Mystery Launch At Te Atatu Boating Club
Short story today, other things got in the way of WW life.
So we have another woody from last weeks visit to TBC.
Can we put a name to the boat and learn her past.
ADA / IDA – Can We Join The Dots
Recently WW was contacted by Tom Gordon in relation to his boat – ADA that Tom is trying to find out more information – I’ll hand over to Tom below:
“ ADA, I have been told is one of the 3 kauri hulled boats. The three I believe were built by Miller and Tunnage in the 1920’s however so far I’ve not been able to find out some more finer details in regards to exact build date or archive type photos. I’m looking to repair ADA and re float to maintain some heritage now that I’ve learned some history.
Sir Clifford Skeggs was an owner and one of his ex workers ‘Squidly’ from Taieri Mouth, Dunedin did own it also. Sadly he has now passed and I’m unsure if Cliff is still alive.
I’m wondering if the vessel – INA in the WW archives (WW link below) is definitely one of the three sisters to ADA. I’ve also heard of the names ROA and IMP, potentially one of these is the 3rd? “https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/11/ida-woody-classics-weekend-stillwater-picnic-cruise-update/
Can we help Tom out with more intel on ADA and potentially the ’sisters’
RESOLUTE – Looking Very Sorry For Herself
I first saw the 1937 Dick Lang built 34’ launch – Resolute 12+ years ago when she was hauled out at the Devonport Yacht Club at the same time as Raindance. Her spot was directly in front of mine so I suffered all winter from the green eyed monster i.e. the workmanship and skills of her owner were on another level.
Fast forward to August 20i6 and she makes an appearance on WW (link below), this story generated details and 2008 photos ex her owner and Harold Lidd.
Then in 2017 we see her hauled out getting a dose of TLC (link below)
Then sadly in 2020 I reported that she had dragged her Stanley Point, Devonport mooring and was aground at low tide. Her owner and helpers saved the day (link below) WW 2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/10/resolute/
WW 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/07/21/resolute-update/
WW 2020 https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/04/14/sos-classic-launch-resolute-aground/
Last week I was at the Te Atatu Boat Club and spotted Resolute hauled out. As you will see in the above photos she is still a fine looking woody, in architect speak – she’s got good bones, but the clocks ticking – hopefully a plan is in place to bring her back…………….
Looking For Help Identifying This Wooden Boat
Todays woody recent popped up on a Lester Oliver fb post and appears via Maurice Sharp reposting.Lester’s commented that the boat at the dry dock at Ahuriri, Napier. The gent on the left is possibly Napier architect Louis Hay. In the background is the Hawkes Bay Farmers Co-Op Assoc. building . The cowel on the cabin top looks very large relative to the rest of the vessel. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.
INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – We’ve been here before.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/06/30/hawkes-bay-mystery-motorsailer/
I still can’t establish a name for the boat but have a little more information. She was built in Auckland, no builder known, and shipped to Napier in May 1936 as a hull. Later Louis Hay fitted a steam engine which accounts for the small funnel shown in the earlier images. My guess is that the steam plant was replaced with an internal combustion engine later, hence the large ventilator occupying the same hole as the funnel. As for her name, it doesn’t appear in any newspaper articles even those announcing that Louis Hay was the Commodore of the new Hawkes Bay Yachting & Power Boat Club in November 1936.
Work in progress
29-04-2024 UPDATE ex HAROLD KIDD – The hull was built in Auckland and was offloaded from the PUKEKO at Gisborne because of heavy weather.
Message For The Owner Of The Launch – KARAKIA
If you send me an email confirming the boat location and your ownership I’ll drop a WW burgee in the post – why? Because if you look carefully at the photos you will see they have painted the WW logo on the cabin side 🙂 photos ex JASON PREW waitematawoodys@gmail.com Read / view more on KARAKIA here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/01/karakia/
ELIZABET I
I had the occasion to be heading out west yesterday so flicked the car indicator on at the Te Atatu Road off ramp and dropped down to the Te Atatu Boat Club yard.
Have to same very quiet eg not many craft hauled out but I did spot a launch named – ELIZABET I hauled out getting some TLC.
