Which Boat Today ?

Which Boat Today ?

If your names not Tony Stevenson that’s not a question many of us ask ourselves. When I picked up the Jan/Feb issue of the uber cool kiwi lifestyle magazine – NZ Life & Leisure, I discovered that there is someone else out there that’s been bitten by the classic boating bug, big time 🙂 Enter Charlotte & Richard Stevens, their menagerie of boats includes – ‘D’Urville’ a 70′ kauri, Laurent Giles designed motor boat, built by McMullen & Wing in 1975 – ‘Mickey Mouse’ a 1967 Ford 10 powered Albatross Motors speedboat – ‘Carvel’ their exquisite 1962 Norm Keen designed & built lake boat – a Frostbite, a Lazer, numerous canoes/kayaks & paddle boards AND a 45mph V8 powered ski boat. That ww followers is an impressive collection.

The article is a both a great read & a wonderful visual insight into the life & boats of Charlotte & Richard & we thank them for sharing it with us.

Todays post has been reproduced with the permission of Fairfax Media. The spectacular photos are from the camera of Tessa Chrisp & the words from the typewriter of Rebecca Hayter (NZ Boating editor). Check out the magazine at their website     http://nzlifeandleisure.co.nz

Note: if the images above are a little hard to read – you can view it here as a PDF file, click the blue link 😉

Lake Rotoiti

Restoring & Installing a Gardner in Arethusa

Restoring & Installing a Gardner in Arethusa

story & photos ex Dean Wright

It not often I get sent info on a boat & it jumps the queue & appears on ww the next day. If you have been following on ww the rolling restoration Dean has been doing on Arethusa over the last few years you would know two things, Arethusa is in very good hands & Deans a very talented commercial photographer. So the links below to Deans latest project – the restoration of a Gardner 4LW & subsequent installation in Arethusa are well worth check out.

Restoration     http://deanwright.co.nz/arethusa/log-arethusa/152-gardner-4lw-diesel-restoration.html

Installation      http://deanwright.co.nz/arethusa/log-arethusa/154-installing-the-gardner.html

Some history below

Arethusa ticked over 96 this year. She started life as a gaff rigged cutter, built by Bob Brown (designer of the Z class) at Sulphur Beach, Northcote. She’s carvel planked kauri, 33′ 4″ LOA with a 12′ Beam. With the aid of a fair bit of ballast she weighs 10 tonnes. She’s had an interesting life, more details here http://deanwright.co.nz/history.html

The Rescue of Tiarri – Ken’s Big Road Trip – 4 SALE > RIP

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The Rescue of Tiarri – Ken’s Big Road Trip – 4 Sale

photos ex Ken Ricketts

There have been numerous stories on ww around the demise  – grounding, sinking, recovery, abandonment & discovery of Tiarri. The discovery via trademe of her on a farm in a very sorry state sparked an SOS shout out on ww for an angel to wave their wand & find a good bastard out there prepared to take the rebuild project on. Well it worked & Garth Broadhead stepped up to the mark – today’s post records the start of the journey. There will be more & you’ll see it here 🙂

 26/01/2015 – A water blasting cleans her up & uncovers a few ‘blemishes’

UPDATE 03-09-2016

ww has had advice that is 4sale ‘as-is-where-is’ – all offers will be seriously considered.
Enquiries should be directed to the Marina Manager   enquiries@mahurangimarinas.co.nz

11-05-2019 UPDATE – Sadly Tiarri’s final ‘voyage’ was as a fire brigade training drill and the black scorched earth is all that remains 🙂 (photo ex Russell Ward)

IMG_1219

13-05-2019 Input and photos* / video* from Ken Ricketts –  Sadly in the end no one stepped forward to save Tiarri so the hard stand owners gifted her to the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Service for use as a fire fighting exercise.
I would just like to say a  huge thank you to you Alan and all the other woodys, who have written of her, inspected her, & tried to help to save her, in the various ways we all have, & put her back together, albeit in vain in the end. 
We all tried, & we could do no more than that, but to you Alan, most of all, if you had not published her plight, we would never even have been able to try. Thank you very much, I will be forever grateful. Ken R
(*Images & video, courtesy of the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Service)

Lake Taupo Classic’s – Part 2

Lake Taupo Classic’s – Part 2
photos ex Jason Prew
More photos below from Jason’s Lake Taupo travels on the picinic boat Otira.  Click photos to enlarge.

Fingers crossed Paul Drake drops in again & ID’s a few of them for us 😉

 

Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade 2015 Calendar

Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade 2015 Calendar


Now I suspect numbers might be getting tight, but if there is enough interest, I’m sure they will reprint.
The price is $10 for 1 or $7.50 each for 5 or more. Postage is $2.40 for up to 8 calendars, $5 for more than 8 or courier ($5.50 North Island $6.50 South Island  –  RD extra).
Pay via direct to the account.  If you pay direct please use your surname as reference and let me know when you make the payment.
The bank account number is:    12 3155 0140546 00

However before doing anything – I suggest you email (address below) Rachel Jamieson & check on supplies 🙂

zea.rachel@gmail.com

ps I even make a cameo appearance in the month of June 🙂

Lake Taupo Classic’s

Lake Taupo Classic’s
photos ex Jason Prew
Over the xmas break Jason had the day boat Otira at Lake Taupo & sent in the collection of photos below. Jason commented that his photography was not 100%, as steering Otira and taking pix in a narrow river was a little challenging 🙂 They look pretty good to me Jas.
There is an impressive collection of old wood on the lake. Click photos to enlarge 😉

Maybe one of the Taupo ww followers can ID a few on the boats? They have see below

