Bonita

BONITA

Todays double ender 36’ woody launch just popped up on tme (thank you Ian McDonald) and is just such a looker. Home is Waikawa Bay in the Marlborough Sounds. Currently only set up with two berths, she is crying out for a full conversion to pleasure use.

Power is via a 80hp Ford diesel, that according the the tme story has a wee oil leak.

Who ever choose the colour scheme and name font as a good eye. I hope I have the spelling right?

Can we learn more about the boat?

INPUT ex Dick Hall – Correct name ‘Bonita’. Built 1923 by Ernie Lane in Picton as a typical sounds passenger boat with two cockpits both forward and aft of the wheelhouse. Originally powered by a 12hp Kelvin benzine engine. Modified for fishing in 1959 for the Guard Brothers of Port Underwood. Lately used as a pleasure boat by various owners.

INPUT ex Richard Neighbour – Bonito (launched Bonita) 1926, sister ship to Mariner (Shakespeare Bay- Queen Charlotte Sounds) I have emailed the history up to 2016 as given to me by Beth Gordon (original owners daughter). Bonito is a lovely old girl. My wife and I hope to find a suitable owner that will maintain her for many years to come as we have moved from Marlborough and don’t get back as often as we hoped to. Bonito has many years left in her yet, with much credit to the Ruffles family (previous owners of 40 years).
Richard & Helen – current owners.

Hirawanu – A Peek Down Below

HIRAWANU – A Peek Down Below

The 1946 38’ Lidgard built launch – Hirawanu has appeared several times on WW and generated chat around the hot-house ‘up top’. I have included below a photo of her as launched to show her on a good day 🙂

Forward motion is via a Ford 120hp diesel, giving her a stated cruising speed of 8>10 knots. 

Now thanks to tme & Ian McDonald we get to have a look down below.

Check out the previous WW story here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/11/27/hirawanu/

Omaha – Project Boat

OMAHA – PROJECT BOAT

Must be the week for ‘be-kind-to-woodys’ – todays story features a 30’ launch named – Omaha, built in the mid 1950’s.

Her tme (thanks Ian McDonald) listing states she is an ex work-boat (fishing) from Tauranga.

Current owner has had her in a covered shed for the last 10 years, as they have undertaken the re-fit. The hull has had that ‘F’ word applied to it and it appears most of the structural work has been done. Next step – fitting out and she needs an engine etc. She does come with a drive shaft, prop and a few other bits.

Has a buy-now price of $4.5k so could be project in the making – currently stored in Auckland area.

Robyn Gae – SOS

ROBYN GAE – SOS

I was out west Auckland on Sunday and dropped into the Te Atatu Boating Club yard for a nosy. Sad to see that the rather pretty x1934, Cox & Filmer built launch Robyn Gas is still hauled out and looking for a new owner. Given the 4sale sign points people to the yard office, I would suspect its being sold to re-coup yard fees. 

There appears to be some ‘average’ hull work done to her, but at $6k, its a very low entry to a worthwhile project. Surely someone will step up and take her own. Make the TBC an offer, you might be surprised.

For no fault of her own other than bad timings, the boat has been crying out for a passionate woody owner for a number of years – see previous WW stories below.

2015 https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/09/10/robyn-gae/

2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/06/water-gipsy-connie-v-robyn-gae/

2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/09/10/a-lot-of-boat-for-not-a-lot-of-money/

Waimana – AK77

WAIMANA – AK77
You have to love the upfront honesty of someone trying to sell their boat when they open with this line – “Waimana is not a gin palace but a public bar, so a bit rough around the edges, so she needs a bit of TLC”. That line gets them a plug on WW 🙂

She was built by the Percy Vos yard out of 1.5” kauri planks over double hardwood frames for Sandfords in the 1940’s and converted to a live aboard pleasure vessel in the1980’s. Length is 55’ and her weight is roughly 35 ton. She has two forward cabins and a side berth sleeping 6 in comfort with a further 4 berths in the saloon. Powered by a 6L3B Gardner diesel using 5-8 litres per hour and 7 knots @ 700rpm on a 3/1 reduction box with a 40+” prop.

A quick search in Baden Pascoe’s excellent book – ‘Launching Dreams – Percy Vos, The Boats & His Boys’, tells us she was 51’ and built in the 1941>43 period for Waitemata Fisheries. Built of single skin on sawn frames and while under construction the US Army requisitioned her in Oct 1942 but later cancelled the requisition. Waimana was completed in 1943 and fished out of Auckland and Onehunga into the 1970’s.

