Category Archives: Designers & Builders

Nana

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NANA

Nana was designed by C. Bailey Jun. &  built by C. Bailey & Sons for Mr F Alison of Matiatia, Waiheke Island in1934 & launched in late November / December.
She is 35′ with a 8′ beam and a 3’ draft and built in kauri > carvel. When launched she had a 100hp Redwing engine and she was good for 17 knots. Currently fitted with a 135hp Otosan Ford, 6 cylinder diesel, she cruises at 12 knots with 15 knots max.
Back in 2014 Nana came very close to a one way trip to the land fill after being hit on her mooring, but she was saved & re-built / restored by ship wright John Wright. You can view her post the collision at the WW link below
    
 
I am an admirer of Nana, having spotted her out and about over the last few years. She is a great looking woody.
 
Nana recently popped up on trademe and the listing states that her owner has moved onto other things and is selling Nana as is.  She is still a work in progress but to finish her properly you would only need to throw $10>20,000 at a boat builder like Geoff Bagnall and you would have a very cool woody. 
Photo below as launched.

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Input from Murray Willis – Nana spent many years on a mooring in front of the Great Barrier Lodge here in Whangaparapara .She belonged to Bert Jordan a Whangaparapara local. There is a famous local story about her when she was used to tow a brand new donated tractor around to Mungiti Bay for John Da Silva for the bad boys camp there…..The tractor was loaded onto a floating pontoon constructed by Tony Litherland from the old Whaling station, constructed from four WW2 submarine net Buoys..
Against everybody’s warnings but with much verbal encouragement from George Mason they set off with the bright red tractor perched on this floating whalf.it lasted about 100 metres untill the whole jing bang lot capsized with a roar from the locals.
Not to be put off ,Nana and Bert just cruised on around to Mungit and beached the whole lot by the camp where the tractor remains to this day.

The Launching of Eileen Patricia – 1933 classic motor boat – 50+ photos

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THE LAUNCHING OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR BOAT – EILEEN PATRICIA

It was an early (8.30am) start yesterday morning for the classic woodys that gathered to witness Jenni & Peter Mence re-launching Eileen Patricia at The Milford Slipway (ex Geoff Bagnall yard).
The 1933 Arnold Couldrey designed and built motor launch has just undergone a 4+ year restoration at Marco Scuderi’s – MCN Shipwrights yard.
WW has followed the restoration and the links below will take you back to her early days (as launched) and as ‘rescued / saved’ by Peter, thru to leaving Marco’s yard.
The weather forecast didn’t look good, but as always for classic woody events, the sun shone at the right moments and Eileen Patricia was launched in a style befitting a 86 year old lady – Jazz band + Champagne and scones.
Several guests arrived in period costume and the ‘Best In Show’ ribbon would have to go to Paul Powney who sported an original Auckland Motor Yacht Club blazer (photos below).
A special touch was the attendance of several descendants of Eileen Patricai’s builder A. Couldrey.
Links to older WW Stories on Eileen Patricia
The Big Event Launching Video (turn up the volume, nice music)

 

Two of our finest woodies My Girl and Pacific were on hand to escort Eileen Patricia out of the marina and home to her new marina.
Best In Show Ribbon Winner 

 

Update – video footage of Eileen Patricia underway just after launching. Ex Nathan Herbert.

Update2 – Link below to the restoration – amazing collection / essay of the total restoration – a must view

https://www.mcnshipwrights.com/eileen-patricia.html

Update3  – Video of Pacific, Eileen Patricia and My Girl leaving the Milford Marina / creek. Sent in by Paul Powney.

Restoration of Te Uira begins

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RESTORATION OF TE UIRA BEGINS 
 
Pleased to announce that the restoration of 45’ C & W Bailey built (1896) Te Uira has finally begun in Australia.
During the week I was contacted by Colin Grazules with the news – I’ll let Colin tell you the story.
 