Update from Paul Drake. Check out the comments section for lots more info. AH

The vessel with the torpedo stern is MAXIE (Logan Bros,1903), ex Paremata,Wellington, where she received her Bruce Askew designed make-over in the early 1990’s. She has a Logan Bros builder’s plate. Has been at Taupo for 20 years. She is 36 feet by 7 feet. She is double skinned, the outer being fore and aft. This info from Wooden Boat Magazine, number 125, of July/August 1995, p.88. Article written by the then owner who did the make-over, which kept him occupied for 5000 hours over four and a half years.  She is neglected and hasn’t been seen at sea for many years. About 5 years ago she almost sank at her then Acacia Bay mooring. She deserves much better.
Other vessels in Jason’s photos, starting from the top: SEVERN (Logan Bros) featuring raised bow (good) and extension aft (bad). Then ADELAIDE, ex ADELAIDE V, (Collings and Bell, 1924),   built for Capt Charles Palmer. Twin screw – unusual for such a vessel. Then GYPSY, a fairly ordinary hard chine job, then an unknown small hard chine boat, then MAXIE, then MOERANGI (Logan Bros 1906). Then a Mason Marine Clipper, name unknown, then REGORDETTE (not sure of spelling), ex VENTURE, an ex Air Force launch. Then RUAHINE ex WHIZZBANG, and next to her to the left, BELL BIRD. Then ROMANCE (Bailey and Lowe 1914) then ALICE ex WATER WITCH (Charles Peers Simcock1879, Kaukapakapa, rebuilt at Taupo 1990 – 2000, wood fired steamer, currently for sale by overseas owner), then SIR FRANCIS, ex FAIRY (Collings and Bell 1916), then IRENE, locally built but wait, she’s steel, so what is she doing on a woody’s site! Then MOANA ROA ex MAUREEN M (Owen Woolley,1962), then OCEAN MIST (the middle one) but she is concrete! Finally SIMBA (Hartley). Featuring twin V8 petrol engines.
Quite a collection. Well done Jason.

Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard – A different view

Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard – A different view

photos ex Geoff Steven

At the recent CYA launch group visit / open day my good friend & CYA member Geoff Steven (Awatere) grabbed my camera off me & took a few photos of the yard. Geoff has lots of interesting business interests, most based around the world of film & photography, so it was interesting to see the yard from a pros eyes. Enjoy 🙂

As always, click photos to enlarge 😉

You can have a peek at Geoff’s work here

http://www.ourplaceworldheritage.com

Mystery Launch + Romance II Relaunch

Mystery Launch

photo ex Peter Louglin ex papers past

Todays photo is from the NZ Herald 09-10-1928, appears to be a very manual process, note the tin of tallow on hand to grease the rails. Who can ID her?

One of the reasons I published this photo is that today a very similar motor boat, Pauline & Harold Kidd’s Bailey & Lowe – Romance II is re-launching after a refit at Marco Scuderi’s yard that has seen R2 returned to very close to her original configuration. Still a few last minute jobs to finish so unfortunately R2 will not be at Patio Bay this weekend. ww will feature R2 when complete.
View a gallery of the refit here http://www.mcnshipwrights.com/romance-ii.html

CYA Classic Journal – Issue #97 + a bonus boat

CYA Classic Journal – Issue #97 + a bonus boat

Two parts to todays post – firstly click the blue link to read the latest edition (Dec 2014) of the Classic Yacht Association – ‘Classic Journal’. Feature stories are a great day out for the launch division at the Whangateau boat yard & the relaunch of Innismara. CYADEC2014
And a few shots below of a wee wooden run-about I saw in Avondale, hopefully about to get some TLC.

A Day At One Of My Favorite Boating Spots – Whangateau – Sailing Sunday

RETALIATION RELAUNCHED

START THEM YOUNG

And a visit to Whangateau would not be completer without a Laughing Lady work-in-process photo

A Day At One Of My Favorite Boating Spots – Whangateau

Yesterday (Saturday 29/11/2014) saw an informal (is there ever a formal one) gathering of young & old salts at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard. The objective being to launch as many of the classic yachts as possible & hold a race. Unfortunately Hughie had other plans & the wind was just too much for the old bodies & boats. Saying that, the brave did go out & had a blast, our hostess had a wee swim & a tow back……….., relax Pam the photos are safe with me 😉

One of my reasons for rocking up today was to see Harold Kidd’s just restored ‘Retaliation’, fresh from a Pam & George restoration. Retaliation was built by Rex Rix in 1933 to beat the Idle Alongs in Wellingtron, but didn’t. She carrys the same rig. Today she looked stunning & Pauline and Harold Kidd + Hugh Gladwell braved the conditions & had a very quick blast up & down the harbour.

To quote Russell Ward – you know it is blowing when a Zeddie takes a reef in! refer photo of Hugh Gladwell  in Olive (Z9).
Russell took the youngest woody boaters out for a lap of the harbour, things started a little ‘loud’ but the arrival of mum helped & as you’ll see from the photos from in the creek, bliss and happiness was achieved on board.

As always it was a great family day & to a foodie like me , the lunch was a big bonus –  the fresh hot smoked snapper just perfect.

The day had a sad element – we were buzzed by the Westpac Rescue chopper & advised that they were searching for a missing fisherman. It a appears he & a friend were fishing in a small RIB in the entrance to the harbour (actually tied off the channel marker) when an oar was lost overboard & one of the fisherman dived in (fully clothed & sans a life jacket) to attempt to retrieve the oar. The current can be very savage in the area & he disappeared below the surface.
Not long after, I left the boat yard to visit Shane Anderson & the chopper was doing repeat sweeps of the coastline in front of his place. It appears the fisherman has drowned, so lets not let this life be wasted i.e. lets use this incident to remind us to wear our vests, particularly when we are in small boats.

As always a special thank you to Pam & George 🙂