Florence

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FLORENCE
Florence has appeared once before when I spied her tied up at Bayswater Marina, so when Tim Jackson tipped me off that she has just appeared on trademe, I took the opportunity to showcase her in more detail. I do not like losing classic’s to out of Auckland but boy this old girl has got lake boat written all over her + the ability to load her onto a flatbed Hiab truck must appeal to the lake based woodys.
She was originally built in Dunedin and has a history of being used as a workboat in and around Port Charmers. Her double-ender hull is heart kauri carvel planked & she measures 28’x7’8”x3’.
There was a major refit done in 2014/15. Now based in Auckland & used as a harbour cruiser.
The 2015 refit involved new cabin from the decks up, new interior, large double bunk up forward, single bunk port side and galley starboard side in saloon. New electrics, reconditioned 1992 45hp 3JH Yanmar from Moon Engines. Engine sits on a Vee drive and creates a cockpit table. There is a new 2205 s/steel shaft & the hull was fully stripped back and re-caulked.
Yellow cedar and Maranti marine ply construction of the cabin fully glassed over &12mm Mahogany veneer to cabin sides
For more older photos & details on Florence, click this link

Florence

Mystery Launch 24-05

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Mystery Launch 24-05
photo ex Harold Kidd

Harold has been trying to ID the above launch & to date had no luck, so Woodys the question today – can any one put a name to her or even the location, that would be a big help in the process.

AN APOLOGY

For some reason the ‘WordPress’ platform who I host the ww site on has been having a few hiccups & keeps re-setting its internal clock – end result is that a few posts that I have had loaded into the system have appeared at random & then disappeared – don’t worry, they will be back 🙂
Cheers Alan Houghton

The floating art work, Lady Margaret (Dick Lang), was hauled out last week at Okahu Bay for some serious bottom cleaning. The X-Foul-E-8 team were applying their magic to her, that kauri looks as good as the day she was launched in 1940. A little birdie tells me we will not be hearing the purr of her Fodens for much longer, some open heart surgery is on the cards – the Lady always was very quick so will be interesting to see how she performs with 2 new light weight zoomers 😉 The Foden installation was a sight to behold so expect no-less with the transplant. (Peter B would kill me if I did not point out that the pile of mussels alongside LM came from another vessel)

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Darleen

Darleen Alan H ©

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DARLEEN
photos ex Alan H & trademe

I have always admired Darleen when refueling RainDance at the Orams fuel berth as Darleen is normally berthed down at the Viaduct amongst the super yachts. The top 4 photos above I took at the Mahurangi Regatta in 2015. The others are ex. trademe. All I know is that she was launched in 1920, is 34′ long & powered by a 65hp Ford diesel. You will see that a lot of time & effort has been spent re-fitting her to a high standard, from memory I think her owner is engaged in the boat building/rigging industry.

Any of the woodys able to expand on her in terms of builder & history?

The Evolution of a Whale Chaser

Rorqual 1986

The Evolution of a Whale Chaser
The photo ex Paul Drake (others ex Chris Miller)

Yesterday was one of those days when ww turns up a gem. There are a few photos from the early days c.1960 of the Jack Morgan designed & built Perano whale chaser Rorqual & there are also lots of present days photos but to the best of my knowledge there were none of her in the ‘between years’.

Then whamo out of the blue Paul Drake sends me the above photo of Rorqual hauled out at Mana, just north of Wellington, in about 1986. This would be just before she was rebuilt /re-powered in 1988.
As Paul commented looking at her lying over on her chine, one could be forgiven for fearing for her future, but of course she survived.

Searching ‘Rorqual’ in the ww Search Box will show you a lot more detail, or if your tight on time, this link will taken to a great story on her past https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/21/the-launching-of-rorqual/
Now the question for her owners Andrew & Alex Millers (sons of Chris Miller)  –  when is she booked into the time-machine for a trip back to 1986? 😉

Evolution Gallery Below

Rorqual and others

Rorqual 1

Rorqual 1986

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Classics at the Sandspit Yacht Club

Rotomahana & Tuna 1

Rotomahana & Tuna

Karros

Karros

Classics at the Sandspit Yacht Club
photos ex John Pryor

John sent in the collection of photos above of woodys currently hauled out at the Sandspit Yacht Club & asked the question is SYC the new ‘Traditional Boat Yard’ ? I think I would have to agree with him, a grand line-up & with their impressive haul out set-up + the legendary Greg Lees Boat Builders alongside, you would struggle to find a more woody friendly facility.

All the woodys above have featured on ww before, so to read more on them, use the ww search box.

A true woodys smoke-0

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Classic Raft-Up at Salthouse Boatbuilders

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Lucille

CYA SALTHOUSE 30.4.16

Rod Marler, Greg Salthouse, Bruce Marler, Bruce Tantrum, Mrs. B Marler, George & Dan Renall

 

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Wairiki

Classic Raft Up at Salthouse Boatbuilders
photos from Alan H & 2 from Ken Ricketts

Saturday saw the CYA host a visit to Greg Salthouse’s Greenhite boat yard, members had the choice of arriving by water or road. Given the deep water anchorage at the wharf it was ideal for some of the yachting members to join in. Fiona Driver & Rod Marler buddied up with Barb & David Cooke to provide a BBQ lunch that disappeared very quickly 🙂
Greg S gave the attendees an intro to the yard & the work that was being undertaken & then thru the yard open to members to explore at their leisure.
Salthouse is one of the few remaining classic wooden boat friendly ‘railway’ haul-out slips in the Auckland area, so folks to quote that old saying – use it or lose it 😉

And on Sunday, while most of you rested I spent the day picking olives at a friends Ti Point property. Bumper crop this year made the day fly by, helped by a longish yum lunch featuring local produce & wines. If we got bored the view was pretty wow.

