Category Archives: Designers & Builders

Korawai

Posted on by
7

Unknown-3

Unknown-5

Unknown-2

KORAWAI
Yesterday we ran a story on Jim Greenaway. Jim & wife Lesley owned Korawai in Tauranga from about 1973 to 1981 / 82.
Jim’s main trade was a cabinet maker but he was also a semi-pro boat builder and did a lot of work on Korawai – new galley, teak deck, etc. The family spent many weeks aboard her – including five weeks or so at a stretch every summer at Mercury Island.
Korawai was built by Owen Woolley in 1962 for a F. Niel of Bridge St, Panmure. She is a sister ship tp Taree. Previous owners include Beau Farrell. I photo below I took in January, 2010, anchored off Oneroa, Waiheke Island. (details ex Harold Kidd & Colin Pawson)
Do we know where she is now?
Screen Shot 2018-07-12 at 8.09.07 PM

The story of Jim Greenaway – A Rather Productive Kiwi Boatbuilder

Posted on by
1

KI 1

KI 2

KI 3

KI 4

KI 5

The story of Jim Greenaway – A Rather Productive Kiwi Boatbuilder

I was sent the profile of Jim Greenaway by his son Rob, who penned it. I recommend you read it, it’s a great read.
How I came to be sent the story is classic WW,  Rob was mooching around the web & found an old article I had done on the CYA forum (in the days b4 WW) on a launch named Korawai & Rob tracked me down.
Tomorrows WW story is on the launch. There will be some great photos dating back to the mid >late 1970’s, make sure you check it out.

Waitoa

Posted on by
3

waitoa

WAITOA – The Real Deal 
Back in March 2017, I run a story on a yacht that according to Ken Ricketts was Waitoa, it all got a little complicated & I won’t even attempt to sort it out. If your interested you can see / read it here (remember to read the comments section)
Yesterday Murray McGehan sent me he great photo above of Waitoa which Murray states (correctly) is the real , Seen in this photo c.1948-49 at Okahu Bay. Owners Merv (cockpit) and Ron McGehan (companion way).
The boats cabin top remained in this configuration until at least 1972 when the cabin coaming height was increased about two and a half inches. The eliptical cabin windows remained untouched and probably HDK can confirm that this did look a little unbalanced. After Murray talked to  subesequent owners it was felt that the current dog house was added c.1977, probably under Mike Vinning’s (Picton Shipbroker) ownership. Waitoa has had at least two owners since Mike, one was Andre Ludwig who Murray kept in contact with.
Waitoa was built by Charlie Hardman in St Mary’s Bay (not Phil Barton who Murray believes had a yard at Bayswater). Alan has some photo’s of the original launch day with the boat alongside the St Mary’s Bay Wharf. When he recovers them from storage & scans (Box Brownie) them I will add them to this story.
Ron was Murray’s father and he was lucky enough to sail on the boat in the seventies under Gordon Reynolds ownership, so Murray can confirm that at that time the basic configuration of Waitoa was unchanged from launch in 1947 even still having the original Stewart Turner petrol auxilary, this has now been changed to a Droffin diesel.
09-07-2018 Harold Kidd Input – Phil Barton, and his father Henry before him, had a yard in St Mary’s Bay to the west of Jas Clare’s/Collings & Bell’s yard since 1900 except for a period around 1916-24 when they were in the US and Leon Warne rented the shed. When the yard was closed in 1955 during the construction of the Harbour Bridge approaches Phil moved to his big shed on the water at the foot of his property at Beachhaven. He was never at Bayswater. Phil built some fine keel yachts until 1955 at St Mary’s Bay and his handsome motor sailer WOODWIND at Beachhaven.
Charlie Hardman was a noted centreboard builder, 18 footers in the main.
If he built WAITOA at St Mary’s Bay it had to be at Phil Barton’s yard.
She was for sale at Picton in 1990 as designed by Bob Stewart and built by Phil Barton. I think Phil had a hand in her building at least.
A Wasted Day
I took Raindance for a run up to Herald Island yesterday to grab some photos of the John Wellsford Small Craft Design owners club day out to the Riverhead Hotel – don’t know what happened but there was no one at the meeting spot / time they published on facebook – bloody yachties 😦
The St Ayles Skiff rowing group were at the Riverhead, photo below of the fleet tied up at the pub wharf. Would have been a fun trip rowing back after a few hydraulic sandwiches 😉
IMG_4767
1926 N. Herreshoff designed NY40 MARILEE – 2 Year Restoration + Insights into the Herreshoff world
I posted this link last Sunday but only 386 of you viewed it – I would encourage you to check it out, its a 10/10 in my book & Chris McMullen watched it twice so its a goody.
A Sad Day
Woody Greg Schultz contacted me to say he had a good mate die and now has the sad task of finding new owners for his fleet one of which is a wooden 18ft John Wellsford Pilgrim, decked in cutter, photo below. Looks in excellent condition and only about 4 years old. Includes a brand new galvanised trailer, outboard and very reasonably priced at $9999. These are great yachts & at this price it won’t hang around long. Wouldn’t surprise me given John W’s international following if an Aussie / American doesn’t buy it & ship it off shore.
More photo’s & details ex Greg via email.      itzgreg@xtra.co.nz
IMGP2634

