Over the weekend one of my spotters, sent in the photos above of Galatea hauled out at Te Atatu Boating Club – the answer to ‘what happened to Galatea’ – is – not much happened to her. Fingers crossed she gets a break and is returned to her 2017 condition. In the 2017 WW story we did not uncover much about the vessel – can anyone enlighten us more?
Explanation – if you wondered why you received two email today – the first one, the ‘Woodys Classic Events’ calendar was just a posting to allow me to get the calendar into the WW system, so I can link to it. Make a note of the dates in your diary, I’ll be sending out invites closer to the actual dates. If you haven’t been receiving notifications about Woody events – drop me an email with – your name, boat name + mob # (some comms we do via txt – send to waitematawoodys@gmailcom.
May 23rd – Moon Engines – Diesel Maintenance WorkshopDONE
June 20th – Riverhead Tavern Lunch CruiseDONE
August 14th > 15th – Clevedon River Dockside BBQ (overnight)DONE
October23rd > 25th – Woodys Long Weekend Cruise to Kawau Island (Labour Weekend) – Saturday morning Dinghy Cruise up Matakana River to Markets. Sunday evening dinner / gathering at Kawau Boating Club. POSTPONED – NEW DATE TBA
November 28th – Sunday – Riverhead Tavern Lunch cruise
2022
February 26th – Stillwater Dockside Afternoon Picnic
The above gatherings are put on to encourage classic boat owners to use and enjoy their boats more, and meet like minded people. We point out that the get togethers are not Classic Yacht Association (CYA) organised events. They have a cruising focus and the locations point to participation by launches but we welcome all classic vessels.Invitation to the events is via email and the waitematawoodys.com website. If you would to be sent invites, simply send an email with your name, boat name & mobile # to waitematawoodys@gmail.com Closer to the actual dates, we send more details to attendees.
In fact a tad more than a facelift- its a total refit 🙂
A couple of weeks ago I was moodching around the Tauranga / Mount Maunganui area and took Doug Owens up on his longstanding offer to view Nereides in her ’shed’. The timing was perfect as I also meet son Mohi, who is project managing the refit. Click photos to enlarge.
Nereides has always been a rather special woody – as are most boats built by Colin Wild. She slipped out of the CW shed in 1937 and her specs where 55’x15’x6’5″ and powered by a 200hp John Deere. The photos above are a combination of the ones I took on the day and others shared by Doug and Mohi, as you can see its a mammoth undertaking but is very close to re-launch. WW will kept you in the loop on this project.
Pre – Refit
UPDATE 12-04-2022 Getting very close to splash day 🙂
CLEONE Back in 2015 Cleone made an appearance on WW and Harold Kidd provided the following on her – Arnold (Bill) Couldrey designed CLEONE for Bert Follas in 1948 and had her built by Jim Young a little later, probably launched in 1950. She originally had a petrol engine, later replaced with a Ford diesel. Follas owned her until about 1963 when M. Alison of Waitangi Rd, Onehunga bought her. John Grainger owned her from 1975 to 1987. I have a bunch of pics during his ownership. John Stubbs bought her in 1989. His story was that CLEONE was the first boat Jim Young built when he came out of his apprenticeship because she was the size of his shed.
On a recent visit to Hobsonville Marina )West Park) I spotted Cleone hauled out for some TLC . The varnished coamings have gone but she is still a very smart woody. In the last few years Cleone has joined the woody fleet on several of our Riverhead Tavern lunch cruises – hopefully she will be there again next Sunday – 20th. That was a poor way to get a plug in for the event 🙂
30-10-2022 UPDATE – recently contacted by Andrew Plume with the following note – “A friend has just told me about your web site and thought it would be fun to let you know that after John Stubbs passed away last year, I was fortunate enough to receive a beautiful scale model of Cleone which John built and I painstakingly transported back to my home in Australia. The passage was highly successful, and Cleone now sits in all her glory as a centrepiece in my home office.John & Jean Stubbs loved Cleone and would be very happy she continues to give so much to so many – on and off the water.”
