READY TO UNWIND THIS SUMMER – CLASSIC MOTORBOAT – VANESSA TICKS ALL THE BOXES
Get first glance you would think that the 49’ motorboat -VANESSA , falls into the converted ex-workboat group. But not this girl, she is a purpose built spirit of tradition woody. Designed and built in 2005 by Devonport boat builder – Rob Roberts as a custom passage maker. Her hull has two layers of 15mm ply over 150×150 mahogany ribs, and laminated kauri stringers, then glassed .
Powered by a Caterpillar 3160, 210hp diesel engine that was reconditioned in 2005, the Cat will see her comfortably cruising at 8+ knots and she slips 8L an hour, very impressive for a 20 ton wooden craft. Combine that with 3,200L of fuel tankage + 1,600L water, she really lives up to the passage maker tag.
In the interests for low maintenance , long haul cruising – her systems are very ‘old school’ i.e. no turbo, no ‘blackbox’ engine electronics etc. But no money has been spared on her navigation and house systems.
VANESSA has just returned to the water after her annual maintenance work (photos below) and is now for sale and presents in hop on > sail away condition.
A wonderful craft that visually has all the feel good vibes of a classic boat but with the low maintenance benefits of a 2005 build date utilising the best materials and construction methods.
Interested parties to initial contact the Wooden Boat Bureau at waitematawoodys@gmail.com for more details
09-11-2024 UPDATE – Video below of VANESSA docking at Sandspit Yacht Club today
CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT – PATINA (Le Reina)A Peek Down Below
The 39’ wooden launch PATINA, built in 1913 by Ernie Lane in Picton has made several appearances on WW but we have never had a decent gander down below. Today thanks to Ian McDonald and tme we do .
I have included a link below that will give you a summary of all the previous WW stories.
Built from double skin kauri, when launch she was named LE REINE.
The forward motion is via a Yammer 54hp Diesel engine.
Recently on Lew Redwood’s fb he posted the above photos of the Rawene, Hokianga Harbour runabout MISS BUBB:ES. Lew commented the the gent on the right (bow) was Andrew Stone.
The Lanes Ferry booking office is on the left and the Hotel is seen in the background. No concerns about lifejackets in those days…….
WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL – THIS WEEKEND
If you are looking for a great day out, point the car north this weekend and check out the 2024 Whangarei Maritime Festival. I went last year and it was brilliant , something for everyone and the dockside display of classic woodys is a must see.Full details here https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz/boatshow
CAN CLASSIC VESSEL – VECTIS BE RESCUED + Details On Labour Weekend Woodys Happenings at Kawau Island
At the recent Woodys weekend cruise to Clevedon I ws chatting dockside with Jim Lott and he alerted me to the plight of the 1929 Bert Woolacott Keeler – VECTIS that these days resides on San Francisco Bay, USA. I’ll hand over to Jim to tell the story –
For the past 45 years, VECTIS has been sailing the waters of San Francisco Bay. Her current owner, Louis, has lavished TLC on her after a major restoration of the cockpit and aft deck. He now says his racing days are over and he is looking for someone who will appreciate and look after this fine little ship as she turns 100.
Louis has not found anyone in the Bay and has asked me to see if there is some way she can come home to where her life began in 1929.
“VECTIS” is 31ft plus bowsprit and 9ft 6in beam displacing seven tons. She is planked with 1¼ inch kauri over bent ribs, with every 4th rib sawn pohutukawa. She is fastened with copper rivets and treated with red lead, the well-tested standard at that time, and has bronze keel bolts. The deck was laid kauri, fore and aft over diagonals, and caulked with cotton and tar. Coamings and bright work are mahogany, with oregon spars.
She was built in 1929 and was probably the first Bert Woollacott keeler built in New Zealand. While the Registration Certificate named Percy Vos as the builder, other sources credit her build to Woollacott. Unlike Bert Woollacott’s later designs, she had a spoon bow and a bit of a counter aft, and was masthead cutter rigged.
She was well known around Auckland with owners including the Colebrook family and Alan Doull who was the manager at the RNZYS. She competed in one Suva race.
Karin and I bought her in 1970. At that time, a 32’ (9.5m) yacht was considered the ideal size for ocean sailing. The survey showed some areas of decayed timber in the deck, coamings and carlin just forward of the cockpit.
The deck was cut away exposing more extensive decay than expected and we also decided that the Morris petrol engine would need to be replaced with diesel. The cockpit was wider than the cabin trunk, so with the rot removed, it made sense to carry that width forward and incorporate a raised doghouse in the style of later Woollacott designs, giving more room below and some shelter at the forward end of the cockpit. We also added a small amount of headroom in the forward cabin, but left the original athwartships coaming in place just abaft the mast.
