Category Archives: Launches

Ruamano RIP

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RUAMANO RIP

In the bundle of prints I received from Bryce Strong were the above photos of the 1925 Collings & Bell built launch – Ruamano. Sadly she was abandoned in 2000 off the West Coast of the North Island. I have not come across many colour photos of her, so published these to showcase what a fine ship she was.
Reading reports of the incident she might have been saved, it would appear that her crew were a little too hasty in climbing off her. You can read more about the incident in the first WW story link below.
 
Given the passage of time, maybe someone would like to tell us more about how she came to be abandoned.
 
 
 
 
17-07-2020 Input below from Tim Hanna
 
As I understand it the crew were in fact business associates of the owner and skipper. Supposedly they had to be in certain places at certain times to fit their business schedules and this played a part in putting pressure on to go round the top and head south in a marginal weather break. Deteriorating conditions forced the boat to head south west – out to sea – and a vicious cross sea developed. The skipper was handing his boat well and the boat was handing the conditions well but nobody else was. I believe there was no one fit to relieve the skipper on the helm and he eventually became completely exhausted. In the mean time the demands to abandon the ship became increasingly insistent and so the call was put out. Ironically all the busy chaps then had to sail off to Korea on the logging ship that took them off. The abandoning of the boat was extremely hazardous and it was apparently a wonder that nobody was injured. The boat’s brand new engines were running perfectly and the only damage was caused by running alongside the freighter. I believe a fishing boat spotted her some time later but she was by then swamped and no attempt was made to salvage her.Its a sad story and I feel for her owner as he had done an outstanding job restoring her to absolutely tip top condition.
 
08-09-2020 Update
Brian Fulton (MV Silens) sent in the photos below of Ruamano that were given to him by John Griffiths. John’s father owned her for approx. 18 years (dates unknown). They used her to get from Jack & Jill Bay to their house at Hauai Bay, on the Rawhiti Peninsula in the Bay of Islands. In the days before roads we put in.

Waikere

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WAIKERE

Today’s woody comes to us from Bryce Strong’s photo collection – another CV-19 clean out bonus.
Above we have the launch Waikere, an unknown to me, so keen to uncover her past and whether she is still around today.
The top photo is dated Easter 1988. The bottom photo lists the location as Ponui Island, and is dated March 1989.  This photo comes with an added bonus – the woodys in the photo are (L>R) Lady Margaret (1940 Dick Lang), Altair and Waikere – the bonus is that I have never seen a colour photo of Altair with varnished coamings and pre the ‘block of flats’ she now carries (current photo below).
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Input from Jeff Norris – Waikere belonged to my brother Dave Norris back then he used to keep it up the Clevedon river on a private marina along side Altair and a another boat called Apacha. He told me she was 32’ and built by Shipbuilders with a carvel hull and powered by a 100hp Ford

Lake Manapouri – Manurere

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LAKE MANAPOURI  – MANURERE

Today’s woody is seen in the Western Arm of Safe Cove, Lake Manapouri, Southland. Photos ex Lew Redwood fb (Hocken).
On fb Daniel Hickes commented that the vessel maybe the Govt. steamer – Manurere., powered by a 1901 quadruple expansion steam engine, built by Simpson Strickland and Co. of Dartmouth, England.
Rather a smart clinker alongside 😉
Harold Kidd Input – MANURERE was only 40ft long. Built by Bailey & Lowe in Auckland in 1905, shipped to Bluff, railed to Mossburn and taken over to Manapouri by wagon drawn by a steam traction engine. She had a Thornycroft high-pressure boiler and Simpson Strickland “patent quadruple engines”. She was in service by February 1906. A neat little steamer.
Some Trivia
Ever wondered where the term ‘hang-over’ came from.
Seems its origin is related to woody boating – back in Victorian England, the cheapest (lowest) form of accommodation was access to bend over a rope for the night at the price of a penny. Usually used by drunken sailors who had spent all their money drinking.
I have always wondered how all the crew on the CYA’s A-Class gaffers managed to sleep 🙂
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Marne (Marie)

