Category Archives: Launches

Classic Wooden Boats – Bin Diving

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CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS – BIN DIVING

Yesterday I meet briefly with David Campbell-Morrison to receive a collection of boating books and magazines that David saved for the rubbish bin. The original owner of the collection was a Mr Thompson and most date from the early 1930’s to the mid 1940’s.
Some of the USA MotorBoating magazines are in very good condition and the covers are almost collectable art. Today cover is from the March 1935 issue.


Amongst the many items was a ‘photo’ (press clipping) album – the photo below is dated Dec 1931 and appeared in the NZ Herald. Can we ID the launch on the left of the photo?The caption reads “Stretching their sails in preparation for the official opening of the Yachting season today. Pleasure craft which made a pretty picture on the Auckland Harbour last week-end. The yachts are Matariki (N10) and Leveret (V5)

Rosemary – Leon Warne

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ROSEMARY – Leon Warne
The above photo of the launch Rosemary popped up on Lew Redwood’s fb – the caption read ’the Rosemary, Feb 1950 at the wharf, Otehei Bay, Bay of Islands. Seen here ‘bearing the pennants of a striped marlin and black marlin’.


A little research via the WW comments section, un-covered input from Harold Kidd and Ray Morey that matches the above launch – in summary, that she was designed / built by Leon Warne in 1920 at St Mary’s Bay, Auckland and was approx. 36’ in length. Rosemary was prominent in game fishing in the B.O.I. . All that seems to match today’s launch, so we now have a photo of Leon Warne’s Rosemary in the 1950’s. Photo below of her in the 1920’s running alongside Ozone, built by Collings & Bell in 1912.


View/read more on her early days here
https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/08/27/ozone-rosemary/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/12/29/rosemary-2/

Anyone able to enlighten us on what happened to her post this 1950 photo?

Classic Wooden Boats At Kawau Island

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Classic Wooden Boats At Kawau Island 

At Sundays Stillwater woodys picnic I was chatting to boat builder Greg Lees and he showed me the above photograph (in its frame) of Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island that a neighbour had given him. Interesting that for once the bay is almost bare of yachts – maybe they were off racing at the time.


Are we able to ID some of the launches? I have numbered the boats in the b/w photo below + included a couple of blow ups of the photo, which may help.

Levanter > Vinaka

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MYSTERY LAUNCH > LEVANTER > VINAKA
I think this ones going to be a goody – the two photos above were uncovered by Bill Brown in his families photo collection. Bill is my new ‘best friend’ – his family in the late 1960’s > early 1970’s owned my launch – Raindance. Then called Lady Gay. Bill sends me photos of her when he uncovers them – I like that 🙂

I can just make out the word – Whangarei, on the truck door.I suspect even Nathan Herbert will be scratching his head today 🙂 First one today that correctly names the boat (draw if more than one send in the correct answer) wins an Off Center Harbor cap. As always entry is only via email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com

30-09-2020 no winners – if we believe the caption on the rear of the photo (below) the boat is named – Levanter.

UPDATE 25-11-2021 Mark McLaughlin has advided – now named Vinaka

http://www.offcenterharbor.com

Classic Wooden Boat Picnic – 20 photos

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John Dory
Arohanui
Eileen Patrica
  • Kereru
John Dory
Lady Crossley
Centaurus

Classic Wooden Boat Picnic – 20 photos

Firstly I need to thank Predictwind for Saturdays forecast, 100% on the button, as usual. One woody at the picnic didn’t come by boat based on the forecast published in Saturdays NZ Herald newspaper……………….. I suspect they also believe the horoscopes in the same paper are factual.


