A photo gallery from todays opening of the 2014 Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition.
This years theme is a toast / celebration to legendary designer & boat builder Jim Young.
The show is open tomorrow (Sunday) between 10am > 4.00pm for those that did not make it today (Sat).
Click to enlarge
No Sanding or Painting This Weekend
If your looking for something nautical to do on Saturday or Sunday, check out the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition down at the viaduct. This years exhibition celebrates the acclaimed designer and boat builder Jim Young. On display will be a static display of photos and stories celebrating his life and career. The exhibition will also feature several Young designed and built yachts and launches berthed next to the Tidal Steps at Karanga Plaza (near Team NZ base). Open each day from 10am > 4pm.
Remember its Auckland – 4 seasons in one day, so get in the day & come down.
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #4 – Kiariki Xmas 1962- 63
Thanks to Robert Brooke for making another of these remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the fourth of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Kiariki during their annual Christmas / New Year Cruise to Whangaroa, Bay of Islands, Gt Barrier & all points North
Crew: John Brooke, Elsie Brooke, Peter Walker, Rob Wallace.
This one is my favourite – the detail & humour is first-class 🙂
2014 Classic Yacht and Launch Exhibition
‘A celebration of acclaimed NZ designer Jim Young’
In conjunction with Auckland Heritage Festival 2014
Once again the Tino Rawa Trust is hosting the Classic Yacht & Launch Exhibition & all waitematawoodys followers are encouraged to attend & celebrate the acclaimed designer and boat builder Jim Young. On display will be a static display of photos and stories celebrating his life and career. The exhibition will also feature several Young designed and built yachts and launches berthed next to the Tidal Steps at Karanga Plaza. Viewing on-board vessels only with owner’s permission.
Location: Karanga Plaza and Berths, Halsey Street, Viaduct. (map below)
Exhibition Date: Saturday, 4 October to Sunday 5 October
Time: 10am – 4pm (Free) Open to the public. Donation welcomed
Sponsors and Supporters: Tino Rawa Trust, Trillian Trust, Waterfront Auckland, NZ Maritime Museum, Viaduct Harbour, CityGuard, Classic Yacht Association, BIA.
Location Map (click to enlarge)
Got A Question, Looking For A Boat, Found Something Of Interest?
ww gets lots of correspondence that start off like this :
” I used to own _ _ _ _ _ in the the 1960’s, do you know where she is now”
” I wonder if you could help me trace my granddads boat”
So I have set up a Lost & Found post – if your looking for a boat just enter brief details in the comment section below & click the ‘post comment’ button. You click on this icon, top right (up turns blue when you scroll over it), to go straight to comments – the number indicates the number of comments.
Over on the right hand side of the site is a Lost & Found panel – if you click on that it will take you to this post.
You can also use the search box to see if there have been any info posted – just type the boat name into the box & hit enter.
GIVEN ITS THE COMMENTS SECTION – KEEP IT SHORT i.e. NO STORY TELLING
I’ll trial it for a while & see how it goes. Alan H
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #3 – Judith Xmas 1951- 52
Thanks to Robert Brooke for making these remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the third of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Judith during their annual Christmas / New Year Cruise. Looking at the track north from Cape Rodney to Cape Brett it must have been a great ride – they were going from 2 to 3 reefs in the main & tri-sail. If I’m reading things correctly from Cape Rodney to Whangamumu took 8hrs.
No crew list on this one.
WENNA
With ww I try to plan the posts a few days in advance, well yesterday Harold Kidd turned my schedule upside down when he sent in the above photo of Wenna. Earlier this week,
Harold was the recipient (on loan) of a photo album from Margaret Field of the O’Neill* family. One of the photos was the stunning one of Wenna above.
Wenna was recently purchased as Rangitira & renovated by Pam Gundy at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard (launch day photo below)
*Eric O’Neill arrived in NZ with his family just after WW1 and lived in Ring Terrace, just above St. Mary’s Bay & Wenna was built for him around 1925. Given his residence, most likely by a St. Mary’s Bay builder, the options being Collings & Bell, Leon Warne, Dick Lang (or Sam Ford who took over Lang’s yard in 1923 and used Ford’s moulds until 1924 when Lang returned).
