Category Archives: Boat Sheds

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 – 160+ photos

Posted on by
8

rotoiti-2017256

rotoiti-2017277www

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 – 160+ photos

Another stunning long weekend weather wise & also on the woody front – this weekend I was down at Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) for the annual classic & wooden boat parade. Holding hands again on the trip with Chris Miller. For the last few years we have positioned our selves in one shore based spot & snapped the boats as they have passed, this year we were very kindly offered the use of a RHIB to get out on the water & get amongst the fleet. The RHIB was provided by LRC&WB Association Rear Commodore Fraser Wilson, Fraser deserves a lot of credit for the above photos 🙂 . Given that CM is a professional photographer we decided that I would be the boat boy & helm the boat & CM would snap the photos, that was a good call because he is rather good 🙂
Being afloat meant that we could get a lot closer to the boats & the crews. So woodys the photos above are CM’s & below are a few of mine + a collection that I took while ashore for the post parade picnic.
I was asked to judge the awards for 7 categories, these awards are highly contested as they are only handed out every 5 years. The winners are featured at the end of todays story.
I would also like to like thank LRC&WB Commodore Grant Cossey for his help & support & as always the LRC&WB Secretary & event registrar – Rachel Jamieson, who is the real hero of this event & the association.
You can also view more on the event at CM’s blog – http://www.buggeritweareoff.com
Remember to click on photos to enlarge. Enjoy – we did 😉
p1220550
p1240877
p1240770
20th Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2017 Winners
BEST ORIGINAL WOODEN BOOT – CARVEL
rotoiti-2017256-copy
BEST ORIGINAL CLASSIC BOAT – WILD HORSES
rotoiti-2017034www-copy
BEST CONVERSION – PIKO
rotoiti-2017177www-copy
BEST DECORATED BOAT – HAUMOANA
rotoiti-2017081www
BEST DRESS CREW – ALBERTO
rotoiti-2017099www-copy
BEST REPRODUCTION – SUZY Q
p1240878
MOST QUIRKY – MAGGIE
p1240838

Tibbs’ Beach – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
13

tibbs-beach-c1900

Tibbs’ Beach – Sailing Sunday

The above photo, from the A. Turnbull Library, was taken by William A Price in the early 1900’s & shows a collection of yachts & a small motor boat hauled out on cradles for maintenance at Tibbs’ Beach, Ponsonby.

Got to love the father & son + old boy with the walking stick, bowler hat & pipe in the center of the photo – that is what its all about-the 3 F’s – fun, friendship & fraternity 😉

So woodys todays questions – what is Tibbs’ Beach known as today ? And can we ID the boats?

Harold Kidd Input

From the left is ROMP alias CHARIE but built as EHOA by Tom Le Huquet in 1892, winter-quartered at Tibbs Beach when owned by Fred Rule. I can’t positively id the little double-ended launch. Next is, I reckon, QUEENIE, hauled out at the beach when owned by Tom Hill. Next is, I think, SCOUT when owned by the Ewen brothers who lived in Shelley Beach Road. Possibly, however, it’s MAYO which also pulled out there until she was damaged and broken up in late 1913 but I think MAYO was smaller although of the same general form. The bow of the boat on the right doesn’t tell us much except that she’s a small straight-stemmer. My pick is NEOLA which was owned by Treanor and hauled out here at this time.
I reckon the date is winter 1912 plus or minus a year.

16-01-2017

“Aquatics” correspondents of the newspapers and magazines of the time were fond of producing copy from a wander along the haul out areas around the harbour to fill their columns in the winter, so you can pretty well flesh out the boats hauled in each spot, season by season. The key to this image is the presence of EHOA aka RHONA/RONA/CHARIE (not CHARLIE), but ROMP at this time and that puts the dates to 1910-14 at the outside either way.
The other yachts which used Tibbs’ Beach for winter haulout within that period were (alphabetically) ARIKI, HEARTSEASE, LITTLE JIM (the first), MABEL, MAYO, NEOLA aka ALOFA/AWATEA, QUEENIE, ROSE aka MOUTERE, SCOUT, the 16 footer SURPRISE and VALDORA, then a big centreboarder.
The only candidate for the #2 yacht from this dramatis personae to my mind is VALDORA, then owned by W.T. Matthews but she was only 26ft loa. MABEL, now WAIATA in Wellington, has a raked stem and is 33ft, but no “spoon”.
Any other ideas?

