Category Archives: Events

Micheline

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MICHELINE

In the above photos we see the launch Micheline – while both photos appear to be on the same day, they are tagged March 1967 and 1965 – obviously a typo. The photos come to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.

Given that on Micheline’s stern she has her port as Tauranga, there is something strange going on – in the top photo she has either just come out of the shed or been hauled out. In the second photo she is being positioned onto a transporter. Maybe its as simple as going somewhere land based to have engine/s installed.

Can we ID the location and learn what became of Micheline.

UPDATE – Location is Hutcheson Boat Builders yard/slip by the Tauranga Harbour Bridge – opposite the Bridge Marina.

05-10-2023 INPUT ex Dean Wright – Waimarie II, renamed Kiwi Cruiser, hit Tapeka one night in 2000 and was a total loss. This article says built by O&G in 1967 https://issuu.com/sunmedia/docs/wl1102/23

WW link to Waimarie II story https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/12/waimarie-ii/

(Photo below ex Ken Ricketts)

RSVP TO – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL

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R Tucker Thompson

WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL

Today I wanted give you a heads up about an upcoming woody event – the 2023 Whangarei Maritime Festival , October 14>15th, at the Town Basin.

The venue is already a very cool destination for anything maritime based, but over the weekend it will buzz with non stop activities – 30+ boats on display, free boat rides, food and entertainment, trade displays, talks and movies, arts and crafts market. Check out the Festival Sound programme below + the link to the festival website.

https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz

Check out a previous WW story on the venue https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/27/wooden-boats-whangarei-town-basin/

Saturday is a big day for NZ – hopefully the nation awakes up and heads off to a polling booth. Depending on the result I’ll be at the festival on Sunday, if the worst happens on Saturday night, probably best I’m not behind the wheel of a vehicle – I’ll be investigating setting up bryonbaywoodys 🙂

FESTIVAL SOUND PROGRAMME

Downloadable Event Booklet Below

updated-promo-bookletDownload

WHANGAREI FLASH BACK

The photo below has appeared many times on various social media sites, but this is the best reproduction I have seen – comes to us ex Dean Wright via the Tauranga Library collection.

How Do I Stop The Roll

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HOW DO I STOP THE ROLL
Well woodys you can’t – all boats roll but you can minimise it – read on.

I was recently included in an email exchange where a classic launch owner was asking Chris McMullen why they should replace the mast (rot issue) on their launch given that there was no plan to make use of a sail. Chris shared with us both a copy of a 1909 extract titled ‘Ballasting of Motor Boats’ from an article by Charles G Davis in the book – ‘Motor Boat Handbook vol. 1’. The article provides all the information required for displacement launches. If the above images are too hard to read – below are links to downloading the articles.

ballasting-of-motor-boats1Download
ballasting-of-motor-boats-2Download

WOODY + VINTAGE MOTORBIKE STILLWATER WATERFRONT PICNIC – OCT 7TH – RSVP NOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com

VICTORIA CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL – Vancouver – Dockside Tour 

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VICTORIA CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL – Vancouver – Dockside Tour 

Last week we had a story about Peter Knowles and his travel to the Victoria Wooden Boat Festival vis his v-blog ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. Peter very briefly showed us some of the craft arriving – today we get a dock-side wander, complete with captions for the classic woodys.

I hope the people at Auckland’s maritime museum see this video – re their upcoming Auckland wooden boat festival next year. The stand out observation is the mix of yachts + launches + work boats + small craft – it is all mixed in together and thats what works all around the world – not rocket science……………..

INPUT ex Neil Chalmers – Great video , at 2 56 there is the NZ yacht ‘Two Sisters’ (was sail no. F3) . Has a Woollacott look about her. I often wondered where she got to .

A picture of her at Bon Accord Kawau appears in the ‘Cruising in NZ Waters’  by GR Paul (below). This was the go to book in the 1960’s before to the RAYC Cruising Guide was published.

REMEMBER BOAT BOAT SALE 11am SATURDAY @ MILFORD SLIPWAY – 5 OMANA ROAD, MILFORD $BRING CASH$ WW MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

WEKA  – Anyone Know More About The Boat

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WEKA  – Anyone Know More About The Boat

Recently contacted by Trish James who has just purchased classic 13’ motor boat – Weka. Trish commented that Weka’s previous owners used her around the river estuaries south of Dunedin for awhile but she hasn’t been used for the last five years, but she was kept under cover. The only intel on her past life is that her she was built in Taupo around the 1950’s.

Trish is hoping one of the WW readers can shed some light on Weka’s past, possibly a name change at some stage.
When in the water her forward motion is via a Vire 7 hp engine, helped out by a small outboard motor. Her new home is at Trish’s Roxburgh home in Central Otago.

REMEMBER SATURDAYS BOAT BOOT SALE – Even if your not a buyer, pop down for a catch-up/chat. Kicks off at 11am. And if you are a buyer – bring cash $$$

VICTORIA CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Video

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VICTORIA CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL – Video

For several years I have been ‘following’ on-line a YouTube weblog named ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. The Chanel is hosted by a gent named Peter Knowles and Peter has been recording the restoration of 3 classic wooden cruisers, plus we get to go/see his annual cruises in and around the Vancouver, British Columba, Canada area. Amazing location.

Earlier in the week Mark McLaughlin posted on WW a link to Peter’s latest story that includes a visit to the 2023 Victoria Classic Boat Festival – see above. Well worth checking out, lots of boat porn to view + I would encourage you to check out the past episodes of – ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. Link to more details on the site here https://www.youtube.com/@TravelsWithGeordie/about  Warning it can get slightly addictive 🙂 

Mystery Wellington Launch

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Mystery Wellington Launch

Woody John Wicks was recently visiting Wellington and tooth opportunity to do a spot of marina mooching at Chafers Marina.