Now two days ago I was sent a photo of Marua (below), by Dave Jackson via Adrienne, Dave’s father, (David Jackson Snr) was one of the owners of the Marua c.1955-56. Dave commented that Marua & Wenna were very similar in design, with Marua being built in 1915 for E. McKeown by Peter A. Smith who was an engine supplier and contracted out his hulls to St Mary’s Bay builders. Harold would pick Dick Lang as the builder of Marua’s hull, not Leon Warne who was still with Collings & Bell in 1915. It’s likely that Dick (or Sam Ford possibly) built Wenna too. Marua was a total loss as a result of the fire that destroyed the Baileys yard.
There’s always the possibility that Collings & Bell built both boats but Harold does not think they did much (if any) work for Peter A. Smith as they were more interested in selling their own brands of marine engines where the greater profit margin lay and weren’t short of their own orders.
All of the above aside – both Marua and Wenna are best described as typical St. Mary’s Bay – built launches of the period.
Note – when Pam’s partner George (Emtage) saw Margaret Field’s photo of Wenna, he starting looking for his chainsaw – he liked what Harold described as the slinky look – so do I.
Pam on the other hand is happy with Wennna’s tram-top, which according to Dave Jackson was built by Cyril Freeman of Ponsonby. He was working for Shipbuilders at the time, but this job was a ‘homer’. This was during the late 1940’s maybe even the early 1950’s.
MARUA
WENNA (Rangitira) 2014
07/11/14 – photo of Wenna ex Harld Kidd ex Bob Wiley
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #2 – Ngatoa 1928- 29
Thanks to Robert Brooke for making these remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the second of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Ngatoa during what I assume was their annual Christmas / New Year Cruise. They certainly clocked up some miles – with White Island to the South & Great Barrier to the North. From the drawing of White Island it would appear that she was very active at the time.
This one does not list the crew.
Jack Brooke Cruise Collection #1 – Arohia 1952-53
waitematawoodys would like to thank Robert Brooke for making the remarkable cruise drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise. Todays post is the first of several – enjoy.
The above drawing records the travels of Arohia during 3 events – the 1952 Ocean Race to the Bay of Islands, the Whangaroa – Mangonui Race & their Xmas 1952-53 Cruise.
Jack & crew were in great form with :- 1st to finish & 2nd on handicap for the Ocean Race. Winner of the Russell Regatta. 1st to finish & 2nd on handicap for the Mangonui Race. If you look in the top right corner there is a legend that shows the individual passages.
The cruise crew were made up of the Brooke family – Elsie, Jack, Donald, Robert & Judith + Elgin Rhind, Norman Leese & Tony Yates.
Harold Kidd Reply
Jack Brooke was a genius and a great teacher and leader. I’ll never forget the winter evening lectures the Squadron used to hold for secondary school boys (not girls) at its rooms in Endean’s Building at the foot of Queen Street in the ’40s and ’50s. Not only did we get taught all sorts of useful nautical things by expert people like Jack (“Mr. Brooke”, of course), Arthur Angell, Jim Frater, Bressin Thompson and Jim Faire, but there was cocoa and fruit cake in front of the fire. And the ambiance! Those oak-framed photographs of heroic Logan and Bailey gaff cutters and the glitter of trophies in the firelight. Then the ferry ride home on a steamer. Life-changing stuff!
KOTARE – Builder Interview
Sent in by CYA Nelson member Richard Farrar ex Eddy Marten (current owner)
Designed by Bill Couldrey & built by Frank Wilkins in 1961. She has featured on ww before but recently I received a copy of an interview with Frank Wilkins (dated 8 Oct. 1996). The story makes reference to some of the legends of our boating past.
I think most of us would love to have as much info on our boats as this. Its a great read. Sorry about the faded type but thats how it came to me.
Enjoy 🙂
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