After a voyage in the Pacific, we sold “VECTIS” in 1975 and a few years later we heard she had been sold to San Francisco.
Simon Smith, who was tragically killed during the 2023 ‘Coastal Classic’, recalled happy times sailing on “VECTIS” as a youngster. He introduced me to the current owner, Louis who is delighted with “VECTIS”. He purchased her in a run-down state and undertook a two-year restoration , which he detailed. He describes the hull as like new, in spite of the past 95 years.
Louis is realistic about the value of VECTIS and is mainly interested in ensuring she goes to the right person. Getting her to New Zealand is a challenge, but she is very capable of making the voyage where fair winds can be expected along the route.
Even for such a historic yacht, finding the right owner is more of a challenge and we all know the cost of keeping a vessel in Auckland.
I am in touch with Louis and anyone who can help or be involved can contact me jim.karin.lott@gmail.com
Labour Weekend Just 20 Days Away – Join Us At Kawau Island
Commencing this year the Kawau Boating Club are celebrating the start of summer with the SPRING SPLASH REGATTA. A weekend of fun and friendship on and off the water. KBC are holding hands with Ponsonby Cruising Club to run the on the water sailing events – full details in the Notice of Regatta at this LINK WW encourages all yacht owners to consider participating in the Regatta.
The main reason for todays post is to confirm that WW has been working with KBC and PCC to involve the classic launch fleet and classic cruising yachts in the weekends activities. Aside from enjoying the overall ambience of Kawau Island and the recently renovated clubhouse which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on all days, we have two events for woody boaties.
1. On Saturday 26th waitematawoodys invites classic boat owners to gather ashore at Lidgard House (deck) at 4pm for a meet up – BYO
2. On Sunday 27th waitematawoodys will be mustering classic vessels to convene off KBC wharf at 11am for the Classic Woodys Parade ,a circuit of Bon Accord Harbour. As with all good WW gigs there will be plenty of booty to be won – eg longest travelled boat, best dressed boat, etc + spot prizes and all classic boats flying either a WW burgee or KBB / PCC burgee will go in the draw for a complimentary haul out (3days) at the Slipway Milford yard. More details on Saturday afternoon.
With WW life is simple – no entry forms – just turn up on the day and enjoy the company of the classic wooden boating community.
REEL THING / REAL TIME / MARY ANN + 2025 TALL SHIPS REGATTA
Not often I start with an apology but todays craft wouldn’t normally be a lead WW story, a tad too much happening up top but I spotted REAL THING berthed in the Tutukaka Marina recently and the there is a very smart hull under the additions. I’m sure the addition would pass the Auckland Council Unitary Plan re height of new dealings 😉
Can any of th northern woodys tell us more about REEL THING.
INPUT ex ERIC SANDERSON – the boat featured on WW back in 2023 under the name REAL Time (also once named MARY ANN) built in 1962 by ‘Tauranga Boatbuilders’ See/read more at this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/08/15/reel-time-mary-ann/
Following on from yesterdays (scroll down to view) story on the woodys cruise up the Wairoa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club, today we have a gallery of craft that both Jason Prew and myself photographed on-route, some old favourites there, most looking a little worse for the lack of TLC over winter, but a few newbies.
Enjoy the journey – we did 🙂 (remember to click photos to enlarge)
#3 PONSONBY CC CLUB NIGHT – FEATURED VESSEL – Rainbow II
NGARUNUI + LUCINDA ON-ROUTE TO CLEVEDON CRUISING CLUB
DOCKSIDE STROLL
Classic Wooden Craft Overnight Trip Up The Wairoa River
Over the weekend we had our first woodys event for the classic boating summer season – a cruise up the Wairoa River to overnight at the Clevedon Cruising Club. Due to lock downs and weather bombs we had skipped a couple of years so the weekend was long overdue.
Given tidal access restrictions the weekend always starts with an early departure to the mouth of the Wairoa River, the smart ones leave on the Friday.
The weather early (<5am) Saturday morning was raining cats & dogs, but as if prearranged at 5.30am it stopped and we enjoyed a very pleasant dawn passage. The group gathered at 8.45am and journeyed up the river, always a tad anxious but it was a 3.6m tide so all good.
I snapped a gallery of photos of the woodys that are moored on-route – separate WW story tomorrow.
Our hosts , lead by Commodore Alister (Al) excelled themselves from the RIB on-hand to assist with docking to the world famous (on the river) Saturday night BBQ. The evening included raffles, outdoor fires, a singer and karaoke and even dessert provided. I can report no-one in the woodys group stepped up to karaoke the mike 🙂 Woody Dave Giddens donated several ‘old’ sails to the club which will be repurposed as shade sails around the clubhouse.
