EASTERN STAR DOUBLE OOPS The photos above, dated 1961, from the Nelson Photo News (via Lew Redwood) show the Nelson based launch Eastern Star after she was re-floated following a double collision with a rock off Harding Point. The vessel, owned by V. McAuley at the time, hit the rock and was holed. The crew managed to beach the boat but during the salvage operations, she hit again and sank – remember folks this was in the days before GPS, but still – twice!
Sitting in 30’ of water a team of divers assisted in bringing her to the surface where a temporary patch was done to the bow. Eastern Star was then towed back to Nelson where she was slipped for what was described a ‘extensive repairs. The photos were taken by Mrs. McAuley.
Do we know what became of the vessel and any details on her?
In early 1961 Auckland hosted the British Medical Association conference, with attendees from all over the Commonwealth attending. Included in the conference was a ‘break’ day where the delegates and wives were taken on a picnic to Motuihe Island.
In the photo above we see the launches that were transporting everyone to the island, assembling off Westhaven. At the time it was one of the biggest organised gatherings of pleasure craft seen in New Zealand with over 66 laid on.The weather gods smiled on the day and Arnold Baldwin’s launch – Valsan was the convoy flagship.
There are a lot of woodys in the photo that still grace the Waitemata today. The photo and details come to us from the April 1961 Sea Spray magazine via Angus Rogers.
odays photo is dated 1921 and shows the Onerahi Wharf (Whangarei) Regatta. Quite a few launches at anchor and alongside the wharf. Anyone game to name them of some of them? (Photo ex Maurice Sharp fb)
NEED A COMMERCIAL DIVER
If you don’t, chances are at some stage you will – so put the name Simeon Hall – 020 401 35655 – in your address book. Simeon comes highly recommended by Mike Mahoney.
ROYAL FALCON RE-LAUNCHED We have followed the restoration / refit of Collette & Steve Pople’s 1934 Cox & Fimer built woody – Royal Falcon on WW and been blown away with the quality of the workmanship happening in the Leader Boatbuilders shed.
Today thanks to Mark McLaughlin taking his launch Mapuna for a run on Sunday we get to she Royal Falcon afloat again. Boat shed photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/05/31/royal-falcon-restoration-2021-update/ We understand all that is required is the final interior finishing, which we will update you on shortly.
LADY JANET / POCO LENTO NEEDS A NEW HOME – All Offers Considered
A quick heads up, Poco Lento (Lady Janet) has appeared on WW several times and is currently for sale, the vendors are retiring from boating and moving into a retirement village, so woodys as they say in the real estate game – make an offer, you may be surprised at the prize…………. See more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/08/07/poco-lento-lady-janet/ Contact via waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Todays video comes to us from Cecilia Viktoria Rosell and showcases a selection of woodys from the Canadian Classic Yacht Association Fleet berthed in Ladysmith, British Columbia.
As they appear, we have Loueda > Sannox > Euphemia > Falcon > Bianca.
Cecilia commented that the youngest member wasn’t the 7 month old kitten on Bianca as one might think, but rather the 8 week old baby onboard Loueda.
HAVE YOU RSVP’ed FOR THE WOODYS CLEVEDON OVERNIGHT BBQ CRUISE
The above photo ex Sea Spray magazine, via K Ricketts, shows the yacht Oranui ashore at Eastbourne, Wellington. She was washed ashore during a big storm. We know that Oranui was built in 1960 and owned by a Mr. Tomkies when she had the mishap It was reported that Oranui was not seriously damaged.
Do know what became of Oranui and where she is these days?
Back in 2016 Greg Lees and David Glen sent in a selection of photos from the Lake Rotoiti (Nelson Lakes, Sth Island) classic boat show, among them was the stunning 30’ replica bootlegger, named Baby Thunder.
All I know about her is her own lives in Wellington – can anyone tell us more about the boat? She is a piece of art – should be in someones living room 🙂
In 2019 I attended the show and took a couple of photos of her on her trailer.
Woodys Riverhead Tavern – Winter Cruise Yesterday was one of those days where the weather forecasters got it wrong -big time. Took the dog for an early morning waterfront walk between the showers and the ferries on the harbour were sounding their fog horns – fast forward 2 hours and the suns out, water glassy flat and we are going boating. Quick side trip to collect our quests – Margo & Jamie (MV Lady Crossley) from Westhaven and we are off.
A great turn out for mid-winter, saw 60+ woodys gathering at the historic waterside Riverhead Tavern for lunch – special thanks to those that came by car and helped with berthing the boats at the wharf. As always – click on photos to enlarge 😉
Nice to meet some new faces and if there was an award for most travelled attendee, woody Bruce Rowe on board – Ngarimu would be the winner. Bruce and his ‘decky’ mate – travelled from Thames to attend. The boys left Thames on Friday, stayed at bottom end of Waiheke, then off Stanly Point / Bayswater on Saturday night and will be heading home today. Talking to Bruce, Saturday night sounded heaven – tucked up in their warm bunks, rain on the cabin top, listening to the Auckland Blues rugby game, then the NZ v India cricket test – not a lot of sleep was had 🙂
We were also graced with the company of John and Diana Olsen on their steam boat – Dancer, The Olsen’s towed Dancer from Cambridge and launched her at the old Salthouse yard to make the trip up the creek.
Check out the Woodys Classic Weekends Event Calendar at the link below, for upcoming outings – our next one is an overnight BBQ cruise up the Clevedon River on the weekend of 14 > 15th August – a heads up – numbers will be restricted due to berthing / anchoring limits -so RSVP early.
PANDORA After all the shinny paint yesterday probably best to have a work-boat story today. The 48’ fishing boat – Pandora was built in the late 1960’s at the Alex Baxter Yard in Whangarei.. Her original owners were Brook and Winston Richards of Kaitaia, who had her built for commercial crawfishing. But she was set up so she could be converted to trawling within a few hours.The photo taken on launch day is dated Feb 1970 and is ex Photo News, and comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb. A comment there stated that Pandora was the best looking fishing boat built- big call, but she is a looker.
The news paper headline read – ‘$40,000 Boat Launched’ so she must have been out there in her day.
Do we know what became of Pandora?
Remember the Riverhead Tavern Woodys cruise today – lots arriving by car, so if you are put off by the weather – take the car for a spin 🙂 details below
Something different today a 4 minute black and white movie featuring mainly Russell in the Bay of Islands and some of the A Class fleets underway and racing. A cool flashback to that era. Their are two movies on the link – the boating one starts at 6 minutes, fast forward – Enjoy 🙂 (movie ex Archives NZ Weekly Review #390 – 1949)
WIN A WW CAP I’ll give a WW cap to the first woody than can correctly ID the launch alongside the Russell Wharf. Entries via email only to the address below and to make it fair NO entries before 8.30am. waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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