Previously on WW we have seen numerous b/w photos of the Whangarei Town Basin , today’s photo comes to use via Lew Redwood’s fb. and show a lot of classic launches tied up on pole moorings.
While its a great photo of the area, the wide angle makes it a little hard to ID the boats – any on brave enough to suggest the year ?
The Perks of Being The Commodore
Thankfully we have moved on in terms gender equality in advertising 🙂 the image below appeared in an early 1950’s edition of the American published ’The Rudder’ boating magazine.
I have been contacted by Lake Rotoiti boatbuilder – Alan Craig (Craig Marine) regarding a lake boat that he and the owner are looking for more details on. Ruru is 19’ in length, with mahogany hull and kauri top. Alan commented that she is well built with seam battens and ribs, the planks have hardly moved. The build date is thought to be in the 1930’s > 1940’s period and was built for Sir Frank Mappin.
The engine is an Austin Triton, it was removed 20 years ago and was never put back in, as you will note in the photos it got as far as the end of the shed.
The owner – George Joseph has had the boat for 60+ years, the last 20 of which has seen Ruru stored in the shed. The previous owner, owned most of the land between Moose Lodge and the Marae.
Can anyone help ID the designer / builder?
Harold Kidd Input –
1. Lidgards built an unnamed runabout for Mappin in September 1935. The Austin TRITON (not TRIDENT – corrected AH) marine engine, based on the Austin 10 car engine, came out in 1935, so it’s a good match.
2. Got a Herald cross-reference on Mappin’s runabout. She was an 18 footer intended for Lake Rotorua. Rotoiti isn’t a huge step.
Over the last week each day we have been featuring video footage of John Street’s recent speaking engagement that supported the exhibition – ‘One Man’s Treasures’ at the New Zealand Maritime Museum, MC’ed by Larry Paul. For the overseas readers, John Street was at the helm for over half a century of Auckland’s historic ship chandlery – Fosters. Such was John’s influence on the New Zealand boating and marine scene, that the late Sir Peter Blake tagged John the ‘Waterfront Mafia’. These days John has a mighty passion for preserving New Zealand’s maritime heritage. Videos’ enhanced & edited by Andrew Christie.
There are 6 videos in the series:
Fosters The Beginning
History of The Breeze
The schooner Daring + TV1 documentary
2012 Americas Cup
The steam crane ship Rapaki
Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata Harbour
Today I have pulled them all together in one place for ease of finding them in the future and to highlight the series for anyone that missed a day. Enjoy 🙂
One of WW spotters, Shane Anderson was driving thru Whangateau this week and spotted a woody parked up on a yard in the middle of a major restoration.
Turns out the 45’ launch is named Naomi (see interior carving photo) – the boatbuilder – Josh, working on her believes there may have been a name change in the past, but if so, a long time ago – the skylights have Naomi sandblasted on them. There is talk of her possibly being a Logan and even originally steam powered. Also talk of a 1897 build date. Her name board records her builder as Chas. Bailey. Investigation shows the existence of 3 sets of engine beds.
There also appears to be old repairs to both sides of the boat.
Her current owner has had her for 20 years, kept in dry storage in West Auckland.
A suggestion – in a previous WW story (link below) on a launch named Naomi III, Harold Kidd spoke of the original Naomi (I) being built in March 1902 and Naomi II in November 1902, both by Chas. Bailey Jnr and both for M.A. Jenny of Nelson. Could the above launch be one of these boats?
Input from Harold Kidd – The story is unbelievably complex; the NAOMI bit is the result of an assumption on someone’s part, many years ago, that any launch owned by M A Jenny of Nelson and Auckland was a NAOMI. This launch seems to have started life as the oil launch HURIA (twin 2 cylinder Daimler petrol engines) built by Logan Bros in January 1899 for Capt Mercer of Nelson as a trader, bought by Jenny in 1905, fitted with a 30hp Gardner in Wellington and rechristened VANORA. In 1907 Jenny sold her to Lindsay Cooke of Auckland who got Chas Bailey Jr to refit her for cruising. She took part in the 1908 RNZYS Rudder Cup race around Sail Rock. Need several pages more to bring her up to date. In summary, the current name and builder carved into her is bs.
JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES – Part 5
Every day this week WW we are featuring a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The language is a tad ‘blue’ in places, but thats how John rolls 🙂 NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie.
