Category Archives: Boat Sheds

Arline

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ARLINE

The above photos come to us from Ross Griffen via BOI Historic Photos & show the launch Arline.
Can we confirm its Arline & gather some details on the vessel & what became of her?
Update: We can confirm it is Arline. You can read /see more at this WW link.

Lady Ellen Restoration – Report 3

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Lady Ellen Restoration – Report 3 
I have just received in the latest update from Bruce Mitchinson on Lady Ellen’s restoration – As previous,  I’ll let Bruce tell you about the work.

“Skim coat done to topsides and foredeck, bottom sanded ready for the same.

Looking sleek again now you can pick up the waterline.

Duckboard extended by 250mm and reattached, beltings and toe rails are about to go back on.
Rudder assembly is back together on new bearings and rudder tube, and the propeller strut is being fitted this week so we can bolt it up while we have easy access, and then continue with the cockpit fit out.
Demolition complete downstairs in the head and the sleeping quarters and I am scraping paint and cleaning up oil soaked planking and frames so I can continue with the white paint to the inside of the hull.
Fortunately it gets narrower up this end and so there is less area to paint.
Engine bay looks much tidier after getting the treatment, just need the engine and fuel tanks to go in so we can start setting up all of the other equipment that lives in here.”
Eggemoggin Reach Regatta – WoodenBoat magazine take a cruise thru the anchorage
A great video (link below) spotting some very nice woodys at anchor, shades of our own Mahurangi Regatta 😉

 

 

JOHN BROOKE BOOK WINNER/S

The winner of a copy of the new John Brooke book is Micheal O’Dwyer (classic yacht Janet). Robert Brooke kindly donated 2 copies of the book, so I have decided to give the 2nd copy to Graeme Finch , you submitted the best reply / entry. Well do guys. I email you for your postal address. Remember its available at Boat Books in Westhaven & on-line at the BB website.

Sybil II

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SYBIL II

Cameron Pollard sent in the above photos of the 1910 Bailey & Lowe launch Sybil II. Cameron has owned her since 2004 & recently moved her from Westmere to “a yard out south”.
The b/w photos below (ex classicboatNZ) show her on launch day in December 1910 & underway with a crowd on-board.
The ‘colour’ photo is from when she was owned by the Parry Brothers.
Cameron has assured me that he will get her back in water before he clicks his clog for the last time.
What more do me know about Sybil II?
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New John Brooke book – So that’s the Fathers Day present sorted

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FATHERS DAY (Sept 2nd) ALL SORTED FOR YOU

Its not often that I start to read a boating book & then stop a couple of pages in & put the book away. This happened to me during the week, Robert Brooke had just dropped off some copies, hot off the press, of the Brooke families book on their father, John (Jack) Brooke. Its tiled ‘memories – ROADS OF DESTINY – John Brooke’ & woodys its a cracker – full of amusing tales , photos & illustrations from John’s life (sample below).
Way did I stop reading it? Because its just so good, I want to be able to spend a day reading it on the boat, in a bay somewhere with no distractions.
Grad a copy from Boatbooks in Westhaven (they do on-line > postal orders), RRP is $45, a bargain. Be quick it will sell out.
I have a copy to give away – to make it fair to those that do not wake at 3am in the morning – the winner will be decided by a draw from all correct entries received by 6pm Friday 3rd August 2018. Entry via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com.

Now the question –   what was Jack Brooke awarded an O.B.E. for in 1948?

Sorry for the standard of the images above, taken on my mobile ph not camera & in poor light 😉
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A Woody Workshop

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Now Here Is A Very Cool Idea – A Woody Workshop
There are a few woody hidden treasures in & around Auckland – some we keep under the radar & some deserve to be hauled up the mast so everyone knows. One of the coolest is the New Zealand Traditional Boatbuilding School. A lot of you will have rubbed up against the NZTBS when it was housed at the old Hobsonville Air Base, but with the redevelopment of the base, NZTBS was moved to a new home & these days has a tighter focus on its reason for being.
 
Now to some of you the word School breaks you out in a cold sweat, if I ran the place I’d change the name to NZ Wooden Boat Workshop, because these days thats what it is – a workshop where you can get hands-on experience in some of the skills that a true woody needs to know. I encourage you to visit their weblog to check out the new courses (see below) that have just been announced  http://nztbs.org.nz 
  • Veneering, Inlay & Marquetry
  • Ribbing, Steam bending and replacing Ribs.
  • Clinker planking. fitting new or replacing old planks.
  • Tuesday Workshop days
But woodys, what I really wanted to draw your attention to was what the NZTBS call the ‘Tuesday Workshop’. 
Not all of us are blessed with a workshop or the tools to undertake simple maintenance on our craft – the NZTBS have a solution – they have opened the workshop up on Tuesdays (from 10am > 2pm) & will have a couple of serious woodys on-site – Allan Hooper and Kere Kemp. So come along and either help them with the latest project they are working on or if you have a little job of your own or perhaps need a piece of timber sized or just some advice, pop along for a chat.
 
