Just prior to Christmas the owners of Alibi, a rather elegant Mason Clipper, quietly slipped her into Greg Lees shed at Sandspit. I understand that she’s in for a minimum of 3 months for a ‘makeover’ – we have seen some stunning makeovers from the shed in recent times. – Trinidad, Mahanui, Arohanui – so we look forward to following with interest – nudge nudge Greg Lees, photos please 🙂
(Photos ex Mason Marine Clippers fb)
Photo below Oct 1979 – Sea Trial on the Waitemata Harbour ex fb via K Ricketts
INPUT EX ALAN SEXTON – Copy of original Sea Spray article below + more photos from her recent haul out at the Sandspit yard.
You will note the she still has her original engines twin straight 6 Chrysler Mitsubishis.
21-04-2023 UPDATE – A PEEK INSIDE THE WORKSHOP – lots of Awlwood (Uroxsys) being applied 🙂 photos ex Mason Marine Clipper fb
Woody John Dawson recently saw the launch – Wakaiti advertised on tme and she popped on a search on fb and John sent in the above photos.John commented that he believes she was built c.1922 by Dick Lang. The look of her hull supports this, but in the photos above ex Mark Powell we see her being relaunched post a rebuild at the Chas Bailey & Son yard in Auckland. The work was done for Mark’s father Bill Powell.
Rumour has it she may have started life as a work boat in the Mahurangi area, would like confirmation of this and if anyone can add to her life story that would be great.
Make Sure You Grab A Copy Of NZ Life & Leisure magazine (Jan/Feb issue) Impressive 8 page article on the 1935, Arch Logan / Colin Wild built classic yacht – TAWERA.
Stunning photos and stellar words from Mike Mahoney e.g. ’There’s a joy and purity in sailing these boats that is hard to explain. Perhaps it is being at one with nature , on the water, driven just by the wind.’ At $12.50 it will be the most inexpensive, feel good moment you have this summer 🙂
I was contacted by Chris McMullen during the week with a suggestion that I make contact with noted kiwi yachtie and boat builder – Gilbert (Gil) Littler. Now when Mr McMuMullen ’suggests’ something I normally respond pretty quickly, second only to suggestions from Robert Brooke 🙂 24hrs later I’m having coffee with Gil and his wife Susan – why am I telling you this? Because Gil has just penned an amazing book titled – SHIPWRIGHT BOAT BUILDER YACHTSMAN 1962-1992. The 100+ page book is split into 3 sections:
Part One – A brief history of the Bailey Family
Part Two – My Apprenticeship Years
Part Three – My Yacht Racing Years
I have squirreled away a copy for summer boat reading but I did do a quick dive into some of the pages and its a wonderfully refreshing read, more like sitting in a comfortable spot afloat and listening to Gil entertain you with his life story. Lots of photos and illustrations also to view. In CMcM’s words – This book is a gold mine of history and information. Written by a guy on the floor in the boatshop and a foredeck hand on a very famous Kiwi Yacht. By winning the One Ton Cup put New Zealand on the yachting map.
The $40 – + P&P – 100+ page book is self published so obtaining a copy is not as easy as walking down to your nearest book store but it is worth the effort. So to order a copy:
Gil & Susan are currently traveling so do not expect an instant reply 🙂
My 2nd Pick Is The Mahurangi Cruising Club Year Book
Now the title may sound a little boring but the contents certainly are not. Always a fantastic publication pulled together by design guru Steve Horsley. This year the theme is restorations and of interest to all woody boaties is an article on electrolysis. Plus a 16 page photo gallery of the 2022 regatta – all that for $20. As we speak its at the printers – so to secure / order a copy either email BOAT BOOKS crew@boatbooks.co.nz or call 09 358 5691 (Boot Books 22 Westhaven Drive)
Copies will be available at the normal random outlets but BB is the safest bet.
Another short video from our friends at the Australian Wood Boat Festival has just been released under the ‘Boat Folk’ series.
Todays one features the 1971 Tasmanian built 48′ yacht – Trevassa
Trevassa was designed and built by noted Tasmanian boat builder – Jock Muir. They is a great tale about delivering the boat to Sydney across the Bass Straight. After many years in Sydney she was acquired by Jock’s three sons and returned home to Tasmania in 2013. Jock’s son John took over his fathers business – Muir’s Boat Yard and Trevassa is a regular sight in Hobart.
Carvel Planking – Caulking The Hull at Smithy’s Boat Shed
Have been a regular follower of Ian Smiths fb posting from the Sydney Wooden Boat School, where Ian is principal. The level of work going into the (new build) carvel-planked ranger class gaff-rigged woody he is building is amazing. The two most asked questions on WW are #1 Electro-chemical damage in wooden boats and #2 Advice on caulking a carvel planked hull. Well woodys todays WW story goes a long way to helping answer the #2 question. BUT remember as Ian says numerous times in the video “To do whatever the best shipwrights in your local area do”.
