Category Archives: Designers & Builders

AWARIKI – On The Market – PRICE REDUCED – $48,000 ono

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27-02-2024 UPDATE – Owner has just installed new exhaust hose to transom, new S/S through stern fitting turning. 90deg outside to a flapper finishing inside the belting starboard side.

AWARIKI – On The Market

Two years ago I helped sell the classic launch Lady Adelaide for her owner of 20+ years, my first question was – what’s next – well he was way ahead of me, having identified a very smart 32’ Owen Woolley designed and built launch named – Awariki. It was one of those relationships always meant to happen because back in 1967 Kerry was serving his apprenticeship under Owen Woolley and helped build Awariki. So the DNA was strong. 

When I inspected Awariki she was a little tired, but the bones were there and Kerry was the man to give her a serious dose of TLC. Over the last two years Awariki has had a refit to her interior and most of the systems  enhanced / upgraded – including a solar system and auto windlass – there’s even a custom built in wine frig 🙂

Some specs – 32’ x 10’5’ beam and 3’ draft. Built from Kauri planks. A 6cyl. Perkins 97hp engine (recon 1987) gives Awariki a top speed of 10 knots.

Another rarity in a 32′ classic is her 2m headroom.

Its not often that a 32’ launch with a flybridge looks good to the eye – Awariki carries hers well, everything is in proportion. Check out the last photo with everyone ‘up top’ – as I mentioned – she just looks right to the eye.

So woodys after reading all this its obvious that Awariki is reluctantly on the market – she is in turn-key condition – a wonderful classic cruising launch ideal for family summer cruising in absolute comfort

Interested parties to initially contact {the} Wooden Boat Bureau at waitematawoodys@gmail.com

The Halvorsen Story

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Neutral Bay, Sydney – 1936
25′ Wonglaa
42′ Pollyana – 1934
38′ Kweena – pre restoration
Kweena – post restoration
Kweena – interior
60′ Tooronga – owner by A/Cup skipper – Ian Murray
57′ Sinana

THE HALVORSEN STORY

Todays WW story comes to us via the crew at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival and features a video presentation by Tony MacKay on the legendary

Australian boat building dynasty – the Halvorsen family. Tony gave the presentation at the 2023 festival. 

Some background on Tony – he has been on board Halvorsen boats all his life, having owned nine substantial cruisers, all of which were significantly and lovingly restored. Through his involvement with the Halvorsen Club, he has passed some of this passion and energy to like-minded owners of these beautiful craft, also assisting with the improvement of skills and historical information. He has also represented the family for significant events at the Australian National Maritime Museum, exhibitions, on water parades, birthdays and even eulogies. It has been a lasting passion. 

Tony is a real character and has a very salty Australian vocabulary e.g when referring to a narrow beamed craft he said “it would roll on a wet lawn’.The photos above are just a taste of the many in the presentation – linked below – ENJOY.

Tinopai

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TINOPAI

Back in Oct 2015 we ran a ‘mystery launch’ story – the boat was ID’s as Miss Picton (later named Mitre Peak) thanks to Harold Kidd we learnt that Miss Picton was built by Collings & Bell for a Captain M. Steele of Picton and was launched in December 1933.

Miss Picton was a replacement for Steele’s 45’ launch Tinopai that was also built by Collings & Bell and launched in November 1932, sadly Tinopai was destroyed by fire in Marlborough Sounds just on month after being launched.

Today thanks to a NZ Herald press clipping, sent in by K Ricketts we get to view the short-lived – Tinopai

Oct 2015 Miss Picton WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/28/mystery-launch-28-10-2015/

INPUT EX HAROLD KIDD – vastly better photo 🙂

Proof I’m A Nutter – suffering from post AB’s loss blues so Sunday afternoon was spent polishing the engine and upgrading the old engine box insulation 🙂

Lady Colleen + Mystery Tug

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LADY COLLEEN 

Todays woody the 30’ Lady Colleen was launched in December 1933, built for a Mr. W.D> Burns of Devonport, Auckland. The photo angle / compression isn’t helping the look of the boat.

Sadly 5 months late in May 1934 she was destroyed by fire at Bayswater, Auckland. A gogle search comes up with zip on who built her and the cause of the fire.

Any one able to expand the story more.

(photo ex NZ Herald ex fb via K Ricketts)

INPUT EX HAROLD KIDD -LADY COLLEEN was a “bridgedecker” built by the Invincible Boat Co (Sam Ford) in December 1933 for W.D. Burns of Devonport and that’s what she did best, unfortunately.

MYSTERY TUG

I have been contacted by a gent named Phil Doyle who has recently purchased the below painting and would like to know the vessels name and anymore details. Phil commented that the flag may help with the ID.

