Category Archives: Engines

Maeve – Electric Launch

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MAEVE – Electric Launch
While I’m sure Maeve likes her Dunedin, Otago, home port, she would make a stunning addition to the Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.) woody fleet.
Built in 1904, she was originally a North Otago fishing boat, & is a beautiful canoe shaped 26’ electric launch with a slipper stern.
Her wooden hull has been professionally fibre-glassed over, the wooden roof and window frames are in the style of a Thames River Boat & were added in recent years by a professional boat builder.
The motor is adapted from an electric golf cart & pushes Maeve along at a virtually silently at 6.5 knots for approx. 4+ hours.
Her current owner bought Maeve unseen several months ago under the misapprehension she was much smaller than she is & then discovered their standard boat trailer was too small to safely and legally take an 8m boat from Dunedin home to the Marlborough Sounds – so she is back on the market. Thanks to Ian MacDonald for the trade listing heads up.
Maeve has a long and proud provenance and was much loved by her previous elderly owner. With a little TLC, she could be a very smart lake boat.

Lady Margaret For Sale – Buyer Beware

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Lady Margaret A Peek Down Below

Lady Margaret was built in 1948 by Peter Gardiner in Whangarei, given her looks, to a brief that must have said “I like Chris Craft boats, build me one”.
She has a 3” double diagonal kauri hull, & is powered by Ford 120hp twin diesel engines, one of which (port side) is seized.
Her seller, an infamous lurker on WW, has either tried to or has sold several boats in recent times, I won’t comment on these boats as the last time I did I was told – “we know where you live / where you keep your boat – be careful……………..”
On her trademe listing the seller states that the boat was listed by one of Auckland’s biggest brokers for $112k, then $98k & now he is selling it for $49k ono. I wonder why the falling asking price ? Dockside chat tells me she has been hauled out in the last year, can anyone enlighten us on the reason for the haul out & the nature of any work?
You can read more on her past at this 2013 WW link https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/16/lady-margaret-2/
Tip Of The Day: WW always encourages people to do a survey b4 buying a classic wooden boat.
UPDATE 09-08-2018 Photo below (dated 11/04/2018) sent in be a woody.
Lady M oops 11:04:18
UPDATE
Lady Margaret – Listed on Tom Nesbitt website – the asking / starting bid is $40k
Robin Gae – has just appeared on the same site, I’m told a coat of paint & its now double the purchase price. Nice of him to use some WW photos + video in his listing.
UPDATE 23-09-2018 After being banned on trademe the seller has now popped up on facebook marketplace
UPDATE 24-09-2018 SOLD – see below (owners name deleted)
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Woody Lake Boat

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Woody Lake Boat

The owner of the above 16’5” speedboat believes the hull was built in the 1950’s, he bought her back in 2009. He has fully striped the hull back to wood and repaired it where necessary, built the seats and engine cover from scratch.

Recently she has been given a full paint job with marine paint (dark green). The zoom zoom is a mark one-zephyr petrol engine with a direct drive set up. A few minor details e.g. a windscreen & you would have a very smart woody. Or re-power with a V8 & have real speedster.

The reason she is for sale on trademe is that it only gets used once a year at the Lake Rotoit Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Thanks to Tim Evill for the listing heads up.

Looking For A Gulf Harbour Marina To Rent (Long term)

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A secure 13m waterways berth is available for immediate occupation. Comes with  close car parking for the purposes of loading up & unloading, & long term parking within about 2 minutes’ walk. Long term rental $650 per month.

Enquires can respond by email to kennetharicketts@gmail.com or phone  09 424 5505 or 021 988 919

 

 

Working Waterfront Boatbuilders Shed – 50 photos

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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. 

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CYA Rudder Cup 2018 flyer

Stardust

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STARDUST

Stardust is a 36’ Athol Burns Kauri built woody. 

Her trademe listing states she was built in 1962 & zoom zoom is via a 80hp diesel.

Home is Motueka, Nelson.

Anyone able to tell us more about Stardust?

Kingfish

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KINGFISH

Anyone looking for a bargain classic woody? Kingfish is listed on trademe (thanks Ian McDonald) with a $1 reserve & an oh to familiar tale “its leaking and sinking and due to a marriage breakup its not getting the love it needs” 

I can tell you she was built in 1914, is double skinned kauri, measures approx. 33’ in length, & powered by a 120hp diesel.

The owner is after a quick sale as the bilge pumps are shot. Listing details here https://touch.trademe.co.nz/motors/listing/view/1639329557

Sorry about the quality of the interior photos – but thats all that was available.

Interested to learn more about Kingfish – anyone able to help?

Input from Harold Kidd & photos below from Cameron Pollard

I’m certain KINGFISH has been on here before. She was built by H.N. Burgess at Judges Bay in 1914 as a hybrid yacht/launch, expressly for game fishing and spent her early life based in Gisborne and Tauranga. Unrecognizable from her original configuration with quite a big rig.

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27-05-2018 Input from Dave Butler – Kingfish was owned by Jack Peat from Te Puna who had it moored in Tauranga harbour in the 60’s. He was a member of the Tauranga game fishing club and I have numerous photos of him and crew with marlin, makos, and threshers caught near mayor island. Kingfish was powered by a Gadyver engine? which Jack replaced. He gave me the old prop because the new engine revolved the drive shaft in the opposite direction. Jack sold her in 1972 and she was moored at the new marina in Tauranga harbour for several years after that.

