MADISON ROSE – A Peek Down Below The launch Madison Rose made a brief appearance on WW back in Feb 2019, now thanks to tme and Ian McDonald we get to have a peek down below.Her design / builder is unknown, with a possible build date in the early 1900’s.
It is rumoured that in a past life she was a Marlborough Sounds Mail delivery boat. Madison Rose is approx. 33’ in length and powered by a 80hp Ford diesel that gets her along at 8 knots.Home port is Nelson.
If I didn’t know better I would say that Jason Prew had a hand in those davits 🙂 Nothing a small tungsten tipped chainsaw couldn’t fix.
The launch Katoa wallowed on tme for a very long time, great bones, crying out for a woody to rescue her and return her to as launched condition.Things have gone very quite – would love to think that she has been purchased and there replans for a re-fit. Can anyone update us?
Input from Annie Bryce – my partner and I have bought Katoa in March this year, fell in love with her lines and history we are in the process of moving down to South Island and are looking at putting Katoa on the hard in spring for a good over haul inside and out will post some photos of that process. Last year we bought the launch Arcturus and have nearly finished her makeover
Several weeks ago we run a story on WW about the fate of the Stow & Son – UK yacht – Imatra, that is dining a slow death up the Tamaki River in Auckland. At the time xxx pointed out that there was another Stow & Son yacht (built in 1899) – the 52’, gaff, yawl – Tern II in New Zealand. She is for sale on the UK yacht brokers website – Sandeman Yacht Company – I have taken the of reproducing the background story on how she ended up in NZ.This link will take you to their site to see over 40 photos and read more about her http://www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk/yacht/467/stow-and-sons-39-ft-gaff-yawl-1899-project-completionThanks to Mark Erskine for the heads up on this hidden gem.
Tern II was launched as White Kitten in 1899, from the yard of Stow and Son, in Shoreham, UK. In early 1910 she was purchased by Claude Worth, who owned her for a couple of years and made several changes to her; documented in his book “Yacht Cruising.” Meanwhile all the ironwork he had made at this time is still with the vessel.
After numerous owners over the next few decades, she came into the hands of Ben Pester, a New Zealand naval officer who had finished a period of service in the U.K. and was keen to return to NZ under sail. This passage, in 1951-52, was written about in his book “Just Sea and Sky”, published in 2010.
Tern II changed hands again a few times, until she was found abandoned and a somewhat worse for wear in a mud berth near Thames North Island NZ, by Bill Cunningham. Going aboard with a mate unsure if she was worth saving; after downing the bottle of whisky found below it was decided she was indeed worthy – and thus began a 9 year period that she spent hauled out in his back yard in Cambridge not far away, replacing the deck with the addition of a cabin and all her spars, and a new interior. Her counter had been removed sometime before this and the rig changed to a cutter. She was re launched in April 1981.
Bill parted with her in 1991 and she was owned for a time by Mick Reynolds, and then Lyn Avatar, who had planned to sail her to Hawaii but cut the journey short after a 24 day passage to Tonga from the Bay of Islands. She then lay on a mooring there until the current owners came across her on their way to New Zealand. For a sum including coverage of outstanding mooring fees, a bottle of rum, and a kiss, they secured ownership and arranged shipping back to New Zealand. She is currently being stored undercover in a yard in Whangarei, Northland and undergoing restoration.
DISTURBER Thanks to Ian McDonald for giving WW the heads up on the tme listing for the Warmington Bros built 25’ launch – Disturber. Disturber made a brief appearance on WW back in 2013, with a photo (refer below) of her racing on the Kaipara Harbour, most probably participating in the annual Pah Regatta.
Back then Disturber was a pure racer, powered by a 150hp aircraft engine. These days she has a Ford 72 hp D Series pushing her along, but a glance at her hull below the water-line will tell you that she can still deliver a good turn of speed – 13+knots.
Recently she has undergone a lot of mechanical and structural enhancements. With a sub $8k price tag, Disturber could be a great entry point into the classic wooden boating movement.
The 1928 Collings & Bell built 36’ launch – Manaaki appeared on WW back in 2015 (updated in 2018) and now thanks to a tme listing, we get to see down below.
Powered by a 75hp Ford, Manaaki has a 95 year old history of game fishing in the Bay of Islands, which she is still doing today. Check out the WW link below for lots of history and old photos on Manaaki https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/08/10/manaaki/
SOUTHERN HARMONY – A Peek Down Below According to tme, Southern Harmony was built in 1977 by ’Ship Masters’ (a new one to me) using 3/4” kauri. She measures 30’ and is powered by a 80hp Yanmar turbo diesel.
Appears to be well fitted out. In my eyes the hull could be a lot older. And as her name suggests – she is a southern gal, home is Lyttleton.
