Can We Put A Name ToThis Classic Launch – ALARA
Todays woody recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) and other than that she is 28’ long and powered by a 150hp Diesel engine, the other info supplied was a tad light e.g. ‘classic lovely wooden boat with electric winch, toilet, stove.
Home is Birkenhead, Auckland.
Possibly named Alara
MAGIC FIDDLER – One For The Lakes
Todays woody – Magic Fiddler , is a 15’ clinker day boat built in Picton by an unknown boat builder. Year of build / lunch isn’t listed on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) so we don’t have an age, but looking at the bilge photo she appears older v’s new – thats very Irish I know and I apologise in advance to any Irish readers, I do not need another report to the Human Right Commission 😉
Forward motion is via a new Honda 6.5hp petrol inboard engine, backed up by a Seagull auxiliary. Rather a smart trailer.
Current home is Waimate, South Canterbury.
Perfect craft for someone wanting to do the New Zealand Antique and Classic Boat Show next March (3rd), at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes, South Island.
Maybe Someone Should Of Told Santa They Needed Some New Kit
Don’t leave things to chance this Christmas – tell Santa what you want – waitematawoodys kit – the perfect gift. I don’t want to sound like a Warehouse advertisement i.e. hurray! Limited stock – but that really is the case.
Click on this link and tell me what you would like to order and if we have it, its yours. If we dont and you order early / soon , I’ll order more. https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/
OZONE
The launch Ozone was built by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei for Harold Vipond Silverdale for the Wade River <> Auckland trade (thank you Harold Kidd – WW story link below)).
Then in the early 1920’s Ozone was taken to the Bay Of Islands for the big game fishing trade which as just starting. Then we have a big info hole until she popped up in the late 1980’s in the Mahurangi Harbour, where she is today, as a fishing / pleasure boat.
What we know about her from her recent tme showing (thanks Ian McDonald) – built c.1914, 32’ in length, 8’6” beam and powered by a Ford 90hp engine.
Keen to learn more about the missing years. Would be nice to see her return to a configeration closer to her early days – photo below
WW 2016 story link – https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/29/ozone/
UPDATE 25-11-23 photo below sent in by Linus Fleming.
Looking For A Project – Venture > Regardette
The woody market currently seems to be very crowded with project boats that need finishing / saving, most have a price tag best describe by the somewhat famous line from the 1997 Australian movie The Castle – “Tell Him He’s Dreaming’. Well todays woody isn’t a dream, its good value at $500 ono.
Now there’s no motor but the tme story (thanks Ian McDonald) says there is one available for $3k but given its a Volvo 130hp to match the stern drive unit in the boat, you would probably be best to ditch both and start again 🙂
The launch is approx. 30’ and currently in the Taupo area and the trailer isn’t included in the price.
It stated that previously it was an icon of Lake Taupo so fingers crossed the Drake brothers can jump in with some more details.:-)
INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – This is REGARDETTE, formerly VENTURE, understood to be ex-Airforce. She has been at Taupo since the early 50’s I would say, or even earlier – possibly arriving soon after the finish of WW2. She had a Chrysler Crown which now lives in brother Michael’s shed. The Crown gearbox is now firmly bolted to the back of ROMANCE’s Chrysler Ace, where it is doing excellent service. Little else is known.
Maia – 59’ Bruce Askew Cruiser
Todays woody is rather a large craft , built in 2005 for coastal and off-shore cruising – the log book includes Alaska, Marianas and Port Ross (NZ Sub-Antartic). Built via cold moulded timber and f/glassed and kitted out with all the gear for extended cruising.
Power is from a 240hp Volvo Penta 70 series diesel that sips 8L an hour, combine that with a 5,000L fuel take thats an impressive range.
Unfortunately we do not have a name – her tme (thanks Ian McDonald) didn’t mention that 😦 Its named Maia and she was built in Tauranga by Aquatic Solutions
SMOKE & MIRRORS – A Peek Down Below
Todays 51’ woody – Smoke & Mirrors, made a cameo appearance on WW back in Oct 2017 (link below) – then she was named – Christopher Grey and both Nathan Herbert and Russell Ward supplied photos. Thanks to a tme listing (ex Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek below decks.
