Earlier this week we featured a 16’ Carl Augustin designed run-about named Mare-Ee-An, today we have another craft by the same designer. A little bigger this time at 40’ and built in 1968.
Sonar Mia popped up back in February in Gisborne on a Turners Auction site after a grounding (their words) and was for sale as-is-where-is. The opening bid was $100. From the photos there was a lot of work needed, but someone may have got a bargain. The engine is a Ford Lees Marine 180hp diesel.
Do we know if she was saved or went to the land fill.
FYI – back in March 2019 a descendent of a previous owner was trying to track the boat down. I forwarded the 2023 Turners link but never heard back from them – that story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/03/23/edna/
Major (christian name, not a rank) Bailey built four launches that we are aware of – thanks to Ken Ricketts and Graeme Varcoe today we get to see them together, excluding the last built, those name is not recorded. The First built was – Florae / Floray (seems to have had an identity crisis over time) , later named Leilani and currently high and draw in a Thanes paddock.
Second was – Flolaine, now named Awatea
Third was – Christine
Fourth – unknown – anyone able to help with details. Amusing (in hindsight) launch day story below ex KR. The Launching And Near Sinking Of #4 Boat
KR commented that Major Bailey had some radical views on boat systems and fit out. With the fourth boat he developed a steering system which was or looked like half a petrol or oil drum encircling each propeller and turning right left which was supposed to direct the prop wash and steer the boat but when you turned the wheel absolutely nothing happened, as much of the prop thrust water just went out the back and the prop thrust was simply lost completely.
#4 had two 6 cyl. second hand Fords, very poorly home converted, and badly installed in the stern with detached vee drives, along other bits & pieces. All the underwater gear seemed to leak through the hull and added to almost sinking post launching, refer below.
KR commented that on launch day she almost sunk immediately on launching and would not steer. The yard would not lift her out again due to a dispute, so they steered her as best they could with the engines as quickly as they could downstream to Eastern Marina Services (Terry Burling). There they beached her on the ramp, to effect urgent matters to make her seaworthy and steerable.
The boat had all sorts of unique bits about her all of which mostly designed by Major Bailey and mostly just did not work.
KR also commented that #3, Christine was very ugly, with the hull, all rough and showing all the planks & seams, and the flare was horrible with a slanting forward deck line at the bow. He was putting more & more radical & impractical ideas in the succession of his boats as they went on.
So woodys it appears and KR agrees that Leilani was the pick of the bunch 🙂 I wonder what became of the fourth build ………….
One of our most passionate and talented woodys – Olaf Wiig is currently based in the UK but still owns back in NZ the stunning 48’ 1953 Lidgard built launch – Ngaro (photo below) which the family cruises on in the NZ summer (when we have one).
After returning this time to the UK Olaf quickly found a woody project to keep his hand in.
The photos above are of Olaf’s 1930’s Andrews slipper launch named – Vega. This is a style of launch which is unique to the upper Thames. The first of its type was a boat called “merc” it is part of the national Maritime museum’s collection https://nmmc.co.uk/object/boats/slipper-launch-merk-from-1912/
Olaf commented that the boat had been out of the water for some time so the main job was to address the dried out bottom planks and re caulk her seams. The more enjoyable bit was to re-varnish her. Some 14 odd coats of traditional yacht varnish and some 24ct gold leaf she was ready for the water. Just in time for the Thames traditional boat festival, and that will be tomorrows story 😉
Back in March we sadly reported that the Jim Young designed launch – Lady Gazelle (formerly Gazelle) had been struck by another vessel and came free from her Coromandel Harbour mooring. Lady Gazelle ended up on the rocks and sustained enough damage for the insurance company to write the vessel off. Link below to that story.
We were heartened to learn that a new owner had stepped up and bought the boat and had started to repair her.
Today we can report that she was relaunched this week at Clevedon and looks as new. Well done to all those involved in her rebuild.
The above photo shows the 38’ big game launch – Aquarius. Along side the wharf at Russell the Bay of Islands. The photo is dated 1961 and comes to us via Lew Redwoods fb.
Aquarius was built / launched in 1955 by Supreme Craft. She first appeared on WW back in 2018 as a SOS story and over the next 3 years we followed her resume and restoration – links to those stories below + 2018 photos of her leaving Waiheke Island and relaunched in 2021.
Woody Kerry Lilley sent in the tale below concerning the launching of the 1964 Owen Woolley built launch – Freelance. At the time Kerry was an apprentice to Owen Woolley (1964 -1970) and now owns the 32′ Woolley launch – Awariki, which he helped build and launch in 1967. I’ll let Kerry tell the story.
