Small update re important design work to the overall lines and look of the boat. Again co-owner Patrick Crawshaw updates us below :
“When they raised the main cabin roof, the aft deck curves and back end on the upper part looked very clumsy and ungainly. She lost a lot of elegance in the stern. We spent a day refining these lines and curves. – lots of curves. She now looks much better. The large aft bulkhead curve was enlarged to open up the aft deck and then the back ends where they meet with the roof refined with nice curves. All the curves in the stern section now have relationships with one another. There is also going to be a curve where the entrance from the duck board is and this will be raised so the lettering can go symmetrically across the stern.
Windows are next. I think they are being done next week so will send details of how we work those out in relation to the stern curves/lines and the mid ship section.”
And Some Great News – WW rocked on the search for x4 1/2 cowl vents. Not only did we locate some, they are in fact her original ones, removed in a past life and kept in storage. Well done to Ron Trotter and his generous offer to return them to the vessel.
REBUILDING OF THE FIRE DESTROYED CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – KOKORU
The top photo above is probably the most harrowing photo WW has published and the second photo is one I’m sure will see us all in good spirits. As unimaginable as it seems the 40′ 1960 Jack Morgan built classic launch – KOKORU is currently being rebuilt.
Back in March 2022 the classic wooden boat community learnt of the loss of KOKORU from a dockside / marina accident – fire on neighbouring vessel (refer photo below) that spread to several nearby craft. KOKORU had just been relaunched after an extensive high end refit. She was a right off and her owners made the right call and harvested what they could to start again with another classic launch. Link to WW March story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/03/21/kokoru-ravaged-in-marina-fire-a-call-for-help/
I thought that was the end of the story. Normally is, they sit in a yard for a few years and then end up in a dumpster.
Well not KOKORU, last week I chanced on a Facebook thread that was show casing the work that Burnnand Marine were undertaking to rebuild KOKORU – well done to the owner.
I understand there is a large amount of that very thick paint that comes in rolls being used but we can turn a blind eye to that if it means we get one back from the grave.
OLLIE IRENE- with covers removed, catches her breath in Port Macquarie for a couple of years
Splined hull and repaired bow …and installed 5 new laminated ring frames to secure shape
Repaired garboard and glassed under waterline rolling the glass into a rebate and glued a “spline” into it secure the transition at water line.
Installed self draining front cocktail cockpit through front hatch carlings, including provision for ice bucket to chill the “ bubbles Also allowing safer working space for anchoring. Storage for 3 piece hard deck cover when cockpit not in use and spare anchor in locker under seat…
Fabricate and fit keel extension for rudder and install new prop shaft tube
New rudder
After removal of a number of previous era bearers New engine bearers install to take 80HP Vetus, new prop shaft and drip less seal
The tank!…..out, modified to fit and be removable in future increased baffling, water sump and inspection plate which now sits below the cockpit engine hatch…Cockpit sole and structure remained in tact
Engine pan fabricated and installed
Engine in position for installation
Front engine cover/ companion way with storage bins in each step for oils , spare belts, filters etc
About this time I decided to put Ollie out in my back paddock
OLLIE IRENE
Over the past couple of weeks I have been chatting online with woody from over the ditch – Keith Glover is well known to some of us in the classic wooden boat community having competed in several Auckland classic yachting regattas as crew on Auckland classics. Unlike most Keith has even gone as far as to sail his 1949/50 Alden ketch ‘WRAITH OF ODIN’ (photo below) from Brisbane to Auckland to compete in the 2010/11 regatta.
Todays WW story is based on Keith’s launch – OLLIE IRENE, that Keith has been restoring/rebuilding//recommissioning/rebirthing (multi-choice) for the last few years as he says “out in the back paddock’Probably best if I let Keith tell us about OLLIE IRENE:
* LOA 32’x Beam 9.3″‘x Draft est 3’ x Displacement est 5.5 Ton
* Original Iron bark keel, Spotted gum frames and hull planking, new sheathed ply deck, house, and laid teak cockpit sole
* Little is known of history or providence (long story of how it finished in my hands) other than to say it was a completely stripped-out mildly hogged hull, with a rebuilt deck, and bare house structure. No engine, gearbox, drive train, prop or rudder, although you could see from remaining engine beds it would appear at least 3 different power plants had made an appearance over time! However there was a fuel tank of unknown age or condition totally built-in positioned aft between floor plates and captured by custom deck beams prior to the teak cockpit sole being laid BONUS!!….it was sport but suffice to say it turned out to be new SS which now has better baffles, removable and the cockpit structure remains intact!
* De hogged (adjustable steel cradle) and Splined hull, installed a 80HP motor with hydraulic box ,bow thruster pressure hot water, head etc etc etc
*The complete fit-out has been built, dry fitted, finish coated including upholstery ,basic electrical systems and switchboard etc etc and are in storage awaiting installation whilst we finish painting stuff.
