Category Archives: Engines

La Rosa – Flashback

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LA ROSA – FLASHBACK


I just love opening the WW email inbox, particularly when out of the blue you get a treasure trove of photos on a boat that you know but do not have much content from her past.The other day Alan Duckworth contacted me to say he came across the WW site while searching for new photos of the 1923, Ernie Harvey built launch – La Rosa. Bob King, who owned the vessel for 50 odd years and significantly modified the ketch, was Alan’s grandfather. 

The above gallery of old photos are from Bob King’s ownership period. Alan recalls that the motor was a Lister, compression start, that could run for hours on bugger all fuel.


The current owner of La Rosa – Ward House will love the photos – hopefully his good friend Baden Pascoe will alert him to the story. You can see and read more about La Rosa at the WW links below:
https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/16/la-rosa/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/27/castaway-la-rosa-on-the-slip/

Input below from Mark Erskine

“I was interested to read about La Rosa and what a wonderful antique engine she has.

I see “Graeme” posts the engine is a 26 HP Lister HW2, but it is a Lister JP2M.

The JP2M specs are: Capacity: 2,868cc. / HP: 21 @ 1,200rpm. / Weight: 2,576 lbs/1.168 tonnes

https://www.stationaryengineparts.com/Lister-Petter-Engine-General-Specs/

They were made from 1936 and 1954 apparently (haven’t been able to confirm), so it would be interesting to see if the owner knows the age of the engine.

Like all of the old Lister / Petter water cooled range of engines, the JP2M is built so big and heavy and runs so slowly that if properly serviced, maintained and used, it should never wear out in marine use 😁 “

https://www.marinepowerservices.co.uk/engines/past-engines/90-1952-lister-jp2m

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/12/01/wooden-boat-bureau-advice-for-buyers-and-sellers/

Mystery Workboat Conversion

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Mystery Workboat Conversion 
According to her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) the above woody is – 44’ in length, built of kauri, powered by a 1978 Detroit 150hp diesel and calls Waiheke Island home. And that woodys is all we know.

I’m sure we can uncover more details. The conversion looks very tidy and the wood stove would indicate she has spent time in the our southern waters.


Stunning weather afloat, photo below of Raindance in Garden Cove, Waiheke Island – we sneaked in before the fizz boats and SeaLegs arrived.

Ngapuhi (Waihou)

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NGAPUHI ( > WAIHOU)

DOES ANYONE KNOW A ROSS DIXON (or Michael Adams) previous owners of the launch Menai – if so could you ask that they contact me on waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Ngapuhi was built by Brian Lane in 1952-3 as a towing launch for Lane & Sons (Timber Millers) at their premises in Totara North, Whangaoa Harbour. Originally named Waihou. Purchased by Northland Port Corporation in 1963 her name was changed to Ngapuhi & she served as the pilot boat for the Whangarei Harbour Board for 35 years.

During 1983-4 an extensive refit was carried out when a larger aluminium wheelhouse was added. The original 2x GM471 engines were replaced with new 6LXB Gardners, propshaft angles modified, and larger rudders made to suit the new engine installations.

Has been in current ownership since 1998 during which time was chartered back to Northland Port until 2000 & kept in SSM survey for 16 passengers until late 2013 when the SSM regulations were changed.

While based in Whangaroa her owners have completed numerous trips to the Three Kings, Waitemata, Gt Barrier, & also used to view the racing the last time Team NZ hosted the America’s Cup in Auckland.

Details below:

Length 13.84m Beam 3.70m. Draft 1.07m. Reg tons 22.

Engines 2x 6LXBM52 Gardner 1984. Diesel Engines governed to 1500RPM, 127 HP continuous rating.

Gear boxes Twin Disk 1.45-1

Fuel Capacity 1400 litres Water capacity 200 litres

Max speed 11 knots at governed rpm. . Cruising speed 8-11 knots. . Fuel consumption approx. 25 l/h @ 11 knots, approx. 18 l/h @ 8 knots.

Hull construction. Carvel plank Kauri over laminated frames of 70x40mm @ 250mm centres.

Other features. Icom VHF, Furuno GPS plotter/sounder, walk in engine room with fan forced ventilation. F’ward and aft cabins, galley, separate toilet with holding tank, wash down pump, 2x sets of fixed manual & electric bilge pumps & other safety equipment to meet previous survey requirements. Currently 3-4 berths, easily expandable to 6-8.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for bring the tme listing to the attention of WW.

MARINUS – Where Is She

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MARINUS – Where Is She

The launch – Marinus was built in 1938 (apparently by Barr-Browns in Wellington) for commercial work in Cook Strait and was Lloyd’s registered to carry 5 tons. It is believed that Barr-Browns were cabinet and furniture makers in that era, rather than boat builders and in later years, Barr-Browns were machinery merchants selling the likes of forklifts and other industrial machinery.