If you have never been on one of the trips you need to – the club facilities and hospitality is so traditional / old school but in a cool way.
Included in the raffle prizes was a WW chopping board… I’ll need to talk to my copyright lawyer 🙂
We eat very well – sorry about the food pix but thats what you have to put up with 🙂
If you think that classic wooden craft are all sub 7 knotters check out the videos below of a couple of the voom-voomers.
LABOUR WEEKEND CLASSIC WOODY BOATINGAT KAWAU ISLAND
In recent years the Kawau Boating Club have probably been the must progressive boating club in town with their upgrades to facilities – clubhouse, jetty, fuel dock etc and securing the longtime tenure on the clubs assets.
In addition to all this the club, spearheaded by Mike Mahoney, have been planning to create an icon event for the club – well sometimes looking backwards is a smart thing – for decades the KBC hosted every Labour Weekend an OPENING WEEKEND REGATTA, but for all the wrong reasons the event had slipped off the calendar. Fast forward to 2024 and opening weekend at Kawau is back – bigger and better than ever.
KBC will be holding hands with the Ponsonby Cruising Club to offer up an action packed long weekend of boating activity – afloat and ashore. See below for details.
While most of the on-the-water activity is sailing focussed, WW have been working with KBC and PCC to encourage classic woody launches and classic cruising yachts to attend.
The plan is to hold a classic woody event on the Sunday where woodys will participate in a parade around the bays / baches in Bon Accord Harbour – along the lines of the Mahurangi Weekend launch parade. Meeting time will be 11am off KBC wharf.
We will spice it up with prizes for things like – Best Dressed Craft / Longest Traveled / Oldest Boat / Lucky Draw etc – + all woodys in the parade will also go in the draw for a haul-out at the Slipway Milford yard. On the Saturday there will be a waitematawoodys gathering ashore to catch up and enjoy each others company. There will be lots of opportunities over the weekend to enjoy the recently refurbished clubhouse – so make plans to be there.
So for now
1. Circle Oct 25 > 28 in the diary
2. View / download the file below to read all about the weekend.
3. If you own a yacht or crew on one – down load the entry form at the link below
And there is always a woody boat story – check out the photo below ex Ken Ricketts of two woodys in Whakatakataka Bay (Orakei, Auckland), can we put a name to the boat in the foreground. Excuse the image quality – pulled off TV screen.
INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – It’s Natasha which kept sinking and then was hauled at Okahu and presumably left by road or bin. The other is a Kempthorne / Salthouse KB760 type, presumable fibreglass. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/06/07/natasha/
Earlier in the month we reported that the 34’ John Salthouse built classic wooden launch – SEA FEVER was hauled out at the Slipway Milford for some TLC.
Yesterday afternoon she slipped down the railway into the Milford creek looking very grand.
#1 job was a Jason Prew Paint Job but her newish owners also upgraded some systems, repainted the decks, converted the old compressor driven freezer to 12V and removed / replaced a few spots of boat cancer. She was also fitted with a bow thruster to protect the new paint job 😉
As per most owners the project is a rolling restoration and next winter the cabin coaming bright work will get a birthday.
SEA FEVER is one of John Salthouse’s best sedan designs and enjoys a light and airy saloon with large windows that makes for a very comfortable vessel both on route, at anchor or in the marina.
And if you are ever in doubt as to the best way to haul out > launch your classic woody – check out the video below – railways rock ✔️ your boat will repay you for the kid gloves.
You have to applaud the Ponsonby Cruising Club for their new initiative to get people interacting with boats on the water. Last Thursday (Aug 22) the club held their first ‘Featured Vessel Series’ , the name could do with some improvement 🙂 Simple idea – they host a vessel at one of the berths outside the Westhaven clubhouse and people can board and chat with owners / crew. Then afterwards there is a presentation upstairs at the club on the boats history.
The PCC kicked off with the famous (infamous) historic yacht – NGATAKI, from the Tino Rawa stable.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you’d know that NGATAKI was the yacht made famous in Johnny Wray’s cult classic book – ’South Sea Vagabonds’.
If you haven’t read the book – put it on the Fathers Day list – its a cracker. Myself and a lot of others reread it every few years, it reignites my passion for NZ and our wooden boating community.
Read the book to learn the link to why there is a bowl of oranges on the deck 😉
CHECK OUT DATE FOR NEXT PCC FEATURED VESSEL SERIES AT THE LINK BELOW
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