😉

Maewa > Isaly II – A Peek Down Below

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Maewa > Isaly II – A Peek Down Below
Back in 2015 we uncovered some of the history around the 1956, 33’ launch Isaly II, formally named Maewa, now thanks to a trademe listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek down below.
You can see / read more on her past at the link below – don’t forget to check out the comments section – lots of chat there around her provenance.
She is powered by a 2L, 60hp Nissan diesel that gets her along at 7knots.

Mata Hari

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MATA HARI

The 1972 John Gladden designed & built launch Mata Hari was included in a recent WW story on Geoff Bagnall Milford yard. It created a lot of chat in the WW comments section & prompted woody Alan S. To send in the above feature from the March 1974 edition Boating World. Mata Hari was built in Geoff’s shed.
Alan commented that he was surprised so few knew about Eric Webster’s efforts at Great Barrier Island, we would not have Smokehouse Bay set up without him. You could never do what he did these days with all the resource consent requirements we face. We boaties should be very grateful.
 
Enjoy the read

Moody Blue

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MOODY BLUE

Moody Blue, the 1946 barrel-back woody powerboat above, is almost ready to splash after being out of the water for 12 years, & having undergone a total rebuild.

All that’s required to finish the project is the return of the new upholstery.
Her zoom zoom is from a 1946 Ford flathead V8, I wonder if its the original motor or a perfect match up?
Can any of the Lake Rotoiti woodys enlighten us with more info on Moody Blue?
(photos & details ex Colin Prouse fb)

A Xmas Pub Cruise

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A Xmas Pub Cruise

Sneaked off mid-week for a trip up the creek to Riverhead for a catch-up lunch with a group of good mates.
Makes a change to not be fighting for space on the dock 🙂
The food at the Riverhead Hotel is very good, once it was good pub grub, these days it is ace.
Had a wee oops on the way up the creek with a fuel block, managed to limp to the pub wharf – option 1 = fix it myself while everyone enjoys lunch OR option 2 = call Moon Engines & get an expert down to the wharf to fix it, while I enjoy the day. It was a no-brainer – option 2 🙂
Wonderful service from the Moon team – many thanks.
Yesterday I was on the receiving end of an amazing gift from a woody, totally floored me. I have been asked to not disclose the person’s name – you know who you are & I’m very humbled by your generosity & friendship – Thank You.
As I type this I’m on Trinidad doing the overnight CYA Rudder Cup Launch Race. It’s 108nm to & around Sail Rock. Hopefully the technology works & you will be able to follow the fleet on this link. There will be lots of photos on Monday. Might even try try & post some during the race.
RUDDER CUP REPORT. ALMOST HOME, APPROACHING NORTHHEAD. .

The Extraction of Daring

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The Extraction of Daring
 
Yesterday was a special day in the kiwi wooden boating world. The 1863 schooner Daring was extracted from my resting place at Muriwai Beach. She has been buried there for 153 years,

Daring is a 100% New Zealand built ship. Crafted in Mangawhai from kauri and pohutukawa. Since coming ashore she has been protected beneath the sand dunes of the Kaipara Heads, but up until yesterday she lie exposed to the elements and scavengers.

The above photos have been sourced from numerous sources – primarily – Whangateau Traditional Boats, David Waddingham, & T Foh.

I’m a little light on the history of Daring & how the rescue was funded etc – I suspect John Street had a very large hand in this, to use one of HDK’s favourite saying – “the mans blood needs bottling” Hopefully someone will chip in with more details. In the mean time well done to everyone involved – magic effort.
Input from Steve Horsley – Yes, it’s an enormous achievement to all those involved and hats off to John Street for the funding. I hope he gets some form of compensation from the historic trusts or government at the very least. Now that she is out the interest will build. Don’t worry everything has been well recorded and measured. As you can imagine there are numerous experts all putting in their 2 cents worth of what should and shouldn’t be done now. The core group has to take stock and make the right decisions. At this point, it is heading to YDL to be placed under cover and kept moist and a process of slowly drying her out. I believe Daring’s final resting place back on land will be at the Mangawhai Museum which is fitting as that is where she was built.
All credit to go to Baden Pascoe, Larry Paul and John Street, the movers and shakers of this awesome outcome. Also to all the others who have made this possible. Murry and his crew who has been sleeping in his Land Rover in the sand dunes for weeks on end protecting her and stopping fossickers flogging bits off her, also in gaining knowledge of who was flogging stuff and retrieving it. And to the crew that lifted her out of that sandy grave. Fantastic.
There is a ‘Daring rescue’ facebook page which you need to ‘like’ and support that has photos and history of her.
Just found this online 
AND WOODYS DO NOT FORGET TONIGHTS THE START OF THE RUDDER CUP MOTOR BOAT RACE – 7PM OFF THE RNZYS – more details below
Read more here –         https://classicyacht.org.nz/rudder-cup-rerun/
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