Category Archives: Boat Sheds

WOODYS ON TOUR – THE FRENCH RIVIERA

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WOODYS ON TOUR – THE FRENCH RIVIERA

As we enter mid-winter I thought an injection of sun and sapphire blue water might be appropriate. 

Yesterday Maurice Bryham, owner of the classic woody – IONA II sent in todays gallery of photos from  Côte d’Azur (southwest corner of France)

Maurice commented – ‘some wooden boat photos from Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Med. Great to see so many wooden boats being well looked after.  Still some traditional boat yards too.  

The wooden fishing boats are still in good use.  The brother and sister caught those fish at 7am-8am with their dad and then selling them on the foreshore at 9am with their boat in the background.

30C, sunny every day and crystal clear water’

CLASSIC WOODYS HAULED OUT AT TE ATATU BOATING CLUB 

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CLASSIC WOODYS HAULED OUT AT TE ATATU BOATING CLUB 

One of the WW cadet reporters (Geoff Fiebig) was mooching around the TBC yard yesterday and spotted a few woodys out for some TLC. The 28’ L. Coulthard built – PANIA was dockside.

The woody in the top photo – GALA LASS , is new to me, can we learn more about her.

Back in my advertising agency days we used to have an in-house air brush artist (photo enhancer), he was one of highest paid eg he drove a Porsche….  These days we all have access to ChatGBT – I asked them to convert the photo of my wife’s granddads yacht ALEXA C7 to colour – 10 seconds later – its done. So woodys don’t be afraid of AI, embrace it, it is just a clever tool. Remember life before email and mobile phones.

MYSTERY TIM WINDSOR DESIGNED CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH

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MYSTERY TIM WINDSOR DESIGNED CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH

Recently the prolific fb poster Lew Redwood has been sniffing around the Maritime Museum photo archives and has discovered ( I use that term because so much of the museums treasures are ‘hidden away’ ) a treasure trove to old b/w boating images from the 1940’s.

Today thanks to Lew we get to see a 26’ classic wooden launch that was designed by Tim Windsor and built at the Shipbuilders yard in Auckland.

The photo is dated 1948 and the photographer is most likely Tim Windsor.

Can we put a name to this classic wooden launch and learn what became of her.

CLASSIC KAURI LAUNCH HUIA HAULED OUT FOR SOME TLC

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CLASSIC KAURI LAUNCH HUIA HAULED OUT FOR SOME TLC

Back early 2021 the 37’ 1919 built launch HUIA made an appearance on WW , at the time her then owner was seeking a new custodian for HUIA. Link here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/09/huia-needs-a-new-owner/

At the time we learnt she was built of kauri and powered by a 60hp Ford Lees diesel engine.

Earlier in the week her current owner, Daniel Carter posted on-line that he had just hauled her out for some TLC. The post generated some amusing chat with a previous owner (Robin Smith15 yrs) recalling that the gent he bought her off was a house painter and every year ‘annual maintenance’ consisted of him mixing together all his part tins of house paint and applying it to both the interior and exterior 🙂

Home these days is the Bay of Islands. Can we ID her builder.

THE BEST BOAT RESTORATION TOOL IS OFTEN A SHARP PAINT SCRAPER 

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THE BEST BOAT RESTORATION TOOL IS OFTEN A SHARP PAINT SCRAPER 

At first glance todays classic wooden launch would scare most off but the last photo shows that beneath all that old paint lies a nice woody. Her seller on tme is open to offers so this could be a great winter (or winters…) project.

What we are told – built in 1929 by Lidgard , she measures 31’6” and has been dry stored for a period.Her interior has been removed, as has the engine – so a blank canvas.

Anyone know the name of the vessel.

CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GRYPHON

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CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GRYPHON

Over the weekend WW was contacted by Glenys Milne who writes / edits the Sandspit Yacht Club newsletter regarding the launch GRYPHON, seen in the above photo.

The vessel had recently been ‘hauled’ out at Sandspit by the Harbourmaster, and due to neglect, was demolished.   Glenys was hoping to via WW uncover  some early history on GRYPHON and commented that she appears to have had a once fine hull, but had had alterations over time eg the enclosed cockpit. 

I tongue in cheek refer to these additions like this as TV1/2/3 i.e. she appears to have 3 TV screens on her 🙂
So woodys – can we help Glenys out with some history on GRYPHON.

