Bonus Story Today – Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta – 2018 Tug Boat Race Video
The video below was taken by CYA member Brett Evans, lots of footage of Te Haurakei, but hang in there, there is footage of the ‘wall’ of tug boats behind Te Haurakei.
Enjoy 🙂
Lake Rotoiti 2018 Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – 240+ photos
Last weekend marked the 21st birthday of the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade.
The parade is one of the icon wooden boating events in New Zealand, with each year between 70 & 100+ classics on display. The LRC&WB Association are very active & hold many events thru-out the year, but the parade is the highlight. You would struggle to find a more inclusive, welcoming group of people that each year open the parade & picnic to anyone with a classic or woody boat – sail, power, big, small.
On the day we ‘enjoyed’ a mix of weather from fine > light drizzle > rain > fine, this didn’t stop everyone having a blast but taking photos was a challenge at times – a little bit of editing hopefully has help out 🙂 The photos of the ‘speed’ boats doing a demonstration run (health & safety red tape means it can not be called a race) were shot with a very long lens, so a little soft focus.
Post the picnic, several boats headed off to the Manupirua thermal pools, which are only accessible via boat. To an Auckland boaty the concept of pulling up at a jetty, tying up, & enjoying a soak in a hot thermal pool is rather special + its licensed, so one can enjoy a refreshing beverage, very civilised.
I would like to thank LRC&WB Association past commodore – Fraser Wilson, for the generous loan of his RIB, sure makes getting around & taking photos easy.
Each year my LRC&WBP experience is extended & 2018 saw Robyn & I hosted at Florence & Rod Prosser’s waterfront property. Berthed at Rod’s jetty is the 1882, 25’ counter stern day launch – Firefly, which now has a playmate in the recently acquired 1930, 23’ Chas Robinson built motor-launch – Rainbow. There are several more boats in the stable but I won’t out Rob on the exact number 🙂
In addition to their holiday home, Rod & Florence run a very funky, cool lakeside bach called ‘The Love Shack’ – its available for rent (via BookaBach, see link below). If you a ever looking for accommodation in the Rotorua area I would highly recommend it – see photos below – AND its got WiFi !!!!! https://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-and-holiday-homes/view/2381
I hope you enjoy the photo gallery as much as I do attending the event.
AS ALWAYS – CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
THE LOVE SHACK
Mahurangi Regatta 2018 – Classic Woodys Weekend – 100+ photos
For the first time in yonks I missed the regatta, my excuse – I was boating elsewhere. Today’s photo gallery comes to you from numerous sources – but special mention to Jason Prew, Peter Loughlin & Nathan Herbert for sharing their cameras with us. Stunning photos guys. Mixed in with their photos are ones from – James Dreyer, Nick Davidson, Ken Ricketts, & John Bertenshaw.
The Classic Launch Parade had a great mix of familiar favourites & some new CYA members & a few who have not seen the light & joined the CYA yet 🙂 . From all reports, the sailing on Saturday was a challenge with wind / no wind / wind & very hot conditions – but as always with Mahurangi a good time was had by all.
As always – click photos to enlarge 😉
Great Video Footage below – the launch parade starts at approx. the 3min stage.
Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2018 – Next Saturday – 3rd Feb
Todays post serves as a reminder that next weekend (Saturday – 3rd) sees the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association hosting their annual Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, its probably New Zealand’s greatest collection of small (< 32’) woody craft in one spot. The boats are amazing, the people just so friendly & the venue is breath taking – yes I’m a fan, a big fan.
The link below will give you an insight into the day, but for full details check out their website http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/
2017 PHOTO GALLERY LINK
https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/06/lake-rotoiti-classic-wooden-boat-parade-2017-160-photos/
Not Everyone Had A Good Holiday Boating Experience
I’ll keep the names of the photographers that sent me the above photos anonymous 😉
• Moana, the 23’ Max Carter built clinker day boat must have been in a hurry to get back into Milford Marina & cut the corner, not the first to suffer the embarrassment of waiting for the tide in a very public spot & they won’t be the last. It appears very little damage was done, other than a bruised ego.
• At the other end of the scale – a very large Azimut ‘kissed’ some rocks in the Bay of Islands at speed – the photos above of her hauled out only show a fraction of the damage – one prop was bent out of shape & the other almost non-existent. The gearboxes ‘exploded’ – a rather large insurance claim me thinks. And some marine engineer will be starting the new year with a big fat repair job.
• And another oops below from early evening yesterday, the photo was snapped in the next bay along from Chamberlains Bay, Ponui Island. Low water was 2 hours away from this photo so it was only going to get uglier.
Seems someone didn’t allow for the downside of the current high tides i.e. very low low tides.
As they say folks – be careful out there.
Arethusa In The B.O.I.
