RESTORATION OF THE SOUTHERN WOODEN LAUNCH – NANCY LEE
Another woody story from my new hunting ground, the ‘Memories of Abel Tasman National Park’ fb page.
Todays classic wooden launch is named NANCY LEE and the photos come to us from a Sept 2020 fb post by Darryl Wilson, via John Burland.
At the time of the post the NANCY LEE was under going a restoration at the hands of Marc Wilson and Craig Hyland,the location of the work was Port Motueka Marine Services. Looks like a big labour commitment taking her back to bare wood.
Then in 2021 Margaret posted an update, as seen in the 4th photo above, but commented that there was a wee way to go before she is back in the Riwaka Estuary.
Can we learn what happened after 2021, did she get finished and if so where is NANCY LEE now.
AND PROMISE – NO MORE Abel Tasman stories for a while 🙂
GETTING SHIPSHAPE FOR THE WOODYS CLEVEDON CRUISE THS WEEKEND Guests aboard the 55’ spirit of tradition classic woody motorsailer – ALLERGY , often marvel at the seemingly bottomless supply of rum, well woodys a recent visit to the Slipway Milford revealed the secret – Captain Dave has the boating equivalent of a wine cellar.
Joking aside its not too late to join in this weekends Classic Woody Cruise to the CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB for an overnight dockside BBQ – RSVP NOW to waitematawoodys@gmail.com for details.
LOOKING FOR A GOOD READ / GIFT
If you’re like me and find most fishing websites and magazine articles a little to fisher bloke talking to fisher bloke, Al Brown’s new book HOOKED is a great guide and reference tool + some easy recipes. To quote the back cover ‘Learn how to tie knots, bait hooks, cast lures, and fillet and cook your catch’. No glossy photos , its all illustrations and line drawings – primary audience is children and adults like me. At $35 its a bargain and if you are an expert – its the perfect gift for a grandchild or someone new to the sport. FYI – my local bookshop sold out in 24 hrs.
I decided to lead off todays photos with a great looking photo of the classic wooden launch – NANA , why? While most of the many WW stories on NANA show her either damaged and close to being broken up or during a restoration. They say cats have 9 lives, well NANA most have been a cat in another life because I do not think there is vessel on WW that has had as much misfortune as NANA has. Use the WW search panel to view her eventful past.
But today is a good story day – first some info on NANA – was designed by C. Bailey Jnr. & built by C. Bailey & Sons for Mr F Alison of Matiatia, Waiheke Island in1934 & launched in late November / December. She is 35′ with a 8′ beam & a 3′ draft. She was very quick in her early days e.g. 17 knots.
In June 2023 WW was ran an SOS story looking for a new custodian and John Woodcock stepped up to the plate and took ownership of NANA and commenced the restoration. Aside from the electrical work John has / is undertaking the work himself , with help from a few friends. The plan is to have her back in the water by Christmas.I’m sure a few woodys will be asking the question – why has this launch been ’saved’ from the back-hoe so many times, well the answers simple – 1. She’s a Bailey and that makes her special 2. She’s a drop dead looker.
So woodys enjoy the peek into John’s work and be grateful that there are still folks like John prepared to do the hard yards and save some of our fine classics.
Todays woody story comes to us from Denis O’Callahan via the November 1958 edition of Sea Spray magazine.One of the craft featured was the 34’ motor launch KALAMERA, built c.1958 by Alan (Snow) Water in Takapuna, Auckland. She was built for a gent named Jack Bennent of Paeroa. Her intended home port/s was listed as Coromandel /Whangamata, where she was to be used primarily for sport fishing.
Built of single skin (full length) 1″ kauri carvel planks, her specs were 34 x 10’6” x 3’6”.
When launched a 40hp Ford diesel powered her and given her size, gave a respectable 9 knots.
The question today woodys is what became of her post launching – did she get to Coromandel, and where has she been since. Maybe a name change. Keen to learn more.
AHEADS UP ON THE POPULARITY OF WAITEMATAWOODYS.COM
Just received the latest report on the visitation / viewing numbers for the month of August.
VISITORS – UP 13%
VIEWS – UP 84% – The highest month ever, a WW record.