I dropped in on Tuesday, with a project under my arm & walked away a happy chappie. While there I spoke with the Allan Hooper & Colin Pawson about Allan’s latest project. Some of you may be aware that in a past life Allan created a male mould of the Townson 2.4 dinghy, & from this approx. 10 cold moulded / laminated dinghies were built. On top of this an additional approx. 250 fibreglass dinghies were built – so without a doubt Allan holds the record for the most Townson’s built 🙂
A little while ago, Allan crawled under the house & dragged out the original mould, pictured below being repaired at the NZTBS.
The next step is that Allan will be using the mould to build himself a light-weight (frame less) clinker (ply) dinghy, I’m sure his arm could be twisted to allow a woody or woodys to build another or several, maybe there are enough people interested in a forming a class.  
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Heads Up On A New Book From Robert Brooke
Talking with Robert mid-week & I’m stoked to be able to announce on WW that Robert is days away from the release of his new book on the memoirs and drawings of his late father Jack (John) Brooke. More details soon.
 
Now I couldn’t let the day go by without a woody photo – the photo below has appeared b4 on WW but in a much poorer reproduction. Dated c1930s, it shows Colin Wild’s yard at Stanley Point, Devonport – a very impressive line up of woodys. (photo ex Keith Humphrey)
1930s approx. Stanley Point Devonport Colin Wild Boat Yard

My Girl Update – Splash Day Must Be Soon

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My Girl Update

Jason Prew has been burning the midnight oil in his boat shed (shelter) – end result My Girl is getting very close to splashing. See a snap shot below, to view / read more check out his blog

http://www.my-girl.co.nz/mygirl/Welcome.html

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Jason – see below – based on the Ken Ricketts theory of boat naming – you should sue 🙂

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Update 14-10-2018 The bling is starting to be added. Nice paint job, but you get that when you glass 😉

Update 25-10-2018 Comparison photo below, an amazing job done by Jason, and given he is not short, a big sacrifice in head-room 🙂

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02-11-2018 Update – My Girl looking very close to a splash, anti-fouling on, the blue looking a lot smarter than the black 🙂

 

Anzac (Freedom Restoration Update

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ANZAC (Freedom)
Todays story is on the restoration of Anzac, the 1911 Bailey & Lowe launch.
Owner Greg Skinner sent in the above photos & I ‘lifted’ a few historical ones (below) from his weblog, which you should check out for more details on the project & the history of the vessel.
Its been a while since we had an update & Greg advised that the following work has been done over the last 2 years:
• Hauled out
• Full strip out of fittings and fixtures
• Wheelhouse removed
• Rear canopy removed
• Duck board removed
• Motor remove – about to be refurbished
• All plumbing, electrical and electronics removed
• Hull – all paint and caulking removed
• Boat shed constructed
Currently Greg is removing ribs (approx. 80 to be replaced) 30% the way through removal (replacement rib material arrived, about to order copper nails)
You have to tip your hat to woodys like Greg & Jason Prew (My Girl) for undertaking woody project of this magnitude. The address for Greg’s weblog is below + the link to the previous WW story on her, there is a great woody tale there so check it out.
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Jimmy & Barney Daniel inspect Freedom at Tinopai

Input from Robin Elliott – They owners have possibly been in to see these but the Auckland War Memorial museum have some early photographs of her in the Winkelmann Collection … as follows.

Oban 24/4/1915 Negative number 8895
ANZAC 11/12/1915 Neg number 8924
ANZAC 12/2/1916 Neg number 8948

ANZAC 1/4/1916 Neg Number 8983

Input from Harold Kidd – She was built by Bailey & Lowe for A B Donald in 1911 as MAPUHI.Alex Burt bought her in 1913 and changed her name to WORCESTER (briefly) then to OBAN, then to ANZAC on 26th November 1915. So there’s a variety of names to call her including her post-ANZAC names of BETTY and FREEDOM.

What’s Happening With The Percy Vos Shed?

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What’s Happening With The Percy Vos Shed?

