Category Archives: Boat Sheds

Donald Sutherland

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DONALD SUTHERLAND

The Collings & Bell launch Donald Sutherland is seen in the above photo on her launch day in January 1936.
Harold Kidd advised previously that DS was very similar to the C&B launch Miss Picton (later named Mitre Peek) that was launch early(07/12/1933).
Do we know what became of Donald Sutherland and is she still afloat?
In my eyes –  rather a pretty boat, but did Collings & Bell ever build an ugly one? 🙂
WCW Riverhead2019

Kotuku

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KOTUKU

Kotuku was designed and built by Milford boat builder Alan Williams in 1960. She measures 32’ with a 9’ beam. Power is from a BMC Commodore diesel that was new when launched.
The bridge decker is kauri carvel built and has recently changed hands after a lengthy period on trademe. New owner’s Todd and Catherine sent in the photos above of her recent TLC.
Can anyone tell us more about Kotuku’s history.

Input from Mark Erskine – ‘Reviewing the above photos, in particular the ‘work in progress’ one, I see a note on the engine photo that the owner has used 5W 30 synthetic oil in the engine and gearbox.

Generally, older diesel engines have larger internal clearances than modern engines and (generally), a 5W 30 synthetic engine oil is used in a modern, close tolerance, high revving petrol engine. 

Older diesel engines have piston ring, cylinder liner and bearing materials that require a basic, heavier viscosity, mineral oil, such as a heavy duty, high detergent / dispersant / SAE30, SAE40, 15W 40 or 20W 50 grade.

I recommend the owner contacts either Castrol or Shell technical services for their lubricant recommendation for that particular engine and the gearbox.Tthere are a lot of old diesel and petrol engines in older boats and using the wrong oil can damage the engine.’

 

 

 

Fiddlers Green

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FIDDLERS GREEN

It is believed that Fiddlers Green was built c.1930/40’s and probably started life as a motor launch used for fishing and accessing the holiday homes in the Abel Tasman area. In 1976 she was rescued and converted to a sailing ketch and given the name Fiddlers Green

She measures 14’ in length, has a 5’8” beam and draws 2’6”. Her hull is kauri and the deck, cabin-top and framing timbers were replaced in 1990. She is a regular attendee at the Antique Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes) and in 2018 won the award for best sail boat.

She is for sale on trademe and comes with a custom built (2012) galvanised trailer.

Looking For A Clinker Dinghy?

Chatting with boat builder Greg Lee he told Dale, the yard foreman is currently building a clinker dinghy to a Roy Pariss pattern. So far, Dale has glued all the lands  and just put in the surfboard clear epoxy risen because it is UV stable (photos below)Another coat or two and he will start on the ribs. When finished the intention is to sell her. Knowing Dale and his work she will be a stunner.

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BOAT PORN

Adrian Pawson is mid-way thru a re-fit on his Frostbite – Kiteroa, 1st coat of gloss went on yesterday – looking very smart 🙂

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Mystery Boats October 1939

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Mystery Boats October 1939

The above photo is tagged ‘Auckland’s Fine Holiday Week-End’ and is dated October 1939.
And interesting mix of craft hauled out, given the stated date, I would have thought it was a little late in the year to have that number of yachts with their rigs out.
Any one behave enough to name them?
Des Townson Book
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The postman/lady delivered a special parcel today, I have been sent one of ten review copies of the book ‘Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy’ by Brian Peet. It is a big read (both in size and weight – 1.8kg) with 340+ pages loaded with tales, details and hundreds of photos and line drawings.
The Foreword is written by our own Harold Kidd and I’m sure Harold and author Brian Peet won’t mind me quoting from it.
“It is without doubt, the most intimate and accurate portrayal that we will ever see of Des Townson and his yachts, but it also provides insight into that vibrant network of highly skilled people – yachtsman and yachtswoman, yacht designers and yacht builders – who have made the last 75 years of the sport in New Zealand so amazingly successful home, and on the world stage.” HKD
The on-sale date is 18th September  – I will do a review before then.  BUT GOOD NEWS waitematawoodys have two copies on offer as prizes – details to follow 🙂