Great growth with Australian readers – has been climbing for the last 3 months – 385%+ growth and maintaining the new readers. Still can’t crack the UK market 😦 get better numbers out of Italy ✓
Thanks for logging in each day. And as always please send in any woody related content.
Last week WW ran a story on a Chris Robertson designed launch named – ROAM, the story prompted Desiree and David Stuart to contact WW with more intel on what Desiree described as the Chris Robertson ‘Fast Cruiser”.
We will do a separate story tomorrow on the launch KAREMOANA (sister ship to WAIREKA) that appeared in the June 1968 issue of Seaspray magazine.
Today is all about the Stuart’s launch – WAIREKA. The Stuart family are Kerikeri boatbuilders (D&D Boatbuilding – Waipapa) and WAIREKA is there personal craft.
I’ll let Desiree tell the story –
“We have been told that WAIREKA is the last of 5 of five of Chris Robertson vessels built, launched in 1974. Four were built in quick succession, by both Chris and Brin Wilson, however, we have no evidence of a launch date, just that she is clearly built by Chris. (There are some aesthetic aspects that are clearly his and routinely appear on his other builds.)
WAIREKA’s history as we know it – Owned by ourselves, and previously in partnership with our late uncle, Duncan “Cookie” Stuart, prior to that Jack and Carol Rogers, prior to that Bob and Beryl Harkin – the trail then runs cold.
We know that WAIREKA was built when Chris Robertson was based next to Salthouse – on Target Rd? She was launched with her flying bridge which was most def. from a Mark 1 Corsair. (Now in the bin).
She’s had a lot of love lavished on her (my bank account says way too much) since coming into our ownership, but what can you do, she’s part of the family 🙂
WAIREKA is currently out of the water for engine (2725 Otosan Ford) and drive-train (Velvet Drive) work – she should be heading back into the water in the Bay of Islands, later this month.”
WAIREKA has made a couple of cameo appearances on WW, first back in January 2014 at Patio Bay, Waiheke Island and then in January 2025 in the Bay of Islands in a cruising report from Dean Wright.
Todays story is a little different, during the week WW was contacted by John Chambers who own the classic – MV NGARUNUI, a friend of John’s, Steve Lowery, is building a rather large (1/10 scale) model of the ‘old’ Police launch – DEODAR II. Looking at the photos I’m sure there are more hours in this project than building a clinker dinghy.
The craft will be radio controlled and have all the bells and whistles – twin screw + lighting (including police lights).
Specs are – length 1450mm, beam 480mm, draft approx. 100mm. Very keen to see the completed build.
A MONDAY TEASE – I have admired the 50’ launch – MARNINE for 20+ years as I have driven along Tamaki Drive and glanced across to the OBC marina. Have never managed to get aboard on my many visits to the marina but now thanks to Angus Rogers, MV CENTAURUS, we get a gander – make sure you log on Monday for the full story.
Jackie also enquired about a 28’ kauri launch named RAWHITI that was built in 1962 by her father, Harold Carey, in the shed (Strongman Bros) shown in Tuesday’s photo. The launch was sold in 1963 when the family moved from the Coromandel to live in Golden Bay in the South Island in 1963.
Jackie was very happy to see her looking so beautiful and given the WW story was 10 years ago, hoped she is still being looked after. Jackie and her sister’s are hopeful of seeing RAWHITI again.
So woodys can anyone enlighten us on where RAWHITI has been for the last 10 years and who owns now.
WW has been following the restoration of the 38’ 1967 built classic launch – TAINUI for several years and as we can see from todays photos from Blair Boats, the big day is not too far off. Wonderful work being done and owner John Sloane must be over the moon.
Lots of previous WW stories covering her past, but looking at todays photos its hard to believe she was once a Harbour Board workboat.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LIDGARD MOTORSAILER – SEA ROVER
Recently WW was connected by Herbert Crumb-Gartner in regards to his 32’ Lidgard built motorsailer – SEA ROVER.
Herbert and his wife have recently purchased the vessel do not know much about her past aside from the she was built in 1967.
Herbert has tracked down a previous owner who bought her in 2012 from a chap in Whangaparaoa, Auckland. But that woodys is as far back that she can be traced.
Today we see a mix of current photos and some more original ones, hopefully these will jog a few memories. Sad to see she lost that classic woody look – still nothing a little time with a scraper and a pot of varnish cant fix 😉
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