Category Archives: Events

Maristella

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 27-08-2019. Maristella

The above launch is seen here in the flotilla of pleasure craft welcoming the SS Gothic into Auckland in 1953.

As mentioned previously SS Gothic had very special cargo aboard – the Queen.
Can anyone ID the launch? Its been ID’ed as the 1936, Sam Ford built – Maristella. Details at the WW link below

WCW Riverhead2019

Click Link to RSVP https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/08/08/how-often-do-you-use-your-classic-boat/

Edelweiss – Sailing Sunday

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EDELWEISS – Sailing Sunday
 
Edelweiss was a triple skin kauri sloop designed and built at home by ‘Minkie’ Goodman – a foreman at Chas. Bailey and Son. She was built for, and sailed in, the 1956 Suva raced which was won by Tom Buchanan’s Wanderer. Edelweiss was 3rd. Her dimensions are LOA 33’, LOW 29’, Beam 8’6”, and a draught of 6’3”.
Under Goodman’s ownership she had no motor but when he sold it to Kay Perry she had a temperamental Ford 10 100E fitted. She had no head  at the time the late Sam Bestall bought her in 1963.
John Newsham, who sent in the details commented that he joined her in Aug 1963 aged 21 and sailed with Sam till 1971. John soon became senior hand and later relieving skipper as well. Bestall owned Edwlweiss for approx. 6 years. After a major refit she was sold to Tauranga and Bestall bought the 39’ ferro Stewart sloop Wendella from it’s builder Claude Spooner.    
During Bestall’s ownership he had a head fitted and later a Simpson Lawrence (UK) gas cooker with oven installed and a Volvo Penta MD2 diesel. 
John commented that they went away for a weekend cruise almost every weekend between Labour Day and Easter and often had a week at the Barrier in March and the Xmas cruises were ‘legendary’.
Sam later had the 40’ Choy Lee ketch Sarrie built in Taiwan and he sailed this with new his wife and her 3 children from Taiwan to the Red Sea and later from the UK to NZ via the Panama Canal.
(Photo credit – top photo ex Playdate magazine (Kerridge Odeon) and smaller photo ex Northland Gazette) 
Input fro Robin Elliott –Edelwiess was built/launched in 1956 by Guy Goodman as you know. She was originally registered as C-10 and took part in the 1956 Auckland to Suva Race

She was re-registered as F 21 in 1958 to Mrs K.E. Perry.
Subsequent owners were: N.S. Murch (Taupo) 1961+?; S.S. Bestall 1963/69+?; S.R. Clay (Te Puke) 1970?/71+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1981); No registered owners after that date

She was issued with NZYF number 721 in 1969

Dims were
33’5″x27’2″x8’6″x6’1″ 290sqft 2.5ton 6cwt 1958
33.37’x28.88’x3/37’x5.26′ 264.6sqft Ford 10 1961

SS Aug 1963: Entered Onerahi YC’s Whangarei – Noumea Race.
SS Apr 1964: Entered for Onerahi YC’s Whangarei to Noumea race.
SS May 1970: Edelweiss has joined the Tauranga fleet.
SS Dec 1979: Once owned by Mike Morrish

RAYC: Wood Memorial 1959 (=windward); Moon Pearce Cup 1960; Amuri cup 1961

Harold has already posted that she was last heard of in Brisbane but from the look of the raw data on the Australian Maritime Safety authority, August 2020. She is now in Townsville.

A call to the Townsville Yacht Club or marina might bring forth the name of the current owner.

https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/ship-registration/list-registered-ships/edelweiss
EDELWEISS 852328 10.16 1955 Yacht Townsville General Register

WCW Riverhead2019
 

Meola – A Peek Down Below

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Meloa – A Peek Down Below

I was sent a link to the amazing collection of photos above of the 1961 Miller & Tunnage  ex work boat Meola by woody Peter Mence. Owner Iain Forsythe  has had Meola for 4+ years and in this time he has used his eye & hand skills to turn her into one of the saltiest boats in our woody fleet. Check out the link below for more photos and detail

Meola

Input for Harold Kidd – Her first skipper was Charlie Miillett who served his time as a boatbuider with Chas Bailey & Sons, went to Tauranga boatbuilding and became a top skipper in the game-fishing fleet there.