Any of the work-boat crew able to tell us more about the boat?

Looking For Some Woody Boat Parts

One of the WW readers is having a tidy up and the items below are excess to needs – xxx would prefer one clean sale, but who knows……. Contact Al on 027 200 0057

ATHENA – Next Caretaker Wanted 

ATHENA – Next Caretaker Wanted 

Whangaroa Harbour is a spot I spend a bit of time in/around – when waiting for pickup I mooch around the marina and there is one launch – Athena, that always catches my eye – its hard not too its just so perfect. Most designers were challenged when it came to getting the lines right on a sub 30’ boat, Athena is spot on.

Her measurements are 25’ x 8’ x 1’6” and her hull is 3/4” kauri carvel planked and the decks, coamings, cabin top and bridge have all been f/glassed for weather proofing and low maintenance. Both fuel and water tanks are s/s. Sleeps 4 in a double and 2 single berths.

Powered by a Perkins 40hp 4107 engine (new in 1972, rebuilt 1991) she cruises comfortably at 7 knots. Some history – originally designed and built by Cauldrey in c.1950’s, she was rebuilt (hull up, photos below) in 1991 by her owner as a family launch with game fishing characteristics. Based in the Bay of Islands the owners lost count of the game fish landed over the last 30 years. Athena is still fully game rigged.Owned by a seriously devoted boaty, Athena is fully equipped with all the safety gear for coastal cruising.

We have been tasked with finding a new owner for this very salty looking classic woody – for more details on Athena – contact the Wooden Boat Bureau c/o waitematawoodys@gmail.com

1992 – 1st Marlin caught

43’ Classic Yacht With Exemplary Provenance 

43’ Classic Yacht With Exemplary Provenance 

Very very rarely do I put a price on a classic vessel that is for sale on WW, but today is an exception. After over 50 years of ownership Tuahine is for sale and her owner is keen to sell, but only to the right person/s -so woodys if you pass the test -Tuahine could be yours for $100k. That is a bargain for a 43’ yacht designed and built in 1957 by the Dickson family, lead by Roy Dickson’s father (grandfather to Chris Dickson). Modern engine, her needs are mostly cosmetic, so give her some TLC and you will have a very fetching classic that should blow the b_lls off most of Auckland’s classic fleet 🙂

More photos and details at this WW link.https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/05/04/classic-yacht-tuahine-for-sale/

Classic Tender or Art

You decide – she is sub 10’, built of kauri ply (est. 65kg) and after 6 years of storage, has just had a birthday. Overseas owner says sell – not cheap but a very fair price at $4,300

Amelia

AMELIA

Todays woody has a very good pedigree in that she was built by Nelson master craftsman Peter Murton as his own boat. Peter’s business Murtons Timbercraft turn out stunning woodwork – from new boat builds and repairs, furniture and nautical art, a piece of which I have at home (photo below).

The launch is a 2018 Weston Farmer sea skiff, 28’ x 8’ x 2’ and is powered by a 60hp Yamaha outboard that cruises nicely at 7>8knots and tops out at 12 knots.

Her shallow draft and bilge keels allow her to navigate some interesting anchorages. An added bonus is the ability to haul out on a trailer for home storage.

The vessel recently popped up on tme so if you are looking for a salty looking, impeccably built spirit of tradition woody – Amelia could be the one.

Dawn – A Peek Down Below

DAWN – A Peek Down Below

We last saw the Coulthard built launch – Dawn on WW back in June 2019, link below. In summary she was built in 1936 and is approx. 28’ in length, with a very shallow draft of just over 2’, probably to suit the shallow harbours on Aucklands West Coast, where she was built.

A Ford 80hp Lees 4.2L diesel provides the forward motion. Thanks to a tme listing (c/o Ian MacDonald) we get to have a look down below.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/07/30/dawn-4/

Kathleen II

KATHLEEN II

Todays 32’ woody – Kathleen II was built be Salthouse c.1970 and is powered by twin 90hp Nissan BD30 diesels that give her a 11>14knots.

She has popped up on tme as a project boat requiring some TLC, there are no interior photos so suspect that is where the TLC is required 🙂

At the right price and with a good eye for detail Kathleen II could be a nice family woody cruiser.