PART Five – The Steam Crane Rapaki (turn your sound up)
The above photos of Silver Spray popped up on a fb post last night via Ngapipip Road boat builder GlenBurnnand. In the past Silver Spray has appeared on WW many times, she was owned by passionate woody Mark Stapleton. Mark restored her and kept her in his Ngapipip Road boat shed. Unfortunately after many years of ownership, poor health forced Mark to sell Silver Spray. I’m guessing but I suspect Glenn Burnnand bought her.
There is a vast amount of details and photos at the WW link below – but a quick overview – built in 1926 by Joe Slattery for Charles Ravenhall of Remuera. Silver Spray is 26′ LOA, 7′ beam with a 2’6″ draft, powered by a 4108 Perkins. A selection of photos from her past below.
I have held my breath on the addition of the two cabin top hatches, a tad out of place…………… on a 1926 woody 😦
JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES – Part 4
Every day this week WW are featuring a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie
JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES – Part 3
Every day this week we are featuring a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie.
Today John talks on rescuing the schooner Daring – a hugely significant piece of New Zealand’s maritime history that lay buried for 153 years on Muriwai Beach, West Auckland, until shifting sands revealed the wreckage. The 2ndvideo is from last weeks TV1 ‘Sunday Programme’
The photo above comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb page and started life as a postcard (from Lew’s collection).
We know from a comment of Harold Kidd’s that Petrel was built by Bailey & Lowe in Jan 1903 for Cecil Ley.
The caption on the photo tags the location as Herne Bay, Auckland. HDK also commented that review the photo that the launch would have been near new at the time of the photo.
Can anyone tell us what became of the launch?
JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES – VIDEO SERIES – Part Two
Every day this week WW will feature a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The language is a tad ‘blue’ in places, but thats how John rolls 🙂 NOTE: VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie
PART TWO – The History of the Breeze (turn your sound up)
UPCOMING VIDEO’S
MONDAY– Fosters The Beginning
TUESDAY– History of The Breeze
WEDNESDAY– The schooner Daring
THURSDAY– Amercias Cup
FRIDAY – The steam crane ship Rapaki
SATURDAY– Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata
UPDATE: Stunning photo below of the Breeze running down the inside of Roberton Island 2014 – taken by Dean Wright
Back in June 2016 one of the woodys spotted Sir Francis berthed on Lake Taupo and commented on WW that she was looking a little tired. Well folks I can report that after thirteen months of hard labour, Sir Francis went back into the water on July 6. Co-owner Paul Drake commented that she was last out of the water for 9 days, 10 years ago and she was becoming an embarrassment.
As part of their re-fit the deck canvas has been replaced with the usual ply and glass cloth, and much other deferred maintenance was attended to. (scroll over photos for captions)
Sir Francis is 22’ and built by Collings and Bell in 1916, powered by a Universal Utility Four. This engine was added in 1937.
When launched she was named – Fairy, then renamed – Aloha and when Grandfather Drake purchased her in 1938, he changed the name again to Sir Francis. She has been owned by the Drake family for the last 81 years.
The Drake brothers (Paul, Nigel, Roger and Michael) individually and collectively are a great bunch and between them own numerous woodys. I have meet them at the Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Parade. Photo below.
Brothers Nigel and Roger on SF late 1950’s.
Paul
L to R – Michael, Paul, Nigel, Roger. Oldest to youngest
JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES
Every day this week WW will feature a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The language is a tad ‘blue’ in places, but thats how John rolls 🙂 NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie.
PART ONE – Fosters The Beginning (turn your sound up)
The 27’ Roy Paris carvel planked launch above has just popped up on trademe, all the hard work has been done by a passionate owner those circumstances have changed and the boat has to go, saying that it’s not a fire sale. A lot of quality work has gone into her.
The hull and cabin has been completely stripped back inside and out, caulking removed, glued and splined and fibre glassed over. Painted in marine primer and recently sanded for top coats. New duck board with built in live bait tank.
She comes with a reconditioned 100hp turbo charged Yanmar factory marinised engine and gear box, with all the wiring, gushes, controls, pipes etc from Moon Engines + brand new prop shaft and the prop has been balanced and coated in PropSpeed
As her owner commented – it’s an easy winter project for the right person to finish off for use this summer.
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