Todays story comes to us from Ian McDonald via the Bay of Plenty community website – SUNLIVE’ –Article written by Rosalie Liddle
“Plans are in place for the removal of a vessel rotting and sinking on its mooring in Tairua Harbour. Sadly, the boat’s owner has recently passed away. Last week a commercial operator alerted Waikato Regional Council to an old wooden vessel sinking on its mooring in Tairua Harbour, says Waikato Regional Council’s regional harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck. Staff from our Maritime Services team responded, pumping out the water.
The team returned again on Sunday, after becoming aware that the vessel was again taking on water. They pumped the water from the vessel and then towed it to shore on the high tide, where it remains, says Chris. After establishing that the owner has recently passed away, we arranged for the 300 litres of diesel onboard to be safely drained and taken away so it no longer posed a risk to the environment. Chris says while the diesel was being removed from the vessel at low tide, booms were set up around it just in case any contaminants escaped.
Unfortunately, the timber is rotten which prevents the vessel from being lifted off the beach, so it will be dismantled and removed over the coming days,” says Chris.”
Bay of Islands Summer Mooching + Anniversary Weekend Cruising
Todays gallery of classic wooden craft comes to us from the camera of Dean Wright, taken while he was cruising the bay on his woody – Arethusa.
From top to bottom the craft are:
• Ranoni – Army Bay
• Enterprise – Opunga Cove
• Arohanui – steaming past Cable Bay, Urupukapuka
• Arethusa – Whangamumu
• The Logan yacht – Iorangi – Whangamumu
• Alofa – Whangamumu
• Valhalla – Whangamumu
• Rampage – Whangmumu – an early 2000’s Robertson Boats sedan launch ( lengthened and repainted)
• Mary of York – Ben Tomb’s leeboarder
2024 MAHURANGI REGATTA – Classic Launch Parade & Sunday Gathering At KAWAU ISLAND
The countdown is on for one of the worlds best and biggest classic wooden boating events, the Mahurangi Regatta, organised by the Mahurangi Cruising Club.
Sadly due to the freakish weather the 2023 regatta was cancelled, but plans are in place to make 2024 on-the-water and ashore at Scotts Landing bigger and better.
The Classic Wooden Launch Parade is one of the highlights of the weekends activities – followed later in the day by a serious ‘old school’ boaty BBQ ashore at Scott’s – including a massive marquee for the 20 piece dance band.
On the Sunday, most woody launch skippers head to KAWAU ISLAND and the plan is to gather later in the day for a few sun-downers at the newly refurbished Kawau Boating Club.
Todays photo comes to us from ’Timespanner’ via a Maurice Sharp fb post. The location is the Whau Creek in New Lynn, Auckland and the photo originally appeared in the NZ Herald on 15 Oct 1937.
Its captioned – that the craft was 26’ in length, built by a Mr. L. Knaggs of Sandringham, Auckland to an American design, probably ex Rudder Magazine. Her first owner was a Mr.J. Harvey of New Lynn.
Can we put a name to the craft and possibly uncover what became of her.
Slipped the mooring lines yesterday for a wee trip to McKezies Bay, Rangitoto Island. Swapped photos with the crew on Endeavour, who were out celebrating owner Paul’s 84th birthday – Endeavour was looking very smart.
With 2023 being the worst boating year that I can recall, whilst I held high hopes I also was semi expecting another fizzer – well as most of you will know the Christmas – NY period turned out to be a winner for those that slipped the lines and headed away. Other than New Years eve being very wet (but warm) we enjoyed great launch cruising conditions. Not always perfect but if you picked a spot that suited the wind and travelled at times when conditions were settled it was never unpleasant. I put my faith in PredictWind and they delivered.
We left the marina on the 27th Dec. and chose Woody Bay, RAKINO ISLAND for Night One. Sundown drinks aboard Jenny and Angus Rogers stunning classic launch – Centaurus. Stunning sunset (as above)
Day Two was also spent in Woody Day as the wind had picked up, but very sheltered in the bay + the call had gone out for pizza from the islands Woody Bay Pizzeria, truely the best pizza’s I have eaten.
Day Three we moved around the corner to West Bay as the forecast had a W in it which isn’t normally a good thing at Rakino – very quiet in the bay so again secured a good spot and sent Day Three and Four there.
Morning of the 30th, Day Four was decision time – head north to KAWAU ISLAND or south to WAIHEKE ISLAND – forecast was turning south so WAIHEKE was probably the better call but me stuck with the original plan and head to KAWAU, Raindance is at her best when everything on the nose so it was an ok passage. We choose to anchor for the day / night in Bostaquet Bay , a first for me, and can report a very nice anchorage and again very few boats.
Day Five (31st) we headed over to Bon Accord Harbour and took up residence on one of the RNZYS club moorings just off Lidgard House in Smelter House Bay. Plan was NYE at the recently refurbished and re-opened Kawau Boating Club. Slight problem, the power had been off on the island for 24+ hours so club closed 😦
As we relaxed onboard several helicopters were flying overhead with all manner of kit dangling below – ladders, tool boxes etc – Around 3pm power returned and thank god the back up generator had kept the beer frig working 🙂 . But the rain arrived and continued non-stop most of the night. KBC appeared to get well supported but people tended to come ashore for a meal and retreat to the boat.
Day Six was a lazy day mooching around the island and back to the mooring + KBC
Day Seven we head south to WAIHEKE ISLAND and spent the day in Oneroa re provisioning and hosting some friends from Devonport for drinks, then catching up with Waiheke friends ashore.
