Category Archives: Events

MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH AGROUND -C.1960

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MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH AGROUND – c.1960

During the week the story on MARISTELLA and her several episodes of touch hydrography prompted Gavin Pascoe to send in the photo above of an unidentified launch run aground on Pukerua Bay rocks in the Wellington region. There are some impressive rollers coming in so I’d be surprised if she was re-floated.

The photo caption had a date of c.1960’s on it and the comment that the photograph was taken for the Evening Post newspaper of Wellington by an unidentified staff photograph. The origin is c/o the National Library collection.

Anyone able tout a name to the launch.


WESTHAVEN COMPETITION – Dockside chat tells me the waterfront marine community are running a sweepstake on when the classic yacht CAPLIN will leave its new berth and venture out on the Waitemata Harbour. One old salt commented that maybe its new prime position was viewed by her new owner as an ornate gift to the neighbourhood…………….. 😉

UPDATE 11-07-2024 – I can confirm Caplin has ventured out 🙂

NOMAD – On Fire at Mapua – Nelson

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NOMAD – On Fire at Mapua – Nelson

Sad to see the above photos of the yacht NOMAD – thanks to my spy in the south John Burland for reminding me the identity of the yacht and its previous appearance on WW back in 2019, link here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/01/27/nomad-auckland-anniversary-day-regatta-details/ , lots of details on her past life .

Thanks also to input from Gavin Pascoe we learnt that the 22’6” NOMAD was built in 1914 by Edwin Bailey in Wellington.

Hopefully she wasn’t too baby damaged and can be repaired. 

(Photos supplied by John Dawson via the Mapua Community Group ex Angelika Gebhard)

UPDATE 21-06-2024 ex TOM FAHEY – “Hi I was gobsmacked yesterday to read about Nomad on fire in Nelson very sad. My Dad owned Nomad from about 1970 to circa 1995 l am 71 now and the dates are rough. I would have been 15 or 16 when my brother and i would go down to the boat sheds in Evan’s bay with dad. There we would crawl all over Nomad and talk to all the old salts from the other sheds while dad helped a man called Jock Arthur refasten the little ship. Jock worked with Dad at McEwans Machinery in Wellington and he was a builder (not a boat builder). Hard to remember timing but Jock got cancer not long after relaunching and offered the boat to Dad. Dad have admired Nomad since he was 15 or so him self, as she lived in the Hutt river mouth with some others and some small fishing boats and of course boat sheds. We used to put her on the slip there until we got the lowery bay yacht club up and running. Prior to Jock getting Nomad and old guy who had her would cross Cook straight in the most appalling weather but I can assure you that half as wide as she was long she was like a cork. We would have crossed the straight may be 25 times but as my brother and got a bit older Nomad seemed to get slower 😜. We had amazing holidays in The sounds mainly in Ruakākā Bay, for many years. Nomad never had a thing out of place or a paint chip all that time she was all ways in show room condition. Three quarters of her way through life with us I remember helping re-engine her . Pretty sure we took out a Navigator petrol and replaced it with a Nissan diesel that made my Dad real happy. When our parents retired to Picton Nomad went with them and lived out side their unit in the Picton marina. Their unit was a footpath width from the water what a spot up in under the coathanger. Finally the day came to let her go as looking after her was a tough job. It was not to long after that when my bro and I caught up with Nomad we could see the love was no longer as before. I do hope a rebuild happens but you would be a special person/ team to take it from here.
We still have the big wooden boat hook with a bronze fitting all in as new restored condition I did it for Pip a couple of years ago for his launch in Whaitanga, it was so good it never got on the boat it is hanging in is garage. May be they could be reunited if she ever gets restored.

Tom,bro, John(pip) John David (dad)”

The Adoration Of Wooden Boats

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AWBF – HOBART 2023

The Adoration Of Wooden Boats

One of the many wooden bating channels that I follow is {the} Southern Woodenboat Sailing news-blog out of Australian, their tag line is ‘The News, Culture and Practice of Sailing Woodenboats in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific’ . Its very good check it out and subscribe. In this weeks communiqué one of the stories was a link to a 45min interview on the ABC Radio Sydney’s nightlife program, hosted by Philip Clark – the stations intro blurb was – ‘We are a land bound by sea, and boats are an integral part of Australia’s history. Wooden boats especially have something magical about them. They flex, they groan, they creak. They each have unique characters. Philip Clark on Nightlife is joined by a panel of wooden boat specialists. Steve Robson, a self-confessed timber tragic from Sydney. Peter Higgs, President of the Wooden Boat Guild of Tasmania and Greg Blunt, a shipwright and fifth generation boat builder from Williamstown, each with wooden boats in their veins.‘

Click the link below to listen to the interview – so many similarities to the NZ scene, a lot of the discussion focussed on the dwindling wooden boat building timber stocks, being Australia its Huon Pine, they do make reference to out mighty Kauri.

Three comments that made my ears prick up: 1. The key tip for looking after these old girls is – usage and maintenance was use it and often e.g. one > two weeks

2. In Australia fractional ownership eg a group of people forming a syndicate to buy, maintain and use  vessel is well established. In NZ I only know of 2>3 successful ownership syndicates. While there are numerous ‘charitable’ (I use the word loosely) trusts that own and maintenance classic yachts, seems NZ is slow out of the gates with fractional ownership groups – food for thought.