 

The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

Posted on by
2

Unknown-6

Unknown-11

Unknown-12

Unknown-2

Unknown

The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

The restoration of the 1950 Chris Robertson built – Susan Jane, at Colin Brown’s Omaha yard was been well documented on ww – link below. Last week (21-06-2018) Susan Jane emerged from the shed & made the road trip to Gulf Harbour marina for splashing. Ken Ricketts was on hand to record the event.

I have seen SJ in the flesh & I can tell you that in real life she looks even better – that man Colin Brown does stunning work – so the big question is – who is next in the shed?

 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

Update 13-05-2019 out at Gulf Harbour (photos ex Ken Ricketts)

Working Waterfront Boatbuilders Shed – 50 photos

Posted on by
7

 

P1030420

P1030438

 

P1030433

P1030491

 

P1030458

P1030417

 

P1030471

P1030428

Working Waterfront Boatbuilders Shed – 50 photos

As I’ve send many times before, if your want a stunning day weather wise, schedule a Classic Yacht Association event – the hit rate must be 9/10.

Over 100 CYA members & friends made the trip north to Lees Boatbuilders at Sandspit – our host for the day, Greg Lees, turned on a brilliant woody event – we had everything – woody projects underway, the best collection of 1/2 models I seen outside of the RNZYS walls, a photo montage recording the history of the yard & the vessels built over the years.

 Center stage was Jenny & Angus Rogers – Mahanui, in the shed for a new deck, alongside her was a very original Chris Craft that was getting a restoration. 

The varnish guru Dale has already applied 23 coats, with 6 more to come. Compared to our old girls, these American woodys are very lightly built, amazing that so many have survived.

Outside we had Anna & Nic Davidson’s – Juanita, on one slip & Barbara & David Cooke’s woody flagship – Trinidad, alongside the wharf. In midstream was Yvonne, waiting her turn in the shed.

On the hard was a selection of small craft built by either Greg, his father Tim or other local craftsman. Not woodys but certainly classic were Greg’s two English built, aluminium Albatross runabouts – the very rare 4 seater is next on Greg’s to-do list. Included are a few photos of other woodys in or out of the water.

Greg gave an articulate talk on his families boatbuilding history & how they came to be situated on the Sandspit foreshore. At the end he announced the official launch of the 2018 Rudder Cup launch race to be run on Friday 14th December to Sail Rock & back. See flyer below, I encourage all woody owners to consider participating. At this stage we (I’m on the race committee, along with Jason Prew, Nathan Herbert, Baden Pascoe & Barbara & David Cooke) are calling for expressions of interest in racing – entry to the race is by invitation, as per the original race format in 1908.

 Big ups to Greg & family + staff for turning on the day, including BBQ. Special thanks also to the CYA committee members that pulled it all together. 

Lastly a little something below for the petrol heads – Greg had on display his Jesser BSA 500cc twin, hill climb racer. Built in 1962 by Les Jesser, she is a 2 time Australian  class champion. 

P1030422

P1030423

CYA Rudder Cup 2018 flyer

Build Me Straight – A Wooden Boat Building Film

Posted on by
8

 

https://vimeo.com/94950848

 

Build Me Straight Film

I was sent this video clip (film) by Cameron Pollard of the planning, building & launching of a traditional wooden boat. It is great viewing, but be warned the music is bad 🙂

It is reproduced with the permission of the Scottish Screen Archive & the National Library of Scotland.

Enjoy- it is very good.

And on the same subject, boatbuilding, a wee reminder to CYA members of today’s visit to Lees Boat Builders on-the-water yard at Sandspit. Kicks off at 11.00am, free sausage sizzle. It’s a working boat yard, so wear sensible shoes. See you there.

