Category Archives: Designers & Builders

Susan Jane – Sailing Sunday

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SUSAN JANE – Sailing Sunday

With Omaha boat builder Colin Brown having just re-launched the Colin Wild built launch – Little Tasman, we have been wondering what was next into the shed. The answer is the yacht Susan Jane, built by Chris Robertson c1950. Colin is not sure whether or not he designed her so is looking for any more info the woodys can supply.

Susan Jane is having  a major rebuild as a result of rot issues. Colin has taken the project over from a friend of his, who due to poor health is unable to complete the project. The above photos are by Colin, emailed to me via Ken Ricketts.

01-07-2017 REFIT UPDATE
The Brown family – Colin, son Dylan & son-in-law Josh have been hard at work on the refit.
All exterior hull work done by Dylan & the interior ex the hands of Josh.
Photos below, ex Colin, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

20-10-2017 Refit Update – photo ex Colin Brown via Ken Ricketts.

06-11-2017 Refit Update – photos ex Colin Brown via Ken Ricketts

She is going to be powered by a 38 Hp 3 cyl Nani Diesel

10-04-2018 Update – More photo ex Colin Brown via Ken R

And more

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24-04-2018 Update – Susan Jane & her restorer Colin Brown had a special yard visit (23/04) from the original builder Chris Robertson, aged 91 years. Chris was accompanied by his son Martin & grandson Aaron – all 3 boatbuilders.

Photo below shows Susan Jane getting the royal inspection from the Robertson family. I understand Colin was very honoured. Photo ex Colin , via Ken Ricketts.

SUSAN JANE 23.4.18

Cockpit Table

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Finished Project

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Romance II – the inspiration

The project

The old trademe table

Cockpit Table Project
As I tend to do I had been admiring & gathering ideas for a cockpit table for Raindance for a long time. Then one day I was aboard Harold Kidd’s launch Romance II & I spied his set up. He had the table ‘hanging’ of the stern & a drop down leg. This was enough inspiration to start me off.

I bought an old table on trademe for $30 (horrible yellow formica top & a bloody big drop down leg) & I started playing around with how I could adapt it to fit on Raindance. Being a bit of a wood butcher, I was lucky to discover a wonderful wooden craftsman, a perfectionist, by the name of Lional Barkle & we started the project.
I already had the bronze stern mounts, bought in Germany from the marine chandlery ‘Toplicht’. I striped the table & had custom-made s/s brackets that fit the bronze mounts.
Lional being much cleverer than me came up with the idea of an arched / cantilevered leg/support. It’s almost like a tiller & slots into a foot. Makes the area so much more open & frees up the space underneath.

Lional made the leg from 116-year-old kauri timber I discovered underneath my grandparents home in Herne Bay, actually ceiling boards. These (x8) were cleaned up & steam bent & laminated together. The leg fits into a teak & kauri base with pins to hold it in place. It took an unbelievable number of hours, as everything had to be tailor made – measure, make, dry fit, adjust, dry fit, adjust etc. We had to rebuild in the stern locker to take the strain of the leg set up. I love the suspended look & its just so practical. The leg also sits in a ‘boot’ under the table to secure it more.
The finished unit is perfect & has so much more Lional B in it than Alan H 😉  he is just so talented. Also makes other wooden products – toys, chopping boards etc – his website is http://www.woodspark.co.nz & on facebook as well, reach search woodspark.

Mahanui Refit

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October 2016

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Before

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October 2016

Mahanui Refit

Over winter Angus Rogers (CYA Launch Captain) booked Mahanui into Greg Lees yard at Sandspit for a wee facelift. Mahanui has been a frequent visitor to the surgeons – she was built by Keith Atkinson in 1977 & originally launched as Jacinta II. Eight years ago her then owner changed the name to Mahanui & converted the portofino stern topsides to conventional topsides and added a new duckboard. He also shortened the flying bridge coamings.
Angus purchased Mahanui in February 2012 & in May 2012 she went into Lees Boatyard at Sandspit for a 9 months total refurbishment that included new engines – full details can be found here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/10/mahanui-jacinta-ii/

This winter saw the canopy over Mahanui’s cockpit replaced with a permanent structure & the finished article is a perfect fit. But as I have said before, we expect nothing less from the team at Lees Boat Builders. Compare the first two photos above & I think you will agree. Below is a ‘as launched’ photo.