3. One of the panel was asked to give an estimate to build a clinker dinghy out of Huon Pine – answer for a 10’ one AUS$30>40,000………..CLICK LINK BELOW TO ABC RADIO 

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/nightlife/the-adoration-of-wooden-boats/103743090?utm_campaign=abc_listen&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_listen

CICELY II

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Melody

CICELY II

Todays woody photo popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb earlier in the week and Harold Kidd commented that she was correctly named CICELY II and was built / launched in 1949 for the Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands. 

We can assume she never made it back to NZ, hopefully still afloat but most craft that headed to the islands came to a sticky end. Do we known her status.

What caught my eye was the hull profile so close to the 1/2 model built by Graeme Lidgard and his son Andrew that featured in Thursdays WW story on the Lidgard launch – MELODY.

Woody Fathers & Grandads

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Woody Fathers & Grandads

Be an instant hero and take the kids out for a day trip – this weekend the Matakana School are hosting the – Matakana Model Boat Show. Over 200 boats static and afloat + races.  And if there are no siblings around, even better – more time to enjoy it. See flyer below for full details.

If you go Saturday – take in the Matakana Market, I was there last weekend – great food, produce & coffee. Opens at 8am. And the new express way makes the trip a doddle 🙂

Special thanks to Mark Lever (MV Nereides) for the heads up + photos

LAUNCH DAY MYSTERY – MANAIA

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LAUNCH DAY MYSTERY – MANAIA

Another photo sent in by John Dawson – to some of the WW workboat group the answer to ’Name the boat’ is probably very easy. Not for me however – things that help –

• 1st three letters of the name are  – MAN

• home port is shown as Whangarei

• lack of varnish suggests a workboat

• style suggests pilot boat• funnel may have the letters WHB on it > Whangarei Harbour Board

So what say the workboat brains trust

UPDATE – Thanks to several woodys we have confirmation that the vessel is Manaia – Designed by AJ Collings and built at the P. Los yard in 1963, for the Northland Harbour Board as a toilet boat.  LOTS of photos and detail in the links below https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/26/manaia/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/05/manaia-a-peek-down-below/


KAWAU ISLAND – The Hauraki Gulf Woody Mecca

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KAWAU ISLAND – The Hauraki Gulf Woody Mecca

Recently I was sent the above photos the trial goes like this – sent in by Ken Fyfe via Ruth Thomson from Jim Tatterfield.

The top one is tagged Squadron Weekend and the 2nd one Lady Gay, but I can not spot LG in the photo – both photos are ‘located’ at Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island.

Rather a lot of familiar woodys gathered in those photos.

Below the top photo is another from Jim Tatterfield of Little Jim (A16) in full flight. A looker when launched and still is today. The bottom photo of LJ is ex Mahurangi Regatta a couple of years ago.

Harold Kidd – ‘Yachts and the Waitemata’ – Parts 3>6

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Following on from yesterday today we have PARTS #3/4/5 /6 – Recorded ‘live’ last Thursday evening at the Devonport Yacht Club- we have Harold Kidd speaking on the topic – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods.Apologise – Part #4 – 1945>65 is missing due to an editing error.

PART #3 – 1920 > 1945, Post war boom and bust, and boom again. • The rise of the one design and restricted centre board classes and their competitions • Launch building extended • Keel yacht building boom in the 1930s • The effect of WW2

PART 3

PART #4 (Missing) 1945 > 1965, post war boom again, new materials • Boom in keel yacht construction and offshore cruising • New materials arriving. • Designers take advantage of new materials • International contests

PART # 5 1965 to date • Increasing sophistication in design and use of materials• International racing success • Americas Cup • New Zealand at forefront of world yacht design and construction

PART 5

PART #6 Question time

PART 6

Harold Kidd – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata’ – Part Two

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PART TWO – A
PART TWO -B

Following on from yesterday, today we have PART #2 – Increasing sophistication, 1870 > 1900, Yacht Clubs & Regattas :-

• The first yacht clubs • Competition in the yacht building industry • Use of kauri and diagonal construction • The rise of the mullet boat as a type • Open sail boats • Exports of yachts • Volunteers • The rise of yacht clubs and the proliferation of regattas • Patikis

Recorded ‘live’ last Thursday evening at the Devonport Yacht Club- we have Harold Kidd speaking on the topic – ‘Yachts & the Waitemata, HDK broke the talk into several time periods.The filming was a last minute idea so the quality is a little average and on the night there were a few technical issue with the sound, I have edited the best I can.

NOTE: The slides on screen were always going to be average in terms of reproduction so I focussed on the man (HDK) and his narrative. Turn up your sound and enjoy (approx. 40 minutes)

Make sure you check out WW tomorrow for part #3

CLASSIC WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN 

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CLASSIC WOODY CRUISE TO RIVERHEAD TAVERN 

Saturdays cruise up the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour to the historic Riverhead Tavern was a day of two halves  – the journey there and back was a tad annoying with strong SW’s coming across from the western suburbs (check out below the video below that Ant Smit sent me from aboard – Waikaro) but once into the creek it was a very enjoyable day. Lots of new faces and lots of support for WW, with the number WW shirts and burgess on display.

A couple of serious efforts by woodys to make the trip – John Lord (MV Tangaroa) came up from Wellington and was my quest on Raindance and Peter Jones and Diana (MV Kaikoura) who cruised down from Whangarei. And also a great turnout from the boat less that came by road.

Special thanks to the ferry skippers for being very accomodating re wharf berthing.

The thinking caps have been put on re another gathering before winter sets in – initial thoughts are a Clevedon River Cruise and / or a Gulf Island Raid that finishes with a beach bbq – back soon.

I finished the weekend with a WW coffee from the Devonport Deli, thank you Sunil (barista) 🙂