Is There Money To Be Made In The Classic Wooden Boat Industry
Short answer yes – if you are good, own a railway slipway and fair in your costs.
The Slipway Milford smoko room wall of honour is a good indication of the woodys that have been for a ride on the Slipway railway 🙂
Would make a good quiz – ID’ing the boats but too busy / lazy doing nothing in a bay at the moment.
SPRAT – Workshop Update
The 28’ David Bedham designed spirit of tradition launch that we featured on WW back in November 2023, link below it nearing completion at the Slipway yard in Milford.
Will be a very smart and fast addition to the Waitemata Harbour, were her intended use is as a fast island commuter.
Looking forward to the sea trial report after the addition of a very smooth and quiet Yamaha 4-stroke o/board. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/11/18/sprat-spirit-of-tradition-orakei-hardstand-good-news/
A COOL WOODY BUSINESS CARD
Any boatbuilder that had a tool chest like the above you would have to feel confident having them working on your boat 🙂 I spotted the crest recently at Leader Boat Builders in Panmure. I’m sure a reader will comment on who the owner is.
Classic Boats – Kerikeri – Workshop Visit – PUFFIN
Bay of Islands woody – Dean Wright recently dropped into the shed of Classic Boats in Kerikeri (website link below), one of the projects underway is a complete replanting of the 100 year + classic above, named Puffin. Master boat builderHerbert Crumb-Gartner was just about to turn the hull over- wonderful craftsmanship on display. Dean has promised to call back and update us on the project.
Check out some of the past and present work that Classic Boats have been connected with https://www.classicboats.co.nz
INPUT From Herbert Krumm-Gartner – I am restoring ‘Puffin’ for her current owner of over 30 years. I first laid eyes on her in a shed in Russell about 3 years ago. Her owner phoned me up asking if I would be interested in restoring her to her former glory.
She is now 102 years old and was built as a fishing boat south of Sydney by some carpenters.
The current owner has all the history of her, he even knows, I think the great grand sons of her builders. When I had a look at her I realized that restoring her planking would not be satisfactory at all, as most of her laps had cracks where the copper rivets were, plus lots of the ribs were broken.
I suggested to the owner to completely re-plank and re-rib her. Instead of having 11 planks a side I decided to go to 13, which reduced the overall size of the individual planks considerably. I have retained the deck that the current owner built in the 1990’s. She will be re-powered with a 14hp Nanni diesel engine. Most of her interior, like seats, floor boards, etc, will be re-furbished and re-installed.
At present she is right way up, back in the shed and we are steaming in new Tanekaha ribs. Puffin is just under 18ft long.
CHRISTMAS BOOTY TO BE WON
Time for some xmas goodwill – a little quiz with a cool prize. As always entry is ONLY VIA EMAIL, you can only enter once, all correct entries go into the draw. Quiz ends on Friday December 15th at 6pm. Winner announced on WW. (photos shown above random selection only)
THE QUIZ QUESTION: Which boat builder / designer has had the most boat / name mentions on the WW site – email your entry to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
THE PRIZE: A copy of the Best Selling Book – ’Shipwright, Boatbuilder, Yachtsman’ by Gilbert J. Littler + A WW sweatshirt (L/S, size XL only) + A WW Burgee
The book is available to buy at Boatbooks in Westhaven or online https://boatbooks.co.nz/nzbooks.asp
And WW merchandise for sale here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/
ALMA G II – Restoration Update #2
Last week B.O.I. woody Dean Wright popped into the CMC Design boat shed in Opua and snapped a few photos of the restoration of the 1927 Collings & Bell built launch – Alma G II. The last update was in May, link here to that story https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/01/restoration-of-alma-g-ii-begins/
The old girl is getting a serious refit, some diagonal planking being added to hold the old girl together 🙂 anything that gives her another 100 years of life is better than slowly decomposing on a swing mooring up some estuary .
Her Lees Ford has been reconditioned – check out this video of the test bed run.
Photos below of Alma G II is her early days earning her keep as one of the most popular big game boats in the Bay of Islands.
SCHOOLHOUSE BAY KAWAU ISLAND – XMAS 1959 – BOATS & OWNERS
In todays photo Ken Ricketts has tagged as may launches as he can confidently ID and provided us with details of who owned the boat at the time of the photo + details on each craft. Hopeful Ken’s memory from 64 years ago is better than mine 😉 Photo by Palmer ex Lew Redwood fb. Engines are listed as on that day, a number had had other preceding engines, some mentioned and most have had other engines since.
I think I have ID’ed REHAI , the 1938 Colin Wild built launch on the right, last launch – see below.
03-12-2023 ADDITIONAL INPUT EX KEN RICKETTS – below is additional data ex KR, the accuracy of which is un proven so view as ‘maybe/could be 🙂
Some engine history & installation details of the above where known.
1. MARGARET S original or early days Twigg petrol engine.
2.HUKARERE original Less ( Ford?) marine petrol engine
3.ROTUI – original
4. VARLENE – original
5. APACHE – original
6.GAY DAWN original single flathead Studebaker petrol converted truck engine ex ROYAL FALCON painted bottle green.
7. MENAI – original 8 cyl Lycoming petrol engine
LADY MARGARET – original twin Fairbanks Morse diesels. These were side exhausted, out each side, below the bridgedeck, about 6 inches above the waterline, & were left in place for many years blanked off, after the Fodens were installed.
