Keith and Heather Nicholson sent in the above photo of an old post card of the Whangarei Town Basin. The photo first appeared on a Mitchell Hutchings fb post.
In the photo, lower right, we can see a launch hauled out – so todays question is – can we put a name to the boat?
Heather mentioned that their beloved woody – Paea (photo below) was for sale on tme. An amazing classic, the 72’, 1942 ex Harbour Defence Motor Launch (P3552) offers so many boating opportunities.
29-09-2023 UPDATE – photo below of Paea about to be relaunched after some TLC – TLC doesnt really fit a vessel the size of Paea 🙂
05-10-2023 UPDATE – Back in the water. we understand that six months ago the boat was put inside a shed and dried out, the seams were splined and the hull was fiber-glassed. The Fodens were removed and replaced with Cummins. (details & photos ex Ken West)
The owner / restorer of Miss Wahoo would probably frown on my suggestion – but this 2.4m restored woody hydroplane would look amazing hanging from the rafters in a boat shed, bar, man-cave etc. Or maybe attached to a wall vertically.
Or of course you could pop a small outboard on the back and have some serious fun. Uber cool xmas present for the kids / grand kids 😉
It is currently on tme and I reckon will sell quickly.
Check out this short 1955 movie of hydroplane racing in the UK.
Help Needed Identifying This Launch – Caesars Palace > Paris > Alena
Can not read the name (something Palace?) and the tme seller doesn’t know the builder or year, but commented that mid 1960’s looks right. Also others have mentioned she has a certain ’Shipbuilders’ look to her. But all the aside, we know she is 34’. Made of strip planked kauri and powered by a Ford 90hp diesel that sees her cruising at 7 knots, with a max of 9 knots. Home berth is the Hibiscus Coast. Can we expand on the above.
Also they would have to win the award for the most ‘off-the-wall’ question on the tme listing – see below 🙂
UPDATE – seems the boat has had multi name changes – thanks to Darrin Kennedy we now know she was called Paris and before that Alena and probably something else b4 that 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/26/paris-alena/
Let me draw your attention to a scary fact – there are only 10 weeks till Christmas Day, so my question to you is – will you be on the water over the Christmas / NY holiday period?If you have been thinking that 2021 is the year you move up to owning a classic wooden holiday home – read on.
KIARIKI Woodys with age-less classic looks, racing pedigree and un-rivalled provenance are very few and far between in New Zealand, so when the time comes for an owner to start looking for the next custodian, the drums start beating.
The yacht Kiariki was designed by owner Jack (John) Brooke and built by John / Jack Logan / John Salthouse and launched in 1959. Using the best kauri, her specs are 40’ x 8’9” x 6’. During the Brooke family ownership period she was always one of the top 3 yachts in the K Class fleet. But to the Brooke family Kiariki was as much a family cruiser as a racer, and John Brooke had a wonderful ritual of recording every cruise in the form of a chart overlaid with caricatures of notable and amusing events – refer examples below.
After a period of ownership outside of the Brooke family – Russell Brooke acquired Kiariki back in 2009, completing the ownership circle – grandfather > grandson and commenced a restoration at the Salthouse Yard – Russell’s brief to the yard that originally built her was simple ‘return her to the thoroughbred form she was in when she was launched’. The work included her decks stripped, caulked and painted – new fastenings, teak rails, sea-cocks, hatches and skylights. The cabin top roof was replaced and her interior was refitted. Not surprisingly her planking did not need repair – originally fitted by Jack Logan, his perfectionist approach meant the hull was still as good as it was when it was new.
I would recommend that anyone interested in Kiariki or in fact the K Class, should purchase a copy of the magnificent book ‘K CLASS – The Hauraki Gulf’s Iconic Racer – Cruiser’.
Chatting to one of the leading lights of the K Class division, they had this to say “Kiariki is one of the faster and larger boats in the fleet and of course with great provenance. I was on board a few years ago and she certainly appeared to be one of the best in the group”. Another K Class owner commented that he recalls that in Kiatiki’s last season of serious racing, she beat Katrina (one of the fastest boats in the fleet – then and still today) across the line in 11 straight starts – so whilst a very comfortable cruiser, to use the horse racing term – Kiariki has got legs.
I can advise that we have been tasked with finding the next custodian for Kiariki – so woodys if you or someone you know wants to be cruising this summer – initial expressions of interest to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
30-10-2022 UPDATE – Kiariki has had a post winter tidy up, and will be ongoing detailing over summer. The K Class would have to be one of the smartest looking keelers afloat.
Judith Gardiner sent in the stunning photo above of Te Rauparaha when owned by Mr Harry James Mills of Upland Road in Remura, Auckland. Harry had 4 sons – Adrian, John, Douglas & Robert.
Judith commented that her father Walter (Keith) Young was friends with Robert Mills. Keith, born in 1925 and a builder, also built boats in his spare time. Later on, he went farming in Silverdale, just north of Auckland. One such sailing boat was called the Iona.