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MARNE (Marie)
Today’s woody popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb, the photo is tagged Waitangi River, Bay of Islands and dated 07-01-1924. Those with 20/20 vision will note her bow displays the name Marie, but Harold Kidd has advised that when launched by Collings & Bell in 1919 she was named Marne.
She made a brief appearance on WW back in August 2013. Link below
Do we know any more about her?
Harold Kidd Input – She was built by Collings &Bell in 1919 as MARNE (although God knows why anyone who had been there would name a boat after that French battleground) for J Goodwill. No details of first engine but probably a Doman. That was replaced with a 4 cylinder (Doman?) when J Parker bought her in 1921. In Parker’s ownership she became MARIE and was fitted with a 40hp Fay & Bowen in 1923. The name MARNE stuck however through later owners. She was pretty well set-up and was valued at 675 pounds, a colossal amount at the time.
Alex Stewart bought her in the 1930s and called her MARGARET S.
see

1985 Chas Bailey Gaffer – Ida – Invitation To View

Our greatest champion of classic wooden boating – John Street, has asked that I pass on an open invitation to all woody lovers to attend the official ‘christening’ of Ida, the 1895 Chas Bailey designed gaffer. The occasion will held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on Sunday 19th July between 4 and 6pm.
The location provides a perfect platform to get up close to Ida and view the outstanding restoration by Wayne Olsen and the team at Horizon Yachts.
Ida is the latest addition to the majestic fleet of classic wooden craft under the guardianship of The Classic Yacht Charitable Trust.
Ida Invite
Woody Classics Weekend Clevedon #2 copy
RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Woody Lake Taupo Boat Tour + Woody Event Details

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WOODY LAKE TAUPO BOAT TOUR + WOODY EVENT DETAILS
One of WW’s most local supporters is Bay of Islands woody, Dean Wright – today Dean takes us on a recent mooch around Lake Taupo’s shoreline, click photos to enlarge –  Enjoy 🙂
WAIROA RIVER – WOODY OVERNIGHT CRUISE
Back in November 2019 we had an amazing woody weekend at the Clevedon Cruising Club. At the time everyone expressed a desire to repeat the trip up the Wairoa River asap, then CV-19 popped up, so we pulled the hand-brake.
Well folks the cruise is back on and for now there are two things to do:
1. Circle August 8-9 in the diary
The CCC is a brilliant venue, with dock-side berthing, undercover BBQ / dining facilities and a great group of members that make the trip so special.
And its dog friendly ! – so fido gets to come along.
Woody Classics Weekend Clevedon #2 copy

Foam

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FOAM
As a result of a wee mishap at the Greymouth wharf, the kauri clinker, double ender ex work boat Foam is offered for sale.
Her tme listing states that she is over 100 years old and its thought she may have been built at Bruce Bay, South Westland on the South Island west coat..
Used as a flax tug towing logs out to ships. She is a tad over 27’ in length and has been submerged.
The listing says the 37hp 3 cyl. Perkins will go again and she needs a few new planks, but what a honey. Track down a small Gardner, redo the cabin and you would have a great woody.
Sadly being currently on the hard in Greymouth, will be a hinderance to her survival.
Foam made a brief appearance on WW back in 2017 – link below

Mistletoe

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MISTLETOE
The photos above of Mistletoe were taken by Dean Wright back in 2007 at the Whangaroa Game Fishing Club competition. She certainly is a salty old girl.
Anyone able to tell us more about her and where she is today?
We also see Little Hinemoa and the yacht Puff.
Garcon – Cute Work Boat
The photo below, ex WoodenBoat fb, is proof that with a good eye and a little love even a 2020 built 21’ work boat can be pleasing to the eye. Built by Doug Cooper at Eldred Cooper Boats in Falmouth, Massachusetts, she is strip-planked cedar on oak – very smart 🙂
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Pirate (Karo)

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Pirate (Karo)

PIRATE (Karo)
 

The owner of Pirate, Bryce Armstrong, sent in the above photo of the 32’  Bob Swanson built launch. She was launched in 1977 and was the last launch Swanson built. The original owner in Picton finished the topsides

When launched she was named Karo and her hull is 1” kauri.
That woodys is all Bryce knows about the launch and he would love to find out more. 
Any Southern woodys able to help out?