In the video Ian gives us a different look at traditional caulking from an Australian perspective and discusses the tools, materials and methods of traditionally caulking a hull with cotton and oakum. He shows how the Australian way of doing it follows the English tradition and differs from the way it’s done in the USA and Canada. The video is full of tips Ian can pass on after a long career in wooden boat building and boat building education. He also pays the seams (fills them with seam compound) using traditional linseed oil putty.
Enjoy the video and file the link away 😉
QUESTION OF THE DAY – ANY UPDATES ON THE CYA’S HERITAGE BASIN YACHT ONLY DEVELOPMENT? ANYONE BRAVE ENOUGH TO COMMENT? OR EMAIL IN CONFIDENCE TO THE ADDRESS BELOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com
The weather forecasters got it right on Saturday for the woody boat boot sale at The Slipway Milford – overcast / sunny till midday then showers – so perfect for the 14 vendors that set up shop at the yard to peddle / trade their wares. Best booty went to Russell Brooke and best result to Simon Smith who sold everything and most ever expensive items (when new) – he went away with a big smile and a fat wallet 🙂
Had a cool mix of vehicles – seems a lot of woodys either drive classic pickups or top of the range electric – Tesla.
Light on photos of stuff because it was just too busy to get near most tables.
Popped out the back of the shed to check out the woodys hauled out – Valsan getting the final prep b4 the Jason Prew paint job, Marline getting its annual TLC and a selection of smaller woody yachts – Ngahere and Maru.
A nice casual social catch up with the woody community + I personally picked up a few treasures for the glory box. And what am I going to do with one only bronze belay pin – the size of a pen ? It was too lonely and cute to not give a home to 🙂
And the pair of bronze good fortune stars were very quickly acquired – to quote Davie & Co. in the UK – “A star on board encourages positive energy. It can make good things better and stops bad things getting worse’ I have in the past giftedthem to friends boats.
Well woodys 4 months have slipped by since I last popped my head into the tented shed that is currently home to the 1948 Colin Wild built launch – Haunui. To master boatbuilder Paul Tingey and his team it probably seems longer, always does on the down hill run – but wow, I was gobsmacked – without doubt NZ’s grandest restoration.
There is enough electrical systems on board to do an AirBus A350 proud, but tastefully hidden away. On the subject of being hidden away – the s/s mast/tower set up that you can see in one of the photos will be encased in a discreet ’ships’ funnel.
As I left the team were getting ready to start the topside painting – lots of love on the end of a long board for some poor soul 🙂
Enjoy the photo gallery – as always click on photos to enlarge.
Links To Previous Haunui Restoration Updates Below
Today is part 3 of a 3 part insight into the craft built or altered by boatbuilder Neville Robinson.
The launch – Music was built from scratchy Neville and his daughter Marie commented that as a family they spent many hours in the boat shed building her. Unfortunately Music later caught fire and burnt to the waterline. Neville managed to get his hands on some of the burnt timber and made a scale model incorporating the timber into the finished piece, refer below photos.
Remember last weekend to clean out the shed of any woody stuff thats gathering dust and taking up space – see below.
Todays story features the launch – Coda and follows on from yesterdays story on the boats of Neville Robinson.
Neville’s daughter, Marie Breden, supplied all the photos and commented that Neville purchased Coda in Picton, and then under took a refit that included removing the wheelhouse and rebuilding her to give the boat his look and practicality.
Late August we ran a story on Neville Robinson Boats (link below) – his daughter Marie Breden came onto the WW site and …. Today thanks to Marie’s generosity we get to see a gallery of the boats that Neville whether built or altered (Marie’s words). The 6 she recalls are – I’ll let Marie tell the story:
“My first memory of Dad’s boat building was when he built a speedboat in our garage. He named it Cee Bee II and was very successful in his racing days.The first boat Dad built was “Marco Polo”, built in our backyard for some local fishermen. Next was Music, built from scratch, as a family we spent many hours in the boat shed building her. Unfortunately she caught fire and burnt to the waterline. Dad managed to get his hands on some of the burnt timber and made a scale model incorporating the timber into the finished piece. After Music, and I think I’ve got the order correct, was Harmony, Souza, Largo and finally Coda. Jim Carey, previously from Picton, built the hull for Harmony and it was sailed across and finished in Wellington by Dad, and possibly another but I can’t remember sorry. Coda was purchased in Picton, the wheelhouse was removed and rebuilt by Dad, giving it his look and practicality.“
Link to August story below – includes wonderful input from Paul Drake and Marie (as above)
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