One woody leapt out to the eye, hard not to when painted ‘Rescue Yellow’ 🙂 John was unable to sight a name, but dockside chat is that she may have come down from Auckland.

Given the colour – hopefully we can ID her and learn more about her.

Nathan Herbert Input – That’s the Rehutai, ex Arawa, Nomad, Irihapeti. Converted to this guise by Allan Williams in Milford

FREE TO THE RIGHT HOME– Have been recently contacted by a gent that has a pair of wooden game poles (5m high x .800m wide) that he will donate to someone that will use them – so no profiteers need apply 🙂

HELP SAVE ORAKEI HARDSTAND + Happy Fathers Day

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HELP SAVE ORAKEI HARDSTAND + Happy Fathers Day
Orakei Hardstand – We Need Your Support

The Auckland Council are seeking feedback on the changes at what was the Orakei Hardstand area. You will recall that the elected members on the Orakei Local Board controversially voted to scrap the hardstand and in their speak – adopt a transformation concept that would see the traditional hauling out of vessels for repairs and maintenance banned and the area converted to other use eg multi sport paddling centre , a park and other uses – BUT no haul out area.

So if you are worried about the demise of areas in Auckland to affordably haul out pleasure craft – please to do the following:
1. Click this link to open the on-line survey – note: there are only a few fields / questions (marked with an asterisk *) that require an answer. Also at the end they ask for a name – just make one up  🙂 and you do not have to enter our email address. SURVEY LINK  https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/thelanding2023?tool=survey_tool&tool_id=feedback-form#tool_tab
2. On the form – first question – tick ‘Do Not Support’
3. On the second page of the form, under the question –  ‘Do you support retention of a short stay haul out and hardstand facility for boat cleaning and/or anti-foul application?’ – please tick – ‘Strongly Support’

Many thanks for taking the time to help complete the form – hopefully we will get enough support for the Auckland Council to review / revise the situation. And what ever the outcome – come the next local election – vote out the dullards who voted to scrap the bailout facility, particularly the chairperson who ‘drove thru’ the outcome for no hardstand.

Here are – those that voted to close the haul out – Remember at election time

  • Scott Milne • Sarah Powrie • Margaret Joyce • Angus McPhee • Penny Tucker
RSVP to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Work Boat Wednesday – Seastar + Fathers Day Sorted

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Work Boat Wednesday – Seastar + Fathers Day Sorted

Todays woody photo comes to us from the Tauranga Museum collection via Dean Wright. The vessel on the slipway is Seastar, and her home port is shown as Gisborne. The photo is tagged May 1965 and that woodys is all we known. Fingers crossed that one of the Work-Boat group can help out with some details.

Sick Of Getting Socks For Fathers Day

This year grab the reins and tell the family what you really want. Today is the un-offical launch of the new waitematawoodys burgee – a long time in the making but I picked the first batch up yesterday. I’ll do a longer story on them later but the quick over view is – 100% canvas, printed 2 sides with the Waitemata Woodys logo using old-school screen printing methods = long lasting. Size is 40cm x 30cm. Sorry about the bad mast photo, no wind yesterday -:) See flyer below – Burgees are $40, caps $38. P&P is $7 – Buy both and WW will pay the P&P. Email orders to waitematawoodys@gmail.com with your address and we will send them off and let you know payment details etc.

The Boats of Major Bailey

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FLORAE > FLORAY > LEILANI
FLOLAINE > AWATEA – @ Te Atatu BC 2014
FLOLAINE > AWATEA – @ Thames 2016
CHRISTINE – 1970’S

The Boats of Major Bailey

Major (christian name, not a rank) Bailey built four launches that we are aware of – thanks to Ken Ricketts and Graeme Varcoe today we get to see them together, excluding the last built, those name is not recorded. 
The First built was – Florae / Floray (seems to have had an identity crisis over time) , later named Leilani and currently high and draw in a Thanes paddock.

Second was  – Flolaine, now named Awatea

Third was – Christine

Fourth – unknown – anyone able to help with details. Amusing (in hindsight) launch day story below ex KR.
The Launching And Near Sinking Of #4 Boat

KR commented that Major Bailey had some radical views on boat systems and fit out. With the fourth boat he developed a steering system which was or looked like half a petrol or oil drum encircling each propeller and turning right left which was supposed to direct the prop wash and steer the boat but when you turned the wheel absolutely nothing happened, as much of the prop thrust water just went out the back and the prop thrust was simply lost completely.

#4 had two 6 cyl. second hand Fords, very poorly home converted, and badly installed in the stern with detached vee drives, along other bits & pieces. All the underwater gear seemed to leak through the hull and added to almost sinking post launching, refer below.

KR commented that on launch day she almost sunk immediately on launching and would not steer. The yard would not lift her out again due to a dispute, so they steered her as best they could with the engines as quickly as they could downstream to Eastern Marina Services (Terry Burling). There they beached her on the ramp, to effect urgent matters to make her seaworthy and steerable. 

The boat had all sorts of unique bits about her all of which mostly designed by Major Bailey and mostly just did not work.

KR also commented that #3, Christine was very ugly, with the hull, all rough and showing all the planks & seams, and the flare was horrible with a slanting forward deck line at the bow. He was putting more & more radical & impractical ideas in the succession of his boats as they went on.

So woodys it appears and KR agrees that Leilani was the pick of the bunch 🙂 I wonder what became of the fourth build ………….