Category Archives: Boat Sheds

Kitty Vane Update

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KITTY VANE UPDATE

Back in 2015 we posted a photo of the 1956 Kitty Vane on the hard at Te Atatu Boating Club, West Auckland – she was looking very down in the dumps, then in Jan 2020 we were told she had been sold and returned to the North in late 2018. Designed and built by Ces Watson, Kitty Vane spent many years big game fishing out of Tutukaka, under the ownership of the Going family.

Then in April 2020 we did a story asking if anyone knew where KV was and hit the jackpot, lots of information and photos came in – see here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/04/20/kitty-vane-where-are-you/ We even have copies of her line drawings, sent in by Peter Watson, son of Ces Watson.

Fast forward to June 2020 and WW is contacted by her new owners – Michelle and Blair Kennard – I have reproduced Michelle’s email below

“In 2018 my partner and I found Kitty Vain on Trademe, my partner an avid fisherman and has had the life-long dream to own and restore a boat. When we saw Kitty Vane for sale we started reading about the history and fell in love, we couldn’t believe the state she was in and knew she needed rescuing.

We had her bought up on a truck and she now lives on our section under a purpose built shed in Kerikeri. We are slowly chipping away at restoring her to her former and original glory, it will be a father and son project who are both carpenters with a love for beautiful craftsmanship. 

We are hoping in the next couple of years she will have two new engines and will become our family boat along with the dream of being a ‘historical experience’ fishing charter. 

If you know of any boat history books with Kitty in could you please let me know”

Fast forward again to Jan 2021 and we are contacted by ‘Nelliefish’ (sorry that’s all I have from their email address), who sent in the rather grand photo above of Kitty Vane – do not know when or where, so only really inspiration for the Kennard’s unless me can date the photo and location.

Update: Location may be Hobsonville and 2005 – but not confirmed.

1965 SEACRAFT SPEEDOMETER
Woody Barrie Abel needs to replace the speedometer on his 1965 Seacraft – its is a 4″ diameter chrome pitot type gauge.
Barrie commented that the modern ones look out of place and what started off as a delicate procedure to assess and repair, has gone from bad to worse, and its time to abandon the current one…..
If anyone knows of someone who would consider selling one, or something similar. Email WW at waitematawoodys@gmail.com
In the mine time I’ll chase Barrie for a photo of the gauge. Photo below of boat.

Oranui – Part Two

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Waikawa early 2000’s
Hobsonville Aug 2008
Hutcheson Boat-builders 08-11-2011

ORANUI – Part Two
Yesterdays request for more intel on the yacht Oranui, hit the jackpot when Marl McLaughlin opened his WW email yesterday. Mark sent in the above and below selection of photos. If you missed yesterdays story, might be best to scroll down first and read /view it then read Mark’s input – reproduced below.


“Further to the “what became of her story” on Oranui, I have sent in some extra info and photos. The obituary details are for her builder and original owner Eric Tomkies, taken from the winter 1988 edition of the RPNYC magazine “The Rip”. Eric Tomkies was a distant relation of mine (he and my grandfather were cousins) and I know Oranui well.

Previously brothers Eric, Clinton and Horace Tomkies built the 47ft Burns designed RAKOA and sailed her extensively. I have included a photo (below) of Rakoa from the Gisborne Photo News, June 1954. Unfortunately Rakoa was later lost when working as a fishing boat at Stewart Island and what remains now rests on the seabed in Foveaux Strait. 

Oranui was sturdily built in strip planked kauri on a hardwood backbone. Heavy scantlings are typical of Athol Burns’ style and it is notable in the magazine article that of the six boats that came ashore in the Wahine storm, it was only the two Athol Burns boats (Hinemoana III was the other one), that were re-floated. 

Oranui has spent most of her life in the Wellington and Marlborough Sounds regions. Her 3cyl Volvo Penta diesel was re-powered with a 4cyl 52hp Yanmar diesel engine in 1999 and she circumnavigated the South Island in the early 2000’s. She was then sold to a New Plymouth based owner who cruised her extensively between New Plymouth and Nelson/Marlborough Sounds and also up to Auckland. I have attached a photo of her on the hardstand at Hobsonville Marina during this time. She was then sold in 2011 to a Wellington based Doctor who sent her to Hutcheson Boatbuilders in Tauranga for a refit before taking her back to Wellington. I spotted her motoring around Picton Harbour in January this year looking as good as new.

As per most Athol Burns designs she is functional but beautiful, and very sea-kindly for Cook Strait conditions. “

FOOT NOTE: Mark believes the RPNYC article is confusing the Wahine storm in 1968 with the storm in 1966 which the Sea Spray article about Oranui and Hinemoana III relates to. However, Eric’s brother Clinton Tomkies did tell him that Oranui came ashore in the Wahine storm as well, but he could have been confusing it with the 1966 storm too 🙂

NGARO – A Sneak Peek Before She Sells (SOLD)

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NGARO – A Sneak Peek Before She Sells

You would have to look long and hard to find a classic woody in as original condition and as highly presented as the 1953, 48’ Lidgard built launch Ngaro. Scroll down to the b/w press clippings below, showing her as launched. One well respected woody once said “Its one of the few boats that, in my opinion looks better with painted coamings than the original varnish”.

