Todays story is a little different, during the week WW was contacted by John Chambers who own the classic – MV NGARUNUI, a friend of John’s, Steve Lowery, is building a rather large (1/10 scale) model of the ‘old’ Police launch – DEODAR II. Looking at the photos I’m sure there are more hours in this project than building a clinker dinghy.
The craft will be radio controlled and have all the bells and whistles – twin screw + lighting (including police lights).
Specs are – length 1450mm, beam 480mm, draft approx. 100mm. Very keen to see the completed build.
A MONDAY TEASE – I have admired the 50’ launch – MARNINE for 20+ years as I have driven along Tamaki Drive and glanced across to the OBC marina. Have never managed to get aboard on my many visits to the marina but now thanks to Angus Rogers, MV CENTAURUS, we get a gander – make sure you log on Monday for the full story.
Jackie also enquired about a 28’ kauri launch named RAWHITI that was built in 1962 by her father, Harold Carey, in the shed (Strongman Bros) shown in Tuesday’s photo. The launch was sold in 1963 when the family moved from the Coromandel to live in Golden Bay in the South Island in 1963.
Jackie was very happy to see her looking so beautiful and given the WW story was 10 years ago, hoped she is still being looked after. Jackie and her sister’s are hopeful of seeing RAWHITI again.
So woodys can anyone enlighten us on where RAWHITI has been for the last 10 years and who owns now.
WW has been following the restoration of the 38’ 1967 built classic launch – TAINUI for several years and as we can see from todays photos from Blair Boats, the big day is not too far off. Wonderful work being done and owner John Sloane must be over the moon.
Lots of previous WW stories covering her past, but looking at todays photos its hard to believe she was once a Harbour Board workboat.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LIDGARD MOTORSAILER – SEA ROVER
Recently WW was connected by Herbert Crumb-Gartner in regards to his 32’ Lidgard built motorsailer – SEA ROVER.
Herbert and his wife have recently purchased the vessel do not know much about her past aside from the she was built in 1967.
Herbert has tracked down a previous owner who bought her in 2012 from a chap in Whangaparaoa, Auckland. But that woodys is as far back that she can be traced.
Today we see a mix of current photos and some more original ones, hopefully these will jog a few memories. Sad to see she lost that classic woody look – still nothing a little time with a scraper and a pot of varnish cant fix 😉
Todays woody photo comes to us from Ross Dawson and is dated c.1957 and the location is Coromandel. The image is from a postcard and that woodys is all we know – so we throw this open for input – can we ID the wooden craft – L>R.
I’m not too sure about the aqua section on the workboat looking vessel, an unusual colour for 1957 and also doesn’t quite look kosher eg added to the photo at a later date.
INPUT ex MURRAY McGEHAN – The boat in the right hand side of the postcard picture is LADY WYN LADY WINN designed built and owned by the strongman family, moored outside their workshop. I last saw Lady Wyn in the Havelock marina about 1974.
INPUT ex JACKIE CAREY – The vessel is named the Lady Winn was built by my Uncle Sam Strongman and my father Harold Carey in the Strongman boat building sheds in Coromandel owned by Sam Strongman, my father’s brother in law. She was built as a family launch and we had many lovely adventures on her going to great barrier, Port Charles and around the islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Including coming out of Port Charles straight into some huge waves that were crashing over the bow and my father kept going until we got back to coromandel harbour. My grandmother was praying in the cabin while us kids were enjoying the ride in the stern not having any idea of the seriousness of the situation. She did have a mast.
INPUT ex Dave Giddens – In the mod 1960’s she was the support vessel on one of the Auckland to Suva yacht races.
INPUT ex LEW REDWOOD – Could the front launch outside Strongman’s in the Coromandel be TWYLIGHT built by Strongmans – photos below.
2008 YARD PHOTO OF AN UNNAMED CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ANY CLUES
Well maybe not too much of a mystery – todays photo was sent in by John Dawson, the location is the hardstand at Westpark (Hobsonville) marina.
Already Chris Leech has commented that whilst he initially thought the vessel was RESOLUTE , after a 2nd look Chris is leaning towards ALOHA , but to me – not enough tram-top windows and a few other bits that don’t quite look right.
Can we confirm get a confirmed ID on the launch.
HAVE YOU RSVP’ed FOR THE WOODYS CLEVEDON CRUISE
We like to get as many boats as possible alongside the (all tide) dock and numbers are building so if you are considering the trip on Sept 21.22, rsvp today to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with your boat name, length and approx. # of crew. AND ITS JUST NOT MOTOR LAUNCHES – WE HAVE 4 YACHTS (so far) JOINING IN 🙂
Todays story is stepping over the self imposed Berlin Wall of classic craft – you see FEATHER has DNA dating back to 1912 when the Arch Logan designed 33’ DOREEN and then fast forwarding to the early 2000’s when Eric Knight started making the L33 fibre-glass replicas off a mould of DOREEN.
The concept appealed to FEATHER’s owner but he commissioned some tweaks – like forward motion from a 4-stroke outboard and an awful lot of at the time wonder material – think carbon fibre. End result was the very special craft we see today.
In the USA there is a new word appearing at some of the classic regattas – its ‘GLASSIC’, and is used to describe craft that appear to be old, wooden, classic craft but are made from f/glass. In my eyes a classic is wooden and always will be.
