












Could This Be Zephyr


30-04-2020 The Continuing Story Of Zephyr
“The completion of Zephyr was delayed until after WWII, as the government was going to commandeer her as a patrol boat. She was originally powered by a single 165Hp ChrisCraft marine petrol engine, taken from a twin engine WWII landing craft. Not sure if the HP is correct, had a look and could have been a K series or Hercules series engine?
Mum said the original engine was under the floor, but the new engine had an engine cover built which took up space in the cockpit. She was re-powered with a Lee’s marine diesel (Ford)
She sank at her mooring in Awaawaroa Bay late 1970’s or early 1980’s, due to an engine intake valve being left open. She may have sat floating at the mooring for several years after that as I remember her being beached at Pipitewai Bay and sacks of mussels being removed from the hull,This may have been around the time she was sold on.
We used to visit the family farm at Awaawaroa Bay, board Zephyr at Maraetai Wharf and sit on the bow with our groceries for the trip over the Tamaki Strait, we did this a few times for school holidays and Christmas. Must have been pre 1981.
My mother and family did a lot of trips on Zephyr all around the Hauraki Gulf and out to Great Barrier Island in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Many stories of fishing and visiting islands and meeting up with other boaties.”

Dec’ 1965

1970’s
31-08-2020 Update ex Logan Bergs
Logan sent in the locker panel below from the launch Zephyr, during the weekend he by chance flipped the lid over and found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel Whilst doing a bit of work on the weekend on Zephyr or Belinda lee as she was called when I acquired her I found a list of her previous names on the back of a panel. When Logan bought the boat it was called Belinda Lee but he has reverted to the original name (Zephyr). Barry was unaware that there had been 2 other names – ‘Lady J’ and ‘True Love’.So woodys – does the addition of these names jog and memories?


A Mystery Launch – Arcturus






Australian woody – Andrew Christie sent me details on this 34’ 1900 Logan launch he spotted for sale in NZ.

Steamboat Alice
If we believe her trade listing (thanks Ian McDonald) the 26’ steamboat Alice was built in 1879. Between 1991 and 2000 she underwent a total rebuild in Taupo, where she still resides.
In private use now, she once was in survey, doing tours of Lake Taupo.
Her current zoom zoom is via ‘hybrid’ set-up i.e. a combination of steam (25hp) and electric. The boiler is wood fired and I can just imagine the wonderful smell of ti tree burning as you cruised the lake – in my eyes a low cost floating bach at the lake 🙂
A Woody Tour of the Tamaki River – 70 photos
“Thought it was about time I got a few photos on the Tamaki River boats before they disappear, (and they are going fast by the look of some). There are only a fraction of the numbers of wooden boats that were moored there in the 1960s and 1970s and as I previously mentioned, living on the waterfront at Bucklands Beach for around 25yrs I had seen most of them go by (was like Queen St on Friday nights most summer weekends) I did 2 trips down from Orewa and took pics from Panmure Boat Club and up to and under the new Panmure Bridge, end of Gabadore Pl (off Carbine Rd), the old Panmure Marina, (going with many houses from Panmure to Pakuranga Town centre, to make way for new highway widening), along the Tamaki River walkway for about 4km (Rotary Walk,- starts at the old Panmure Marina and goes all the way to Gills Rd in Howick, for those who like walking), Half Moon Bay and Bucklands Beach.
I also went down to the 1960s site of the private ex RNZAF W1 haul-out ramp below the old Alright property (well covered in bush now and a near vertical climb down a 30ft bank), – lost a bit of blood but well worth it for me, as I last stood on that spot 50yrs ago when we sneaked on board W1 to have a look around while she was up there. Original ramp and haul-out dolly is still there (see pics) although time has taken its toll. I’m amazed, looking at the crude set-up today, how Mr Alright got a 64ft boat weighing many tons, sitting on rubber tyred dollies (which ran in grooved concrete) lined up and hauled out with a winch and by the looks of it, the large tree in line with the ramp, not to mention getting it back out again (I’m assuming he must have winched it back out somehow). Massive effort not only to build the ramp on mud, (all by hand, no concrete pumping trucks) but to be able to use it.
Hope these photos are of interest to people who may be able to identify some of the mystery boats (especially the light blue launch with the chrome ventilators and light, (looks ex RNZAF ?). The yacht hidden near the big boatshed is around 45ft looks very old and has been there for many years, as has poor old Imatra, a once grand yacht which is in a very sad state and in urgent need of care (must have been there 30 yrs odd now). I have included a few other launches and yachts to show the sad state of many good looking (and once expensive) boats on the river crying out for attention, but I guess many people have other priorities and sadly their dreams are just floating slowly into oblivion. It’s pretty hard to get rid of a rusty rotten hulk, so there they will stay till it’s “business time” (flight of the Conchords) for the 20 ton digger.
I may have some of the boats names wrong as I was using a telephoto lens for most of the pics and with enhancing colour, contrast etc was as near as I could get. I’m sure someone will correct any if wrong.”

https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/01/07/mystery-launch-070114/
Harold Kidd Input – I think we’ve been through all this before, complete with the false Colin Wild connection. I think she is pure Deacon. The APYMBA registration in 1958 when first owned by John Senior said she was built by L. Deacon in 1955 with no attribution of designer. She’s more Sam Ford than Colin Wild for a start. I knew John Senior very well. If Wild had been the designer John would have ensured that was in her APYMBA spec.
The German song “Happy Wanderer” was a hit in 1954. It was a jolly hiking song but pretty cringeworthy for musicians like me who had to play it at dances over and over again. I later bought a DH94 Moth Minor called “Happy Wanderer” and had considerable pleasure in painting the name out and reverting to plain ZK-AKM.
A Woody House
My mate John Burland sent me the photos below of this house in Island Bay, Wellington. Check out that view 🙂