The Lidgard clan really aced it when they designed and built Ngaro – I do not think I have seen a more perfect bridgedecker and that flying bridge, which has been there since day one, scores a 10/10.

She is a very well built ship being triple skin kauri – 2 – 6’x1/2” diagonal planks and 1 – 6’x1” longitudinal plank, with 3” bronze rivets.Power comes from twin 1985, 120hp Ford diesels, both rebuilt in the last 3 years, including gearboxes. Professional bare wood anti-foul in 2020 and full repaint in late 2014 – she presents as new. The mix of painted surfaces and varnished trim is perfect. As always – click on photos to enlarge.

And guess what – Ngaro is for sale, but not for long…..
Enquiries to waitematawoodys@gmail.com


If Ngaro is not you – click the link below to view a selection  from the oodles of classic woodys currently for sale 🙂

Pandora

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PANDORA
After all the shinny paint yesterday probably best to have a work-boat story today. The 48’ fishing boat – Pandora was built in the late 1960’s at the Alex Baxter Yard in Whangarei.. Her original owners were Brook and Winston Richards of Kaitaia, who had her built for commercial crawfishing. But she was set up so she could be converted to trawling within a few hours.The photo taken on launch day is dated Feb 1970 and is ex Photo News,  and comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb. A comment there stated that Pandora was the best looking fishing boat built- big call, but she is a looker.

The news paper headline read – ‘$40,000 Boat Launched’ so she must have been out there in her day.

Do we know what became of Pandora?


Remember the Riverhead Tavern Woodys cruise today – lots arriving by car, so if you are put off by the weather – take the car for a spin 🙂 details below

Raindance Gets A Birthday

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Raindance Gets A Birthday
Firstly a double apology 

1. If you are one of the several WW followers that have an issue with me posting photos of my launch – switch off and read a book, in fact do everyone a favour and push delete to WW updates

2. Today is all about the boat – after several weeks of being hauled out at The Slipway Milford, I relaunched today – I have used the term b4 but I’m as happy as a dog with two dicks 🙂
I will not bore you with all the work but Jason and Cam at the Slipway have corrected a telephone book size list of issues, faults and potential future oops – the ‘Readers Digest’ version of the work I’m very happy about is :-

• the paint job, stunning

• the steering, rebuilt including new rudder tube / stock / arm

• the mast – rewired / vanished  + visual enhancements

• refurbished stern – removed upright support posts + rot

• refastened duckboard

• addressed several niggling water leaks

Still a few cosmetic jobs on my list but she is looking 90% perfect.
If you are joining us on Sunday for the Woodys Riverhead Tavern lunch cruise, you can have.a gander dock side 🙂

(Photos ex Jason Prew & yours truly)

Snoozer

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SNOOZER
The 1947, 33’, Sam Ford built bridge-decker – Snoozer has just popped up on tme (thank you Ian McDonald),. We do not know much about her other that she is kauri carvel planked and powered by a 85hp Isuzu diesel that has her cruising at 8 knots. Whangarei is her home town. Might be wrong, but I would suspect a name change at some time.


Can anyone enlighten us on Snoozer’s past life ?

06-05-2025. UPDATE– for sale again , current owner credits her designer/ builder as Sam Ford 1947. And says previously named JUANITA – Would be nice to confirm.

Input from Bruce Pullan – bellow  is a picture of Awa Manu, it looks like Snoozer.


Yesterdays Quiz Winner To Name The Launch Alongside The Wharf  – was K. Sutherland, who was the first to correctly ID the boat as Lady Helen – WW cap on its way 🙂

The proof – ex Tudor Collins photo

What Happened to Galatea

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What Happened to Galatea
Galatea, the 1926, 36’ tram-top woody last appeared on WW back in March 2017 – Photo below + link to that storyhttps://waitematawoodys.com/2017/03/11/galatea/


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.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/17/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

WOODYS CLASSIC BOATING CALENDAR

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WOODYS CLASSIC BOATING CALENDAR

2021

May 23rd – Moon Engines – Diesel Maintenance Workshop DONE

June 20th – Riverhead Tavern Lunch Cruise DONE

August 14th > 15th – Clevedon River Dockside BBQ (overnight) DONE

October 23rd > 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.

Nereides – Gets A Facelift

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NEREIDES – Gets A Facelift


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 🙂

RSVP – BOAT NAME & # ATTENDING TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLEONE

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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.”

RSVP – Boat name & approx. # of people to waitematawoodys@gmail.com