Around The Yards – Centaurus Angus Roger’s 42’ 1967 1968 Bailey & Sons built launch – Centaurus has been tucked away over winter in a shed up the Tamaki River getting a serious serving of TLC to her hull. I understand that there was an accumulation of old anti-fouling removed, back to bare wood, and the process started again. Looks very impressive and back in the water later this week, Just in time for the Woody Riverhead Tavern lunch cruise on the 20th June.
Since buying Centaurus in late 2019, Angus has undertaken numerous upgrades and enhancements to the vessel, that sees her in the best condition of her life. I will have to reserve him a ringside wharf berth at the Tavern wharf 😉
Todays photo is dated 1969 and shows a camping ground, tagged – ’Smiths Holiday Camp, Paihia ’. Not sure exactly where that was, but its a mirror of my summer holidays at Simpsons Beach Camp on the Coromandel. Even the dinghy in the foreground. My father built me one, it took 4 kids to just move it – built like a brick out-house 🙂
I love the fact that there are so many kids playing in the water and it appears no adult supervision – we have become so PC.
I Feel Like Kim Kardashian
Lots of body shaping, filling (botox) and make-up under way on my old girl – the rudder and surrounding area was a mess and in need of some TLC. New – rudder tube, shaft, arm and bearings have been crafted and installed, yet to sea trial but its just so smooth to operate, the previous setup was very rudimentary.At the same time lots of other work underway, its been a long 3 weeks.
It is almost a year since I popped into the Panmure boat shed to check on the progress of the restoration of Steve and Colette Popie’s 38’ bridge-decker – Royal Falcon.So last week I accepted the invitation to view the 1934 Cox & Filmer built launch and woodys its a thing of beauty – check out the finish on the hull 🙂
Launch day is a few weeks away, then the final touches will be done on her berth. The attention to detail is 10/10 but in Steve’s words “its the best of both worlds – classic and modern systems, in terms of safety and ensuring she lasts another 80+ years. Links to previous WW stories below
For the petrol (diesel heads) below is a short clip of the Commer TS3 being fired up for the first time post re-build. Owner Steve commented that the puff of smoke is the residual lube oil from the new cylinder sleeve installation 🙂
Details on the Royal Falcon – Rootes TS3 engine below ex Mark Erskine:
Some basic engine info and specs are as follows:
The engine is a Rootes TS3 2-stroke diesel, model 3DB-215 as used in Commer Trucks from 1967 to 1972-ish.
Designed and manufactured by Rootes Diesel Engineering Division of Rootes Group, UK.
Commonly referred to as “Commer TS3” through their connection to Commer trucks.
Three cylinder, opposed piston (2 X opposing pistons per cylinder), scavenge blown 2-stroke, twin rocker beam, diesel engine (see video of operating cycle https://www.commer.co.nz/other-stuff/videos)
215 cu in / 3.562 litre.
Known around the world for their legendary reliability and extreme engine life, high power density and fuel efficiency.
This engine was extensively reconditioned and restored to new condition / factory specifications by Rootes Engine Services, Auckland (www.commer.co.nz)
This engine produces from 65 HP @ 1,000 rpm, to 140HP @ 2,400 rpm.
Maximum torque is 340 ft lbs at 1,250 rpm.
Most economical running between 1,200 to 1,800 rpm.
Rootes heat exchanger for engine oil cooling.
Water cooled exhaust manifold for marine use.
Lees type heat exchanger for engine coolant.
Savage heat exchanger for gearbox oil cooling.
Diesel fuel consumption (liters per hour) in “Royal Falcon” to be advised, but will be extremely low.
Maximum speed with current prop to be advised.
Designed as an “under-floor” engine for Commer trucks, these engines have a very low engine height above the crankshaft center line, allowing for a flat cabin floor with no engine box intrusion in the cabin.
Gearbox is a Borg-Warner Velvet Drive 26 spline 72C model (1.91:1 ratio).