HUIA Needs A New Owner Huia the 37’ 1919 built kauri launch has just celebrated her 100th birthday and was destined to receive some serious TLC from her owner her bought her in Jan 2020, but a speed bump got in the way – the owners are expecting a an additional to the family and its not another boat – this one has arms and legs 🙂
So woodys – Huia has to move on to a new owner, who has the time and determination to take on a cool project. Huia is powered by a 60hp Ford Lees diesel and appears to have most of the boat bits needed to be an good woody. Price is very realistic – so anyone keen on taking her on? Back in 2014 – Huia featured 4sale on WW and I took the liberty of pointing out how bad the tme listing was – link below 🙂https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/09/08/how-not-to-sell-a-classic-wooden-launch/
NEXT WOODYS WEEKEND UPDATE – the date has been pushed out, will come back next week with details on our upcoming events.
WAITEMATAWOODYS ON MOBILE DEVICESeg if you read WW on our mobile (smart) phone, hopefully it should now be loading faster and you’ll be able to find the sections that appear on the right hand side of the screen (on computers), examples below, highlighted in red, at the bottom of the stories.
Manaia has made several appearance on WW, link below the backgrounds her early days . She was designed by Alex Collings and built in 1965 by Percy Vos. Now thanks to a nudge from Alan Sexton and tme – we get to see the results of some of the recent work on her. She is looking very smart for an ex Harbour Board Pilot boat 🙂
Currently offered for sale but you’ll need a 25m marina. Contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com
When you step aboard the 50‘ Arohanui you feel the warmth that comes from 50+ years of tender loving care and consideration.
Built using the finest materials available – NZ kauri and Burmese teak, her planks were later glassed over, this undertaking when combined with the varnished (uroxsys) cabin gives Arohanui the resilience of a modern f/glass vessel. Arohanui was designed by A. Donovan (with significant reference to the the Hacker Boat Company, USA designs of the same period) and built by the Lane Motor Boat Company and launched in 1965 – she featured on the cover and was the lead article of April 1966 issue of Sea Spray magazine, the magazine described her as a twin screw diesel gentlemen’s motor yacht. Arohanui was built to comply with Marine Department survey requirements.
A brief overview – 50’ LOA – 13’6” beam – 3’5” draft, 3 double private cabins + 2 berths in saloon, 6’4” head-room. Powered by twin 300hp Iveco engines. Cruising speed – 15knts – Max – 20knts. And the most impressive Lithium battery power management system I have seen. Her inviting interior is aided by a central heating (diesel) system installed in 2017.
In 2015 she underwent an extensive refurbishment at Lees Boat Builders – view video below to experience the attention to detail and standard to work.A full list of her inventory and specifications is available to likely buyers. Private viewing by appointment only. Contact waitematawoodys@gmail.com
If you have a serious interest in Arohanui, I suggest to go onto trademe and enter the following criteria – boats, fibre-glass, twin inboard, 14>16meter – and review what one would pay for a white plastic floating apartment of a similar size and spec, then come back and take in Arohanui again – then be quick with your reply 😉
This 36’ bridge decker , named Salt Air, recently popped up om tme. We do not know a lot about her, other than she is powered by a 120hp Nissan LD28 6 cylinder diesel.
Keen to uncover more on her past – who built her and where she has been for the last 90 odd years – the build year is given as c.1930’s
Harold Kidd Input – I have a record of a LORRAINE at Okahu Bay in 1947 in a Lee Rail article with the comment “red cedar”(!). The first LORRAINE was lost on the bar at Tairua in 1923 with big loss of life. I also have a SALT AIR (or perhaps SALTAIRE) owned by Jack Phillips in 1955-7 bought from the Whau Creek.
Real Yacht Racing – check out the J-Class Shamrock V in amongst the whole J fleet.
Update 09-05-2021 – From new owner – Steve
“Well I took the plunge and purchased Salt Air . She is in pretty good nick, although there are many sessions with the sandpaper to come. I was told she was built by Bayley and Lowe and launched in the mid 1930’s.When the previous owners purchased her she was known as Muritia undergoing a refit at Te Atatu and they bought her understanding she had a faulty starter which turned out to be a completely ceased engine They were lucky enough to find a marine version of the LD28 Nissan which is a pearla. They met someone who knew knew her in a previous life then known as Salt Air when she regularly bought mussels over from the barrier. They liked the name and renamed her Salt Air.We had an interesting delivery journey to her new home in Whangarei. Left Te atatu at 6 am with a forecast 0-0.5m sea and 5-15 knots, dead calm as we left, at least 1.5 m swell with a breaking 1.0m + chop, a 25 to 35 knot SW breeze blowing the tops off the swells as we crossed Kawau Bay. My wife became well acquainted with the bucket. I found out why Salt Air survived 80+ years as she punched through at her most comfortable speed of 7.3 knots. Very impressed with her. Ended up running before it a bit in the interest domestic harmony and came around the sheltered back side of Kawau and spent the night in Bon Accord and finished the journey next day. I would love to know more about this beautiful old girl.”
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 14+ million views 