Designed and built by Millar & Tunnage in 1964 she started life as a commercial fishing boat based in the bottom half of NZ and after 20 odd years as a trawler and crawfishing workboat was converted to pleasure use. In her ’new’ configuration she went north and was available for charter out of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. She then returned south to her home town of Port Chalmers.
A 175hp Gardner engine provides her forward propulsion.
A very salty woody that make a very comfortable live-aboard, particularly with that large galley stove 🙂
Can We Identify This Coulthard Launch
Several woodys have drawn my attention to this 24’6” launch thats recently popped up on tme. The listing states that it was designed / built by L G Coulthard in Onehunga. The build year says 1965 but Nathan Herbert has commented that Coulthard’s last boat was in 1959, this one resembles a build year c1930s. Nathan also as pictured above she will have had a new cabin since launching.
There is some uncertainty around the launches name – when her current owner bought her in 2006 in Auckland, her name was – Talofa and it was claimed she was originally built for the Mayor of Thames. Her name was subsequently changed to Kotare.
What we know – 24’6” in length, 8’ beam and draws 2’3” – powered by a 28hp 3 cyl. Vetus marine diesel engine giving her a top speed of 7.5 knots.
Current home is Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds, South Island.
J .(Jimmy) Mc McLaren Boatbuilders Onehunga
Recently contacted by a James H McLaren regarding his grandfathers boat yard, the yard was probably side-by-side with the L G Coulthard yard in Onehunga.The photo below shows the McLaren builders plate. James is looking for a surviving dinghy made by his granddad – Jimmy McLaren, James commented that they were his stock in trade.Can anyone help out eg have one for sale – any condition.
27-02-2024 UPDATE – Owner has just installed new exhaust hose to transom, new S/S through stern fitting turning. 90deg outside to a flapper finishing inside the belting starboard side.
AWARIKI – On The Market
Two years ago I helped sell the classic launch Lady Adelaide for her owner of 20+ years, my first question was – what’s next – well he was way ahead of me, having identified a very smart 32’ Owen Woolley designed and built launch named – Awariki. It was one of those relationships always meant to happen because back in 1967 Kerry was serving his apprenticeship under Owen Woolley and helped build Awariki. So the DNA was strong.
When I inspected Awariki she was a little tired, but the bones were there and Kerry was the man to give her a serious dose of TLC. Over the last two years Awariki has had a refit to her interior and most of the systems enhanced / upgraded – including a solar system and auto windlass – there’s even a custom built in wine frig 🙂
Some specs – 32’ x 10’5’ beam and 3’ draft. Built from Kauri planks. A 6cyl. Perkins 97hp engine (recon 1987) gives Awariki a top speed of 10 knots.
Another rarity in a 32′ classic is her 2m headroom.
Its not often that a 32’ launch with a flybridge looks good to the eye – Awariki carries hers well, everything is in proportion. Check out the last photo with everyone ‘up top’ – as I mentioned – she just looks right to the eye.
So woodys after reading all this its obvious that Awariki is reluctantly on the market – she is in turn-key condition – a wonderful classic cruising launch ideal for family summer cruising in absolute comfort
Interested parties to initially contact {the} Wooden Boat Bureau at waitematawoodys@gmail.com
LYNETTE – A Peek Down Below
Regular WW readers will be familiar with my view that the builder of f/glass L33 launches, 20 years ago was decades ahead of their time – the market is ripe for low maintenance classic looking launches that has a degree of mast/sail to keep the older sailors happy and tell themselves they have not really moved over to the dark side 🙂
Lynette would be one of the top fitted out and maintained L33’s in the fleet. Her price on tme reflexes this but like most things in life – you get what you pay for 😉
Standard specs – 34’4” in length / 7’10” beam and draws 1’11”/ 35 hp Lomdardini engine and lots of bells and whistles.
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