Judith recalls that Keith would often talk about the Baileys, through his family line, his father’s side he / we are related. The Baileys, Scotts (From Scotts Landing in the Mahurangi) and Archibald Young ( Judith’s 2nd great grandfather) were all involved in the ship building and related activities. Archibald was apprenticed to George Darroch and Archibald was at one time the master of the ‘Sovereign of the Seas.’ When he retired from the sea, he worked for George T. Nicol who was also a boat builder.Judith also sent in the 1914 photo of the Bailey family.
I have also posted below photos of Te Rauparaha (named Samara) from her current tme listing, I understand home port is Noumea, New Caledonia. I won’t comment………..
The photos above of Clansman we sent in by Ed Higgins of her launch day at Half Moon Bay marina. Ed commented that Clansman was designed and built by Morrie Walker at Bucklands Beach. Modeled on the wheelhouse and cabin design of – Highlander. Morrie a qualified boat builder, who served his time with Percy Vos.
Constructed of laminated marine ply on kauri frames. Powered by a rebuilt 6LXB Gardiner engine, with 2 to 1 reduction gearbox.
Poor health forced the sale to a buyer in Tauranga. Tragically Clansman some time later, caught fire and sank off Little Barrier Island, and was a total loss. A sad end for what was a beautifully designed and built vessel.Interesting to note the fuel prices on the Mobil sign. Can anyone tell us the launch date?
You Don’t Normally See Boat ‘Stuff’ 4sale On WW – But I Do Most Things James Mobberley Asks Me 🙂 Two Engines 4sale.
ENGINE ONE – Mazda S2 – 60hp + GearboxThe engine below is new but 30 years old, has been running. James commented that these Mazda diesels were fairly common in the 1980s > 1990s.The seller is asking ‘around’ $2k – a cheap set-up . Email james@moonengines.co.nz if interested.
ENGINE TWO – Volvo MD 1B – 8>10hpThe engine was rebuilt several years ago by a ships engineer. Ideal for a 16’>20’ open clinkerAsking $1500 cash. Call Peter Le Gross 0274925254
The 32’ launch – Equinox, is based on a Shipbuilders / Roy Steadman design and built in Dominion St. Takapuna by H. Sapwell and launched at Allen Williams boat yard, Milford in 1964. When launched she was named Lyngrae.
Built using triple skin kauri, as launched she was powered by a Morris Commodore petrol engine, later re-powered by a 60hp Fordson. In 1970 she was re-powered again at Mt Maunganui with a 100hp Trader Ford engine. These days Equinox sports a very impressive Steyr MO 256hp engine, which must push her along at an impressive speed.
In recent times the boat has had a lot of time and funds spent on her, as seen in the photos ex tme (thanks Ian McDonald) In the photos above she has a re-modelled cabin top, below in the b/w photo we see her as original.
Very impressive to see what must be one of Auckland’s biggest families, they obviously all live in the same house and all own a boat each – as they say ‘families that boat together, stay together’ 🙂 🙂 🙂
IMALONE Todays woody was designed in 1950 by Jack Guard, who built the hull and John McCauley did the decks and wheelhouse in Putatea Bay, at the top of the South Island. As per all of Jack’s boats she was built of kauri / hardwood with birch ribs.
Her specs are 34’ in length with a 10’ beam. When built she was powered with a JP2 Lister engine, that was replaced approx. 25 years ago with a Detroit GM 371.
Subject to a survey – she appears to have great bones and would be a cool candidate for a conversion to pleasure use. Nelson is the home port.
No name on this old girl but her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us she was built by Sam Ford in 1950, measures 36’ x 9’10” x 2’9”.
Built of kauri and powered by a Ford D360 diesel engine, that gets her along at 10 knots max. Other than calling Nelson home, that is about all we know about her. Can anyone put a name to her and tell us about her past?
Just before lockdown we did a classic woody raid up the Waipa River to the Clevedon Cruising Club for an overnight BBQ. Magic weekend and perfect timing i.e.days before lockdown 🙂
On-route up the river I spotted the 1952, Lidgard built launch – Kalua on her mooring. Kalua or Miss Betty as she was named earlier in her life has been on WW before, the WW link below has lots of details and a great photo gallery of the boats evolution. She appears to be a very big woody for her 42’ length, and you will not hear me say this too often – her additions, including the flying bridge are ok – and ok is as the best you’ll ever get from me on the subject of 2nd story additions to classic woodys 🙂 https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/05/15/miss-betty-kalua/
Boating This Weekend
As per everything the Arden Government (it stopped being the Labour Government last year) there are just so many mixed messages out there.We were told boatings all good (refer RNZYS notice), then 48hrs later Dads Army (Coastguard) are telling us a different message – refer below. I seriously question the restriction around not anchoring in any Waiheke Island bay? SO WOODYS WHATS THE STORY – ANYONE KNOW?
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