Laurence has owned Eastern Stars for 24 years. She was launched in 1968 & is 30′ long & currently powered by a 72hp Ford diesel (ex a 1979 Fordson truck motor), when launched she had a petrol engine. In 1988 the Ford motor was rebuilt.
Eastern Stars is carvel kauri planked & last painted (2 pot urethane) in 2011, at the same time her topsides were fiberglassed.
In recent years she has been the recipient of what we call a rolling restoration focusing on rewiring, new pumps, new fuel & water tanks.
Laurence is unsure of the designer/builder but has been told that she was one of 3 identical boats used on the Waitemata by a Mr. Brian Walden – anyone able to comment / confirm this ?
Eastern Stars is currently hauled out at Half Moon Bay hardstand & getting a face lift 🙂 the reason for this? – after 24 years its time for Laurence to move on, so Eastern Stars is offered for sale at a very reasonable price, making her an affordable entry point to the fastest growing boating segment – classic wooden launches.
The collection of photos above were taken 2 years ago while hauled out at Panmure Bridge. The photo below was taken at HMB marina, date unknown.
Eastern Stars can be viewed at HMB hardstand – contact Laurence to arrange a viewing & for more details. Her owner is open to sensible offers.
laurie@conchem.co.nz or 0274 978 874
Note: a swing mooring opposite PYBC ( Tamaki Estuary ) is available for purchase also. The shackles, chain, top rope were all replaced less than 3 years ago. Mooring features heavier gauges than normal on the bridle & 2x train –wheels.
UPDATE
I have done a wee google search on the name Brian Walden & discovered a very interesting character – see screen grab below that refers to his marine business – ‘Eastern Marina’ which included a charter business. Obviously where the launch got her name. If she was built for charter specs this is a bonus. The full story on Brian Walden can be read here.
Meola is one of those boats that no matter what angle you view her, she just looks right. Built in 1961 by Miller and Tunnage at Port Chalmers for the Ministry of Works. Her job was the servicing of Marine Dept. & Navy installations around Waitemata Harbour & the Hauraki Gulf. She is 42’6″ LOA with a 12’7″ beam. Her engine is a 4L3 Gardner that sees her comfortably cruise at 7.5>8 knots, using 1L of fuel per mile.
In 1976 she changed hands & was taken over by the NZ Navy.
When decommissioned by the Navy she was converted to a pleasure boat & is now a very salty launch capable of coastal cruising. Her current owner has recently rebuilt the wheelhouse, rewired her, installed new ‘plastic’ water tanks (700L). She carries 600L of fuel (s/s tanks).
Her galley & engine room have also been revamped. As you would expect she sports all the electronic & safety gear needed for coastal passages. Also installed are solar panels & 12v refrigeration to support the engine driven compressor frig / freezer.
Sleeping is a very comfortable 4 berths, being 2 forward bunks, a skippers Queen size bunk & a very cosy ‘winter’ bunk alongside the Gardner.
If you wonder why I’m being a little OTT with details, thats because her owner has decided that sail is really his thing & wants to see Meola move onto a good owner.
You would struggle to find a vessel better suited to either mooching around the gulf or coastal cruising to the Bay of Islands or Marlborough Sounds. Most of you have heard me rabbit on about the concept of the ‘floating bach’ – well Meola is a boat that fits that role perfectly & you could own her for less than a 1/4 the price of a bare coastal section. AND – she is a serious looker 🙂
If any woodys out there are looking for the perfect floating bach or know someone that is – contact Bram Cone at coneco@xtra.co.nz
There have been some amazing classic launch buys on trademe recently, all with no reserve, today’s ww post is a 30′ kauri carvel planked launch named Tiger, currently located in Hamilton, The listing claims she is a 1937 Collings & Bell. Now Harold Kidd has no record of a C&B named Tiger but says there was a Waikato speedboat called Tiger in the 1930s, not this boat of course, but possibly the same owner. She is powered with a 90hp engine, the make or condition is not mentioned in the listing.
Harold would have put her date of build at c1925 and her builder not C&B which were usually square-bilge.
Anyone able to supply more info on her?
If your interested, bidding closes at 8.44pm 16-09-2015.