SURPRISE Mooching around the Milford Cruising Club yard I spotted the 33’ Logan replica launch (yes -its f/glass) – Surprise hauled out. Once owned by an old friend – Dennis Wilde, sadly deceased.
Surprise I understand was one of the early boats out of the mould and doesn’t have the enclosed cockpit, but I’m a fan of those drop-down sides , shades of a long-wheel base African safari Landrover :-)Sadly the Logan 33 moulds were sold to the USA and I understand have never been used. These boats were decades ahead of the market and are in high demand on the 2nd-hand market.
Hopefully an owner (Alan Good) will comment more on the the various models launched.
Just A Fu@king Work Boat Just before Easter (approx. two months ago) I did a two hour in/out haul out at The Slipway Milford for a quick bottom clean, as I was leaving the Milford Creek I passed the 1920 built ex Auckland Harbour Board vessel – Te Hauraki on-route to the Slipway, for a few week weeks TLC.
On Friday owner Rodger Moore proudly re-launched – Te Hauraki after an an extensive refit. Joe Average standing on the dock would struggle to spot most of the work undertaken because to quote Rodger “It’s just a f@cking work boat”, so everything gets covered in paint 🙂 and kept as close to original as possible. But having spent the last 10 days alongside her on the slip I can tell you these days she is a very special work boat and very loved by Rodger and family. Another happy owner and her photo will proudly grace the lunch room wall at the yard. Well done Cam and Jason 🙂
09-06-2021 UPDATE – Te Hauraki owner, Roger Moore, was pleasantly surprised recently to receive a ph call from his son giving him the heads up on a model of Te Hauraki on display / sae in a gallery on Waiheke Island. It was very quickly snapped up and now takes pride of place in Rogers ‘den’
Several weeks ago we run a story on WW about the fate of the Stow & Son – UK yacht – Imatra, that is dining a slow death up the Tamaki River in Auckland. At the time xxx pointed out that there was another Stow & Son yacht (built in 1899) – the 52’, gaff, yawl – Tern II in New Zealand. She is for sale on the UK yacht brokers website – Sandeman Yacht Company – I have taken the of reproducing the background story on how she ended up in NZ.This link will take you to their site to see over 40 photos and read more about her http://www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk/yacht/467/stow-and-sons-39-ft-gaff-yawl-1899-project-completionThanks to Mark Erskine for the heads up on this hidden gem.
Tern II was launched as White Kitten in 1899, from the yard of Stow and Son, in Shoreham, UK. In early 1910 she was purchased by Claude Worth, who owned her for a couple of years and made several changes to her; documented in his book “Yacht Cruising.” Meanwhile all the ironwork he had made at this time is still with the vessel.
After numerous owners over the next few decades, she came into the hands of Ben Pester, a New Zealand naval officer who had finished a period of service in the U.K. and was keen to return to NZ under sail. This passage, in 1951-52, was written about in his book “Just Sea and Sky”, published in 2010.
Tern II changed hands again a few times, until she was found abandoned and a somewhat worse for wear in a mud berth near Thames North Island NZ, by Bill Cunningham. Going aboard with a mate unsure if she was worth saving; after downing the bottle of whisky found below it was decided she was indeed worthy – and thus began a 9 year period that she spent hauled out in his back yard in Cambridge not far away, replacing the deck with the addition of a cabin and all her spars, and a new interior. Her counter had been removed sometime before this and the rig changed to a cutter. She was re launched in April 1981.
Bill parted with her in 1991 and she was owned for a time by Mick Reynolds, and then Lyn Avatar, who had planned to sail her to Hawaii but cut the journey short after a 24 day passage to Tonga from the Bay of Islands. She then lay on a mooring there until the current owners came across her on their way to New Zealand. For a sum including coverage of outstanding mooring fees, a bottle of rum, and a kiss, they secured ownership and arranged shipping back to New Zealand. She is currently being stored undercover in a yard in Whangarei, Northland and undergoing restoration.
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