* Limited research suggests Ollie was built in Brisbane during the 1920s as a spec (launched as Irene) built by a yard long since gone and appears to have a close design reference to Blanchard Lake Union Dream Boats of the 1920s from the NW coast USA.
Along the way, I have managed to repurpose many orphan genuine classic bronze bibs and bobs boat bits including some from my original restoration of Wraith of Odin, and targeting a Wooden Boat show in Pittwater November this year.
The purpose of Ollie is to explore some Australian East Coast river systems for which Wraith is unsuitable.
As mention previously the launch – LADY CAROLE has just commenced a refit that will see her returned to as launched configuration (or very close). The project is being overseen by co-owner Patrick Crawshaw and Patrick has agreed to report into WW with updates on the work. Patrick is a talented and articulate gent so I’ll hand over to him to tell the story:
“She came out on the 30th of May and is now on the hard in the Bay of Islands. First job was to remove all the plastic bits and pieces she had accumulated over time. Then the chrome and rub rails came off. Once she was stripped, we could see what we had, and already she was a better looking boat. Since then we have been sanding – a lot of sanding! And many discussions and decisions around how best to return her lines and original appearance.
A lot of thought has gone into the colour scheme in order to pop the lines again. In one of the photographs, you’ll see where we have put a makeshift pipe to know where that mid section line was (we had to do this by eye) and also to know where the windows need to be reduced to. We will have to do the windows by eye/photograph as well so we are filling the whole section, then cutting them out.
One problem was, the ceiling in the main cabin has been raised so we are going to re-cut the back curve so it lines up with the top of the windows, which will make that upper aft section look more elegant than it is at the moment – if you compare the 1950’s b/w photo to the now one, you’ll see what I mean.
There has been much deliberation over the bowsprit, and as it’s glued and bolted down, we want to really work with it, so I have redrawn it to make it look more elegant.
There were cuts along the side rail for water to drip down, but these have been filled today so we can get a sharp white pinstripe along the side that will contrast with the midnight blue hull and the red side section.
The rub rails are copper and everything else is chrome, so I am going to treat them to make them black, which will pop the white pinstripe and work with the midnight blue.
Great discussions over the glass windows – should they be tinted, or clear? Originally they would have been clear so I think we are going for that. I would also like to replicate the striped curtains (seen in the 1950’s photo) in blinds, so you get that horizontal stripe from the fabric which looks great – So the fabric blinds need to be blue and white to work with the exterior colours.
The mast is pretty knackered and has lost its cross rails, so we took the decision to make a new one. I’m in the process of designing this so will forward that on when it’s done. I want it to look very streamlined 50’s so taking those curves at the back and the new bowsprit design as inspiration so they all work together.
We have fortunately found only a tiny bit of rot, so someone is smiling on us.
Another item is her stern and name – my grandfather put the duck board on her in the late 70’s, but before that she just had a ladder up the back (as seen the 1970’s photo) so in order to centralise the lettering properly we are going to raise that aft entrance cut up and then put the letters in between the duck board and the bottom of the new line.
I have some interior design drawings, which I need to finish, but will send these to you as well, so you can see what that cockpit and interior fit out will look like. “ (edited AH)
Earlier in the week we were contacted by Roy Jones from the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club. Roy advised that he had come across a photo of the 1906 Robert Shakespear built launch – INDIA on WW.
INDIA these days is a very active member of the PC&CBC fleet so Roy undertook to pull together an article on INDIA that has appeared in the June 2024 club newsletter.
The PC&CBC is a very active club and meets regularly both on and off the water. This year they celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the club – well done.
If you are time poor fast forward to page 3 and get a wonderful insight into this amazing classic woody.
Retired boatbuilder Kerry Lilley sent in the photos above of the 52’ workboat – TE KAUIA, which he built in 1978 in Panmure. Kerry built TE KUIA for Harbour Transport, Tauranga which at the time was part New Zealand Forest Products. Her role involved ferrying workers to and from Matakana Island, towing log barges, and other duties and the occasional fishing charter.
TE KUIA was later sold to Hugh Ensor in 1989, who then operated her as a charter fishing boat based at Tauranga. Later Jack Elliot converted TE KUIA to a passenger ferry. At the time the cabin roof was extended.The vessel is powered by a GM 6/71 Detroit diesel engine.
In 2023, the Bay of Islands ferry – WAITERE was involved in collision off Russell and.suffered major damage, and was a write off. TE KUIA was purchased as a replacement in June, 2023 for the Pania > Russell run.