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Drone photo looking back at property

Mooching Around Whangaroa

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Mapu

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Mooching Around Whangaroa
photos ex Nathan Herbert

Last weekend Nathan took a break (based on the weather forecast) from working on Lucinda & headed north to Whangaroa for some R&R. He reports the fishing was good.
This collection of photos show some of the woodys Nathan spied in the harbour (Totara North) while aboard Korara.

Volantis – Joins our classic launch fleet

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Launch day at Kenepuru

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Launch day at Kenepuru

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Alongside wharf at Ulva Island

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While in charter – Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island

VOLANTIS  – A new addition to the Auckland classic launch fleet
photos & details ex Michael O’Dwyer

Regular readers of ww will know that the CYA launch fleet are regular visitors to the 150+ year old waterfront Riverhead Hotel, in fact the upper harbour cruises are one of the highlights on the launch calendar.

What might not be well known is the publicans (good old fashioned word), Stephen and Paula Pepperell are very classic friendly, in fact before buying the hotel they built a 46′ Herreshoff mobjack ketch ‘Long White Cloud’ & cruised around the world for 6+ years.

On our most recent visit Paula & Stephen came aboard Barbara & David Cooke’s ‘Trinidad’ & I think this was the tipping point in their decision to buy a classic launch.
I can now confirm that they have purchased the 48′ launch ‘Volantis’ from the Marlbourgh Sounds.

Volantis was built in 1965 by Tom Brake at Kenepuru Sound, Marlbrough & has a semi displacement hull built from kauri & kahikatea. Power was a 6/71 GM diesel. From day one she was in charter, fishing in the Sounds. She started life at 42′ but c.1985 Miller & Tunnage at Port Chalmers lengthened her to 48′ & extended the wheel-house.

In 1985 she was sold to Phillip & Dianne Smith & based at Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island again in charter work. In August 2003 she was sold & relocated to Picton.

Volantis is powered by a 180 hp Detroit 2 stroke diesel & the Pepperell’s are currently on-route on the delivery voyage from the Sounds to Auckland, last weekend they stopped in at Napier, with the plan being to head north again this week.

Stephen commented to Michael that he already has plans to give her a more classic look without losing it’s work boat aesthetic. Given the presentation on ‘Long White Cloud’ & the hotel renovation – Volantis will be a fine addition to our Auckland fleet. I’m impressed with the expresso machine on board 🙂

Can any woodys supply more details on her past life?

Hopefully she will be heading up the creek to Riverhead & we will be able to have a peek during the CYA Launch Riverhead Hotel lunch cruise on Saturday 30th April. Should be a big day out – they always are 🙂  CANCELLED

12-01-2017 – Update from Barry Davis
Photo below of Volantis during her refurbishment, the mast is lying on the cabin top, some of the comings are under repair and there was masking tape around the cabin windows.

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Mystery Launch Quiz

Mystery Launch

Mystery Launch Quiz
Win a copy of Robert Brooke’s book – ‘Beautiful Boats’

Ok woodys the first woody that can supply the boat name, designer, builder & year of launch will win a copy of Robert’s just released book ‘ Beautiful Boats’. The first reply in the ww comments section with all 4 answers correct – wins.

Robert has been collecting classic yacht designs for over 50 years, amongst his collection is work from our most talented & recognized designers – Arch Logan, Chas Bailey, Charlie & Alex Collings, Colin Wild, Bert Woolacott, Bob Stewart, Des Townson, Alan Wright & Robert’s father – John Brooke.
From his collection Robert has chosen 50 & redrawn each design, tracing off the original drawings to present them in a similar format. To add to the wow factor, Robert used the drawing equipment & ships curves that were once used by either Arch Logan, Charlie & Alex Collings or his father.

The 105 page, A4 size book allocates 2 pages to each vessel with specs & photo/s on the left & the drawings – hull lines, profile, half breadths, sections, diagonals & sail plan on the right hand page (refer Rainbow drawing example below). Its a must have in all serious woodys library.

Robert has very generously donated 4 copies of the book to waitematawoodys so over the next few weeks I will be giving them away as prizes. In addition I also have a framed 380 x 300 rendered copy of one of the Beautiful Boats. I have not decided yet how this will be ‘won’, details soon.

There are thousands of ww followers out there so do not get your hopes up on winning a copy 🙂 I would suggest you visit Boat Books at 22 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland & grab a copy for yourself, cost is $60. For out of towners or those who refer the web – copies are available on line at  https://www.boatbooks.co.nz/
Its a very limited print run & Boat Books are the sole outlet. Boat Books also have framed copies of the prints for sale – David Glen was one of the first to race in & buy a print of his Rainbow.

Cover, Tawera

Rainbow

A tour of the waterfront

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ATHOS

A tour of the waterfront

After the decision on Sunday to pull the pin on racing, David Glen took Rainbow for a wee cruise around the waterfront docks to check out the talent. Below is a pot-pourri of vessels – some classic, some wood, some glass & some very exotic.

Enjoy the cruise, we did 🙂

 

Sea Devil was hauled out at the hard stand for some TLC, if she was mine I would be taking the power plane to those anti-roll bilge fins. Very agricultural, the ones on my Raindance were similar & post some feathering / shaping the drag effect was noticeably reduced.