Category Archives: Boat Sheds

Olivette

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OLIVETTE

Several months ago I took Raindance out for a charge the battery run, and while heading up the harbour I spotted the Pollard Brothers towing another acquisition to their fleet.
On-route I assumed to West Harbour.
Then just before xmas I was sniffing around the WH hardstand and I spotted the same launch I had seen being towed. Turns out her name is Olivette and she has received some TCL.
What do we know about her, I seem to recall a trademe listing?

Orakei Hard Stand

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ORAKEI HARD STAND 1920’>1930’S

Today’s photos come to us via Lew Redwood’s fb, and show a selection of launches & yachts hauled out. The probate date is somewhere in the 1920>30’s.
The 2nd photo shows a magnificent collection of rear ends 🙂 Whilst I would never be able toID them, a woody like Simon Smith (convalescing at home, should be able to 😉
I’ll give a 2019 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar (see below) to the woody that correctly ID’s the most bums 🙂
I’ll have to get outside help to judge the winner. Entries (this time) via the WW comments section.
Closes Jan 7th, 2019.

Varuna – Sailing Sunday

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VARUNA – Sailing Sunday

I have been following the re-fit of Varuna on James Dreyer’s fb page (Seven Oceans Boatworks) for several months. Varuna is owned jointly by Barry, Judy & James Dreyer.
 
Varuna is a 1939 Yankee One Design, by Starling Burgess. She was built by the well known yachtsman/ boat builder – George Andrews at Redcliffs, Christchurch in 1938/9. She is two skin kauri french carvel construction, unlike her sister ships, the US built Yankee One Designs that are single skin.
Varuna has undergone a major re-fit at the Shelly Park Cruising Club, yard in Howick, Auckland.
 
You can see more of the project by clicking the link below 😉

Lady Ellen Restoration Update – December 2018

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Lady Ellen Restoration Update – December 2018

Owner Bruce Mitchinson sent in the photos above & report below:

“The focus over the last few weeks has been on the exterior and cockpit. We have gone through 65 litres of high-build surfacer, and sanded half of it off, to get the topsides and below waterline fair.
Barrier undercoat applied to the topsides and another round of sanding to take out minor blemishes.
The above photos show polyurethane undercoat going on the topsides last Friday, the wet look gives a taste of what’s to come after the finishing sand and the top coat goes on later this week.
While we are on a roll, the cockpit will be painted, the deck head will be undercoated, and the interior bulkheads finished off before interior work kicks off again.
Everything is ready for the bottom paint so we might get this on before my painter goes on holiday.”
To see/ read more on this restoration project – enter Lady Ellen in the WW search box 😉

Merry Christmas Woodys

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MERRY CHRISTMAS WOODYS
Wishing you all a safe and Merry Christmas and happy New Year, hopefully you will get to spend some time with your family / love ones and ideally in your happy place – where ever that may be.
Remember – a wave or a smile and the words “ good morning” costs nothing and we have no idea what’s going on in other peoples lives, you simply being nice to someone, might make a big difference to their day. Try it – it works 😉
A know quite a lot of you will be finding a WW t-shirt under the Christmas tree this morning, I’m touched that so many of you want to be part of our amazingly cool wooden boating community. On a personal note, I have rubbed shoulders with a lot of you this year and I never cease to be amazed by your friendship and generosity. The feedback and input I get from people is what keeps me motivated to write a new woody story everyday. To those that have sent in stories and photos, I thank you for sharing them with us, without you WW would not be what it is today – 4,100,000+ views.
2018 was a great year for the wooden boating movement and the future looks even better, with more and more vessels either being restored or ear-marked for restoration at a later date.
The real important thing is to use these old girls – varnishing and polishing the bronze can wait – just get out there and enjoy yourself.
It is my intention these holidays, technology and wifi access allowing, to keep publishing the daily waitematawoodys stories. But if for some reason I miss a day, just check in again the next day.
I ask that if you see anything woody related over the festive period you take a photo and send it in to   waitematawoodys@gmail.com  I’m always looking for content.
My Favourite Photo From 2018? – well its several photos and a video. The blood sweat & tears that went into the rebuild of Jason Prew’s launch – My Girl was unbelievable, then to see her sitting alongside Nathan Herbert’s freshly re-fitted Pacific on the slip at Milford Cruising Club was very special – the video below says it all, a very happy woody.
Enjoy 🙂
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Raindance turned 90 this year and I opened up the wallet – some serious TCL in terms of the deck, tram top & doghouse + new canopy + stove + electric dunny and holding tank / electric pump upgraded, and lots of other bits & pieces that most would not pick up but were bugging me from day one of ownership. RD & myself will miss Geoff Bagnall when he closes the yard doors in late January – he has been very good to RD & I enjoy his banter 🙂

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2018 Centreboard Cup

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2018 CENTREBOARD CUP

Unfortunately I could not attend this years Centreboard Cup regatta as it clashed with the finish of the Rudder Cup Motor-boat race. Woody Andrew Mason very kindly sent me the report below & the photos above.