UPDATE : My ww spy in the Waikato (Bruce Pullan – MV Ann Michelle ) visited Tiger today, photos below. Bruce reports good headroom (<6′) in the cabin. So come on guys, someone has to buy her, the bits alone are worth 10x the bidding 😉
ROBYN GAE video ex Martin Turnwald, details ex Martin T & Harold Kidd, photo ex PapersPast ex Nathan Herbert
The video clip above is a little scratchy but features some good footage of the classic woody, Robyn-Gae, owned by Martin’s father, John Turnwald. There is even a cameo apperance of the 1919 Joe Slattery launch Raiona (at 1:30).
Robyn Gae started life as Water Gipsy & was launched in October 1934 for C. Miller by Cox & Filmer (Speedcraft Boat Co) with dimensions 32ft x 8ft 6in. She was a slightly extended version of a 30 footer built by Cox & Filmer for a Mr. Martin. Miller used Water Gipsy for a while and then she “disappears for a while. Ted Valintine bought her in 1937, renamed her Connie V after Mrs. V, had her lengthened to her final dimension of 38ft, with the provision of a cockpit, coaming and dodger over. The work was undoubtedly done by Lanes who also fitted her with a 6 cyl Chrysler Crown petrol engine in September 1939. That was after the Kawau petrol fire in January 1939 when Valintine scuttled her by chopping a hole in her hull, saving the boat (photos below). Valentine sold her to E.M. Henry & the Lambourne family bought her from Henry in 1939. She remained in the Lambourne family until 1956 or so but Lambourne obligingly changed her name to Robyn Gae on 14/11/49 at the time Lanes launched the second Connie V for Valintine.
She is registered as a “Her Majesty’s Ship” in London.
The Chrysler Crown engine was replaced later by a Commer TS3 two-stroke diesel . The bridge roof was raised about 20 centimeters way back in about 1979 Martin thinks, because a stroll on the bridge always ended with a ding in one’s head . The beams were just that little bit too low and the bridge deck floor had to be raised a bit to accommodate the new engine.
The Commer has since been replaced by a Perkins & with this engine Robyn Gae is able to achieve a true 9.6 knots running a 5 blade prop.
Robyn Gae is for sale – for details contact Martin Turnwald at mturnwald@bluewin.ch
Thetis (Greek for Sea Nymph) was launched in Dunedin on the 31st August 1929. She was built by Mr J McPherson boat builder of Dunedin for Mr Charles Sundstrum.
Thetis was designed by renown naval architect Mr William H Hand Jnr of New Bedford USA. William ‘Bill’ Hand was the originator of the V-bottom hull type per Thetis. In addition Hand was an early pioneer of the motor-sailor type. Thetis was designed as a fast day cruiser.
She is 35’1” in length with 8’1” beam, 2’9” draft and a total height of 6’9”. She is a British Registered ship dated 16th August 1929. The official number is 127819. Her registered tonnage is 4.68 with a Gross Tonnage of 7.57.
Thetis was originally powered by a Chrysler Imperial 6 cylinder petrol engine producing 160hp at 2800rpm. Later she was re-powered by a Chrysler Royal engine with 140hp. With a Ford diesel in between she was subsequently re-powered in 2003 with a Mercedes Benz 5 cylinder diesel engine. That motor is to be replaced now. Documents show Thetis was originally good for 18 knots. A bigger engine was installed around the war years and its said she has seen 26+ knots. In current configuration she’s more like 12-13 knots.
Construction is of kauri hull planking and Kowhai frames with teak decks. The cabin was subsequently modified and enclosed by Magnus Smith of Lyttelton, Luke believes the work was done for Bruce Stewart of Pigeon Bay.
Known Owners
Charles W Sundstrum 1929-37
Bruce F Stewart (later Sir Bruce) 1937-50
William Carey 1950-54
Clarey Beaumont 1954-57
Des Sinclair 1957-67
Laurie Wales 1967-1997?
David Martin 1997-2006
Brendon Leech 2006-2014
Glenn Tod 2014-2015
Luke Richardson 2015-
Known History
Dunedin to late 1930’s
Pigeon Bay for some 20 years
War Service – she was commandeered by the NZ Navy Naval Auxilliary Patrol Service (NAPS) in WWII and used as a coastal patrol boat. She commenced service 9th May 1942 and was relieved of duty 23rd February 1944 when the NAPS formally disbanded. She was assigned the pennant number Z125 and served in the unit based in Lyttelton. The owner at that time was B.F. Stewart.