Mystic

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MYSTIC
 
Back in April 2015, we ran a story on the Swanson designed launch Mystic, refer WW link below. At the time Simon Manning commented that Mystic was owned by Colin and Lorraine Davis of Blenheim. Simon recalls that the Davis’s bought her in Lyttleton, a few years prior.  Colin’s son Carl, who is an Auckland-based teacher and also a quaified boatbuilder, has done some maintenance jobs and also some work around the transom areas during his various school holiday trips south. Simon observed that despite being on a mooring in Waikawa Bay, Marlborough, Mystic gets plenty of use. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/11/mystic/
 
Owner Colin Davis advised that she was built / launched in Picton in 1965. Her hull is double diagonal kahikatea and power is via a Toyota HD turbo 140hp diesel.
 
Fast forward to late January 2019 and a comment appears on WW from Kylie Curry, the daughter of the original owner, Graham Wilkinson – I have reprinted it below 
 
“Mystic was originally my dads (Graham Wilkinson)..he purchased the hull and finished the rest of her in the backyard himself. (We even have pics of her in the backyard).
He then went on to do the same with Shalimar. Dad was also the pilot of 25 + Cook Strait marathon swims and search and rescue for the police.
He often talked about Mystic and we (my dad, mum, four brothers and I) had amazing holidays down the sounds every year (first on Mystic – pre my time) and then on Shalimar.”
Sadly Kylie also advised that Graham died in early January 2019. 
 
I contacted Kylie and asked if she would share the early days photos of Mystic and these are what you see above. 
Again another example of the reach and power of waitematawoodys  – with one colour photo (below) in 2015, we were able to 3 1/2 years later to flush out more on Mystic.
Special thanks to Kylie for sharing these family photos with us.
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21-08-2019 Input from Graham Taylor –  “Graham Wilkinson had many skills, one of which was an expert prop tuner. He made many a fast prop for us when we were racing speedboats and chasing NZ speed records. One particular propeller did set a new record for its engine class with a two way run over the measured mile. On that occasion the slip factor was just 6.7%, amazing when the “norm” is often around 33% !

We even flew to Australia when he lived there to collect a new prop and carry it home carefully so it would not get dinged when freighted normally.”

 

Barbarella – A Riva Reborn

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BARBARELLA – A Riva Reborn 
 
As promised Iast week, I visited Marco Scuderi’s Helensville boat yard – MCN Shipwrights with the sole purpose of catching up with the re-build / restoration of Barbarella, the 1969 Riva Superaquarama .
Barbarella is a visitor from Australia, and has been in the country for 7 years for a total re-build. She started life (built) in Sarnic, then was delivered to her 1st owner in Monaco, from there she was sold to an American and moved to Lake Tahoe. Then sold to a Norwegian and kept at his summer house on a fjord in Norway. Then in 2005 her current Australian owner bought her and kept her in Hong Kong till 2011, when thankfully a very rundown Barbarella was rescued and shipped to NZ for Marco to restore.
 
The journey to return this beautiful speed boat to better than as launched condition has been long and challenging – these Riva’s are handmade thoroughbreds and obtaining parts is near impossible + she has a history of repairs that were not always true to her heritage.
 
As she sits today in the MCN Shipwrights shed, all that is required to complete the restoration is mainly reassembling the interior and commissioning the engines – twin 454 cubic inch, 350 hp Chev V8’s. 
 
I jumped at the opportunity to photograph her hull, but the situation – light, location (plastic ceiling etc) made for less than perfect photography conditions, but you will see from the photo gallery above that Marco and this team have done an amazing job. You could shave in the reflection of the 20+ coats of varnish. You can view more on the restoration journey at this link https://www.mcnshipwrights.com/barbarella—hull.html   make sure you check out the other links to see the total work.
 