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IMPORTANT MESSAGE

And if you were off the radar yesterday – scroll down to view yesterdays story on how classic launch owners can enjoy their pride and joy more or be lazy & just click this link below 🙂

How Often Do You Use Your Classic Boat

How Often Do You Use Your Classic Boat

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Want To Use Your Boat More?
There is a recurring comment I hear constantly and thats “I just don’t use my boat enough”. Over the last few years the opportunities for classic launch owners to get out and about on the water and share the fun, friendship and fraternity that comes with owning a classic wooden boat have declined.
A group of passionate woodys have decided to address this situation and today I can advise that we have put together 4 classic launch events prior to the end the year – these events will be under the handle of – Woody Classics Weekend.
One of my eye openers when setting up the waitematawoodys website was the high % of woody owners that are not Classic Yacht Association members e.g. only 16% of the vessels featured on WW are on the CYA boat register. So in the interests of being all-inclusive, participation in the Woody Classics Weekend events is open to anyone and everyone, you don’t even have to own a boat – only one condition – you must have a passion for wooden boats.
The events will include a Riverhead Pub cruise, a waterfront (with private jetty access) picnic and a beachside BBQ on Waiheke Island. Details to be confirmed but put the first two dates below into your diary. I can confirm today that the first Woody Classics Weekend is a Spring Cruise to the Riverhead Hotel on Sunday 8th September. More details closer to the event.
Woody Classics Weekend 2019 Events
• September – 8th
• October – 20th
• November – date tba
• December – date tba
So people, this is a call out for your support and attendance at these events – if we are going to continue to attract people to the wooden boating movement, owning a woody has to be appealing to both individual owners and their families. In the long run – successful, fun events helps all of us i.e. more people equals more demand for classic wooden boats > equals better resale values 🙂
Next step – RSVP for the September Riverhead Pub Woody Classics Weekend to Barbara Cooke – link below
All we need is your name, boat name and if you know it, approximate numbers attending.
Yours truely – Alan Houghton (Raindance), Barbara & David Cooke (Trinidad), Jason Prew (My Girl), Nathan Herbert (Pacific) and Sue & Mark Edmonds (Monterey)
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 dbcooke@outlook.co.nz

Kumi

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KUMI
The 1905 Bailey & Lowe 40′ launch Kumi has appeared numerous times on WW but Nathan Herbert was recently poking around in the Auckland Library Heritage Collection section and came across the above photos attributed to Mr. and Mrs. MF Russ. National Publicity Studios; Riethmaier. Nathan asked me if I supported his belief that the boat featured was Kumi. A quick search in my WW files popped up an email (repeated at the bottom of this story) that Kumi’s owner Haydon Afford sent me back in August 2014, that made a reference to Kumi being used as a cray fish boat between 1955 and 1975 in Whangaroa, Northland, by a Mr Russ – so jack pot – its Kumi. Catch out the size of those cray fish.
Now if you know Haydon you would have to be surprised that he had communicated with me via email – in fact he told me I was the first person he had sent an email to 🙂 Haydon is a wonderful man, they broke the mould after he entered this world. Back in the summer of 2012 > 2013 Haydon undertook a 3 month circumnavigation of New Zealand in Kumi. This achievement was acknowledged in late 2013 by the NZ Classic Yacht Association awarding Haydon the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award In Seamanship’. Below is a photo of Haydon accepting the award along with his father. A group of woodys motored out to welcome Haydon back into Auckland Harbour after the circumnavigation – he celebrated with a pint of ice cold beer.
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Haydon shared his story of the trip with CYA members at a special evening at the RNZYS and it was pure gold, good old school story telling at its best. Unfortunately no-one recorded it but prior to the evening I twisted Haydon’s (writing) arm to tell me about the trip, I typed this up and you can read it at the WW link below
HISTORY OF KUMI / ELIZA
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CLASSIC YACHT ASSOCIATION NEEDS A NEW LAUNCH CAPTAIN

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ATTENTION CYA LAUNCH OWNERS  – THE CLASSIC YACHT ASSOCIATION NEEDS A NEW LAUNCH CAPTAIN

THIS IS AN URGENT CALL TO ALL CYA LAUNCH OWNERS TO CONSIDER STANDING FOR THE POSITION OF LAUNCH CAPTAIN FOR THE 2019 / 2020 SEASON
For all sorts of reasons over the last few years the Launch owners interests have been a tad in the shadows, so someone needs to step up and carry the torch for the Launch group on the CYA General Committee.
I did it for 4+ years and enjoyed the camaraderie and friendship the role generates.
The pay is terrible but I’ll give you a waitematawoodys shirt and cap 🙂
Nominations close next Tuesday (30th) at 5pm – see link below to download the nomination form. If I know you and your a good bugger 🙂 , I’ll even nominate you 😉
NOTE: this is a private message to waitematawoodys readers and has no link or endorsement by the NZ Classic Yacht Association Inc.
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JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES

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JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES

Over the last week each day we have been featuring video footage of John Street’s recent speaking engagement that supported the exhibition – ‘One Man’s Treasures’ at the New Zealand Maritime Museum, MC’ed by Larry Paul. For the overseas readers, John Street was at the helm for over half a century of Auckland’s historic ship chandlery – Fosters. Such was John’s influence on the New Zealand boating and marine scene, that the late Sir Peter Blake tagged John the ‘Waterfront Mafia’. These days John has a mighty passion for preserving New Zealand’s maritime heritage. Videos’ enhanced & edited by Andrew Christie.

