Category Archives: CYA Boat

Whangateau Traditional Boat Regatta & Yard Open Day – Part 1

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Whangateau Traditional Boat Regatta & Yard Open Day

The Whangateau crew of Pam & George once again threw their yard open to lovers of classic wooden boats on Sunday (May 4th 2014). The regatta also served as a welcome to ‘Laughing Lady’ the new motorboat arrival from the USA that will be receiving some WTB love.
The autumn day was perfect – sun,wind & great boats. The food & people were pretty good as well 🙂
The regatta follows a well rehearsed format – boats out on the beach, sailors & crew arrive, boats rigged, wait for the tide (&wind), race begins/ends, lunch, prize giving. Now if that sounds like any old regatta – I can assure you Whangateau is not that. The fun & ‘games’ as people secure a boat, select sails & rudders etc & rig up is hilarious & the old salts on hand prove invaluable, in fact it wouldn’t happen with out them. No problem if something does not fit, its into the workshop & onto to the saw bench for some adjustments. Thanks to Jason Prew & Nathan Herbert for the ride aboard Otira, the 1902 Logan motorboat.
Your own Steve Horsley won the race (again) , chased / followed very closely by launch owner Shane Anderson, who had to draw on his past yachting days to keep Steve honest & win a waitematawoodys t-shirt.

A lot of the crew got into the spirit of the day & dressed as pirates.

I’m not going to attempt to caption all the photos, there are just too many – I post today a selection to give you a gander of what makes the people & the place so special.
Tomorrow I’ll post another selection – there is just too many for one day 😉

click photos to enlarge

The shed
Steve scoping the boats
Steve H rigging up
The Rudder Library
The Skippers
The winners- Steve H & Jane
2nd place – Shane A & crew
Pirates
The Best Pirate
Hugh Gladwell the auctioneer with George spotting bids

Click the blue link below to read Jane High’s post regatta newsletter

Whangateau Article 2014

Autumn Cruising

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RainDance
RainDance
RainDance
Rorqual
Silens
Waimiga
Waimiga
Waimiga

Playing Hooky

It appears that quite a few CYA launch owners took the opportunity today to pay hooky & grab the last few days of Autumn. As they say, made if you don’t 🙂

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laughing lady regatta

Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard Open Day / Regatta

If you are out & about this Sunday & looking for a nice drive, the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard is throwing the doors open for people to view the newest arrival – Laughing Lady to the boat yard and New Zealand. The American and NZ flags will be flying & the theme for the day is red, white & blue or even just something nautical e.g. a boat hat.
And as is always the way – a selection of small craft will be out for inspection & visitors are welcome (encouraged) to bring their own craft.

For the newbies that have not been to one of the regattas before , its a very casual day where you make your own fun and are responsible for yourself i.e. if you are boating, bring and wear your own life jacket.

Bring a picnic lunch or have one of our sausages or bring your own sausages for the BBQ.

There will be a donation box for the sausages and the days events and for up-keep on the small craft on offer.

A course will be set to sail, motor or paddle around, out from the bay.This is open for all to join in

The boat yard is open to view Laughing Lady till 4.00pm

Please mind your footing around the yard, this is a traditional working boat yard.!

How do you get there?

Drive past Matakana aprox 9.1 km to 397 Leigh Road, Tramcar Bay & look for the one way bridge, park on the other side of the bridge please.

Launching of boats can be done from the reserve access by the boat yard, but be early to do this.

High tide is at 11.00 am – so 9.30 for setting up the boats – then as soon as the tide allows, hit the water & we shall signal you back for the start of the race 10.30-11.30 start of race.
Confused ? it will be all clear on the day 🙂

 

 

Waiata & her builder

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WAIATA & HER BUILDER

details & photos (b/w) by Harold Kidd, colour photo ex Rob Uivel

Waiata is featured else where on several ww posts but Harold’s below brings every together.

