Category Archives: Boat Sheds

GAY DAWN – Gets A Refresh 

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GAY DAWN – Gets A Refresh 

Todays woody is the 35’ Bill Waters 1953 built bridge-decker  launch Gay Dawn –  lots of back info and photos on WW – this link will take you there https://waitematawoodys.com/page/2/?s=Gay+Dawn&submit=Search

Back in July 2019 we had a peek down below on Gay Dawn, thanks to a tme listing, link belowWW July 2019 https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/07/05/gay-dawn-down-below/

GD has always been a lucky boat in that her past owners have kept her in good nick, and that continues to right now as GD is currently hauled out for a new shiny paint job. 

NGAIO – Another one

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NGAIO – Another one

Ngaio must be one of the most popular launch names, todays Ngaio popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) 

You have got to love the listing headline – ’38 ft BOAT’, now thats going to generate a lot of eyeballs….. The seller is very honest – not many details but they say “She needs work” – never a truer comment 🙂 but the price reflects that.

We don’t know who designed / built her or when, just that she is 36’ (yes that differs from the headline), and has a Ford 70hp 4 cyl. diesel engine in her.

Location is Matakohe, Northland (home of the famous Kauri Museum)

Can anyone tell us more about this Ngaio.

KAWAU BOATING CLUB NEW CLUBROOMS OPENING DELAYED

So woodys that means the woody gathering this Labour Weekend is postponed until we get confirmation of the new date. If you are in the bay I understand you can poke your nose in the door for a work-in-progress peek 🙂

The Exquisite – VALERIE

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The Exquisite – VALERIE  

The photo above of the launch Valerie shows her on the slipway at the Lane Motor Boat Company (designer and builder), Mechanics Bay, Auckland just after her sea trial.

Everyone has their own favourite style, but in my eye this is an outstanding example of the pure, uncluttered designs that were being built in the late 1920’s > early 1930’s – then we got greedy and wanted more space at the same waterline length, so the boats got wider and higher ………

Thanks to an earlier Valerie story on WW in June 2022 we learnt from Robin Elliott and Harold Kidd that she was built for a Mr M G King of Whangarei – 35’ in length, beam of 9’ and when launched powered by a 35hp engine.

This WW link will take you to several stories on Valerie – lots of photos  https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Valerie&submit=Search

(todays photo ex fb via K Ricketts)

2021

KAWAU BOATING CLUB NEW CLUBROOMS OPENING DELAYED

So woodys that means the woody gathering this Labour Weekend is postponed until we get confirmation of the new date. If you are in the bay I understand you can poke your nose in the door for a work-in-progress peek 🙂


ANNIE – Maybe One For The Lakes

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ANNIE – Maybe One For The Lakes

Todays 26’ double-ender, woody named Annie probably started life as a lifeboat. Carved into her stem is ’S1’ which may have indicated starboard side #1 lifeboat.

The story goes that she was owned by the Connells Bay Store, Waiheke Island and used as a supply vessel c.1950’s > 1960’s, a large front hatch supports this. No engine but was previously powered by a For 60hp inboard. The shaft and prop are still in place.

Hauled out at Mangawhai several years ago, her restoration may to a halt not far in – could be a nice lake boat project. (Tme heads up thanks to Ian McDonald)

Milford Cruising Club – A Peek Back In Time

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Pirate Ship c.1930
Swimming Pool c.1928

Milford Cruising Club – A Peek Back In Time

Following on from Saturdays WW story on the MCC 100th Anniversary weekend, today thanks to the photo gallery the club hosted. We get to see what the area surrounding the MCC looked like in the late 1920’ > early 1930’s. Sadly most of the infrastructure we see in the photos is long gone, but the club and marina have never been in better shape.

We also get a look at a few of the clubs on-the-water outings.

Some of the local businesses in the area took the opportunity to join in on the festivities – well done The Slipway Milford for dressing the yard, special thanks to the ‘gent’ that lent me the navy signal flags and pennants 😉

On the Saturday, despite the weather the MCC held a parade of club craft out of the estuary and along Milford Beach – as always the quicks couldn’t help themselves – video below filmed from Jason Prew’s classic launch – ‘My Girl’, the motorboat attempting to kept up is – ‘Waikiore’,owned by Murray Deeble .