Lady Jane

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LADY JANE
The 32’10” Lady Jane was built in 1930, her builder is unknown, a previous owner believed it was built by Lidgards at Kawau Island but others have suggested Sam Ford. The black and white photo above is dated 1948.
Engine is a Ford 80hp diesel and LJ over the last 9 years has undergone a ‘rolling-restoration’ to see her in the condition she is presented in, on her tme listing.
I’m not sure which of the cabin window configuration I prefer – the x3 TV monitors eg  or the x3 ‘eyebrow’ version on the b/w photo.
FYI – there have several Lady Jane launches on WW, seems she was a popular lady 🙂
Would be nice if we could confirm the design / builder?
Harold Kidd Input – The LADY JANE in the black & white photo is clearly a built-up flush-decker of the period 1910-15. The arch-topped side windows are a dead giveaway. Sam Ford was at school at the time.

Llandallah

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LLANDALLAH

The above photo popped up yesterday on Lew Redwood’s fb and its just such a great photo it shot to the front of the ‘upcoming WW stories’ list.
The photo is ‘credited to a Deb Green and is captioned ‘ 1948 Whangarei Harbour’.
Harold Kidd has commented that he believes she is now based on the Kaipara Harbour, and had a name change c.1948, and wonders, as we do, what she was built as?
A google search comes up with a launch named Llandallah owned by a Ivan Laurence Covacich, a press clipping is titled ‘Another Launch For Whangarei Fishing’ – so this may support Harold Kidd’s reference to the launch and another boat named Sceptre in a Boating NZ Nov 2019 article on the Swales family.
I couldn’t read the Covacich related article (added below – ex HDK) as it was on Ancestory.com and signing into that is like giving the CIA full access to your digital footprint 🙂 Maybe an existing member can view it and advise if there is any further reference that might help ID the boat/s.
So woodys – any input as to her provenance ?
Harold Kidd Input – I had quite forgotten my own Boating NZ articles on the Swales family when I postulated that LLANDALLAH was SCEPTRE. “I Covacich” owned SCEPTRE at Whangarei in 1949 according to the APYMBA records. So it’s more than probable that LLANDALLAH was SCEPTRE, renamed by Ivan Covacich when he bought her from the Bay of Islands in 1948. If that’s what happened, then,
1. SCEPTRE/LLANDALLAH was built by the Swales brothers in 1913 (possibly at David Gouk’s yard in Freeman’s Bay) not by Dick Lang although she is of the wholesome type that Dick built.
2. The Swales sold her to the Mason brothers in Whangarei in 1924. They probably re-engined her in the 30s with the St. Lawrence (VALERIE had one from new)
3. Ivan Covacich bought her from the Bay in 1948 and renamed her. But why did a man of proud Croatian ancestry give her such a name which is not even Welsh???
4. One problem with all this is that the 1948 Northern Advocate piece says LLANDALLAH is 32ft when SCEPTRE was 38ft. Journalistic slip?
Input from Lew Redwood – press clipping below from the 26 October 1949 edition of the Northern Advocate.
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Input from Chris McMullen 

Chris’s eye eye has reminded me of a ‘Mystery Launch’ photo we had once on WW, it showed a launch with a Lug sail (see below). At the time Chris printed it off at as he thought of fitting a Lug sail to Wirihana.  Reading the newspaper story on Llandallah Chris picked up on the large lug sail, he thought that was unusual for a launch and went back through his files. After reviewing the older WW photo Chris believes this is the same launch prior to having the raised cabin added. Lugsail drawing nicely. The portholes and sheer line the same. 
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More Input from Lew Redwood
The article below ex the Northern Advocate 9th November 1949 – again listed Liandallah as being 32’ and the 2nd article that shows Sceptre (licensed to carry 40 passengers) in Whangarei 31 Dec 1949. This all backs up Harolds view (below) that they are two different vessels 🙂 
 
01-07-2020 Harold KiddInput Just to take the cat away from the pigeons, I’ve satisfied myself that LLANDALLAH is NOT SCEPTRE. Not only is she too small (32ft v 40ft) but also SCEPTRE was still operating as a commercial vessel in Whangarei in December 1949, weeks after LLANDALLAH had been trucked to Dargaville.
Watch this space…..or maybe not?