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As launched

A Woodys Weekend

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A Woody Weekend

After the last few days of inclement weather – its time to leave the house & get a wooden boat fix.
This weekend at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition is celebrating the iconic Mullet Boat.
Yesterday at the official opening – aka,  morning tea 🙂 Tony Stevenson from the Tino Rawa Trust, welcomed over 100 of Auckland’s yachting identities to the exhibition. The photos above give you a peek at the displays – on & off the water BUT only a peek, if you can, do make the effort to visit the exhibition – its open 10am > 4.00pm Saturday & Sunday at Karanga Plaza, Halsy St, Wynyard Quarter (in fron of the old Team NZ base)

As always with these events, the team have produced a 48 page booklet (below) to support the exhibition, this years one – ‘The Mullet Boat, is a cracker & from the pen/s of Harold Kidd & Robin Elliott, truely is a must have for any serious woody.
I have a copy to give away – so the first woody that can email me at waitematawoodys@gmail.com & tell me the name of the mullet boat that appears the most times on the Lipton Cup, wins the book.

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Unknown Motorboat & Seaplane + Cool Event Invite

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UNKNOWN MOTORBOAT & SEAPLANE

Hello woodys, triple header today – name the motor boat, the seaplane & event / gathering, if there is one? Lots of people lining the breakwater, so possibly a VIP onboard. Photo belongs to the Tudor Collins collection at the Auckland Museum, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts (as is the M-class photo below)

CLASSIC YACHT & LAUNCH EXHIBITION INVITE

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Once again the Tino Rawa Trust is hosting the annual Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition – this years exhibition celebrates the iconic Mullet Boat.
On this Saturday & Sunday 10am > 4pm – Karanga Plaza – Halsey ST, Wynyard Quarter (in front of the ‘old’ Team NZ base)

ENTRY IS FREE – Further details here http://www.tinorawatrust.co.nz

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I APOLOGIZE
If sometimes I’m a tad slow in answering your emails – that is because I average around a 100 emails a day relating to ww. BUT keep them coming, I love hearing from you all. 🙂

Harold Kidd Input

The PanAm flight was a proving flight in late December 1937. PanAm  had set up an infrastructure at Mechanics Bay for their Sikorsky flying boat SAMOA CLIPPER which Imperial Airways’ Short Empire CENTAURUS also used. Capt Edwin Musick was pilot in command of the Sikorsky. Musick Point was named after him when the SAMOA CLIPPER caught fire and crashed at Samoa while dumping fuel preparatory to landing. The Short arrived just after the Sikorsky, obviously to show that the Brits were up to it as well as the Yanks. The Short’s range made it unable to carry a viable payload across the Tasman however.
As for the runabout/launch, the only reference I can find is that PanAm had a “special launch” at Mechanics Bay. Need to dig deeper.

$1 Reserve

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$1 Reserve
This has to be a project for one of the woodys. I was alerted to this cutie on trademe by Scott Taylor.

Currently located in Paeroa (Waikaato) she measures 22’4″ & has no motor. As architects say about good houses – ‘she has great bones’, so woodys – someone must be looking for a project? Would be a cool lake boat – Rod Prosser, up for another lake boat ……….?  🙂

ps check out the motor in the background of one of the photos – wheres the monster going?

Now at the other end of the scale – check out the the youtube movie below. Its records the build of a one-off modern classic wooden boat – amazing to view the amount of time & skill that goes into building a wooden boat these days – enjoy 🙂

Shiralee E64 – Sailing Sunday

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SHIRALEE E64 – Sailing Sunday

Todays photos are from Sian Perrott the daughter of Roy Kendall & show the launch & sailing of his back yard built 28′ E class keeler, Shiralee.

I know nothing about the design or what happened to her i.e. is she still around?