“I started my boatbuilding apprenticeship in mid 1964, Freelance was in the final stage of her interior fit out for Mr Ken Williams from memory he was head of the Ak branch of the Master Builders Assn., the launching of Freelance was on the cover a special edition of the Seaspray Magazine sliding down the slipway.
When Mr Williams took Freelance away from Owen Woolley’s shed intending to steam her to her pile up the Clevedon River, in going through between Browns Is and Musick Point he hit the ( I understand it’s a block of concrete used to hold anti submarine net during the 2nd world war) no damage to the hull or keel but the propeller was bent and tore the stern bearing out of the keel and stalled the engine.
So 3 hours after steaming away from our shed over the Tamaki River, old Bert Subrisky on the tug – Romo pushes Freelance back for repair new prop shaft, stern bearing, copper stern tube and Kauri repair to the keel.”
I wonder if the concrete block is still there or some kind sole used so dynamite on it. (Photo above taken at the 2020 Mahurangi Regatta)
60 years later we still have launch day oops – my lips are sealed ;-), its not Freelance.
INPUT ex Nigel Drake (current custodian) – “Despite that early mishap Freelance is going strong and will celebrate 60 years next year. She has just completed 2 weeks of TLC in the shed in Tauranga.”
After an extended period of one family ownership the 1968 Arnold Couldrey designed, Salthouse built, 28’ launch – Pirimanu changed hands several times.
Happy to report that her current owner has engaged Blair Boats in the far north to undertake some deferred maintenance. The previous (sub 12 mths) owner bought Pirimanu gave her a lick of paint and some new cushion covers and put her back on the market at almost double the purchase price. As most WW readers know, old wooden craft aren’t like villas in Auckland’s Herne Bay in terms of return on funds spent 🙂
Eventually the price came back to realistic and she sold – now she is getting some TLC. Hopefully she will return to the Waitemata but I suspect she will join the growing fleet of Bay of Islands woodys.
Current work underway is replacing the windows and a back to bare wood varnish job. I had heard a re-power might be on the ’To Do’ list. Current zoom zoom is via a 3 cylinder Bukh engine that has had its hp ‘tricked’ to upwards of 60hp.
The headline above comes from a t-shirt that the boys at Off Center Harbor gave me and it fits todays story perfectly. Some photos that drop into my inbox go straight to the ‘WoW Keeper’ file – todays is one of those, it comes to us ex Tauranga Library archives via Dean Wright.
The chap in the deck chair doesn’t look like he has been on the end of a paint brush, maybe an owner supervising the work, or maybe just taking in the vista. What ever he is doing I think we all need to do more of it 🙂
The photo is tagged ;ady-Julie Nov 1960, I suspect that is a typo and it should read – Lady-Julie, so woodys are we able to ID launch in the background?
Todays very impressive photo comes from the Tauranga Museum archives via Dean Wright and show the launching of the launch – Sapphire, also centre stage is Lady Lynn. Photo dated Dec 1969
Lady Lynn – 48’ built by Oliver & Gilpin – later named changed to Lady Sophia and currently Tide Song. Read and view more about her here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/06/lady-lynn-lady-sophia-tide-song/
Sapphire – Don’t know anything about Sapphire but In May 2016 Dean Wright snapped the 1st photo below of Sapphire in a berth at Whangaroa Marina. And again in Jan 2017 she popped up again in a gallery of photos that Dean sent in from the Far North, 2nd photo below.
Recently woody Simon Smith commented that all the mystery launches were a struggle for the stick & rag brigade that follow WW. Simon sent in the above photo , so today can we ID the yacht and possibly the design.
INPUT ex Jim Lott – Hull looks like an early Bert Woollacott. Could well be Vectis, but only if she was later rerigged. When I had Vectis in 1972-6 she had two sets of spreaders and the boom was a bit shorter.
INPUT ex Robin Elliott – Although the boat is Vectis, that “23/7/23” date is a bit dodgy. Vectis was not launched until 1930. NZ Herald 15/11/30: Mr. Wollacott’s new cruiser Vectis, which, is ready for launching at Devonport during this week-end was registered in the C class, although her waterline length of 27 feet would qualify her for the B class if length alone was the deciding factor. Vectis is 31ft overall and a wholesome type of cruiser.
I can’t just leave you with one photo of a yacht so check out the short film below of Auckland’s North Shore in the 1920’s. It was filmed an advertisement for the Devonport Ferry Company showcasing what the shore offered.
For the time poor just fast forward to the 4:14 mark – some great footage of the Devonport waterfront and craft hauled out at the Devonport Yacht Club + Bayswater in its heyday , how did we ever let that gem of a location slide into the condition it is today?.
Further on there is some excellent sailing footage and I love the pond yachts. ENJOY (ex Ngatira Tronga Sound & Vision) – CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 15+ million views 