“We have constructed a new wee shed to house the old girl and the steel and iron keel has been removed.
At this stage we are envisioning that the restoration back to her original condition should take 2 to 3 years all going well.
The owners wish is to return her to as close to her launch configuration as possible.

We will begin by removing the ribs that were added to stop her leaking in 1898.

But we need your help.

We need if possible a detailed plan of where the original stringers were installed and the triangular beam that sat on top of the floors?
A plan or photos of what the original keel would have looked like would be greatly appreciated.
I have a copy of Robert Brooke’s book ‘Beautiful Boats’ but unfortunately the plans in the book have little detail on this. 

A deck plan would also be of great assistance including including where the original mast step would have been installed etc.

Well this is just the start and I’m hoping this will become an ongoing conversation to ensure that we can do justice to Te Uira and her heritage!!

I intend to post the restoration on the NZ Classic Yacht Forum and on the Cygnet Wooden Boats FB page and will keep you appraised of the progress.”

 

Below are two videos of the keel removal.

Previous Input From Harold Kidd

TE UIRA (usually shortened in Oz to UIRA) was built by C.& W. Bailey and launched on 17th October 1896 for Gidgeon Palmer of Melbourne as a 5 rater.
She was taken across by the steamer TARAWERA with Chas. Bailey Jr going with her to settle her in.
She was quite successful in Melbourne but came up against SAYONARA, the bigger Fife-designed cutter.
She raced in Melbourne with the St. Kilda club for many years, converted to a Marconi rig in 1925.
 
You can also eat / see more here  https://wordpress.com/post/waitematawoodys.com/13298

Korara at the Milford Slipway

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Worms at work
Korara at the Milford Slipway
The 1962, 37’ Snow Waters built motorsailer Korara is currently hauled out at Auckland’s only true railway hail out facility – the Milford Slipway (previously owned by Geoff Bagnall)
Owner Anatole Perry in his words hauled her out for a ’tickle up’, well already thats grown into stripping the decks and resealing them – I’m sure the TO DO LIST will get even bigger 🙂
Korara has been fortunate to have had some very salty owners in her past, who will be very happy to see that she is in good hands with Anatole (with Jason Prew looking over his shoulder)
A couple of WW links below to see / read more on this woody.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/06/18/korara/

Photos below ex Nathan Herbert of Korara in the Milford Marina on-route to the The Slipway.

Mason B – Bay of Islands Woody Launching

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Mason B – Bay of Islands Woody Launching

 The caption on the photo / press clipping (ex Lew Redwood) reads “A new fishing launch takes the water from the builder’s shed. Mr W. Mason Bayly is the owner”

It was also tagged “Early preparations for the forthcoming dee-sea fishing season at Russell, North Auckland”
The date is August 1926.
Can we put a name to the boat, designer/builder, location?
Harold Kidd Input – She is MASON B, designed and built for W. Mason Bayly by Leon Warne and launched in August 1926 from Warne’s shed at Russell. She was30′ x 8’6″ and had a 30/40 hp Kermath. She replaced Bayly’s GISPA (ex-GLADYS).
Help Wanted
Any one have a base like the one circled below, tucked away anywhere? Or something similar. A woody friend has a spotlight but no matching base.  Any condition ok.
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Mystery Location & Woody

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Woody Clinker motorboat

Mystery Location & Woody

The very pretty wooden clinker motorboat above comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb page.
Baden Pascoe has commented that she is obviously professionally built and has a ‘lovely lay of planks’.
So folks – todays question can anyone tell us the location of the photo?, which hopefully will help ID the builder.
First to correctly tell us the location wins a WW t-shirt ,  entry via email or in the comments section. Only one issue , the shirt will have to be a biggie , or you can wait till the next print run, I’m sold out to anything below 2XL 🙂