I’m sure the fisheads that sit on the classic yacht association steering group will one day soon, in their hunger for dollars to fund their yacht races, tweak the membership criteria and allow GLASSICS to join up. Rest assured WW will stay pure 🙂
Back to FEATHER – after several weeks hauled out at the Slipway Milford getting some serious TLC that included a JPPJ* – she slipped down the railway slipway back into the Milford Creek on Thursday looking better than new. (*Jason Prew Paint Job) Photos & videos – Cam Malcolm, Jason Prew and Alan H)
1910 >1920 – original Deeming homestead and boat shed at Tapu Point
1945 > mid-1950’s – Opua to Okiato vehicular ferry
1980’s
1990’s
SAD DEMISE OF CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ILEX
WW has been contacted by Greg Philpott regarding the 1910 classic wooden launch – ILEX. Readers may recall Greg recently published a book titled ‘Boats of the Bay’ and he’s working on a sequel (‘First Boats of the Bay’). Greg commented that one of the craft to feature in the new book will be ILEX. I’ll hand over to Greg to tell the story ILEX.
“Ilex was the very first boat built by Scarlett Deeming at his boat shed at Tapu Point opposite the fledgling township of Opua. She was built in 1910 and was used by the Deeming family in a variety of ways – two of the key ones, firstly as the school ferry to take children to and from the Opua School and this operated from 1928 to 1939. Ilex was also the prime towing launch for the Okiato to Opua vehicular ferry which had been instigated by the military during World War Two and was then taken over by Jack and his son Selwyn Deeming from 1945 and continued to operate until A E Fuller and Sons took over around 1954 and Ilex was replaced by Miss Doris.
The history of Ilex then disappears until the mid / late 197o’s when brother Don and Max Lightband purchased the boat in Auckland and took her to Mangonui where they ran her as both a family boat as well as used for fishing charters. She appears to have been sold around the late 1970’s to the then owners of the Mangonui 4 Square (the shop over the water) – it is possible that Ilex was renamed Twilight at that time.
Ilex then suffered a mishap when during a storm one night (date unknown) she was forced under the Mangonui wharf and had her topside totally destroyed. She was hauled out and placed on a property at Mangonui and restoration started. It looks like ownership also changed around this time. Eventually Ilex was acquired by Ken Wright who took her to his property at Kaikohe when he set about rebuilding her deck and cabin top – in the process adding a low flying bridge. She was then used as a family pleasure boat with much fishing engaged in.
In 2010, Ilex was sold to Warwick Moore who had her transported to the Maritime Museum at Paeroa. She was being worked on there when sometime between 2016 and 2019 she was apparently accidently knocked off her cradle by a worker at the Museum. She was subsequent destroyed by the Museum. A key part of New Zealand’s maritime history, at that time over 100 years old, gone.”
Greg would like to learn more of ILEX’s history particularly between the mid-1950’s and mid-1970’s. And also her time in Mangonui and her demise at Paeroa.
So woodys can we help Greg with his search for more intel on the vessel.I’m also keen to get some photos of the final days at Paeroa.
CLASSIC BAY OF ISLNDS FERRY – BAY BELLE GETS A NEW LIFE
If you’re on fb I’m sure you would have seen the amazing project Kate Farrant has taken on board – refitting the old (1971>2011) Russell > Pahia ferry into a floating pizzeria. Kate and helpers has spent the past year restoring the 57’, built in 1960 by Deemings Bros – BAY BELLE and recently relaunched her. Link below to a Jan 2024 story from when she was 4sale, lots of photos https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/01/28/bay-belle-party-boat/
At this stage the plan is to base the pizzeria at Rakino Island this summer. And before you comment that there is already one ashore in Woody Bay, the superb pizzeria run by Alf Newton sadly closed permanently at the end of summer 2025. As I have mentioned on WW they were the best pizzas in Auckland. So its exciting news to learn of Kate’s enterprise – but, big shoes to fill to equal Alf’s creations 🙂
WW has been contacted by a friend of Kate’s Josh Chapman who is in the process of documenting (video) Kate and BAY BELLE’s story and is keen to learn more about the boat’s history. Josh has made a short video to give us a sneak peek at the project.
So woody if you have any information on BAY BELLE, or know of anyone who was involved in building her back in the early 1960s? leads to former crew, builders, or families connected to her history Josh would like to hear from you – joshchaps78@gmail.com
When Kate’s finished the fit out and up and running we will let you know. I can see a Classic Woodys Cruise to Rakino to celebrate the launch of summer 😉
Last Wednesday we did an story on the TCL work boatbuilder Alan Craig had done on the classic wooden launch – ALPHEUS. During the chat with Alan I nudged him for an update on the 28’, 1938, Collings & Bell built – MOOSE restoration, and today woodys we get to share what’s been happening in the Craig Marine shed.
Links below to the previous stories, including the extraction of MOOSE from her lake front boat shed.
With the likelihood of a new Yanmar engine, the old unit has come out. The plan is to try and use the existing V drive.
As MOOSE will end up out on a Jetty most of the time, the cabin roof will be getting a protective layer of f/glass. Alan remarked that while it seems a shame to cover the nice tongue & groove roof, they want MOOSE to live on many more years yet.
Now that she is in a cradle the boatyard team can attack the underside and are starting work on an interior layout.
DAVEY JONES NEW BOOK QUIZ WINNER – JAMES HUTCHINSON. Congratulations to James, for all those that missed out – copies available at daveyjonesofwakatahuri@gmail.com
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