Back. In October 2022 we reported that the Bruce Askew designed 36’ launch – IONA II had been sold and relocated from Nelson to the Milford Marina in Auckland. INOA II was built in 1994 so slips comfortably into the ‘spirit of tradition’ category of classic wooden vessels. At the time the story she was hauled out at the Slipway Milford for some maintenance – link to that story here – https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/04/iona-ii/
Fast forward to yesterday and IONA II is back at the yard booked in for a serious dose of TLC. Total refresh of everything other than the engine , a 60hp Nissan TD23. Should be a great project to follow.
UPDATE 09-08-2024 – Lots of activity at the yard, loving the custom bow / anchor sprit
UPDATE 29-08-2024 – new cabin sole undrway
11-09-2024 UPDATE – New windows going in, liking the green tint ✔️
01-10-2024 UPDATE – Get close to re-launching. First coat on the topsides and interior waiting for the varnish brush. The replacement duckboard brackets are a big improvement from what was there 🙂
04-10-2024 UPDATE – 2nd coat of paint on and some very impressive engineering work on the electric motor installation from Cam Malcolm at the Slipway Milford.
09-10-2024 UPDATE – getting closer, the shiny stuff is going on 🙂
The 35’ launch – CYGNET was built in Auckland in 1913, builder unknown, and started life as the cream boat on the Mokau River. A 2016 WW story (link below) advised that she was restored in 1998 and operated on the Mokau as a passenger vessel.
In a story this week on ’The Kawhia Connection’ fb, Andrew Shaw commented that CYGNET was owned by a John Ruby between mid 1950’s and 1994, based in Kawhia. Also operated for a time by Grant and Pauline Taylor.
Andrew Shaw advised that they had nearly finished a 3 year restoration of CYGNET and a launch date is eminent (Thanks to Lew Redwood for the heads up)
Back in July 2015 we shared a photo of the 1911 Collings & Bell built 35’ launch. – DOROTHY, in the photo ex Barry Davis, she was under power and looked very impressive. Note: the photo had been retouched many years ago.
At the time of the 2015 story Harold Kidd contributed a wealth of intel on DOROTHY and her original owner – W.J. Quelch + her builders, Collings &Bell. Clink below to the story
Through the powers of the WW archives, Lynley Stone discovered the 2015 story and reached out to share todays photo of DOROTHY and to advise of her grandfather – Lindsay Burrell Stone connection to the launch – I’ll let Lynley tell the story :
“ The above photo of the Dorothy – I think it was probably taken summer 1915-16. It is from my grandfather’s photo album. Either he took it, or it was a gift from the Frys.
I have evidence that Roland Fry owned the Dorothy at least as early as September 1914.
My grandfather was Lindsay Burrell Stone. His father Arthur was first cousin to Roland Fry. Lindsay joined up when war was declared and sailed from Auckland with the Main Body of troops, leaving in September 1914.
In a letter he posted from Colombo, en route to Egypt in 1914, he asked after The Dorothy and sent his best wishes to Roland. This indicates that he had developed some sort of relationship with the launch before he left.” (Photo ex Lindsay Burrell Stone album)
One of the many wooden bating channels that I follow is {the} Southern Woodenboat Sailing news-blog out of Australian, their tag line is ‘The News, Culture and Practice of Sailing Woodenboats in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific’ . Its very good check it out and subscribe. In this weeks communiqué one of the stories was a link to a 45min interview on the ABC Radio Sydney’s nightlife program, hosted by Philip Clark – the stations intro blurb was – ‘We are a land bound by sea, and boats are an integral part of Australia’s history. Wooden boats especially have something magical about them. They flex, they groan, they creak. They each have unique characters. Philip Clark on Nightlife is joined by a panel of wooden boat specialists. Steve Robson, a self-confessed timber tragic from Sydney. Peter Higgs, President of the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania and Greg Blunt, a shipwright and fifth generation boat builder from Williamstown, each with wooden boats in their veins.‘
Click the link below to listen to the interview – so many similarities to the NZ scene, a lot of the discussion focussed on the dwindling wooden boat building timber stocks, being Australia its Huon Pine, they do make reference to out mighty Kauri.
Three comments that made my ears prick up:1. The key tip for looking after these old girls is – usage and maintenance was use it and often e.g. one > two weeks
2. In Australia fractional ownership eg a group of people forming a syndicate to buy, maintain and use vessel is well established. In NZ I only know of 2>3 successful ownership syndicates. While there are numerous ‘charitable’ (I use the word loosely) trusts that own and maintenance classic yachts, seems NZ is slow out of the gates with fractional ownership groups – food for thought.
3. One of the panel was asked to give an estimate to build a clinker dinghy out of Huon Pine – answer for a 10’ one AUS$30>40,000………..CLICK LINK BELOW TO ABC RADIO
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