Category Archives: Launches

Oranoa

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ORANOA

While mooching around the yard at Hobsonville Marina today I spotted the launch – Oranoa out for some TLC. We do not see her out and about much and WW only knows a little from her very early days.

Chris McMullen commented on a previous WW story that during the first few years of this apprenticeship to boat builder Morrie Palmer at 15 Clarence St Devonport, he worked under Morrie and Cal Crooks. As Chris said back then boat building was a competitive cut throat business. At the Devonport yard at least five major builds took place Cara Mia, Lady Ethel, Venture, Oranoa and the Stewart 34 Phoenician. All that, along with repair and insurance work all done, by three people (average) in just over two and a half years. Most owners finished their boat off but Oranoa was the exception and largely complete and later launched from Devonport wharf c.1962/63.

Oranoa was built for the Lineham family and as of 2015, was still owned by the family.
Can you learn a little more at Oranoa eg length, propulsion etc.

Also hauled was a nice selection of other woodys – see below.  Lady Ruby is a very salty looking motorsailer, the double-ender launch I think hails from Bayswater and has grazed WW before but her name alludes me. The sedan / flybridge launch I suspect has a few too many sheets of plywood for my eyes. The classic yacht waiting her turn to be relaunched ? – very pretty.

Saturdays Quiz – ID The Launch – No winners. And we still do not know the boat.

Milford Boat Yard – 1948 + Win A WW T-Shirt

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Milford Boat Yard – 1948

A little bit of a flash back today – in the above gallery we have a mixture of photos which show the yard in several stages e.g. the top two are of what might be a working bee at the club to build the slipway. And another showing the completed yard and ‘workers’ standing around. Not sure about the ‘paddock’ photo, maybe someone can enlighten us on a possible date for this.The photos come to use from the Parsonson family collection via Mitchell Hutchings and are dated 1948.

WIN A WW T-SHIRT

If you think you know the identity of the launch hauled out in the 3rd photo – email your answer to the address below and go in the draw to win a WW t-shirt. Entries close 8pm 20-11-21

waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Beachaven Mystery Launch

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Beachaven Mystery Launch

One of the woodys was mooching around Beachaven in the weekend, must have taken a wrong turn 😉 and spotted the above woody. From the condition of the boat and the cradle set up, I think we could safely assume she has been there a while.

Given the clandestine nature of the woodys visit, I cant ID them, their partner would not be impressed with another woody joining the fleet.

Anyone able to tell us more about the boat?

RIVERHEAD WOODY LAUNCH CRUISE 28-11-2021 POSTPONED – New Date tbc

Manurere – Work Boat Wednesday + WW Crew Gear 4sale

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MANURERE – Work Boat Wednesday

The 43’ Manurere was built by Miller and Tunnage in Port Chalmers and launched in 1937. She spent her working life cray and cod potting, exclusively in the Dunedin and Stewart Island areas. She is constructed in 1 and ½ inch kauri strip planking with spotted gum frames. Manurere has a 11’ 6″ beam and 5′ draft.

Based in Lyttleton, for the last 18 years, she has been extensively restored during that time. Powered by a 120hp Iveco Fiat. (thanks to Marcus Petraska for the tme listing heads up)


IF YOU ARE WANTING WW CREW GEAR B4 XMAS – ORDER NOW – LIMITED STOCK –  LINK TO ORDER https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/11/11/58095/

Ngawai

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NGAWAI

Today’s woody is the launch Ngawai and in the above photo we see her when owned by Jack Batty, out on the Waitemata Harbour. The photo comes to us ex the  Parsonson family collection via Mitchell Hutchings.Very light on details on the launch, so any input would be great.


Anyone Know The Owner & Location Of The Launch – EAGLE, (bad) photo below Contact waitematawoodys@waitematawoodys

Hami (Wanda II)

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HAMI (Wanda II) 

Today we get to take a gander at the stunning work that Tom Rundle has been undertaking on his classic launch – Hami, previously named Wanda II. Wanda II was built in 1948 by the Lane Motor Boat Company, and as launched she was 38’6”. Tom purchased Hami off Chris Horsey, brother of Steve Horsley of SY Ngatira fame. View photos from then at link below: https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/25/wanda-ii/

Under Tom’s watch Hami has had a major refurbishment with all the latest bells and whistles added, but very cleverly tucked away out of sight. Power comes from twin BMC Commodore 55hp diesel engines. You can view the early days of the project here:   https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/11/12/wanda-ii-refurbishment/

In Tom’s words “the exterior is fairly under control, its now back to teak comings and decks glassed. New hatches bar the original butterfly hatch which was saveable, and gradually changing out the old windows. Cockpit still to top coat and a few touch ups. Systems are on track- all new electrical, plumbing, steering and tankage. The interior is about 80%, still some lining and finishing, but usable for summer.”