Her Fodens to me, had a unique exhaust system, with 2 short stacks, one out each side of the cockpit cabintop, & were identical to those installed in Fred Porter’s MARNINE, during the building of her, for him, by Lane Motor Boat Co.
Ted C. & Fred P. were very close friends, for much of their lives, & shared the same shed for the 2 boats, in Wakatakataka Bay, for a great many years, & both sets of engines were purchased & installed at the same time.
Fred P. was the M.D. of Mason & Porter Ltd, ( Masport), the huge engineering organization, & my father, Ralph Ricketts, was manager of the machine shop for about 30 years, & Fred asked my father to design, & for dad & his staff, to manufacture, the 4 exhaust/muffler units, for the 2 boats, which were a wonderful feat of engineering design, & a great success, as he was able to make the exhausts on both boats, almost completely silent, something that with those engines, was almost impossible, as exhaust back pressure, can be a real issue with all 2 cycle engines, which is what Fodens, GM Detroits, Commer TS3s, & others are also. —
You never heard either of these 2 boats leave the bay, (Compare with original Police launch DEODAR I, which had 2 similar engines, or the navy HDMLs, you could hear them coming around North Head, from Mansion House Bay Kawau Island, — well almost anyway!!).
REHIA – still had her original engine, but the installation had a number of unusual special features about it & its installation. It was a Buda 6 cyl flathead, painted grey, with dual ignition (12 spark plugs), with a single 12 position distributor, with double sided rotor, which to me, seems inappropriate, as one benefit of dual ignition system, is the safety factor of having a separate back up, in event of failure of 1 system. She also had a Bendix reverse control system on the manual gearbox, which was operated by a little 6 inch lever, in a dual reverse lever/throttle control, console mounted unit, with an emergency long lever, for a manual linkage control alternative, poking through the floor, by the helm, that could be quickly connected, in event of failure of the Bendix system. I knew the boat & Ryans so very well, & in all the years I knew them, I never knew the Bendix system to fail. The Buda remained for a great many years, during their very long stewardship & was eventually replaced by a 6 cyl Ford Diesel, as I recall, around 1980ish. — KEN R
When You Sell On-Line You Have Little Control Over Who Buys Your Gear 🙂
HOANI – A Peek Down Below
Todays woody – Hoani has a wee bit of an identity crisis – her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) labels her builder as Salthouse in 1976. In a previous WW story from 2017 (link below – lots of details and old photos) we had great intel that Hoani was built in Coromandel, over a 15 year period by Charley Turner and launched in 1979. On launch day she was 36’ x 12’ x 3’10. Now she is just over 39’, most likely that ‘bit’ tacked onto her stern – a walk thru transom.
2017 WW STORY https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/03/10/honai/
In 2021 Hoani was re-powered with a Yammer 110hp turbo Diesel engine. As they say in the car sales game – she has had a lot of fruit added to her so with a wee bit of TLC would be a nice woody. Back in the day her cabin sides were varnished and she was a looker 🙂
FANTASIA
Earlier in the week I was out east and called into Leader Boats on the Panmure River. Dave Patterson and his team are currently breathing newline into a launch named – Fantasia, previously she was ‘berthed’ near-by.
Fantasia started life as a Crestacraft design and was built by Harry Biddle in a shed in Saleyard Rd, Otahuhu c.1968.
She has had several face lifts over the years and at time been a little un-loved. Now is getting what I’d describe as a sport fisher look, check out the new sheer line – close your eyes and think Oliver & Gilpin. The boat was re-engined in 1978, with what I’m not sure – much to K Ricketts disgust, I’m never that interested in the engines.
Her owner commented to me that he only came in for a new duckboard and paint job 🙂 I said to Dave that he could always get a job at McDonalds i.e. he’s the champion of companion selling – “do you want fries with that” 🙂
Still very much a work in process but you can see from the photos what she will look like.
HAROLD KIDD INPUT – According to the contemporary APYMBA records FANTASIA was built in 1963 By B. Everett of 51 Kiwi Esplanade Mangere. No mention of a designer. Make of that what you will. Did Everett simply pay for her to be built? That’s not the normal way APYMBA recorded information. Did he finish off a hull perhaps?
Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch
Several woodys have drawn my attention to this 24’6” launch thats recently popped up on tme. The listing states that it was designed / built by L G Coulthard in Onehunga. The build year says 1965 but Nathan Herbert has commented that Coulthard’s last boat was in 1959, this one resembles a build year c1930s. Nathan also as pictured above she will have had a new cabin since launching.
There is some uncertainty around the launches name – when her current owner bought her in 2006 in Auckland, her name was – Talofa and it was claimed she was originally built for the Mayor of Thames. Her name was subsequently changed to Kotare.
What we know – 24’6” in length, 8’ beam and draws 2’3” – powered by a 28hp 3 cyl. Vetus marine diesel engine giving her a top speed of 7.5 knots.
Current home is Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, South Island.
J .(Jimmy) Mc McLaren Boatbuilders Onehunga
Recently contacted by a James H McLaren regarding his grandfathers boat yard, the yard was probably side-by-side with the L G Coulthard yard in Onehunga.The photo below shows the McLaren builders plate. James is looking for a surviving dinghy made by his granddad – Jimmy McLaren, James commented that they were his stock in trade.Can anyone help out eg have one for sale – any condition.
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