Also in the shed are two very lucky K-class yachts, Sapphire and Jenanne, photo below. Sapphire is getting new oak ribs and Jeananne an interior and deck refresh. The two yachts are owned by the Mence Brothers. Check out the work to Peter’s Jenanne in more detail at the link below.
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21-01-2020 Update – The Riva Is Finished

I can report that the Riva project is finished and is days away from being shipped across the Tasman to her owner.
To say Marco was happy, would be a very big understatement 🙂 The question now is – what will replace her in the MCN Shipwrights shed?
For more details and photos on the project see link below.
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Mystery Launch 16-08-2019

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Mystery Launch 16-08-2019

Another mystery launch photo from Andy Donovan’s boat broking days – that distinctive stern hopeful will ring a bell with one of the woodys.
Kiwi’s On The World Stage
Marco Scuderi and his yard – MCN Shipwrights – are making noises in the world of classic boating with a double page feature in the August 2019 edition of UK Classic Boating magazine.
Well done Marco. And just by coincidence I’m at the yard later today to check out the 1969 Riva Superaquarama restoration, before it heads back to its owner across the Tasman. Twin 454 V8’s so cool zoom zoom  photos soon 😉
UK Classic Boat August2019

Lady Ellen Restoration – July Update

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LADY ELLEN RESTORATION JULY UPDATE
 
Today is a first, no photos just videos, shot and narrated by Lady Ellen’s owner Bruce Mitchinson, I have to say its a great format for getting a status report on the progress of the restoration – very impressed Bruce 🙂
I’ll let Bruce tell us what’s been happening
 
“Visit to the boatyard, in Russell, end of july, to check on progress, and start the motor – new valves, rings, injectors, sump, bell housing, number 2 piston and con rod, so we thought it would be no trouble.
after cranking the thing over in the space of a couple of hours, bleeding lines, and trying all sorts, we gave up. It fired up for 4 seconds and we shut it down as the oil pressure was not up, after that we had oil pressure cranking on the starter, but it wouldn’t kick.
Fuel pressure at the injector pump looked pretty weak on all cylinders but number 3, and we thought that we would have to send the pump off to the doctors to get it looked at.
One last go yesterday [7th august] and armed with a new battery, some optimism, and a threatening looking sledge hammer, we had success!”
Woodys – I’m interested in your feed back he being able to view the videos – if you are unable, can you drop me an email (link below) I’m keen to ensure everyone can view them 🙂
waitematawoodys@gmail.com
UPDATE – OPEN THE COMMENTS SECTION IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS VIEWING –  for some reason they will load there but not in the main body of the story.
THE ENGINE
WCW Riverhead2019
Another clinker joined the fleet yesterday…………… thats 4, but who’s counting (other than the wife)

 

Wellington Yacht – Mabel

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Wellinton Yacht – Mabel

I had reason to be at Half Moon Bay marina during the week and I spotted the above yacht on the hard. I understand it has come up from Wellington and is 120+ years old. That folks is all I know.

Keen to put a name to the yacht and learn more about her.
Also had a peek at the 1898 Arch Logan – Rainbow A7, that is having a birthday in one of the sheds. Boatbuilder Paul Tingey is the man overseeing the project – lots of uroxsys work on the agenda.
Update below ex Jason Prew – is he correct?
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Input from Gavin Pascoe – My friend owned her for the past 5 years and just sold. She is Mabel built by Chas jr and Walter Bailey in 1895. sailed to Nelson via Wellington in 1917. Then to Lyttelton in the 1930’s, then to Wellington post WWII. She rated at 2.5 but was also a bit of a cruiser – not strictly a racer. She was a long time rather confusedly thought to be a Logan built 1905, I think this is due to her having come from Lyttelton and somebody thought, oh there was an old Logan down there, this must be it. Even a sideways glimpse at her will tell you she is a Bailey, and definitely not anything post 1897

Lady Noelene

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LADY NOELENE

Has appeared on WW before and from all accounts has been having a restoration for the last 20+ years. It appears for her tradesmen listing (thanks Ian McDonald) that she is now offered for sale in a 1/2 finished state. When I wrote this the highest bid was $405 and the reserve had been reached, someone might get a bargain.
The listing states she is a Dick Lane design / build but its actually Dick Lang c.1951/52. She measures 32’ x 9’ x 2’6”. There has been a lot of work done to e.g splined & glassed and 2 pot painted. Her motor is a Ford 120hp diesel. There are a lot of new parts and fitting that go with her.
In her present stated i.e. interior stripped is a perfect blank canvas for someone to fit her out to their spec.
Previous WW story here (lots of restoration photos)  https://wordpress.com/post/waitematawoodys.com/23938