Unconfirmed, but she probably was originally powered by twin Gray Marine inline 6-cylinder engines, and was re-powered in about 1965 with two 1956-ish Rootes TS3 2-strokes, which were located directly under the bridge floor. The gearboxes she had in 2001 were 26 spline Borg-Warner Velvet Drives.

The photo above was taken in January 2001 at Pine Harbour. Post this date she may have been moored at Great Barrier Island for an extended time frame. Rumour has it that she experienced several semi sinkings due to bilge pump issues. Marinus was taken over by a new owner who towed her to Whitianga and on-sold her to another individual who either towed or motored her Whangamata, where her engines were removed.

Nothing is known about the boat post being kept on a swing mooring at Whangamata. So woodys can anyone tell us what became of this woody, did she survive?

Update – photos below of – Marinus, which were taken in January 2015 at Gibbs Landing on the Barrier. She had been towed over to the wharf from her swing mooring after being pumped out the last time. Click to enlarge photos

Update #2  – Below are the as-was interior photos before being towed away from the Barrier in 2015. Over looking the untidy appearance and the need for much TLC, you can see how well designed the interior was for such an old girl. Very spacious and well appointed for her age and with twin TS3 engines, the floor in the bridge was flat (no engine boxes).
Note the Lloyd’s Reg Number on the bulkhead, in what was then the bathroom / shower / toilet area.
According to the Gt Barrier is. owner, she was apparently built in 1938 to an American design (which might account for the sloping windscreens), but wasn’t launched until after W.W.II.

UPDATE # 3 – I received a call from boat builder Geoff Bagnall today and Geoff pointed me in the direction as to where I could find Marinus. Geoff has been working on her and while in my eyes some areas are a tad modern looking – what a difference from the above Great Barrier photos. Just goes to prove that old saying “every dog has its day”. An amazing rescue job, who ever the owner is, they deserve to take a bow – well done 🙂

14-12-2020 Harold Kidd Input – MARINUS was owned for many years by Keith Lackey of Wellington.She was built by Barr-Brown, Owen and Stewart and launched in 1947. Her first engines were twin 6 cyl Gray petrol. According to Lloyds she was designed by A.M. Deeming.(an Opua Deeming??).

TUI – Clinker Steam Boat

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SS TUI – Kauri Clinker Steam Boat
It thought that Tui’s 15’ kauri clinker hull was built c.1920, then as part of her transformation to a steam boat the hull was restored where necessary and the exterior was fully clad in f/glass.For the steam boys I have reproduced the mechanical specs below from her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald):

The boiler is of the Ofeldt type with a 6mm thick steel central drum and has 12 1/2″ copper coils surrounding it. The boiler is fast steaming, reliable and safe. Stainless steel cladding and stainless steel funnel. The steel firebox with adjustable dampers runs on char, coal and wood.

The 2hp engine is by Wayne Larsen and is single cylinder double acting 2.5″‘bore x 2.75″ stroke. It has a balanced crankshaft and semi balanced slide valve, with Stephenson’s reversing gear, twin boiler water pumps and a vacuum pump with exhaust steam passing through a feed water heater and keel condenser to the stainless steel hot well. The propeller is 14.5″ x 23″

An auxiliary boiler hand pump and is fitted with an electric water pump as a backup. A Stainless steel top-up water tank is in the transom with a stainless steel hot well placed just in front of the Boiler. A Steam bilge ejector is fitted for removal of any bilge water.

She is fitted with a Windermere Kettle to allow the crew to make a hot cup of tea/coffee on the run.

Miller and Tunnage – Double Ender – Fisher Lassie

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Miller & Tunnage – Double Ender – Fisher Lassie
If you spend as much time as I do stalking wooden boats on-line you will have noticed the growing trend for work boat conversions, you either love them or not – me I’m in the love them camp. We do not know a lot about todays woody, thanks Ian McDonald, other than she was built by Miller and Tunnage in 1922, out of kauri, is 40’ in length, has a 9’ 10” beam and draws 3’7”. A Gardner 3LW 150hp diesel pushes her along at a comfortable cruising speed of 7 knots. Appears to be very well fitted out.


Can anyone put a name to this woody ?

18-11-2020 Input from Mark Erskine – I was interested to read about the above Miller & Tunnage Double Ender. I agree it’s a real nice boat and was interested to read about her Gardner 3LW engine.

Depending on the fuel and governor / rpm settings, the 3LW engines produce between 36 to 53.5HP from their 4.184 litre capacity.

Dimensions

The “Gardner 150” badge on the Miller & Tunnage control panel is for a 6-cylinder 6LXB Gardner (127 to 150HP) or possibly the 8-cylinder 8LXB (150 to 200)

Gardners are great engines and although the whole range are all low on HP for their considerable size, capacity and weight, they all produce a lot of torque at low rpm and are very reliable.

