Category Archives: Events

SPEEDWELL – Vanishes At Sea

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SPEEDWELL – Vanishes At Sea

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.

NZ Herald 4 Oct 1927

Article above es NZ Herald 7 October 1927

NZ Herald June 1937

PETER JOHN + 2024 Classic Woody Event Dates

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PETER JOHN + 2024 Classic Woody Event Dates

Todays woody is the game fishing launch – Peter John and the photo is tagged – Paihi, Bay of Islands and comes to us from fb via K Reckitts.

And that is all we know – so fingers crossed one of the B.O.I readers will be able to throw some light on the boat and confirm the location.

LOTS OF CLASSIC BOATING ACTION IN THE NEW YEAR – CIRCLE THESE DATES ON THE CALENDAR – More Details Closer To The Events

• Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade (Nth Is.)  – 4 February 2024

• New Zealand Antique & Classic Boat Show (Sth Is.)    – 2 >3 March 2024

• Auckland Wooden Boat Show                                      – 1> 3 March 2024

As always the winner in terms of promotional poster is the NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show – always an amazing design 

QRLANDO + ORAKEI HARDSTAND UPDATE

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QRLANDO + ORAKEI HARDSTAND UPDATE

Todays woody is a wee bit of a mystery and comes to us from the William Tension collection > Auckland Library Heritage Collection > Lew Redwood fb.The photo is captained ‘motorboat and rowing dinghy moored in a creek. The motorboat is flying a pennant with the name Orlando’ The date listed.states 1920>1929.
Harold Kidd has commented that there was an Orlando in Dunedin c.1912/13
Are we able to learn more about Orlando and what became of her.


ORAKEI HARDSTAND UPDATE 

I received advice yesterday on feedback from the recent ‘public’ consultation process that the Orakei Local Board called for. These findings will be discussed / reviewed at the boards next meeting – this Thursday -16th Nov. address details below. The topic is #1 on the agenda and its a public meeting, so I encourage all interested people to attend – being the first item, you can depart after topic #1, I could not think of anything more boring than listening Scott Milne and his cronies for too long.

Interesting that Auckland Council’s marine biosecurity staff have recommended that the local board consider maintaining a limited area of facilities at the Landing for short stay cleaning and antifoul application. Staff from the Parks and Community Facilities Department also note the biosecurity benefits of a hardstand.

Clear public support for a hardstand at The Landing

Results of the Ōrākei Local Board public consultation on retention of the hardstand at Okahu Bay shows a clear majority (64%) support retention of a short stay haul out and hardstand facility for boat cleaning and/or anti-foul application.

So woodys will The Ōrākei Local Board give due regard to the public input they sought? Will they protect the Hardstand’s designation in the Marine Precinct specified in Auckland’s Unitary Plan?

The Orakei Local Board needs to receive the feedback generated by their public consultation on The Landing and revise their draft refresh plan to incorporate a hardstand facility.

MEETING LOCATION:  St Chads Church and community centre, 38 St Johns Rd Remuera, 3pm Thursday 16th Nov. 2023

Akaroa Classic Boat Show 2023 – Photo Bomb

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Akaroa Classic Boat Show 2023 – Photo Bomb

Todays photo gallery (bomb) is less than 24 hrs old, as mentioned earlier in the week Jason Prew is criss crossing the South Island scouting off-road tracks to justify to himself the cost of owning a Remuera Tractor 🙂

Yesterday Jason sent in the above gallery and tells me it was just a fluke he was in Akaroa on the right day – yeah right 😉

Enjoy the photos, as always click on photos to enlarge.

The Launching of Wynona

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c.1950’s

The Launching of Wynona

Todays story is on the launch – Wynona, in the top photo above ex fb via K Ricketts we see Wynona being launched at Ohinemutu on the shores of Lake Rotorua in the North Island of NZ.

From previous WW stories we have learnt (thanks Harold Kidd) that Wynona was built in 1948 by Sam Ford for the Rotorua Lake Service Ltd., who used her for tourist trips to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. The colour photo of her c.1950’s is from the front cover of a brochure promoting the trips.

A comment was recently made on WW that Wynona was being restored at Tarakohe marina, in Golden Bay – would love details / photos, so if this is a happening thing and someone knows the owner – I’ll reward a report with a WW burgee.

And remember to RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com for the Riverhead waterfront Tavern lunch cruise  – 0n Sunday November 19th

Defender At Speed

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DEFENDER (Scripps III)

The above photo of the launch Defender, previously named Scripps III, was taken by H Winkelmann and appears to have been ’torn’ out of a 1918 copy of NZ Yachtsman.