Robin Elliott Input

Shiralee was built from a Gerry Breekveldt design featured in Sea Spray in May 1955.

Took NZYF number 464 in 1969.

Known owners: Roy Kendall 1958/67+?; R. Haysom 1965+? C.R. Kendall 1970?/71+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1999);
Currently unregistered and no any clues to her whereabouts.

Registered dimensions in 1958 28’x 22’8″x 7’4″x 4’2″, 380 sqft, 1.5tons outside, 28hp

The small yacht in the group of 4 pix is the M-class Morere M-32 designed and built by Roly Moreland.  Roy Kendall bought Morere off John Morrison in 1963 and (his sons?) raced her for the 1963/64 season.

AH – photo added of M32

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Harold Kidd Input – Confirm Breekveldt design. She was rebuilt by Don Roberts and renamed JUMEIRAH. Steve Cranch knows all about her. Roberts owned her still in Auckland in 2012 still with sail number 464.

Win Tickets To Auckland’s On The Water Boat Show

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Win Tickets To The On The Water Boat Show
The Auckland On The Water Boat Show is best & biggest boat show in NZ & kicks of tomorrow at the Viaduct events centre. Waitematawoodys has tickets to give away. We won’t make it too hard – first woody to correctly advise what time the show closes on Thurs/Fri/Sat & Sunday wins 2 tickets. All entries via email waitematawoodys@gmail.com

There will be more to give away tomorrow 😉
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The Mullet Boat – Buona Sera

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The Mullet Boat – Buona Sera

Chris McMullen sent me the link to this cool little youtube movie on the mullet boat – Buona Sera.

Chris commented that there is a slight oops in the commentary in regard to his involvement in the build – Eric had the boat half built before Chris met him 🙂
Chris believes Eric used the moulds received from Morrie Palmer who had just built the first cold moulded diagonally planked mullet Boat. He called it Controversy as that what it caused. He was barred from racing her for a time!
Buona Sera was the second diagonally planked boat. Chris’s Tamatea L-10 (featured already on ww) was the last boat built using carvel construction.
Enjoy the movie.

On the topic of mullet boats – this years Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition at the Karanga Plaza (in front of Viaduct Events Centre) celebrates THE MULLET BOAT’s. As always with the Tino Rawa events it will be a not to be missed classic wooden boating event. So put a circle in the diary for the weekend of October 8>9th, 10.00am > 4.00pm. More details closer to the event 😉

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Little Tasman Out Of The Shed & Re-launched

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Little Tasman Out Of The Shed – relaunched

Since last Thursday my mobile has been running hot with woodys letting me know that the 26′ 1925 Colin Wild built launch Little Tasman had left boat builder Colin Brown’s Omaha shed & was now on the hard at Sandspit, for her final touches. ww has been following Little Tasman since back in early 2012 when Mark Edmonds spotted her on a section in Pt. Wells.
There have been numerous ww posts recording her progress, links below. ww thanks Mark Edmonds, Harold Kidd, Jason Prew, Bruce Pullman, Ken Ricketts & Russell Ward for your input & photos.
The story started in April 2015 when Little Tasman was bought by a new owner, fast forward to July 2015 & she is safely ensconced in Colin Brown’s shed, under going a serious restoration.
Ken Ricketts was on hand last week to record the journey to Sandspit & take a few hardstand photos. Unfortunately the conditions were not perfect for photography, but I have tried to digitally enhance them – see below. The photos above were taken by Steve Horsley the next day when conditions were better, but only shot on an earlier model iPhone.

ww understands that Little Tasman’s owner is Wellington based so post sea trials Little Tasman will be heading south 😦

Tasman / Little Tasman

Little Tasman

Little Tasman Gets Some Serious TLC

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The photos below were taken on Saturday by Jason Prew – again dodgy conditions

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23-09-2016 Update – Re-launched. Photos below by Dave Walker, email to me by Ken Ricketts.

In the ‘tractor’ photo below, just look at that hull, Colin Wild knew how to build a pretty boat – whether it was 26′ or 46′ 🙂

 

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