“Despite a poor forecast, the day was perfect without even a drop of rain. The wind was a consistent easterly, making for great sailing for the old mullet boats in this year’s Centreboard Cup. The racing got underway off Sloanes Beach, Herne Bay, at 1pm, with Nick from Hopetoun Brown (and ex Supergroove) providing the start signals on his horn. The mullet boats were then individually serenaded by Nick as they crossed the finish line. After fun and games on the beach, the crowd was fed by a Hawke Sea Scout sausage sizzle, and then entertained by the Hopetoun Brown duo. Thanks to Hopetoun Brown, Hawke, the Ponsonby Cruising Club, the Richmond Yacht Club and the Herne Bay Cruising Club for supporting this 2018 Centreboard Cup.

Hopefully someone will send in the race results 🙂

We were out walking the dog yesterday morning & spotted Prize sitting pn the Devonport Yacht Club slipway waiting on the tide for a re-launch after a winter hauled out getting some serious TCL.
I have a mate that really knows how to wind me up – the photo below of his bach fridge after a morning dive is just too much – looks like his Christmas dinner will be a goodie 🙂
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Boatbuilding School Looking For New Home

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Boatbuilding School Looking For New Home – Can You or Anyone You Know Help Out?

 
The New Zealand Traditional Boatbuilding School is on the lookout for new premises that will allow the delivery of an exciting new chapter of services to the broader wooden boating fraternity and other practically minded members of the public.
The Trustees have acknowledged that times are changing in the wooden and traditional boating world and are looking to bring a more inclusive program together in 2019 and beyond, while also maintaining the essential skills required to preserve traditional vessels.
To facilitate the new direction, more appropriate premises are being sought with workshop space of at least 150m2 and ideally reasonable facilities to hold small lectures.
Perhaps someone in the broader community knows of a suitable space? This may even be part of a larger facility under utilised by the current tenant or owner.
 
Interested parties in the first instance should contact Colin Pawson at  
 

Mata Hari

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MATA HARI

The 1972 John Gladden designed & built launch Mata Hari was included in a recent WW story on Geoff Bagnall Milford yard. It created a lot of chat in the WW comments section & prompted woody Alan S. To send in the above feature from the March 1974 edition Boating World. Mata Hari was built in Geoff’s shed.
Alan commented that he was surprised so few knew about Eric Webster’s efforts at Great Barrier Island, we would not have Smokehouse Bay set up without him. You could never do what he did these days with all the resource consent requirements we face. We boaties should be very grateful.
 
Enjoy the read

ARGOSY – Sailing Sunday + RUDDER CUP RACE RESULTS

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ARGOSY – Sailing Sunday

Recently Chris Smith had been searching for the whereabouts of the yacht Argosy. Chris has just advised that he has just found her.  She is sitting on the hardstand at Panmure Yacht club, where she has been for some time now.  Unfortunately she has had a hard time and in particular she was damaged when another boat came off her mooring and hit her. The insurance company wrote her off apparently and she was bought by a scrap dealer, who no doubt saw value in her lead keel. Outwardly any damage is not readily apparent. The haul-out yard manager talked about ‘cracked ribs’.

Her current future is seriously in doubt as her haulage fees are somewhat overdue and the yard is talking about disposing of her.

She was built in the 1950’s at Papatoetoe by two brothers to a design by the British designer, Alan Buchanan, who was well-known for designing nice wholesome yachts. Kauri planked to the best of Chris’s knowledge.

HDK has commented that she is a workmanlike and handsome looking little yacht, not beyond repair. A great restoration project. Buchanan is a very good designer. She would be a worthwhile project for the right person.

CYA Rudder Cup Motor- Boat Race Results

The link below will take you to James Mortimers movie from the race start – tomorrow on WW I will have photos from the pre-start, start & the race + from the prize giving – but I can confirm the following results

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VETERN DIVISION – STERLING

VINTAGE DIVISION = WAITANGI

CLASSIC DIVISION – TRINIDAD

OVERALL RUDDER CUP WINNER – STERLING 

 

Valerie – A Peek Down Below

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VALERIE – A Peek Down Below
Thanks to her trademe listing, we get to have a look down below on Valerie, the 1933 Lane Motor Boat Co. launch. Valerie measures approx. 40’ & is powered by a 65hp Ford diesel.
Valerie has been fastidiously maintained, her 2nd owner kept her in a boat shed for 70 years. I have seen Valerie ‘in-the-flesh’ at Whangaroa Marina – she is a very salty woody.
You can read / see more on her at the WW link below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/07/31/valerie/