Chatting with Tom he was very complementary to the help and guidance given to him by boat builder Geoff Bagnall and Curly Salthouse, Tom says he even followed some of the advice 🙂 The fold away dinghy davit is by Larry Randell of Randell Stainless and a work of art.

Tom has very high standards so I had to lean on him to get the above photos, once Hami is finished we will go back for a A > Z story on the project.

La Paloma

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LA PALOMA

Back in October 2019 Nathan Herbert shared with us the b/w photo above of the launch – La Paloma, at the time we were unable to uncover more about the launch.

Then as WW is so good at – we fast forward to earlier in the week and Alistair McRae owner of Lady Margaret (Happy Wander / Lady Mary) from Whangarei lets us know they had just hauled La Paloma out at the Port Whangarei Marine Centre yard. Alistair commented that La Paloma has been owned by Alan Scott for many years and kept in a boat shed at Kissing Point, Whangarei.

Would love to know more about the launch and when the obelisk was added.

Ozone

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OZONE

The above photo was sent in by Scott Taylor, son of the late Mac Taylor, a prominent marine broker based in Westhaven. The caption reads – H. Vipond, Silverdale, 32’ x 8’6”. Scott commented that it would most likely have been – Mr Vipond of Vipond Road, Stanmore Bay, Auckland.

In a WW story back in July 2016, Harold Kidd commented that Ozone was built by Percy McIntosh in Whangarei in 1914 for a Harold Vipond for the Auckland-Wade River trade. Then he took Ozone north to the Bay of Islands in 1925 or perhaps a tad earlier for game-fishing, which she was very successful at. Link below to the 2016 story

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/07/29/ozone/

In the photo above we see her before her helmsman ’turret’ and mast were added. Any guesses on the photo location – I’m always wrong, but my guess would be Whangaroa Harbour. (to confuse maters HDK advised that there were two launches named Ozone around the same time – the other was built by Collings & Bell and wrecked at Takatu in Jan 1930) 

I’m helping Scott re-purpose some woody goods – check out the photo below of the pair of pohutukawa knees, quite large but maybe a little thin for a big sailing woody but a nice launch………… 

Lyngrae > Equinox

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Lyngrae > Equinox

Last month thanks to a tme listing we got to have a peek-down-below on the launch 32’ Equinox (previously named Lyngrae) link to that WW story below. She was based on a Shipbuilders / Roy Steadman design and built by H. Sapwell- launched in 1964.https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/10/11/equinox-lyngrae-a-peek-down-below/

As a result of the WW story we were contacted by Richard Cullen, whose father, David Cullen owned the launch from the early 1970’s to early 2000’s. During this period she sent most of her time moored in Coromandel. Richard commented that the family spent many memorable holidays cruising the gulf from Coromandel to Gt Barrier Island, Waiheke Island, Kawau Island and the occasional trip up to the Bay of Islands. 
Richard relayed an interesting tale of a trip his father did in the 1980’s bring the launch from Coromandel all the way up the Waihou River to Te Aroha. On route up the river, she hit a snag and started taking on water – luckily she made it to the old Dairy Factory site where she was quick-smart hauled out. The haul out for hull repairs grew into a substantial refit.Subsequent trips up the river extended no further than the Maritime Park at Paeroa, where over the years she hauled for winter maintenance and also had another major refit that included extending the hull by 3’ and the addition of the portholes. The more ‘modern’ looking photos are at the Maritime Park in Paeroa. 

Richard commented that Lyngrae would be one of the few boats to have been both over and under the old Kopu Bridge.
Fingers crossed that the launch finds a good new owner, nudge, nudge  😉  😉

(L) As launched – (R) Today

Ngawini – R.I.P.

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NGAWINI – R.I.P.

The 1924 Lanes built launch Ngawini first popped up on WW back in March 2014 via tme listing, at the time I commented that she appeared to be aloof boat for the asking price ($20k).

Fast forward to January 2016 when Rod Marler spotted her anchored in Tryphena, Great Barrier Island. Link to those references https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/28/6596/

Fast forward again and I spotted Ngawini in May 2017 hauled onboard a salvage barge off Bayswater Marina. She appeared to have suffered significant damage to bow and underwater areas and had either sunk or partially sunk. The vessel was taken to the Waitakere Transfer Station (dump) and offered up as parts. Refer WW story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/05/30/ngawini/

Fast forward again and Jason Prew spotted Ngawini ‘repurposed’ as a land based hut at Te Arai, near Mangawhai. In the absence of a white knight stepping in to save her, this has to better than going into the land fill. She is in good company – scroll down to yesterdays story to see Ngawini’s flat mates.

2014


2016


2017