Laughing Lady Getting Dressed

Posted on by
7

img_0034

Laughing Lady Getting Dressed Photos

Todays ww post is a wee peek into the final stages of Laughing Lady’s restoration at the Whangateau boat yard. Photos ex James Dreyer’s ‘Seven Oceans Boatworks’ facebook page – click here to see more on the project https://www.facebook.com/sevenoceansboatworks/?pnref=lhc

In the last few days James has used the services of a good old fashioned master craftsman with experience in the hot rod movement to apply some of the finishing touches to LL.
Given the level of presentation that LL will have when launched one would have to wonder where her home will be – certainly not a swing mooring in the Tamaki River, probably a boat shed or maybe even one of the dry docks?

ww awaits details on the splash date, must be fast approaching 😉

30-12-2016 The original plans have just surfaced. Read more in comments section.

img_0592

04-05-2017 – Owner James Dreyer hard at work at the Whangateau Boat shed.

IMG_0851

Lady Noelene

Posted on by
6

image012

image014

image001

LADY NOELENE

Lady Noelene has been a ‘rolling restoration’ for the last 4+ years & while still not complete her owner is on the down hill slopes. We do not know much about her past but she is powered by a 6 cyl Ford diesel. The photos are a mix of several people over the years, with the most recent ones, at Greg Less’s Sandspit boat yard, from Ken Ricketts.

Can any woodys expand on the little we know about Lady Noelene ?

Kailua Refit – The Final Chapter

Posted on by
5

image1

screen-shot-2016-12-04-at-10-06-02-pm

screen-shot-2016-12-04-at-10-03-27-pm

p1240101-copy

Kailua Refit – The Final Chapter

Regular visitors to ww will have followed Kailua’s winter haul out at the Nautigue boat yard at West Harbour. Not long after new owners Jacquie & Stephen Langton purchased Kailua off Graham Guthrie, the decision was made to give her an extensive make-over. Stephen choose the Nautique yard to complete the work & reports that with the team of Ben & Neil the craft work and project management was great & he  only has good things to say about them – he joked to me that in the past he has built a few houses, & it’s hard to rave about your builders at the end of the project, but with these guys its been the exception.
Kailua was designed & built in 1960 by Bob Salthouse, when launched she was named – Lady Beryl.

Kailua was relaunched in late November 2016 & her first public outing was the CYA Xmas BBQ weekend at Patio Bay.
Enjoy the photos – you can view more on the project at the link below.

Kailua 2016 Refit

Kia Ora

Posted on by
5

screen-shot-2016-11-19-at-5-51-04-amscreen-shot-2016-11-19-at-5-53-11-am

screen-shot-2016-11-19-at-5-51-16-am

Kia Ora
A 43 foot wooden boat powered by a Gardner 6LH through a Gardner gearbox.  Kia Ora is an ex fishing vessel converted to a pleasure boat for her well deserved retirement.
Built in 1939 at Kaikoura by local fishing legend Syd Cormack & launched on the foreshore at Kaikoura.
She is very well known along the South Island east coast, not many places you won’t bump into a fisherman thats worked on her.
With her Gardner ticking over her cruise speed is 7 to 8Knts and fuel usage is around 5 to 6 liters per hour.

Any of the woodys able to tell us more about Kia Ora, Ian McDonald alerted me to the trademe listing, hopefully she survived the earthquake & tidal activity that it the area this week.

Harold Kidd Input

KIA ORA was built by Syd Cormack in Kaikoura and launched in 1940. Her first engine was a 50hp Bolinder. Her dimensions are (official reg) 41.2′ loa x 12.7′ beam x 5.6′ draught, 13.03 tons gross and 3.88 tons net. Cormack was her first owner. She was registered as LN 93.
When Ainsley Sinclair of Akaroa owned her in 1950 he steamed her up to Auckland for the Sanders Cup contest. During her life she has been sunk and salvaged three times.

Sheds at Clyde Quay Wellington
The capital has also been suffering the effects of the earthquake, Gavin Pascoe sent me the photo below. This is the result of earthquake surge + king tide + torrential rain. Hopefully the water did not do much damage to the sheds contents – click this link to view the sheds on a good day 😉 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/12/31/ever-wondered-whats-inside-those-sheds/

screen-shot-2016-11-19-at-6-24-20-am

Ranui

Posted on by
5

screen-shot-2016-10-31-at-11-10-14-pm

RANUI
Ranui was built in 1948 by Lidgard Bros. following a Chris Craft design. She measures 48′ & is made of kauri. The  zoom zoom comes from twin 120hp Fords. She recently returned to Auckland & has just had some TLC at Gulf Harbour that included her coamings being re-varnished.
Check out the link below to a 29 page PDF file that show cases renovation a few years ago & also the history of Lidgards & the Chris Craft marque .

ranui-her-story-as-at-12-3-12-ex-owner-hamish-dowell-17-10-16
The photos below ex Ken Ricketts show the recent Gulf Harbour work.

