Category Archives: Launches

Turanga SOS

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TURANGA SOS


Currently on tme is Turanga – a project looking for a woody to step up and bring her back into the classic launch fleet. There is no mention of a designer / builder, but its thought that she splashed c.1920. Below the sheets of plywood that make up her cabin, is a very sweet kauri planked hull. She measures 36’, her beam is 8’6” and has a draft of 3’.Under the engine box is a 1974, Commer TS3, 135hp diesel engine that sees her cruising comfortably at 9.5 knts. and topping out at over 12knts. 


The photos above were taken approx. 5 years ago and the ones below are current. In a recent storm she suffered a wee oops in her berth, but nothing a good woody boat builder like Geoff Bagnall couldn’t fix.


Her auction closes Sunday at 8pm – its a $1 reserve and when I last looked she was sitting on just over $2,000 – someone will get an entry level woody for not a lot of money 🙂
(Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up)

28′ Coastal Cruiser

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28’ Coastal Cruiser
Recently American boat designer, Tad Roberts, posted the above design sketch on fb, Tad commented that she was a coastal cruiser in classic British Colombia style. In my eyes, just about perfect – a Gardner 3lx tucked under the pilot house sole and I’d be disappearing over the horizon 🙂 I had better keep buying Lotto.


I shared the sketch with Dean Wright, who shares my passion for converted workboats and Dean sent me the photo below that he took of the launch – Georgia, that has been in the Bay of Islands approx 5 years ago. A pretty boat.

Electra

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ELECTRA280

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ELECTRA
 
I was contacted yesterday by David Grogan whose grandfather, Ted (Edward Alfred) Grogan, who’s family lived in Ngunguru up near Whangarei, in 1919 Ted owned the motor launch, Electra in partnership with a Mr. P Wellington.
 
David had uncovered a Northern Advocate report about the arrival in Ngunguru of the vessel, in October 1919, She was described as having, “just arrived from Auckland…about 28 feet overall with a good beam and mast and sails. She is fitted throughout with every modern convenience”. From this brief description David commented that Electra does not sound like she was a working boat. She may have been converted into a pleasure craft, at that point however. David had done a WW search and found a suggestion from Harold Kidd that Electra may have been designed by C. Harrison Smith and built by Bailey & Tyre, at Hall’s Beach, Northcote.
Ted Grogan married in 1922 and its likely he sold his share in Electra, to help finance the family home back in Auckland.
 
I contacted Harold Kidd and he was able to confirm that Electra was designed by C. Harrison Smith and built by Bailey & Tyer at Hall’s Beach Northcote in December 1912 for G. Thorne George and D.M. Davis of Parnell. She was 30’ x 8’ and had a 10hp Djinn kerosene engine. Harold also supplied the above photos.
She was sold after a couple of years to a Mr Hogan who sold her to Whangarei ‘for fishing purposes’ in 1919, so it would appear that David’s grandfather took her north for fishing.
She disappears from the record in 1922, probably with a name change.
 
Is anyone able to enlighten us on what became of Electra post 1922? Harold commented that she looked almost square bilged, but she wasn’t. Hopefully her distinctive lines may have made her memorable.
 

Mystery B.O.I. Launches – WW Gear To Be Won

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Mystery 1

Mystery Launch #1

mystery 2

Mystery Launch #2

ID These Mystery B.O.I. Launches – Win WW Merchandise

Ok woodys, double banger competition today – we have two photos (by Tudor Collins) sent in by Nathan Herbert. All those that can correctly name the two launches, go into the draw for a WW T-shirt (s/s) and hat. Entries close at 8pm 18-08-2020.

ENTRY BY EMAIL ONLY to  waitematawoodys@gmail.com

WW Merch copy

Quest II

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QUEST II

Quest II was built by Miller and Tunnage in 1924, currently configured as a pleasure boat, her tme listing doesn’t tell us anything about her past life, so woodys today can we uncover what happened to her from 1924 until her conversion?
Home port is Whangarei.
What we know is that she is 40’ in length and powered by a 6 cyl. FD6T Nissan diesel.
A very salty looking woody.
Photos below sent in by Dean Wright that he took of Quest II back in 2012 when she lived in Opito Bay for a bit.
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Lake Taupo Launches At The Landing

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Lake Taupo Launches At The Landing
The above photo comes to us via NZ Vintage Postcard fb and is captioned – The Landing, Taupo and is possibly from the 1930>1940’s period.