Day Eight a lazy day exploring WAIHEKE and moved to Hekerua Bay for the evening. I crossed the dark side and had drinks onboard another friends new non wood boat – putting aside the construction it was very grand (ice maker + water maker – 200L a day) our pup was very taken with the ability to do 360° laps of the boat.
The plan was to head down to the ‘bottom end’ the next day but the forecast included a H & a E so the decision was made to head home after another lazy day, on Day Nine.
The trip restored my faith in owner a boat and helped make 2023 a distant memory.
There is so many photos that I have divided the trip report into two sections, Part One = the trip and Part Two (tomorrow) = the classic boats that were out and about. Todays story is broken up by location – ENJOY
(And sorry for the lengthy, slightly over-the-top title but there are key words that do wonders for the overseas search engines)
If the weather gods have been nice to me I’ll be in residence at KBC tonight- checked out the photos above of the recent (winter of 2023) refurbishment – the club / bar is looking its best ever. Big shout out to everyone involved.
BUT – these things come at a cost – so if you are cruising about Kawau _
1. Call in for a fizzy drink and /or meal – all welcome
2. Consider joining the club while you are there – we need your support.
Happy New Year Woodys 🙂
UPDATE – Dinner was very good. Scallops & Salad and the kiwi classic- fish & chips
Todays woody story is on the launch – Romany Rye that sank in late June 1936, near the launch jetty in Lyttelton. A diver located the boat in 30’ of water and successfully placed slings under her. The Harbour Board’s pile driver was then used to lift Romany Rye to the surface.
Can anyone enlighten us more on the vessel and whether she survived.
(Photo ex fb, ex Stuff, ex The Press and probably ex Paperspast – via K Ricketts)
STOCK LEVELS GETTING LOW ON WW MERCH – already o/s of some sizes. If you are thinking about treating yourself this xmas -order soooooooon.
The photo above comes to us from Papers Past > NZ Herald 5 March, 1928 and show the 35’ launch – Ika after she had been salvaged and towed into Whangarei Harbour.
The launch had set out from Auckland on a fishing trip but her (near new) 15hp engine broke down near Tiritiri Island and she started to drift off shore. The weather on Tuesday 27 February 1928 saw her drift approx 50 miles and in addition she was taking on water. The crew of 3 put a mayday call out and the R.M.S. Niagara located Ika near the Hen & Chicken Islands. Her owner/crew made the difficult decision to abandon ship and Ika was left to drift with the expectation she would sink.
While the crew were steaming to Sydney aboard Niagara, the vessel Eva put out to salvage Ika and towed her to Whangarei.
Question of the day is – who designed / built Ika and what became of her
(Photo sent in by K Ricketts)
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SOORY FOR LATE POSTING OF YESTERDAYS STORY – I SET THE CLOCK TO PM INSTEAD OF AM
Cake Day Entries – It Did Not Win But The Chocolate Cake Was The Best
PATIO BAY CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT WEEKEND – 2023
Todays story wasn’t meant to happen, the 2023 Patio Bay Weekend was not on the radar but several woody skippers told me late in the week that they were going so I shuffled the plans around.
Saturday mornings weather and sea state was average but sometimes you just have to make the call and head out. I was also suffering from serious cabin fever, so little boating in the last year.
As the day unfolded the weather improved but from the fireside chat post race, the classic yachts racing down did not have a pleasant trip.
CYA numbers were down significantly from previous years , in fact I was the only launch in the bay.
The venue hosts, the Mahoney family, ensured a great time was had by all, with the emphasis on an old-school / retro boating gathering e.g. open fire / bbq, Pohutukawa and driftwood smoke and the legendary barrel of rum……….. on that subject most were amused when the yacht “Prize” won her division – part of the winning is having to re-fill the rum barrel the following year – I was told Prize’s skipper historically has gone to great lengths to sidestep the expensive.
The assorted collection of photos above is simply to give you a glimpse of the weekend, and showcase the magic of Aucklands woody fleet and Patio Bay. Enjoy (passage photos B15 Frances & dark hulled yacht ex Dennis & Sue Rule) – (some photos below average in definition – long lens the camera).
Xmas Boat Reading – 10+ years ago I asked at my local 2nd hand book store, about an out of print copy of a book titled “Hemingway’s Boat’ by Paul Hendrickson – out of the blue last week I got a call telling me one had turned up – I started to read over the weekend and after just 10 pages put it down, just a gem, to be saved for the summer xmas /ny trip. Best $15 I have spent. If you see one for sale, grab it.
Todays woody story is a deep dive back to 1927 and concerns the mystery surrounding the reported loss of the 33’ game fishing launch Speedwell.
In the photo above ex Papers Past, ex Lew Redwood via by K Ricketts, we see a 215lb swordfish across the stern of Speedwell. The fish was landed by a Mrs. Dunville listing from Ireland. Some sniffing around in Parers Past told us that the photo was dated 11 Feb 1926. The photo was used to highlight the plight of the launch after it went missing on a passage from Auckland to Russell in the Bay of Islands. The launch owner / skipper – Mr. Edwin Walker departed Auckland on 26 September and was last seen off Leigh, Warkworth by a local fisherman..The NZ Herald covered the unsuccessful search and also reported on the discovery in June 1937 of a hull washed in the Whananaki Inlet area.
Below are press clippings of the event.
Can anyone tell us the design / builder of Speedwell. I’m assuming no more information / finding surfaced on the vessel.
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