I posted yesterday a selection of photos taken by Dean Wright. Just like me, Dean’s normally behind the camera & we do not see this woody – the Bob Brown built, 100-year-old, 33’ classic Arethusa. The photo below was taken by Grant Anson, skipper of Marie-J.
You can see / read more on this amazing classic’s life at this link http://deanwright.co.nz/history.html
2015 CYA Classic Yacht Regatta – Sailing Sunday
This weekend we have been enjoying the CYA Classic Yacht Regatta – a weather bomb meant the 2014 event was canceled so as they say ‘it did had been a long time between drinks’.
The event was moved to late Feb to give skippers a break between some of the other classic events & to also link in with the Volvo Round the World race festivities. As they say timing is everything & no one was watching the on-line race track more than Tony Stevenson – an early arrival might have meant we did not get to enjoy the swanky surrounding of the VIP hospitality area as our race HQ.
Friday was Race 1 & the fleet to quote most “experienced 4 seasons in one day” – but there was not a face without a smile on it as the boats returned to dockside.
Friday nights ‘de-brief’ & prize giving was a hoot & most walked away with booty.
Saturday normally sees 2 races held but huey had not got the message & after 4 1/2 hrs of floating around in the sun – the race committee pulled the pin & the crews retired to Race HQ. Just in time to witness some spectacular one day cricket on TV.
Fingers crossed today sees some more puff 🙂 If your at a loose end, get down to the Race HQ later today. Food & drinks available + the legendary prize-giving.
Dockside (post Race 1)
Race HQ
Saturday (Race 2 & 3 – sailing cancelled)
No wind but stunning sunsets
So far there have been over 2,000 classic wooden boat stories featured on waitematawoodys & the viewing numbers (3,300,000) have grown from a dozen people to over 80,000. I have had some loyalists from day one but the big numbers have happened in the last 2 years – so not everyone will have been exposed to all the stories. Over the Christmas / NY period I have decided to take a peek back in time & feature some of the gems from the early days. Enjoy.
Have a great holiday & remember to take the camera / phone with you & snap a photo of any woodys you see. Email them to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Jack Brooke Collection #7 – RNZYS Centennial 1871 – 1971
waitematawoodys again thanks Robert Brooke for making the remarkable drawings done by his father, Jack Brooke, available to ww followers. Jack produced a hand drawing on each cruise, this one was done to record the RNZYS Centennial celebrations in 1971. Today’s post is the seventh of several – enjoy.
Blow up / enlarge the drawing to view all the historic events recorded – One Ton Cup win, Woman admitted as members, Charter to wear the Blue Ensign, Charter to wear White Ensign, the list of Distinguished Guests & more. The drawing of Kiariki just illustrates how talented Jack Broke was.
To view Jack Brooke’s other drawings type Jack Brooke in the ww search box.
Heads Up – over the weekend I will be postings a cracker of a read so make sure you check in 🙂
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Several weeks ago I came across the above illustration on the website ‘Lastlemon’, the site promotes the work of Lisa Swerling & Ralph Laza – 2 very talented & prolific illustrators. To me the cartoon sums up why I own a wooden boat & why I’m so passionate about the classic boating movement.
My boat is my rock in a life that revolves around endless deadlines & delivering on expectations. I work in a field of business that has benefited hugely from the advent of the digital age & that’s very cool, but the downside is that now days a lot of us are always available, effectively on-call 24/7.
So woodys – grab the opportunity in the next few weeks to turn the mobile off, walk away from the screen & just relax, read a book, walk the dog, be nice to your partner, say hello to a stranger on the beach.
Over the break I’ll be pumping out WW stories when I can, subject to internet access & motivation.
Two parts to the holiday this year – Part1 will see us floating around somewhere on Raindance after Christmas Day & in the early part of the NY, hopefully catching up with friends. Part2 involves joining Barbara & David Cooke on Trinidad during their circumnavigation of NZ. Myself & Jamie Hudson (Lady Crossley) are doing the Bay of Islands > Picton leg, across the top of NZ & then down the West Coast, so hopefully some good stories from that trip.
Thanks to everyone for all the help with stories & photos throughout the year, without you all, WW would not exist.
Again Merry Christmas & Have a Safe & Fun Break. Alan Houghton
New Zealand Classic Wooden Boat Register – 200+ Photos
Stoked to be able to share with you the 2018 edition of the CYA Classic Register. Big ups to the CYA team behind it, pulling everything together is a massive undertaking, I’ve been there & done that, having been involved with the first 4 issues – 2018 is a winner, so make a cup of coffee or pour something a little stronger & sit back & enjoy over 200 photos. Click link below
to view https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/fullscreen/59612422/cya-classic-register-2018-yum
Lucky CYA members will be getting a free hard copy version in the post very soon. Almost worth joining to get a copy 😉 Membership details here http://classicyacht.org.nz/joinus/
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