There are 6 videos in the series:

  1. Fosters The Beginning
  2. History of The Breeze
  3. The schooner Daring + TV1 documentary
  4. 2012 Americas Cup
  5. The steam crane ship Rapaki
  6. Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata Harbour

Today I have pulled them all together in one place for ease of finding them in the future and to highlight the series for anyone that missed a day. Enjoy 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naomi (Huria > Vanora) + John Street taking about the steam crane Rapaki

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NAOMI – Huria > Vanora

One of WW spotters, Shane  Anderson was driving thru Whangateau this week and spotted a woody parked up on a yard in the middle of a major restoration.
Turns out the 45’ launch is named Naomi (see interior carving photo) – the boatbuilder – Josh, working on her believes there may have been a name change in the past, but if so, a long time ago – the skylights have Naomi sandblasted on them. There is talk of her possibly being a Logan and even originally steam powered. Also talk of a 1897 build date. Her name board records her builder as Chas. Bailey. Investigation shows the existence of 3 sets of engine beds.
There also appears to be old repairs to both sides of the boat.
Her current owner has had her for 20 years, kept in dry storage in West Auckland.
A suggestion – in a previous WW story (link below) on a launch named Naomi III, Harold Kidd spoke of the original Naomi (I) being built in March 1902 and Naomi II in November 1902, both by Chas. Bailey Jnr and both for M.A. Jenny of Nelson. Could the above launch be one of these boats?
Input from Harold Kidd – The story is unbelievably complex; the NAOMI bit is the result of an assumption on someone’s part, many years ago, that any launch owned by M A Jenny of Nelson and Auckland was a NAOMI. This launch seems to have started life as the oil launch HURIA (twin 2 cylinder Daimler petrol engines) built by Logan Bros in January 1899 for Capt Mercer of Nelson as a trader, bought by Jenny in 1905, fitted with a 30hp Gardner in Wellington and rechristened VANORA. In 1907 Jenny sold her to Lindsay Cooke of Auckland who got Chas Bailey Jr to refit her for cruising. She took part in the 1908 RNZYS Rudder Cup race around Sail Rock.
Need several pages more to bring her up to date.
In summary, the current name and builder carved into her is bs.

JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES – Part 5

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Every day this week WW we are featuring a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The language is a tad ‘blue’ in places, but thats how John rolls 🙂 NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie. 
PART Five – The Steam Crane Rapaki (turn your sound up)
UPCOMING VIDEOS
MONDAY–         Fosters The Beginning
TUESDAY–        History of The Breeze
WEDNESDAY– The schooner Daring
THURSDAY–     Amercias Cup
FRIDAY –            The steam crane ship Rapaki
SATURDAY–      Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata
 

John Street – One Man’s Treasures Video Series – Part 3

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JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES VIDEO SERIES – Part 3

Every day this week we are featuring a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. NOTE VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie.

Today John talks on rescuing the schooner Daring – a hugely significant piece of New Zealand’s maritime history that lay buried for 153 years on Muriwai Beach, West Auckland, until shifting sands revealed the wreckage. The 2ndvideo is from last weeks TV1 ‘Sunday Programme’

Scroll up to view videos one & two.

PART THREE – The schooner Daring 

UPCOMING VIDEOS

MONDAY –        The history of Fosters

TUESDAY–        History of The Breeze

WEDNESDAY–  The schooner Daring

THURSDAY–     America’s Cup

FRIDAY –           The steam crane ship Rapaki

SATURDAY–      Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata

 

 

 

Petrel + John Street – One Man’s Treasures – Video Series – Part 2

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PETREL
The photo above comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb page and started life as a postcard (from Lew’s collection).
We know from a comment of Harold Kidd’s that Petrel was built by Bailey & Lowe in Jan 1903 for Cecil Ley.
The caption on the photo tags the location as Herne Bay, Auckland. HDK also commented that review the photo that the launch would have been near new at the time of the photo.
Can anyone tell us what became of the launch?

JOHN STREET – ONE MAN’S TREASURES – VIDEO SERIES – Part Two

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Every day this week WW will feature a video filmed at John’s recent speaking engagement at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The language is a tad ‘blue’ in places, but thats how John rolls 🙂 NOTE: VIDEO IS COPYRIGHT DO NOT DOWNLOAD WITHOUT PERMISSION. Videos edited & enhanced with the help of Andrew Christie 
PART TWO – The History of the Breeze  (turn your sound up)
UPCOMING VIDEO’S
MONDAY–         Fosters The Beginning
TUESDAY–        History of The Breeze
WEDNESDAY– The schooner Daring
THURSDAY–     Amercias Cup
FRIDAY –            The steam crane ship Rapaki
SATURDAY–      Tug Boat Racing on the Waitemata
UPDATE: Stunning photo below of the Breeze running down the inside of Roberton Island 2014 – taken by Dean Wright
The Breeze 2014