IS THIS THE PERFECT WOODEN BOAT

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CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VIEW

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/how-to-build-wooden-boat-plank-on-frame-lobster-boat-part-44-build-launch-maggieann

IS THIS THE PERFECT WOODEN BOAT

I regularly rave on about the virtues of the USA based video blog  – OFF CENTER HARBOR, it is subscription based but if you need an example of value for money check out this video on the building of  the plank-on-frame wooden launch – MAGGIE-ANN. 

Todays video is a snapshot of the projects, accumulating with launch day. OCH ran a 44 part series on master boat builder Peter Buxton’s A>Z build.

This video is just one of over 500 in the library that subscribers have access to.                             OCH is the worlds leading reference tool for advice, direction and enlightenment for everything wooden boating.

Don’t believe me – check OCH out here https://www.offcenterharbor.com/about/

And it is only USD$49 for 12 months unlimited access.

BETTER STILL – HERE IS A FREE 2 WEEK TRIAL – LINK BELOW https://www.offcenterharbor.com/join-now-free-trial/?level=1&discount_code=homefreetrial

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – NGATEA

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – NGATEA

WW was contacted earlier in the week by Bob and Lea advising they were the ’new-ish’ owner of NGATEA, the 1909 built 31’ carvel kauri planked launch.

Her builder is unknown but there has been speculation that she might be by Collings & Bell.Built for the Works Department (which helps the C&B story, as they did a lot of work for the Works Dept and the Navy) for use on the Hauraki drainage scheme

Currently powered by a Yanmar 3cyl diesel 30vhp. 

Approximate owner dates – Lands and Survey Dept from 1909 > c.1923. Kapiti Island rangers boat for nearly half a century 1923 > 1973. R Saunders 1973 > 2008. Alan Codyre 2008 > 2026. And now Bob and Lea.  While operating as the Kapiti Island rangers boat she was used for mail and supply runs, and also for sea rescues up as far as Whanganui. Reg Saunders purchased her after she broke her mooring at Kapiti Island and was grounded suffering damage to its stern. Reg faithfully rebuilt her, which is probably why she remains in such great condition to this day,

Bob is yet to discover whether the cabin was modified at that time. Bob has given NGATEA a topsides repaint over the past 7 weeks while on the slip.                                                              

While NGATEA currently remains on her mooring in Ivey Bay, Wellington, later this year she will move to the Marlborough Sounds and be housed there.

13-07-2026 Update

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JRYJByZx1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT – KANONA

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CLASSIC WOODEN WORKBOAT – KANONA

Back in January  2023 Shamus Fairhead sent in some photos from a visit to the Nelson Marina, included were the two colour photos of the launch KANONA, as above.

At the time Mark McLaughlin commented that KANONA was built in Havelock by Sonny Johnson in the early 1960’s and was used until the early 1970’s by the Johnson family for the mail run there.                       She was then used as a commercial passenger boat out of Havelock under different owners (Eric Huddleston was one, there may have been more) until the mid 1990’s when she was sold to Nelson. 

The flying bridge and cockpit dodger roof and covers are additions since her time in Nelson. I travelled on her once on the way home from a high school camp in the Sounds and she is quite fast.

Today thanks to a post by Glenn Howard via Lew Redwood we get to see KANONA on her launch day. Mark’s comment re the launch being quite fast is backed up this photo, her hull has a lot of similarities to the old whale chasers – refer photo below.

MYSTERY  CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SHED & CRAFT

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MYSTERY  CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SHED &  CRAFT

Todays woody photo recently popped up on TIMESPANNER – with the following caption – “Interior view of a boatbuilder’s workshop from ground to ceiling, possibly the Bailey & Lowe yard at Sulphur Beach, Northcote, including six men working on two different yachts, with wooden scaffolds, sawhorses and ladders.” c.1920’s >1930’s. Not sure if the photographer is a James D Richardson or whether he posited the photo on the site.

The photo originally came from the Auckland Libraries heritage collection.

Any of the woody community able to shed more light on the photo. I could be wrong (normally are) but the craft in the background has in my eyes more of a launch look to her.

The ID the gents on the game launch – PIRATE, quiz last week was Bay of Islands woody Dean Wright (MV ARETHUSA).Deans entry was – “Maybe one of the early Bay of Islands International Billfish Tournaments – Jim Whitelaw on the helm, George Woller playing the fish. Those style of shirt you used to see teams in the Hawaian International Billfish Tournament out of Kona wearing them. George Woller had the charter boat Leilani that Jim Whitelaw used to skipper, so if it is him, this must have been pre that time.

Dean your WW cap is in the post 😉