Rob Uivel owns the neat little launch WAIATA which is a remarkable survivor from the pre-WW1 period, 101 years old and going strong still. WAIATA was built by David Reid at his yard in Drake Street, Freeman’s Bay and launched in November 1913 for Devonport enthusiasts Edward Percy Earle and Alfred George Lunn who were keen competitors in the highly popular NZ Power Boat Association races in the “under 9 knots” category. Her first engine was a 14hp (rated) Britt engine but that was changed in 1921 for a 14hp Westman engine, for which W.R. Twigg was the local agent.

She held the NZPBA championship pennant several times during WW1. She also took part in the search for Count von Luckner when he and several other German prisoners of war escaped from Motuihe in the launch PEARL in December 1917. Earle dropped out of ownership in late 1919. Lunn became Commodore of the NZPBA in 1920 but sold WAIATA around 1922. She pretty much drops out of sight except for being recorded as being used as mark boat for Devonport Yacht Club and other clubs’ yacht races right through the 1930s. It would be interesting if WW people could fill in the gap between then and now.

David Reid was a very good boat builder indeed and had the agency for the very fine Buffalo marine engine. He had a prodigious output of launches culminating in the very fast Cascade in early 1916. David was the son of Robert Reid whose business he had taken over in 1904, and the brother of James Reid who was equally important as a launch builder. However, David suffered from asthma so badly that he sold his business, machinery and moulds to T.M. Lane & Sons and left for Queensland in late 1916.  It was a very great loss to this country.

photo below of 1st owner – Alfred Lunn

Seagull

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SEAGULL

Now this boat has some provenance, built in 1953 at the Devonport Navy dockyard, was originally on the starboard side of the HMNZ Monowai Survey ship.

29.8’ in length & powered by a 53hp diesel, new in 2004, now with     1850 hrs on the clock.

Seagull is a solid, reliable, economic, ex Navy survey launch converted to pleasure use & is perfect for cruising around the Hauraki Gulf.

Recent work over the winter of 2013 includes, full hull repaint, including anti foul, new cockpit, lockers, new toilet, new stern platform with stainless steel ladder. Full engine service, oil and filters, belts etc including new batteries.

Garmin GPS chart plotter/fish finder. New VHS radio. New 2 burner gas stove. Good sized electric fridge. Solar panels for battery backup.

Owned by a fellow DYC member, Seagull is currently for sale on trademe as her owner has a desire to return to the dark side (sail)…… Hopefully he will see the light & buy a motorsailer.

Luana

Image

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Luana

LUANA

photo ex Harold Kidd

The above photo of Luana shows her with one of the most famous warships of all time, HMS Hood. In 1924 Hood visited Auckland with another battleship, HMS Repulse as part of a 38000 mile circumnavigation. HMS Hood is seen at Princes Wharf.

At 860 ft she was for many years the largest & most prestigious warship in the world, with a top speed of 31 knots what a sight she must have been.

Sadly on the 24th May 1941 she came 2nd in one of the most famous surface engagements of WW2 – the German battleship Bismarck sank Hood in 3 minutes with only 3 of the 1418 men onboard surviving.
There was at the time much controversy into the speed of her demise & the exact cause of the loss of Hood still remains a subject for debate. Whether a shell from Bismarck king hit Hoods armory or a fire detonated her own torpedoes will never be know.

On a happier note Luana is still with us & a quick entry in the woodys search box will reward you with some great photos.

Young-Old Man’s Blather.

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Russel Ward aka Mr Steam + boat builder Joe Wheeler

Today’s post is to quote the writer (Russell Ward) a ditty on his teenage boating years & sheds some light on the Bayswater boat builder, Joe Wheeler, who is largely unsung but deserves attention.Click the link below to view/read the story/photos.

Harold Kidd knows more about Joe and can be sure to chip in on this one.