In a 2013 WW story Harold Kidd commented that Scripps III was pretty quick with her 4 cylinder Model K Scripps, bore 5.5″ and stroke 6″ = 475 cu ins =7.6 litres. It was a straightforward side-valve engine with twin ignition, producing vast gobs of torque. The above photo was tagged as saying on the day of the photo she nearly hit 17 knots.

Her specs were 35’ x 7’6” beam. At the time she was owned by a Mr. E. LeRoy.

Question of the day – can anyone ID the white hulled launch (race #94) in the background.

(Photo ex fb sent in by K Ricketts)

WW 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/15/how-did-they-keep-their-hats-on/

WW 2018 https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/04/20/scripps-iii-defender/

FLOATING BACH AWARDS

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FLOATING BACH AWARDS

Thanks to Lindsay Grenfell we have two new contestants for the boat that most resembles an apartment / bach. As Lindsay commented and I have to agree – “what were ya thinking and why?”

The good news is they dont reside in NZ, the photos were taken several years ago when Lindsay was staying at the Jamaica Bay Inn at Marina Del Rey, a 30min drive from LA Airport and out of the city.Lindsay commented that there was a marina adjacent and naturally (as we do and like to) he ventured off to view some of those berthed, it was a biggies, from memory – 5000 berths.   

LOOKING FOR A COOL DINGHY /RUNABOUT

Do not normally link to tme listings but this 11’ L,G. Coulthard dinghy is a honey and at current bids, a bargain https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/dinghies-rowboats/wood/listing/4391413624?bof=zXgwcdZX

BABY LU / WARATAH DNA CONFIRMED

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BABY LU / WARATAH DNA CONFIRMED

Recently there was some debate on a WW story (link below) regarding the DNA of a launch named Waratah. Now thanks to the above stunning photo sent in by Harold Kidd we can close the case – all 3 craft pictured in the WW story are the same boat (ttps://waitematawoodys.com/2023/10/20/baby-lu/

Normally I would have just added the new photo to the existing story, but its such a cool photo it deserves to stand alone – you have to love the attire of the gents onboard – collared shirt and necktie 🙂

TIME TO RSVP FOR THE WOODYS LUNCH CRUISE TO THE RIVERHEAD TAVERN – SUNDAY NOV 19th – rsvp to the email address below with boat name and approx crew numbers (if known) RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Tinopai

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TINOPAI

Back in Oct 2015 we ran a ‘mystery launch’ story – the boat was ID’s as Miss Picton (later named Mitre Peak) thanks to Harold Kidd we learnt that Miss Picton was built by Collings & Bell for a Captain M. Steele of Picton and was launched in December 1933.

Miss Picton was a replacement for Steele’s 45’ launch Tinopai that was also built by Collings & Bell and launched in November 1932, sadly Tinopai was destroyed by fire in Marlborough Sounds just on month after being launched.

Today thanks to a NZ Herald press clipping, sent in by K Ricketts we get to view the short-lived – Tinopai

Oct 2015 Miss Picton WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/28/mystery-launch-28-10-2015/

INPUT EX HAROLD KIDD – vastly better photo 🙂

Proof I’m A Nutter – suffering from post AB’s loss blues so Sunday afternoon was spent polishing the engine and upgrading the old engine box insulation 🙂

Baby Lu

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BABY LU

Earlier in the week Ken Ricketts sent in the above photo of the launch Baby Lu. The photo is ex the NZ Herald 12 October 1929 issue, and comes to us via fb.

The NZH story was highlighting the fact that the previous week, Baby Lu had been stolen from her Auckland mooring and was found abandoned several days later afloat off Bucklands Beach.

Back in March this year we ran a story around a mystery launch ist photo below, at the time Nathan Herbert commented that (with a few alterations) Baby Lu could have morphed into this launch. NH also pointed out the similarities to another craft – named Waratah, 2nd photo below) that has appeared on WW.

Now that we have a tagged Baby Lu photo – what to the brains trust think around the DNA of these craft.

MYSTERY LAUNCH 23-08-2023
WARATAH 16-03-2023

01-11-2023 UPDATE – Photo below of Baby Lu > Waeatah ex Harold Kidd

15-01-2024 UPDATE – photo below ex K Rickettsis probably Baby Lu (confirmed by Nathan Herbert)