11-06-2018 – Update. I can report that Kingfish has joined the Pollard fleet & has already been given some TLC , refer photos below hauled out + photos of her being retrieved for the trip ‘home’.

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Update 13-08-2020 ex Cameron Pollard. Kingfish hauled out for a ‘full’ restoration 🙂

Lorne Doone

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LORNA DOONE

The game fishing boat Lorna Doone has been mentioned in numerous WW stories but I have never had a photo – thanks to Lew Redwood we now do.

She is pictured above at the Black Rocks, Bay of Islands. The photo was taken by Tudor Collins.

Lorna Doone is a sister ship to Otehei, Alma G (the first of the Collings & Bell clones) & Manaaki. All were powered by Redwing engines & were capable of 16 knots.

For comparison below is a photo of Alma G, off Cape Brett.

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Input from Martin Howson – In the late 50’s both Lorna Doone and Matareka 11 were moored in the Tamaki River at Bucklands Beach L D was owned and operated by a Des Shimanski and M was owned and operated by Rex Sly both vessels were long lining at that time, great to see that both remain both , Des’s son Brian went on produce Briski propellors .On one occasion Lorna Doone came ashore on Hooks Bay on Waiheke with a big easterly blowing and Bert Surbritski with Romo would not tow her home because he knew that he would lose her on the way home with her riding up on the tow and dropping back with a heavy shock load. It was always rumoured that LD had the end of a sword fish bill through her bottom planking beneath the cockpit sole, I never saw it myself.

Some Advice Sought

I have been approached by Graeme Finch the owner of Te Arahi looking for some advice on his name boards (see below). They have a paint effect that appears to have been done to look like a varnish finish. The name / letters are done in gold – which Graeme believes is gold leaf given how well they have weathered.

Graeme is intending to paint the edges white, and would like to find someone who understands the “brown paint that looks like varnish aspect” to touch up the front surface – it’s not too bad at present, but he wants to attend to it before it becomes a major.

So in summary he is trying to preserve the gold leaf lettering so hoping to leave the lettering in place and work around it touching up those small areas, which have started to deteriorate – rather than removing everything and starting again.

So woodys anyone know the paint/varnish effect & who might do a small job like this?

My initial thought was it might be aged Cetol? A horrible product.

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Manu

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MANU

I spotted the bridge-decker Manu in late January when Trinidad was berthed at the Waikawa Marina (my photos below). Now she is 4sale on trademe, thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads-up.

Built by Bailey & Lowe in 1913, measures 37’. Zoom zoom is via a 125hp Yanmar diesel.

While her beam is listed as 9’10”, she appears very narrow, but the camera can lie 😉

Do we know anything more about her past?

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Harold Kidd Input – Briefly, MANU was built by Bailey & Lowe for J.A. Holloway of Stanley Bay. She has B&L’s standard 35 foot hull. About 1917 Holloway sold her to Lt Col Phil Andrew the Auckland Port Medical Officer of Health. He sold to W.A. Wilkinson (“Speedwell”) in June 1920 and he sold to Miss Arkle of Arkles Bay later in that year. The next owners were the O’Brien brothers of Waiheke about 1928. She spent some time on the Manukau owned (either then or later) by Albie Parkes. Henry Hansen of Mangawhare bought her in 1952and sold her to Les Bird of Silverdale c1967. Bird kept her at Wenderholm on the Puhoi River. Bird sold to Stirling Sports c1977. Then Peter Haywood had her at Milford where he was Commodore of the Club. She was in Havelock by 2000 and is still there. There were probably a few other owners in between all these but there are just so many MANUs!
Apart from the bridgedeck which has been on her since at least Hanesn’s ownership she’s pretty original. Pauline and I went over her a few years ago and were most impressed. A lovely launch.

Achates

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ACHATES

This Akaroa based woody is listed on trademe as a ‘Project’ & is offered for sale ‘as is where is’ so she’s a bit of a lucky dip 😉

She measures 30’ & is carvel planked. Has a Ford Lees 110hp diesel for the zoom zoom, & appears to have all the bits to bring her back to life. trade listing heads-up ex Ian McDonald.

Anyone know anything about her past?

 

Classic Steam Launches

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CLASSIC STEAM LAUNCHES

Two Saturdays ago I mooched down to the Salthouse Yard (ex?) / Greenhithe Wharf to catch up with the crew from the Auckland Steam Engine Society gathering. Primary reason for attending was to see the new steam launch – Kotare, which unfortunately was a no show, rumour was he experienced a mechanical oops on-route (update – arrived later in the day, after my departure). The morning was still a winner with 4 steamers present. I have said it before, but I could own one of these, I’m a closet pyromaniac – so fire & classic boats, it’s a win / win.

We had – Tui, Janice Helen & Victoria present + one with one name.

Enjoy the photos – here is a WW link to some photos & details on SL Kotare  https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/03/23/ss-kotare/

The Potae on the gent below, was always going to go for a swim – I lost count of the saves. It sank but floated below the surface long enough to be rescued 🙂

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