Category Archives: CYA Boat

Evening Star & Alma G

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EVENING STAR

The above photo of Evening Star was sent to me by Simon Manning, and was taken near Port Fitzroy in late December. She looks stunning, what a magnificent ship, Simon commented that she appeared to have had a major renovation recently.
So Woodys, what do we know about her?
Simon mentioned that they had an Evening Star fishing in and around the Sounds when he was a kid but doesn’t believe it’s the same boat.  This one looks bigger.   There must be more than one around by that name.
ALMA G
The photo below of Alma G about to weigh in her catch at Russell, is another from Snooks Fuller’s brilliant collection, sent in by Dean Wright.
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28-01-2019 Photo below of Evening Star in Sheep Bay, Gt Mercury Island, ex Greg Fenwick
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A Classic Wooden Boat Cruise to The Bay of Islands & Whangaroa 

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A Classic Wooden Boat Cruise to The Bay of Islands & Whangaroa 
Two of the driving forces behind the NZ Classic Yacht Association, Jason Prew (Deputy Chairman) & Nathan Herbert (Launch Captain) spearheaded a summer cruise of classic Woodys up the northland coast to the Bay of Islands & Whangaroa Harbour.
Both Jason’s launch – My Girl & Nathan’s – Pacific have been well featured on their facebook pages but in case you missed it, I have included below a link to Jason’s fb, from which you can click thru to Nathan’s.
The photos above we sent to me by BOI based woody & professional photographer Dean Wright, taken early morning on 30-12-2018 in Opito . As always from Dean stunning photos.
The two below are from Jason Prew – & show the two woodys at anchor, early morning in Whangaroa Harbour.
Enjoy.

Check out the Xmas / NY travels here: 

My Girl – Jason Prew & Pacific – Nathan Herbert
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pacific whangaroa jan 2019
WIN A COPY OF PETER PEAL’S BOOK – THOUGHTS ON CLINKER LAPSTRAKE DINGHY CONSTRUCTION

 

The first woody* to email me the correct answers to the following two questions, will win a copy of the above 108 page book. NOTE: Entry only by email to:
waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Q1 – What item seen in the above photo/s connects the two classic launches?
Q2 – Name the person behind the connection?
If you do not win – grab a copy from Boat Books in Westhaven (also on-line)
*(skippers & associated hangers-on of the 2 boats, are excluded from entering, and before anyone asks – I decide who is a hanger-on)
AND THE WINNER IS SIMON ADAMS
Correct answers were:
1. Lapstrake dinghy’s (tenders)
2. Brooke Family (one built by Jack & the other by Robert)

Garden Cove, Waiheke Island

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Garden Cove Waiheke Island

Over the New Year period we were very lucky to ’score’ an anchorage not once, but twice in Garden Cove on the the Northern side of Waiheke Island.
It’s a very special spot & due to it size, can only really handle 2 >3 boats. The advent of the SeaLegs amphibious craft, means a few more craft can enjoy the venue via parking on the beach.
On our first visit we were joined by the 1946 Lidgard built launch – Monterey.
Second trip we shared the bay with the magnificent1935, Colin Wild designed & built motor launch – Lady Gay & a very cute woody ‘picnic’ boat.
If you ever get the chance, be brave & enter the gap (right side – ALWAYS), it is worth it.
BUT – folks, the 1st visit was a little tarred by a group of white trash that appeared to have overnighted on the beach (New Years Eve), the beach was a tip & included toilet paper. Come on kiwi’s – show a little respect for the environment & other people. A took few photos to name & shame 😦

LITTLE JIM (Mk1) B7

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LITTLE JIM (Mk1) B7

If you search the words Little Jim in the WW search box you we see numerous references to a very stunning yacht, owned these days by CYA Chairman James Mortimer. She was designed / built by Arch Logan and Bill Couldrey in 1934, photos below.
Outside of the die-hard classic yachties, few know there was another Little Jim, B7, pictured above.
This LJ was a B class Keeler owned by J. Mitchelson.
Sadly she was driven ashore and totally wrecked at Catherine Bay, Great Barrier Island, after being dismasted in a gale on Christmas Day 1934?. The only good news was that the crew of 5 escaped drowning & reached the shore.
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07-01-2019 Input from owner – James M
Little Jim started out life as a schnapper boat in 1900 under the sail number AK1 when it was built for a fisherman named Charles Vieri. Once converted to a pleasure boat for racing and cruising by the Feltham brothers, she sailed as B7 under various owners until a syndicate including Mitchelson purchased her in 1931. It was Xmas Day of ’33 she was driven onto the rocks in Katherine Bay. The story goes that after the rig snapped in two about 6 feet above the deck, and while cutting everything away a shackle got caught between the rudder and stern post, not only making a huge sea anchor with the still half-attached sails and rig but also losing any form of steerage. They managed to get two anchors down once in Katherine Bay. These held for some hours before the warps of one then the other finally frayed under the load and she went ashore. A few items were salvaged, including the small circular porthole you can see in the current cabin top in your last photo above. Legend has it that a leg of ham washed ashore, which fed the crew on Xmas Day over a campfire in the scrub behind the bay. With the insurance payout of 230 pounds plus a generous gift from Mitchelson’s aunt, Little Jim A16 was launched on 19th November 1934, a pretty impressive feat in less than 11 months! She went on to win the Anniversary Day race just two months later and has been sailling and cruising the Waitemata and Hauraki Gulf since. For anyone interested there is a great history of the two boats captured on Peter Brooke’s boatbuilders page here: http://www.classicboating.co.uk/Little%20Jim%20H.html

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.

Almost A Woody – Lucille

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ALMOST A WOODY – LUCILLE
Lucille was built in 2004, in Whangarei, by Eric Knight and sits in the ’spirit of tradition’ category, being a fibre-glass version of the Logan wooden 33’ launch – Coquette.
She is powered by a 40hp, 4 cyl Lombardini diesel.
Her owner Alan Good is one of the most fastidious boaties you could find and has tweaked and upgraded almost everything to make Lucille perfect for his use. Even the interior follows through with the Logan concept of tongue & groove ceilings and panelling. Alan has also replaced all her fittings with bronze to enhance her look.
A very practical launch that gets used a lot.
Hard stand photos ex Ken Ricketts, rest Alan H & owner.
You can read more on the original Logan 33 Coquette here.   https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/15/coquette/

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 😉

Tiromoana

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TIROMOANA 4 Sale
I have featured Tiromoana several times on WW, mainly because she is just such a gorgeous classic woody. One of those vessels that looks just right from any angle.
She was designed and built in 1937 by Bill Couldrey, from double skinned, diagonal planked kauri, and measures 38′. Current zoom zoom is from a 60hp Gardner 5LW
Tiromoana has an interesting background – having served as a Naval patrol vessel during WWII and later as Aucklands first police launch.
Below decks her layout is very original and features anything and everything one would want and expect of a vessel of her class.
She is for sale on trademe and includes a 12m marina – which are as rare as hens teeth in Auckland these days.
Anyone looking for a very smart classic woody should check Tiromoana out 🙂
To view more on her – click this link   https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/15/tiromoana-2/
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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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