A stranger to me and an interesting ‘mix’ of design styles – hull appears 1920>30’s but the cabin is a lot newer and could share some DNA with a garden shed. But I’m sure very functional and easily corrected if a future owner so wished 🙂
Interested to learn more about ELIZABET I , interesting that her life buoy has the name HEATHER II on it, might be no connection and just a reflection of the ‘first up best dressed’ rule 😉
OMOKOROA – APRIL 2024 UPDATE
Following on from yesterdays story on the launch – Omokoroa where we got a peek back to her earlier days, today thanks to a nudge we gave her current custodian – Lyndon Chambers we get to see some to the work thats gone into refitting the boat.
First up is a video from early 2023 of Omokoroa being hauled out to commence the project. Lyndon commented that they used Omokoroa for a while before haulout and he has worked on her reasonably solidly since then. The topsides were repaired and glassed before haul out and he has screwed and glassed plywood over 100% of the hull so hopefully a dry boat now. Not too much left to do and she will be back on the water soon depending on what Lyndon decides to do to the interior.
View previous Omokoroa WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/04/24/omokoroa-in-former-times/
06-05-2024 INPUT EX ROB HARRIS – below photos from when Rob owned ( many years ago) the launch, location – Beachlands
AWANUI – A Glimpse Back In Time & As Today
Back in May 2016 we ran a story on the launch – Awanui – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/25/awanui/
Fast forward to early 2024 and Les Nelson contacted WW with an update on the vessel in regard to his parents owning Awanui for a number of years in the early 1980’s at the time based in Picton.
Les supplied the black and white photo (1st photo above) of Awanui that was most likely from when she was first launched c. early 1900’s (unconfirmed). Les commented that the backdrop (hill outline) looked familiar, probably the foreshore of Picton. A short time later Les unearthed the above colour photos from when his family owned her.
Also as a result of the story her present owner – Carmel Bradley made contact and advised the launch was still in Motueka and used regularly in and around the Abel Tasman. Carmel sent in the photos below.
Love it when a WW story sparks a few memories and we roll into a bigger story 🙂
Still do not have any intel on who the designer / builder was, both owners are keen to learn more.
2024 🔻
Today we are state side to have a tour of the 1933 Stephens Brothers built 43′ classic woody – A Dora Blu. I was sent the youtube link by John Dawson – now I ask that you ignore the youtube fluff at the start and the obvious sales pitch – trust me its worth checking out. I was very envious of the boat shed, must make caring for a classic a breeze. Her owners attention to maintaining the boats heritage looks and fit out is wonderful, but when they lift the engine bay covers the sight is a very big wow, twin Yanmar JHC120hp engines, proof that you do not need to weigh these old girls down with huge engines.
(note: some confusion on the build year – the nav light boards say 1931)
ID The Russell Yachts Friday Quiz Winner – Ken Fyle. WW burgee on the way – the yachts were – (L) XANTHO & (R) IIEX. As I thought a lot picked IIEX but only 2 correctly had XANTHO.
Woody Fathers & Grandads
Be an instant hero and take the kids out for a day trip – this weekend the Matakana School are hosting the – Matakana Model Boat Show. Over 200 boats static and afloat + races. And if there are no siblings around, even better – more time to enjoy it. See flyer below for full details.
If you go Saturday – take in the Matakana Market, I was there last weekend – great food, produce & coffee. Opens at 8am. And the new express way makes the trip a doddle 🙂
Special thanks to Mark Lever (MV Nereides) for the heads up + photos
LAUNCH DAY MYSTERY – MANAIA
Another photo sent in by John Dawson – to some of the WW workboat group the answer to ’Name the boat’ is probably very easy. Not for me however – things that help –
• 1st three letters of the name are – MAN
• home port is shown as Whangarei
• lack of varnish suggests a workboat
• style suggests pilot boat• funnel may have the letters WHB on it > Whangarei Harbour Board
So what say the workboat brains trust
UPDATE – Thanks to several woodys we have confirmation that the vessel is Manaia – Designed by AJ Collings and built at the P. Los yard in 1963, for the Northland Harbour Board as a toilet boat. LOTS of photos and detail in the links below https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/26/manaia/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/05/manaia-a-peek-down-below/
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