Luke purchased her in July 2015 and she is now hauled out of the water for some long overdue TLC. A period of neglect following the Christchurch earthquakes meant she was long overdue for some maintenance. Luke would love to know more about any of the owners over the years and any of her history not covered above.
To view more photos & to follow the work, Thetis has a facebook page – Friends of Thetis
See below an article on Thetis’s launch from the Australasian Motorboat & Yachting Monthly from October 1929. Its a good read 😉
Harold Kidd Input
Charles William Sundstrum was a Dunedin dentist who was a key figure in Dunedin yachting circles for many years. His first launch was the 31ft clinker double-ender VALMAI of 1910 which had a Dunedin-built 5hp Viking engine. He raced her with the Otago Yacht Club including one of their Ocean races to Timaru. He replaced VALMAI in 1913 with the 40 footer NORANA designed by Joseph Gillanders and built by Miller Bros at Port Chalmers. She had a 16-18hp Jersey Standard marine engine and was a handsome craft. He sold her to Arthur Brett of Auckland in 1927. During WW2 she was taken over by the RNZAF and sent to Fiji for towing work. THETIS was NORANA’s replacement. Photo of Norana below.
13-05-2017 – Additional Photos ex trademe (Ian McDonald nudge)
Lady Mary is currently listed on trademe & unless the owner updates the listing, will remain there a while i.e. almost zero details on the boat. So woodys who built her & when?
What we do know is she is 22’9″ long with a kauri carvel planked hull. Currently powered by a 30hp Volvo Penta diesel. At approx. 23′ you wouldn’t want too many people up top 🙂
The cradle she is hauled out on is familiar to me – its at Geoff Bagnall’s Milford yard, Raindance has spent time in that cradle 😉
While the exact details of who designed & built today’s launch Swanee are unclear, she is rather unique in that she has remained in that same family for over 50 years. Built from kauri she is 33′ long with 8’9″ beam & 2’8″ draft, currently powered by a 60hp Ford diesel.
You can see from the photos that she is very well appointed with everything one needs for comfortable cruising – electric flush toilet, freezer/frig, electric capstan & all the safety gear.
Over their period of ownership the Weber have ensured Swanee remained in great condition with a major 2 year out-of-water refit in 1970 that saw her re-ribbed with pohutukawa (you could back then 🙂 ) & new topsides. In 2004/5 her topsides were glassed & 2 pot painted & she was rewired.
Owner Ralph understands, from his mother, that she was built c.1920 in Auckland for Sanfords. Then later sold to the McLeod family of Helensville. Then she went to Dargaville and then owned by Matich Bros and later by Dr Maurice Matich. The Weber family, Ken & June, bought Swanee in 1961 and now ownership is with their son Ralph Weber of Matakohe. Currently moored at Pahi.
Ralph commented that Harold Kidd had previously mentioned that she may possibly have been the – ‘Sister Lola’ & built by Bailey & Lowe, if so she ‘raced’ with the Ponsonby Cruising Club.
Ralph sent ww photos of Swanee over a year ago & contacted me recently to say that unfortunately life has moved on & the family have had to make the difficult decision to sell Swanee after 50+ years of ownership, so today’s post has a degree of sadness but could offer a lot of happiness to someone looking to buy a classic launch. For a 33′ launch, Swanee is a lot of boat, you can see in the photos that there is no shortage of living area & she comfortably sleeps 5. After 50 years you end up nothing what works best & where on a boat 😉
Boat aesthetics is a very personal thing & with some people practicality is #1, but if I was buying her I would be off to see a good sympathetic wooden boat builder like Geoff Bagnall & returning her cabin windows to a style a little more in keeping with a 1920’s classic. People forget that these old girls are wood & the cost of a wee bit of restoration like this would not be great. After all there is little else that needs doing to her.
She sports rather a racy (flat aft) bottom so with a bigger motor I would imagine she would perform very well.
So woodys – can we find a buyer for Swanee or know something that is looking for a classic wooden launch? Being based currently at Pahi she does present some interesting scenarios e.g. you could keep her there for a few seasons & have a floating family bach. A group of guys could get together & buy a good fishing / man bach on the Kaipara. Or simple put her on a truck & return her to the Waitemata.
Now I do not normally like to talk money in ww posts but the overall 2nd hand boating market is just so soft that when I think something is great value, I will – well woodys someone could own Swanee for less than $30K. , that is real value, you could not build a garage for that.
If you or anyone you know could be interested – contact Ralph, initially via email on weber.bros@xtra.co.nz
Also interested in any info /photos on her past.
