Hauling Out At The Cement Works Marina – Warkworth
Have been stalking this place of late – the haul-out set up is new to me, but I’m sure the concept is used else where around the country.
Nice to see Pirate relaunching after a quick haul for some TLC and a survey……… my lips are sealed 😉
WOODYS WEEKEND CLEVEDON CRUISE – NEW DATE – CONFIRMED
More details next week – but circle the date in the diary 🙂
Wailani
I recently spotted the launch Wailani hauled out at the Te Atatu Boating Club yard. Slightly embarrassed to say I know very little about her other than back in the 1930s she was one of active launches that took part in the NZ Power Boat Association launch races on the Waitemata Harbour.
Can anyone tell us more about Wailani?
Update ex Donna Lewis – photo below of her at Great Barrier Island 1991 when owned by our dear friends Herb & Joy Lever. We were with them In Lady Pat (Woollacott Ketch)
I will call Joy (Tuakau) Wednesday & ask more about Wailani. For a time they kept her moored in the Clevedon River & also at Waiheke Island. Most likely Putuki Bay, Ostend.
HAUMOANA
The 1949 Colin Wild designed and built launch – Haumoana has made several appearances on WW, primarily because its a Col Wild, so it is very special and secondly because its owned by a very nice Lake Rotoiti couple that kindly host us when we are at the lake for the annual Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Link below to past story. Haumoana measures 30’x9’5”x4’ and has undergone several refits in her life.
WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/06/05/haumoana/
One of neat things about WW is when out of the blue you get an email like the one below from Doug Peacock whose father – Chris, once owned Haumoana and kept her at Half Moon Bay marina.
“My parents owned Haumoana from about 1990 through to mid 2000’s. I was showing my father your Waitamata Woodys site last night for two reasons, 1. I’m obsessed with your site it’s really incredible what you are doing telling the stories of all these wonderful boats with so much history, and 2. Because I’d seen there were some new photos of Haumoana on Lake Rotoiti that I wanted to show him.
Next thing he disappears down stairs for a while and came back with a photo album dedicated to Haumoana. I took a quick few iPhone shots of the photos to share with you, sorry they have a lot of reflection. He said he has heaps more stuff he couldn’t find last night.
Anyway I have great memories of summers away on Haumoana and am chuffed that it’s being kept in such great shape by it’s current owners.”
In the last photo above the lad on the left is Doug. Photos below of Haumoana on Lake front Rotoiti.
LUYVON
A few weeks ago Glenn Martin sent in the above photos of woody speed boat hibernating in Taupo. Do not want to give the location away but – near the marina.
As Glenn commented there appears to be a cool hull shape hiding under that tarp. Well thanks to a WW story back in Oct 2017 by Paul Drake we know that the hull was very quick – back in c.1935/36 she narrowly missed out on being the fasted boat on Lake Taupo – just beaten by Piri Pono. Read the story at the WW link below, make sure you also read the Comments Section – good chat there. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/31/three-taupo-boats/
Thanks to Paul and Harold Kidd we know that Luyvon was designed and built by Jack Taylor and launched in November 1934. She was two skin kauri and supposedly 23ft x 7ft. On her trials she attained 25mph.
I love that its tied onto the fence post – just in case it floats away 🙂
POPEYE
The woody day boat Popeye last made an appearance on WW back in August 2018, at the time we uncovered a lot of history on her – see WW link to read and view https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/08/28/popeye/
A few months ago her owner, Adrian Howitt contacted WW advising that she was most likely for sale and that he was testing the water on tme.
Popeye was built in c.1941 and started life on the Hokianga Harbour as a fishing boat. She has twice been given a birthday – back in c.1998 by Greg Lees Boatbuilders in Sandspit and in 2015 by Colin Brown Boatbuilder.
The photos above are more recent from when Adrian gave her a ‘general spruce up’ (his words) A newish (2012) Yanmar 1GM provides the forward motion.
Nautical Car Boot Sale – This Sunday – 3rd – Sandspit Yacht Club
Seeing you have an extra hour to play with on Sunday (end of day-light-saving) why not point the car north and do a road trip to the famous SYC car boot sale – lots to see and buy + there is a live band and great coffee & food.