 

 

Doreen > Haku > Coquette

Posted on by
8

Unknown-1

Unknown

DOREEN > HAKU > COQUETTE

The top photo above (ex Lew Redwood fb > Winkeman – Akl Museum) shows the 1912 Arch Logan built launch Doreen, named after Arch’s sister, later to became Haku & then Coquette (as she is today).

Coquette was the ‘base’ for the Logan 33 f/glass production boats.  In the second photo (ex Alan Good), we see her c.1945, sporting her WWII reporting number – 201. Also of interest in this photo is the addition of the dodger fitted in the summer of 1926/27 during Fred Cooper’s ownership period. Fred also installed a 25/40 sleeve-valve Loew-Knight engine at the same time. (details ex Harold Kidd)

You can see & read more at the links below

Coquette

Coquette 4 Sale

Glenlee

Posted on by
4

Screen Shot 2018-06-01 at 2.10.24 pm

MV GLENLEE

Glenlee is one of the historic Marlborough Sounds Launches, she was built around 1908 by Claude Wells for the McNabbs to service their Crail Bay guest house Glenlee.

In her time Glenlee has also been used as a mail boat and commercial fishing boat. Last two owners (approx 60 years) are both relations of the original builder
She is made from double skin kauri & measures 39’, with a beam of 9’. The zoom zoom comes from a 6 cyl. Ford diesel with pumps out approx. 120hp.

Currently moored at the Okiwi Bay South, Grove Arm, Queen Charlotte Sound, she is for sale on trademe. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.

Input & photos from Cameron Pollard– Glenlee had a Regal engine (see below) originally, followed by a Lister Blackstone, then a Detroit & a Ford

Unknown

Unknown-1

Photina – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
7

Screen Shot 2018-06-01 at 8.41.12 am

Unknown-1

PHOTINA –  Sailing Sunday

 On Friday as part of the post on the launch Luanda, there was a photo of Luanda with a yacht alongside, I ran a wee quiz to find out the name of the yacht, won by Martin Howson (does that man sleep?) – the yacht was the 39’ Photina built by Trevor Managh and Ces Watson for her owner Trevor Managh. In the photo below she’s still to have her mast stepped.

Tracing the history of Photina on the web is a little ‘misty’ as after Trevor sold her, a future owner took her to Mururoa in 1995 & certain ‘people/country’ have clouded (excuse the pun) the on-line media coverage of what happened up there. You can read more in the book ‘Mururoa Blues’ by John Simpson page 149.

Trevor also did a Noumea race in her before selling her. The boat went on to do 4 circumnavigations, so Ces Watson knew how to build a good boat.

Thanks to Mike Elliott for the photos & details.

Unknown-4

A Visit to Colin Brown’s Omaha Boat Shed 

Posted on by
3

IMG_2954

Susan Paul

Anita > Maharitia

 

Andromeda

P1030367

Waiere

P1030351

 

A Visit to Colin Brown’s Omaha Boat Shed 

A coupe of weeks ago I gave mate a hand to take his clinker dinghy to Colin Brown’s yard at Omaha. Steve inherited the dinghy from his father-in-law & she was in need of a little TLC. I intro’ed Steve to Colin & as they say the rest is history 🙂 Forgot to say – Colin originally built the clinker.

While at the yard we had a look around the numerous projects under way. The c.1950, Chris Robertson built yacht Susan Jane is nearing completion & you can view the project at the link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

In numerious sheds/shelters were:

Anita > Maharitia – the biggest Lidgard built at Kawau Island. A lot of work happening to her & a very OTT re power, check out those Gardiners.

The vessel in the shed is Andromeda, a Townsend yacht that has been stripped for conversion by Dave Walker to a launch.

Of most interst to me was Josh Hawke’s 26′ carvel launch, Waiere. Built in c.1913 Josh restored her over a 6 year period that saw the replacement of her ribs, keel, stem, hood ends, interior, decks, cabin top & re-caulking. 

All Josh knows about her past is at one stage she was on the Kaipara as an open flounder boat. 

A 21hp DaeDong pushes her along very nicely. Any one know more about her past? You can see more photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/01/02/mystery-launch-3/

18-08-2018 UPDATE The clinker in the 1st few photos (Steve Finnigans – Mayflea) is back from Colin Browns yard looking be swish 😉

Screen Shot 2018-08-18 at 4.31.12 PM