Waitoa F10

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WAITOA F10

 I have been sent the above photos of Waitoa F10, by Mike McGehan. Mike’s father, Mervyn is seen in the 1st photo on launch day 1947.
Previously on WW there has been debate as to a photo and details supplied by Ken Ricketts around his experience of the yacht (WW link below) as a result of Mike sending me the above photo and details, we can now safely assume that Ken has his wires crossed. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/03/26/waitoa-sailing-sunday/
Previously on WW the McGahan family and Harold Kidd have commented on Waitoa’s provenance (link below)
Comparing the photos (below), I’m now happy to put this debate to bed 🙂

Ken Rickets photo
Waitoa
Make sure you log in to WW on tomorrow – great story / photos on the evolution of the 1912 Harvey & Lang launch – Silens

The Restoration of Rehutai

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The Restoration of Rehutai
 
The 43’ launch Rehutai was built by Sam Ford in 1926 and has been owned by Tony Whyman, of Wellington, for the last 25 years, having bought her in November 1994 in Picton, off Lex Parkes, who Tony believes, had her for many years. Tony sailed her to Evans Bay, Wellington, where she still lives.
 
Post purchase Tony took her ashore and commenced a major refit & refurbish, from 1994  to 1997, the work we see above was undertaken by Tony and a boatbuilder working full time, with the help of others working part time.
When purchased she was powered by a ‘tired’ 6 LW Gardner diesel, which Tony replaced during the re-fit with a new John Deere diesel, derated to 186hp.
 Post the work, Tony and family ended up with a very smart woody that they use frequently and should be around for many more years to come.
(Photos and details ex Tony Whyman, via Ken Ricketts – edited by AH)
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Last Chance to Check Out the Logan A Class Guff Fleet

If you haven’t yet seen the A Class Gaff Classic Yacht Exhibition – make the effort to visit the Viaduct this Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Details below & a sneak peek via one of Roger Mills stunning drone videos.

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Happy Days Launched

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HAPPY DAYS – LAUNCHED 

In early December 2018 Alan Craig, the Lake Rotoiti boat builder (Craig Marine) sent in a gallery of photos of Happy Days in the final stages of her restoration, I have been bugging Alan for some photos post launching and late last week he delivered. 
 
First some background – Happy Days had been in a barn on a farm in for the last ten odd years. Her build started in 1930 and she was launched in 1933, 24′ in length, to a USA Hacker Craft design.
She has been owned by Peter Davies and was his Fathers boat from near new. Her history looks like this – built in Picton by Vic & Clarrie Olson? (Scandinavian or Swiss?). Built for a Mr Stocker then brought by Tom Davies in 1937, it was sold a while later and brought back again by Mr Davies once the wool price lifted and in 1950 an old, but still new, 1938 Osco marine flathead V8 went in it and is still there now – but wow wait till you hear that motor today – check out the video below. 
 
The likes below share some of her recent history :
 
The restoration    https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/12/10/happy-days/
 
Enjoy  – turn up the volume when you play the video 🙂
Photo below – as ‘found’
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What Are You Doing This Winter

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BOAT CRAFTS

Today I’d like to intro boatcrafts.nz  the new initiative from the NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School – in my words its a very hands-on series of workshops where we can learn / brush-up on the basic fundamentals of maintaining, restoring or building a wooden boat. The trustees, sounds a bit posh 🙂 are just a bunch of passionate kiwi boaties that care about the future of the wooden boating movement and unlike most of us are actually doing something to help us all out.
I’ll let the NZTBBS guys tell the story, see below. Note: Links to the individual courses are at the bottom of the page. Or check out the website.
Have a read and decide what interests you the most – I’m sure the 1st – “ Marine Propulsion Systems” would appeal to all boat owners – but note – numbers are limited to 20, so get in quick. Shortly we will be running a survey asking for your help on what subjects appeal the most – more details soon.
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LINKS
MARINE PROPULSION SYSTEMS 
BUILD A 1/2 MODEL                             
ESSENTIAL SKILLS COURSE
LOFTING
WORKING WITH COMPOSITES
STEAM BEDING AND FITTING RIBS