NGA KIWA (Ngakiwa) Update

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Pre Roy Parris work

Pre Roy Parris work

Post Roy Parris work
Post Roy Parris work
Pre purchase survey

NGA KIWA (Ngakiwa) Update

Back in July Dean Wright sent in some photos of the launch – Nga Kiwa being relaunched at Opua in the Bay of Islands, link below to that story. At the time we learnt from Russell Ward that she was designed and built by Percy Vos and the original spelling was Ngakiwa. The launch had previously appeared on WW back in June 2013, link below) – lots of details and photos at both links + read the comments section.

WW July 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/07/20/nga-kiwa/

WW June 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/06/16/ngakiwa/

Fast forward to September and I was contacted by John Oates a previous owner of the launch, John was ordering a WW burgee and made comment that he was a previous owner of Nga Kiwa. John offered up some photos of her during his ownership. Then yesterday an envelope arrived in the post with todays photos. I had a chuckle, not often these days you get sent prints and negatives 🙂 

In an accompanying letter John mentioned that he is not sure of when he bought and sold her but the photos show her at the Slipway at the bottom of Roy and Irene Parris’ property Rawene Ave in Westmere. Roy did the boarding platform, the 2 poles on the transom, the rails forward and rebuilt the mast.

The photo on the grid is most likely taken during a pre-purchase inspection.

July 2023 – Opua

The Exquisite – VALERIE

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The Exquisite – VALERIE  

The photo above of the launch Valerie shows her on the slipway at the Lane Motor Boat Company (designer and builder), Mechanics Bay, Auckland just after her sea trial.

Everyone has their own favourite style, but in my eye this is an outstanding example of the pure, uncluttered designs that were being built in the late 1920’s > early 1930’s – then we got greedy and wanted more space at the same waterline length, so the boats got wider and higher ………

Thanks to an earlier Valerie story on WW in June 2022 we learnt from Robin Elliott and Harold Kidd that she was built for a Mr M G King of Whangarei – 35’ in length, beam of 9’ and when launched powered by a 35hp engine.

This WW link will take you to several stories on Valerie – lots of photos  https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Valerie&submit=Search

(todays photo ex fb via K Ricketts)

2021

KAWAU BOATING CLUB NEW CLUBROOMS OPENING DELAYED

So woodys that means the woody gathering this Labour Weekend is postponed until we get confirmation of the new date. If you are in the bay I understand you can poke your nose in the door for a work-in-progress peek 🙂


Micheline

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MICHELINE

In the above photos we see the launch Micheline – while both photos appear to be on the same day, they are tagged March 1967 and 1965 – obviously a typo. The photos come to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.

Given that on Micheline’s stern she has her port as Tauranga, there is something strange going on – in the top photo she has either just come out of the shed or been hauled out. In the second photo she is being positioned onto a transporter. Maybe its as simple as going somewhere land based to have engine/s installed.

Can we ID the location and learn what became of Micheline.

UPDATE – Location is Hutcheson Boat Builders yard/slip by the Tauranga Harbour Bridge – opposite the Bridge Marina.

05-10-2023 INPUT ex Dean Wright – Waimarie II, renamed Kiwi Cruiser, hit Tapeka one night in 2000 and was a total loss. This article says built by O&G in 1967 https://issuu.com/sunmedia/docs/wl1102/23

WW link to Waimarie II story https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/12/waimarie-ii/

(Photo below ex Ken Ricketts)

RSVP TO – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

MYSTERY QUIZ – A WW CAP AND BURGEE TO BE WON

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MYSTERY QUIZ – A WW CAP AND BURGEE TO BE WON

Overdue a quiz and its a tough one, but maybe not…………. Maybe an adventurous, fit woody might know the answer 😉

So woodys, what are we looking at and what’s the location. 

All correct answers go into the draw to win a WW cap and the new WW burgee. Entry closes at 3pm 02-10-2023.

ENTRY BY EMAIL ONLY – TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com

How This For Drop Dead Gorgeous 

This magnificent piece of art is – Reliance, the Nat Herreshoff design for the 1903 Americas Cup defence.

Woodys On Tour – UK

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Woodys On Tour – UK

While most Kiwis heading to the northern hemisphere had France on the radar, Murray Deeble was swanning around Britain feeding his other addiction in life – classic automobiles eg the Silverston Classic Festival and the Goodwood Revival. 

Luckily Murray took a few wrong turns and ended up in Windermere in Cumbria. Lake Windermere is found in the Lake District National Park and is Englands largest lake, more importantly it is home to ‘Windermere Jetty – an on-the-water museum of boats and steam launches built at a cost of 20 million pound.

Murrays photos above are just a snap shot – checkout the displays here

https://lakelandarts.org.uk/windermere-jetty-museum/

STILLWATER WOODYS WATERFRONT PICNIC – OCT 7TH – RSVP NOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Waimarie

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WAIMARIE

The two b/w photos above show the 32′ Oliver & Gilpin built launch – Waimarie being launched c.Sept 1964. She was built for a RG Falconer.

The b/w photos came to WW from Dean Wright via the Tauranga Library collection.