24-02-2017 Update – Photos below ex Robin Elliott of Ranui berthed in Dove Cove Marina, early Jan 2017

Mataroa (Kenya)

Posted on by
14

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-52-22-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-52-33-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-52-52-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-54-53-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-55-10-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-55-26-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-54-03-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-54-15-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-54-26-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-54-34-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-53-16-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-53-32-pm

screen-shot-2016-10-30-at-6-53-44-pm

MATAROA (Kenya)

Today’s photos were sent in by Rob Uivel, who recently purchased Mataroa & in whom I have great faith that she will be bought back to ‘as-new’. Given her very original condition, there will be no need for a chainsaw 🙂
Built in 1928 by Joe Slattery, she was named Kenya when launched & measures 36′. Originally built for Mr Heard of Heards Confectionary.
This link will show you her as purchased by Rob https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/26/mataroa-kenya/

The above historical photos show Mataroa after she was struck amidships by another boat, & show the repairs and alterations undertaken. You have to love the ‘fence posts’ holding her together.

Now woodys – if anyone can give us the name of the vessel that struck her, I’ll give them a ww t-shirt. Answers via email only, sent to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
You’ll need to provide proof to support your answer 😉

 

Susan Jane – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
16

fullsizerender-1

fullsizerender

SUSAN JANE – Sailing Sunday

With Omaha boat builder Colin Brown having just re-launched the Colin Wild built launch – Little Tasman, we have been wondering what was next into the shed. The answer is the yacht Susan Jane, built by Chris Robertson c1950. Colin is not sure whether or not he designed her so is looking for any more info the woodys can supply.

Susan Jane is having  a major rebuild as a result of rot issues. Colin has taken the project over from a friend of his, who due to poor health is unable to complete the project. The above photos are by Colin, emailed to me via Ken Ricketts.

01-07-2017 REFIT UPDATE
The Brown family – Colin, son Dylan & son-in-law Josh have been hard at work on the refit.
All exterior hull work done by Dylan & the interior ex the hands of Josh.
Photos below, ex Colin, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

20-10-2017 Refit Update – photo ex Colin Brown via Ken Ricketts.

06-11-2017 Refit Update – photos ex Colin Brown via Ken Ricketts

She is going to be powered by a 38 Hp 3 cyl Nani Diesel

10-04-2018 Update – More photo ex Colin Brown via Ken R

And more

SUSAN JANE April18a - ...

SUSAN JANE April18b

24-04-2018 Update – Susan Jane & her restorer Colin Brown had a special yard visit (23/04) from the original builder Chris Robertson, aged 91 years. Chris was accompanied by his son Martin & grandson Aaron – all 3 boatbuilders.

Photo below shows Susan Jane getting the royal inspection from the Robertson family. I understand Colin was very honoured. Photo ex Colin , via Ken Ricketts.

SUSAN JANE 23.4.18

Mahanui Refit

Posted on by
4
img_0830

October 2016

screen-shot-2016-10-24-at-10-05-43-pm

Before

img_0833

October 2016

Mahanui Refit

Over winter Angus Rogers (CYA Launch Captain) booked Mahanui into Greg Lees yard at Sandspit for a wee facelift. Mahanui has been a frequent visitor to the surgeons – she was built by Keith Atkinson in 1977 & originally launched as Jacinta II. Eight years ago her then owner changed the name to Mahanui & converted the portofino stern topsides to conventional topsides and added a new duckboard. He also shortened the flying bridge coamings.
Angus purchased Mahanui in February 2012 & in May 2012 she went into Lees Boatyard at Sandspit for a 9 months total refurbishment that included new engines – full details can be found here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/10/mahanui-jacinta-ii/

This winter saw the canopy over Mahanui’s cockpit replaced with a permanent structure & the finished article is a perfect fit. But as I have said before, we expect nothing less from the team at Lees Boat Builders. Compare the first two photos above & I think you will agree. Below is a ‘as launched’ photo.

screen-shot-2016-10-24-at-10-05-17-pm

As launched