Another view 🙂

MILFORD CRUISING CLUB 100TH BIRTHDAY 1923 > 2023

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MILFORD CRUISING CLUB 100TH BIRTHDAY 1923 > 2023

Rather a big weekend in and around the Milford Creek – the Milford Cruising Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this weekend. I would have lost money on that – for some reason I wasn’t aware there had been woodys sliding in and out of the creek for that many years.

Yesterday I joined a group of past commodores, life members, patrons and quests for afternoon tea – so many familiar faces . Clubs need to do more of this, the collective age in the room would have been seriously high, and sadly the numbers are dropping.

Todays photos are to give you a snap shot of the amazing photo gallery that has been pulled together recording the clubs history – the club rooms are open Sat & Sunday from 10am > 4pm for anyone and everyone to visit and experience the exhibition.

Also today at 2pm there will be parade of vessels out of the marina , down the creek and along Milford Beach.

Clubroom address is 24 Craig Rd. Milford 

Life On A Swing Mooring

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Life On A Swing Mooring

How did the owners of these launches sleep at night ? In the top photo dated 1975 we see the sad sight of a launch being pounded on the Tamaki Drive breakwater , a not uncommon occurrence . Anyone know the name of the launch.

In the images below this photo I have cropped in to show some of the moored craft.  Can the hawk eyed woodys ID any of them. I think the Roy Parris built – Pleasure Lady is centre in the second photo. (photo ex Lew Redwood fb)

INPUT ex Nathan Herbert -Boat on the rocks appears to be Te Kowhai, boat identified as Pleasure Lady is Istalena, at left is Almana, and perhaps in distance what looks like Adelaide V with previous low bridgedeck.

Micheline

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MICHELINE

In the above photos we see the launch Micheline – while both photos appear to be on the same day, they are tagged March 1967 and 1965 – obviously a typo. The photos come to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.

Given that on Micheline’s stern she has her port as Tauranga, there is something strange going on – in the top photo she has either just come out of the shed or been hauled out. In the second photo she is being positioned onto a transporter. Maybe its as simple as going somewhere land based to have engine/s installed.

Can we ID the location and learn what became of Micheline.

UPDATE – Location is Hutcheson Boat Builders yard/slip by the Tauranga Harbour Bridge – opposite the Bridge Marina.

05-10-2023 INPUT ex Dean Wright – Waimarie II, renamed Kiwi Cruiser, hit Tapeka one night in 2000 and was a total loss. This article says built by O&G in 1967 https://issuu.com/sunmedia/docs/wl1102/23

WW link to Waimarie II story https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/12/waimarie-ii/

(Photo below ex Ken Ricketts)

RSVP TO – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Woodys On Tour – UK

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Woodys On Tour – UK

While most Kiwis heading to the northern hemisphere had France on the radar, Murray Deeble was swanning around Britain feeding his other addiction in life – classic automobiles eg the Silverston Classic Festival and the Goodwood Revival. 

Luckily Murray took a few wrong turns and ended up in Windermere in Cumbria. Lake Windermere is found in the Lake District National Park and is Englands largest lake, more importantly it is home to ‘Windermere Jetty – an on-the-water museum of boats and steam launches built at a cost of 20 million pound.

Murrays photos above are just a snap shot – checkout the displays here

https://lakelandarts.org.uk/windermere-jetty-museum/

STILLWATER WOODYS WATERFRONT PICNIC – OCT 7TH – RSVP NOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com

WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL

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R Tucker Thompson

WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL

Today I wanted give you a heads up about an upcoming woody event – the 2023 Whangarei Maritime Festival , October 14>15th, at the Town Basin.

The venue is already a very cool destination for anything maritime based, but over the weekend it will buzz with non stop activities – 30+ boats on display, free boat rides, food and entertainment, trade displays, talks and movies, arts and crafts market. Check out the Festival Sound programme below + the link to the festival website.

https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz

Check out a previous WW story on the venue https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/27/wooden-boats-whangarei-town-basin/

Saturday is a big day for NZ – hopefully the nation awakes up and heads off to a polling booth. Depending on the result I’ll be at the festival on Sunday, if the worst happens on Saturday night, probably best I’m not behind the wheel of a vehicle – I’ll be investigating setting up bryonbaywoodys 🙂

FESTIVAL SOUND PROGRAMME

Downloadable Event Booklet Below

updated-promo-bookletDownload

WHANGAREI FLASH BACK

The photo below has appeared many times on various social media sites, but this is the best reproduction I have seen – comes to us ex Dean Wright via the Tauranga Library collection.