The morning started off a tad eerie with a sea mist blanketing a lot of the sea area off the east coast – but this burned off late morning and we then enjoyed perfect weather. The NZH and coastguard weather forecasts saw the numbers of launches attending drop to 12 but great to see so many turning up by car. Also very fine to have 3 past CYA chairman in attendance – Steve Cranch, Rod Marler and Peter Mence.
The waterfront based Stillwater Motor Camp is an idyllic setting for a gathering of classic wooden boats – deep water wharf access to raft up to + a tree shaded lawn. After some interesting docking (too many dockside expects) we had the launches tied up and everyone then decamped to the lawn. Special thanks to Mark Edmonds (Monterey) for again coordinating the venue.
A lot of the group had not caught up since the CV-19 lock-downs so it was good to swap stories and boating plans for the upcoming summer.


There has always been good camaraderie on the water between boaties and its something that we foster at Woody Classics Weekends – proof of it in practice is seen below in the photo of Rod and Fiona aboard Arohanui taking Murray Deeble’s Waikiore under tow. Towed him all the way back to the entrance to Milford Creek, where another woody – Jason Prew had ventured out in rather unpleasant conditions to get Waikiore back on her Milford berth. Well done to everyone.

Message for Murray – “should have bought a Yamaha” 🙂

Next Woodys on the water event – November 8th – Riverhead Tavern Lunch Cruise

Daily Bread

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DAILY BREAD
Short and sharp story today, busy relaunch the boat and heading off to Stillwater for the Woodys Waterfront Picnic later today. 20 boats have RSVP’ed so should be a great day.


Paul Trevethick posted the above photo of the launch – Daily Bread on his fb and commented that the launch was seen here departing Portland Island* after dropping stores off at the lighthouse.
Do we know anymore about – Daily Bread, is she still around, name change, etc.

 
* Located off the southern tip of the Mahia Peninsula on the North Island – photos below

Kuri – A Peek Down Below

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KURI – A Peek Down Below
The 44’ Kuri has made a guest appearance on WW back late December 2015, WW link below. Now thanks to her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) we get to have a peek below.https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/12/30/kuri/


Kuri was designed by Herbert Levi and built in 1929 by WG Lowe, she has had an honest life as a workboat and now resides in Picton snd converted to pleasure boating / live-aboard. Powered by a 115hp Gardner 6L3, she is very well fitted out (as are most southern boats). Depending on her condition its a lot of boat for $83k

Pearl

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PEARL
I love the above photo of Pearl, its been my screen saver on my laptop for the last 2 weeks – and thats almost a record, normally changes daily 🙂 It has got everything – pretty looking boat, family, dog and a great catch.The photo comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb and is tagged ‘Stewart Island 1930-31’.
Anyone able to tell us more about this woody?


Fingers crossed for fine weather today, I have Raindance hauled out at The Slipway, Milford this week for its annual TLC, focusing on lots of little jobs. The intention this winter was a major repaint but CV-19 put paid to that, so its just lipstick and get out there and do some boating this season. 

WW Bucket Hat Winner Competition was Patrick O’Meara. As Nathan Herbert pointed out, people need to read the T&C’s 😉

Talisman

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TALISMAN

I have been contacted by Graeme Selby who is looking for any information on his late grandfather, Grahame Bush,  old launch the Talisman. When he owned the boat (from approx. 1980 > 2008) she was kept in the Tinopai marina in a mud birth. Talisman was sold around 2008 and Graeme believes is now moored in Port Albert.  Last photo shows Graeme as a youngster with his grandfather, Grahame.

Can anyone help? Steve Horsley – you might need to go for a walk 🙂

Mystery Launch 22-09-2020

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 22-09-2020
The above photo comes to us from the Andy Donovan collection via Chris Collins (RNZYS Historian). The vessel is a total blank to me, but given all the very distinctive features and her size, I’m sure someone will be able to enlighten us on her name and provenance.

The ‘train spotter’ that names the boat and ID’s the pennant correctly – wins a WW bucket hat – normal rules – enter by EMAIL ONLY and if more than one correct entry, we do a draw. Closes at 7pm 22-09-2020. Enter here waitematawoodys@gmail.com