Sale starts at 8.30am > 10.30
Lots of other activities to do in the area, so get off the couch and head north.
WOODYS CRUISE TO CLEVEDON POSTPONED – NEW DATE TBA
RAMOE – A Project
Recently WW was contacted by the owner of the launch Ramoe, who was looking to find a new owner to complete the restoration of the boat. At the time they commented that ‘they have all the gear needed, she just needs to be put back together’. The boat has had the deck stripped back and cabin sides to glass over, also the windows need to be fitted. Ramos has been fitted with new Volvo Penta 75hp engine.
In the ‘old’ photo above she looks very smart. Anyone interested or wanting to know more – contact owner at steve.b.mouldey@gmail.com
Also interested in learning more about the boat – designer / builder etc etc
Amazing Restoration of 1912 Classic Lake Boat – Lion
How did I miss this story on fb from a year ago – back in August 2020 on WW we covered the amazing restoration of the 38’ launch built in 1912 by James McPherson in Dunedin for Hugh McKenzie of Lake Wakatipu (thank you HDK for the intel)
How today thanks to a fb post by the company that restored her – the Repair My Boat Yard (formerly Southern Classic Boats) in Invercargill, South Island, we get to see Lion, back on Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown.
Hats off to everyone that was involved in the project – she is up there with Rawhiti in terms of attention to detail and workmanship.
View the restoration story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/08/03/restoration-of-mv-lion/
And a peek back at per restoration here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/15/lion/
27-04-2023 UPDATE – video footage of Lion at the 2023 Southern Lakes Classic and Historic Boating event.
Marina Mooching – Warkworth / Mahurangi River
Over the weekend I had cause to visit an area that I had often passed by boat but never on land – the area I refer to is the ‘Old Cement Works’. Home these days to the very funky Mahurangi Marina. Its just 5 minutes from the Warworth township and as well as dockside berths, offers halibut and hardstand facilities.
There is a nice selection of woody / classic craft tied up and with the ruins of the cement works as a backdrop, its very pleasant. The grounds I imagine would be a popular picnic spot and there’s even a fresh water lake, photos below.
Enjoy the gallery
THANK YOU 🙂
Had a wonderful response to Mondays story asking for help locating a source of kauri for the rebuild of the fire damaged classic launch – Kokoru. Currently fine tuning the exact requirements and will be back in touch with the good folk that reached out with potential solutions 🙂
EASTER – Looking To Do Something Special
On behalf of WW – Jason Prew has been pulling together an amazing Easter cruise. The plan is to cruise up the Waihou River to the township of Paeroa for the weekend. To ensure a safe passage up the river there will be a local woody piloting.
Due to space restraints the guest list is limited to 12 boats – and as of today there are only 2>3 vacant spots.
Cruising experiences like this trip are rare so contact Jason jason@slipway.co.nz for more details and to grab a spot.
Weekend Overview:
Easter Friday > Meet at Thames / Kopu bridge. Travel in convoy to Paeroa
Saturday > do the “tourist things” Museum visit, shops etc
Sunday > return down river in afternoon
Sunday night / Monday > free to do your own thing
Part of the weekend will be a visit to the Paeroa Historic Maritime Museum and Park (you’ll be moored in front), the venue is one of the best displays of NZ and local maritime history including Captain Cook, The Northern Steamship Co., Naval displays and many scale replicas of vessels.
Mystery Bay of Island Yacht REGULUS
On morning of 13th March Dean Wright spotted the above yacht off Moturua Island in the BOI.
A mystery to Dean and myself – can anyone put a name to the boat and tell us about her?
Input from John Bertenshaw. -the mystery schooner is Regulus , a William Hand design originally from San Francisco. Its been in the bay for some here. Circa 1928 build or so IIRC. Photo below
The Mence armada, below, sharing the Slipway at Milford this week 😉
The Balmain Bug
Hugh Gladwell sent in the above YouTube link to a very cool video on the Australian Balmain Bug – the six foot skiffs that hav been racing on Sydney Harbour for over 130 years. As Hugh joked – perfect for someone wanting to get into classic yachting without the marina fees 🙂
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