Although 36 to 54 HP seems a bit low for the size of the boat, I’m guessing the 3LW is a good match for a double ender hull because torque turns the prop rather than HP and the 3LW should also be very economical to operate at 7 knots.

24-11-2022 UPDATE ex Steve’s Coffee Cart – Steve sent in the photos below of Fisher Lassie below, hauled out at the Waikawa hard stand. Check out the new look, it is not often we see people ’taking away’ as compared to adding on. Well done to the owner.

admin@classicyacht.org.nz

Sea Spray

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SEA SPRAY
During the week I was chatting to Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig and he mentioned that he was scoping out a 1956 built, 17’ kauri clinker run-about on tme for a client. The boat had a J. Logan builders plate and we both wondered if it was ’the-real-deal’. On these matters there is only one go to guru – so a quick email to Harold Kidd confirmed that Sea Spray was indeed built by Jack Logan, and HDK had had a lot to do with Jack Logan and the Chappies, who had a twin to his boat on Lake Okareka. That intel was enough for Alan to buy the boat.


Alan understands that for a lot of the boats life, it was north of Tutakaka.
The new owner has x2 Arona 10hp engines and gearboxes, which fingers crossed,  one will go into the boat.Having witnessed the work of Alan’s yard – Sea Spray will emerge as an awesome addition to the woody lake fleet. Alan has promised to keep us updated with work-in-progres photos 🙂


Anyone able to add to the boats provenance?

Haunui Restoration

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HAUNUI – RESTORATION
In between the CV-19 lock-downs one of Auckland’s most beautiful classic wooden motor launches changed ownership – the Colin Wild designed and built 1948 launch – Haunui was sold by Owen Cashmore. In a previous life Haunui was owned by Harry Julian. Haunui was almost immediately hauled out at a private yard and master wooden boat builder Paul Tingey was engaged to return Haunui to her glory days. I showed her new owners over her ‘cousin’- Trinidad and they accepted the challenge to equal her presentation. 

As can happen when dealing with 72 year old wooden artifacts, on close (pulling boards off) inspection the old girl had a few issues, so the decision was made to undertake a total refit, including engine. Haunui is single screw, but has a smaller auxiliary engine > shaft > prop on the starboard side. I believe an electric unit will replace the small diesel. The Gardner sadly is coming out, fyi – prior to going into Haunui, rumour is it came out of a Sydney Harbour > Manly ferry, so was very run in ;-). Her owner has told me they will restore the engine over time but the process involves utilizing a foundry that will have to custom cast the parts that are needed. In the meantime Haunui will receive a new heart transplant. 

As you can see from my photos above, the refit is on a rather grand scale, but Mr Tingey is the man for the job.
We will follow this project and keep you updated. As always, click on photos to enlarge 😉

The photos below are dated 2014, ex Rod Marler, and show Haunui hauled out at Orams yard in Westhaven. 

The Best of Colin Wild + Herreshoff Steam Launch

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The Best of Colin Wild + Herreshoff Steam Launch
The top two photos of the Brooke families 1927 Colin Wild launch – Linda comes to us via Mitchell Hutchings fb ex the Williamson Family Collection. Linda at the time was moored at Herald Island.

The bottom photo I took today of Wirihana tucked up in Chris McMullen’s shed for her winter TLC. Wirihana is another of Wild’s big motorboats, built in 1933.


It was great to see that CMcM’s Herreshoff steam launch (below) is coming along – engine installed 🙂

Wooden Boat Yard Visit – 50 Photos

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New Zealand Wooden Boat Yard Visit – 50 Photos

Yesterday afternoon, Auckland based woodys got to rub shoulders with an impressive collection of classic wooden boats at one of New Zealand’s leading wooden boat yards – the Peter Brookes ‘Brookes Boatbuilders’ complex in rural Waimauku, West Auckland. I have been privileged to visit numerous times but every visit is a treat, where else would you see over eight classic yachts and launches in varying stages of restorations.


I’ll let the photos tell the story, if I have a photo mixed up, let me know 🙂 – enjoy – remember as always if you click on the photos they will enlarge 😉


Amakura II – 1936 Colin Wild, 52’ Bridgedecker


Impala – 1960 Fife, Teak planking 


Matia A23 – 1939 Lidgard, 50’, triple skinned kauri


Kenya II – 1940 Lidgard, 50’, triple skinned kauri. Gardner 6LXB


Pilot Cutter – 50’ 


Kotiri – 1897 Logan


Ladye Wilma B26 – 1895 Logan Bros, 43’, triple skinned kauri


Katrina II K100 – 1944 Bob Stewart, K-Class