Harold Kidd Input
SWANEE was certainly built as SISTER LOLA pre-October 1920, possibly by Harvey or DIck Lang. I don’t know where the Bailey & Lowe reference came in, although Bailey & Tyer did build a 33 footer (unusual dimension) just pre WW1. Lang too had built a 33 footer in 1916 and just could have used those moulds. I can’t find a direct report of her owner as SISTER LOLA but am pretty sure she’s the boat reported in the Auckland Star of 28th August 1920. If so, her hull was built professionally and she was finished off by her first owners Pavitt brothers and Verran at Bayswater. There again the Verrans were Northcote people and Bailey & Tyer were at Hall’s Beach, Northcote Point. She was sold to Arthur Sandford of Vine St., Ponsonby in late 1922, early 1923. He changed her name to SWANEE probably after the Al Jolson song “Swanee”. Sandford was, for a time, a professional Vaudeville artist and no doubt sang that song on stage. She had a 6 cylinder Studebaker car engine in 1925. Sandford sold her to Alfred McLeod some time between 1934 and 1939. McLeod joined the Squadron with her in 1939. She then had a 30hp Hercules engine which he replaced with a 100hp Meadows ohv 6 in 1947/8 (probably a war-surplus engine). The rest of her history on the Kaipara is well-known. There’s a big dose of conjecture in the above. I’ll check with the Verran family.
Update 30-08-2015
B/W photo added above ex Ian Miller whose wife Rosalind’s late father, Doug Hazard, crewed on Swanee in the 1930’s
Update 06-03-2023 – photo below ex Kauri museum, Matakohe via Diane Wilkinson fb
Leisure Hour – Sailing Sunday photos ex John Wicks
Today’s boat is the 1937 Jimmy Reid built Leisure Hour, currently owned by John Wright & has just undergone one of John’s legendary make-overs. But to quote John Wicks, John W has discovered that sailing isn’t his thing & will remain faithful to his classic launch Jeunesse, so Leisure Hour is for sale. A great opportunity for someone wanting a rather nice little historic keeler.
I’m ‘borrowing’ below some info from an article Harold Kidd & Robin Elliott published on the Reid family & their boats, it appeared way back in 2001 in Boat NZ.
Jimmy Reid started building the 32′ Leisure Hour, his first keel boat, in 1936 & launched her in 1937. Its assumed his father (James Sr.) helped with the design. She was a beamy (9′) ketch & was registered as C41, that later changed to D14. Jimmy did some occasional cruising/racing with Akarana & rarely missed an Anniversary Regatta. He sold her in 1945 & back in 2001 she was moored in the Milford Creek.
So folks – can we fill in some of the holes in her past?
A Question – Neil Chalmers wondered if the building of ‘Leisure Hour’ was inspired by the famous ‘Idle Hour’ sailed by the American Dwight Long . ‘ Idle Hour’ visited Auckland in 1935 during a circumnavigation. The ‘Leisure Hour’ appears to be a similar type to ‘Idle Hour’. Neil dug out his copy of Dwight Long’s ‘Sailing all the seas in Idle Hour’ . His first stop in NZ was at Shakespeare Bay , Whangaparoa , he mentions seeing Mr Shakespeare’s yacht – could it be the CYA ‘Frances’.
Photo below of Idle Hour at Moturekereka.
03-08-2015 Input from Shamus Fairhall
I know Leisure Hour was owned by the Les and Jan Parkinson at some stage in the 1980s. Les brought her in a poor state and put considerable time in to making her sparkle again. Les and Jan were also the owners of our 1936 launch Sequoia in the late 1960s. Sadly Les is now deceased but he was always famous for his restoration skills with old Jags and military jeeps etc through his business Parky Jags. Photo below of Leisure Hour during his ownership and i will pass a link on to Jan as she may well have some detail to add.
Built in Picton in 1923 by Ernie Lane, 28’ long & powered by a Volvo MD3B diesel engine. She has been for sale on trademe at around $17,000; at that price she would make a nice entry-level launch to get in to the classic wooden boating scene.
She is currently set up as a day boat for the Sounds but the forward cabin could easily be converted back to a double berth.
Any woodys able to expand of Kotuku’s past?
Todays bonus viewing ex Baden Pascoe is a link to photos from the recent ‘Thames Traditional Boat Rally’ – clink to view
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