If I had $20 for ever time I have been asked that question, I’d be buying the Ngapipi Rd boat shed that appeared on WW yesterday.
It would be an understatement to say that the shed is a project that has had a few false starts, in fact a well known waterfront identity is on record as saying he would walk naked up Queen St if it was ever completed. In fairness to them – I think they were referring to it being a working classic wooden boat yard.
So woodys I was a little relieved the other day to come across an article by Vicki Holder on the Ray White weblog, its dated February 2018 so hopefully what was reported is still on track.
I was even more upbeat when I saw name Rod Marler popping up early in the article – Rod is one of good guys, calls a spade a spade & does what he says he will. The man comes to us from an impeccable yachting bloodline, with his family having owned one of our finest classic yachts – the 1905 Arch Logan – Rawhiti. Rod himself has owned & raced the 1934 Arch Logan designed yacht – Little Jim & these days skippers one of the smartest classic motor launches on the Waitemata. An ex chairman of the NZ Classic Yacht Association & a true waitematawoodys fan (see photo below).
Nine to Five (more like 7>7) Rod is director of design & place at Panuku Development, now that is a fancy sounding title & I can hear going “whats he actually do?” – well the answer is a hell of a lot, lets just say that if it involves Auckland’s waterfront, Rod will have rubbed up against it.
Back to the Vos shed, owned by Panuku – now one person can’t deliver a project the size of the Vos Shed but Marler has what it takes to pull together the many interested parties & funding streams to make it happen – there is talk about a summer of 2019 completion date, fingers crossed that this time it happens – I’m sure at some stage there will be the opportunity to contribute to the funding, I’ll let you know when.
Read the article at the link below + some great photos.
Woody, Baden Pascoe has published a great book, titled ‘Launching Dreams – Percy Vos & His Boys, its a must have / read if you are a true waitematawoody. Check it out here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/11/20/percy-vos-the-boats-his-boys/ . I think you can still buy copies – Baden can you confirm & if so – where & how?
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New Home for Waitematawoodys

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New Home for Waitematawoodys

Yeah right, first I need to find a spare $1million (diary note- buy Lotto ticket)
On ww before we have had a peak inside some of the boat sheds on Ngapipi Road, Orakei, tall very nice but all very practical, but OMG this one has to be the ultimate boys shed.
And oops I forgot to say – there is a classic Hacker Craft included in the price, see below.
(thanks to Peter Loughlin for the trademe listing heads up)
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Devonport Waterfront Woodys

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Devonport Waterfront Woodys

Lurking around the ‘Devonport Locals facebook’ page the other day I came across these stunning b/w photos of Torpedo Bay on the eastern end of the waterfront, beneath North Head.
The top one is captioned 1893 residences of M. Murchie, Tailor, Garrybrook and Jeffery. Keen to ID the yachts hauled out, talk about VIP parking.
The 2nd photo shows a wide view of the bay, possibly 1925. These days a sea wall & numerous breakwaters have returned sand to the foreshore.
Correction – they transported sand from else where, the breakwaters have retained the sand, seem to recall the local tribe getting a little prickly about the sand coming from another area……………..

Input ex Harold Kidd

Malcolm Murchie’s (a tailor) house was “Lochiel” early address just “Beach Road, Devonport” later 59, then 60 King Edward Parade or just King’s Parade. I have been through the Directories looking for yachtsmen who may have parked their boats in front but failed to link any. My (highly tentative) guesses are (from left) Capt Parker’s rowing cutter VOLUNTEER which was used by the Naval Volunteers at Devonport, later with an engine, an early 2.5 rater GLORIANA? ROGUE? and LULU, the double-ender. Robin Elliott should chime in now.

PS I suppose the lkeel yacht could be the Jeffrey brothers’ KESTREL, but she wasn’t launched until December 1893 and they lived at Maraetai. However it is likely that she was kept in Torpedo Bay as she came ashore there in a blow in 1897 and Arch Buchanan (who lived a few doors to the left) looked after her. Come to think of it the boat could well have been one of Arch’s Logan-built boats, at this era the 5 rater ARIEL or slightly later the 5 rater YVONNE.

PPS Not ARIEL

The right hand yacht is MERRY DUCHESS and the date is nearer 1900.

 

Looking for a pulpit rail for your classic yacht?
I don’t normally do ‘bits for sale’ –  but the owner of the piece of bronze below – Andy Winter is a good guy & has helped a lot of woody owners out. So here goes – 1x bronze tube pulpit rail off Andy’s old Spencer Salient.  He is open to offers – details below:
Andy Winter c/o The Engine Room (9) 480 2248 or email: andy@theengineroom.co.nz
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