A question for Paul Drake – is the boat ‘closest to the channel‘ your 1914 Bailey and Lowe launch – Romance  ? If so, that would date the photo post 1931.

Can we ID any of the other boats?

Input from Paul Drake – Yes the launch nearest the channel is ROMANCE, still at Taupo and owned by the Drake Brothers. She arrived ex Napier post 1931 earthquake as a flush decker, and had her cabin raised when acquired by Jack Taylor and put to work as a commercial boat, probably in 1932. The counter stern boat is KINGFISHER. Thomas Ryan ran the 60 foot steamer RMS TONGARIRO ( Bailey and Lowe 1899 and built at Taupo) until 1925. She eventually rotted away on the foreshore between the Boat Harbour and Acacia Bay – photo below at the Taupo Wharf, before the 2 storied cargo shed was built , so quite early on in the 1900’s.

Tongariro

Input from Nigel Drake – The boat between Romance and Kingfisher looks to be Waihora, about 23 feet in length and probably a Couthard built boat, (not to be confused with the Brin Wilson built Waihora). She was on the lake for a long period of time and ran for hire under local identity “Tabby” Tabernacle.
POHUTUKAWA 
Lock-down = less going out = more fires, so collected a load of firewood today, life is easy when there is an arborist in the family 🙂
While at his yard, I spotted this magnificent pile of Pohutukawa logs, the coffee cup is there to give you an indication of the size of the 12 logs . A huge tree came down in a recent storm, blocking a road so out with the big chainsaws. Not destined for firewood, I’m told a few coffee tables and bar tops.
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Bonny M

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BONNY M

Bonny M was designed / built by Morgan’s in 1964. Her specs are 29’6” x 9’6” x 3’.
The forward motion comes via a 2008 190hp Lombardini diesel engine that sees her cruise at a comfortable 10 knots.
Being a Marlborough Sounds vessel she is very well spec’ed in terms of fit out – her owner is obviously not a fan of varnish, thank god for that fuse box 🙂
Deep down she is a woody e.g. 20mm carvel planked kauri but there is a layer of that ‘modern’ wood and ’thick’ varnish (f/glass) 😉
4sale on tme. Nice lines, somewhat hidden under all that white paint, some styling she would look even smarter.

Tradition – A Peek Down Below

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TRADITION – A PEEK DOWN BELOW

Back in May I did a WW story on the 44’ 1990 Geoff Bagnall built, Bo Birdsail designed, spirit-of-tradition (excuse the pun) launch – Tradition, link below.
This was an amazing story and took the form of an interview between her original owners Rhys and Dick Boyd and a subsequent owner, Keith Busch. If you missed the story I would encourage you to read it, its a cracker + lots of photos.
Today, thanks to Ken Ricketts, we get to have a peek down below on this magnificent woody. Ken was aboard while she was berthed at Gulf Harbour marina.
These days Tradition is owned by Chris and Rae Collins – so she is in very good hands and well used – which we like 🙂

Mystery Clevedon Launch – Seaforth

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Mystery Clevedon Launch

MYSTERY CLEVEDON LAUNCH – SEAFORTH

While sliding up the the Wairoa River on Saturday, on route to the Clevedon Cruising Club, I spotted the above launch hauled out.
Her identity is really bugging me, I feel I should know who she is, but just can’t ID her.
Hopefully one of the CCC members will help us out or Mr Herbert 😉
Update – Nathan has come to the rescue – the launch is Seaforth – lots of photos and details at the WW link below

HELP NEEDED TRACING LAUNCH

Can anyone provide details on the whereabouts of the 40’ launch – Albatross III, built c.1960’s to a Harry Biddle design.
Previous locations are Auckland > Bay of Islands > possibly Nelson. Owned at one stage by Joe Bosanquet. Call sign was ZM4180

Rowena

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ROWENA

I have been contacted by Kelly Ellis seeking info on her previously owned launch Rowena. Kelly bought the 24’, carvel built launch in c.1997 and sold her in 2003.

Kelly commented that if she remembers correctly she was built c.1966 by Jim Cox.

During Kelly’s ownership she cruised extensively around the Northeast quadrant of the North Island.
Powered by a Perkins 4108 with a Paragon gearbox.
Anyone able to update us on what happened to Rowena after 2003?