Pour yourself a cup of tea & enjoy the story 🙂

Click this link (blue text) to view Young-old man’s blather

Russell in his element

P1160647_2

Joe Wheelers last boat built -seen here at Stillwater

joewheelerlatsboat

Ronaki (MV Manukau)

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RONAKI (MV Manukau)

Classic displacement launch designed and built in triple skin heart kauri by Charles Bailey Jnr in 1914 and known as m.v. Manukau, she plied the Manukau Harbour as a pilot boat and was also used for barge work and buoyage. Rebuilt to survey in 1961, she had a new Gardner LW4 diesel installed and for many years was used sounding work in the Waitemata. She is now in private hands and has been lovingly cared for and used as a pleasure boat by her present owner. For sale now on trademe.

The 56 hp Gardner 4 LW drives her along at 7.5-8.5 knots using only an astonishing 4 litres of diesel per hour
Transmission Details: Inboard
Engine Details: 1961 Gardner 4 LW
Displacement: 9900 kg
Length:12m (39.4Ft)
Beam: 3.16 metres (10 Ft 4 In)
Draft: 1.00 metres (3 Ft 3 In)
Fuel Capacity: 455 litres
Water Capacity: 136 litres

Harold Kidd update 30/03/2014

The info on this launch as set out above is 100% accurate. The first RONAKI was designed and built by Collings & Bell for the Auckland Harbour Board in February 1913 (see “Vintage NZ Launches” for a good image and history). She was converted to a bridgedecker after AHB disposed of her to G Hyauiason and probably got the V8 during RNZN service in WW2.
Since contributors are continually (and drearily) name-dropping on this site, let me join in. It was probably my uncle, Lou Wilson, MD of Watson Steele & Ganley, who allegedly attempted to borrow the set of points, because he owned RONAKI at the time. Quite how, with his huge trade knowledge, Lou Wilson would come to ask such a bloody stupid question beggars belief! Good story……………………….
This boat was, as is accurately detailed above, designed and built by Chas. Bailey Jr. Why should there be a trace of doubt in that? Does olivene2013 consider him incapable of that?
AHB commissioned her for use on the Manukau and called her MANUKAU. When the new MANUKAU was built by Scholten & Brijs to replace her, she was brought back to the Waitemata by AHB in February 1967 and renamed RONAKI (sometimes rendered as RONAKI II).

PS OOPS, If I’m descending to name-drop spraying too, I should get it right!
Lou Wilson was MD of Morris, Black & Matheson, and later a director of Tappenden Motors, not WASGA.
Something deeply wrong with that story! Lou would have been tickled with the absurdity of it.

A Woody Weekend

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A Woody Weekend

photos from alan houghton & brian fulton.

Just back from the CYA Waiheke Cruise, 9 woodys did the trip to the bottom end & despite the weather forecast – enjoyed stunning weather. It was great to see some of our new members joining in – Seagull (Lyndsay & Paul Burton), Manapouri (Suzie & Mark Sorrenson) & Ngaio (Lancia & Ian Kohler). The hardy souls (yes I was one) that did the Stoney Batter walk on Saturday morning certainly earned the ice cold beer that greeted them back at the beach front Man O’ War Winery. It was extra nice not having the normal long weekend / xmas period crowds.
On the subject of MOW, I have to say that the Spencer family have done Auckland proud with their total Island experience, the farm is beautiful (if you can say that about a working farm) & the winery has added another gem to boaties things to do at the bottom end list. There were a few teething problems in the early days but now it very very slick.

Late Saturday afternoon saw the flotilla move over to Rotoroa Island for a BBQ, again another of Auckland’s old families – the Plowmans – need to be thanked for their generosity, the Island & it facilities are amazing. The sunset was the icing on the cake.

On route to Rotoroa we had one of those wow on the water moments – the 300′ super yacht Nahlin cruised by. Most saw her berthed at the Viaduct but out & up close in our gulf – a breathtaking sight. I used to say Rawhiti had the best bum in the fleet (technically she still does) but the stern on Nahlin is a work of art. As Barbara Cooke (Trinidad) commented “I think she’s the most beautiful thing that ever floated on water. Hauntingly and nostalgicly romantic”.

Enjoy the photos, we enjoyed the weekend.