Category Archives: Launches

Lady Joan

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A Sad End to Lady Joan
Lady Joan has appeared on WW before (link below + photo at end of story), at the time it was hoped that she would be restored, unfortunately that didn’t happen & now she is looking like be a scrapped for parts. Thanks to T Foh who spotted her tucked away on trademe in the motors/boots-marine/parts-accessories/other section. How was anyone ever going to find her there 🙂
There is a lot of chat on the previous WW story as to her possible provenance, read & you decide.
So Woodys, if you are looking for some low cost fitting, check out the trademe listing

https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/09/29/lady-joan/

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Lady Joan below in WWII livery. Photo ex Ken Ricketts
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Make Sure You Check In On Monday – 2 Lovely Ladies Dip Their Toes In The Brinny

A tease below – from Friday night at Milford Cruising Club slip, before I got distracted in Geoff Bagnall’s ‘lunch’ room 😉

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Cruise To The Riverhead Hotel

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CRUISE TO THE RIVERHEAD HOTEL
If you have not visited the Riverhead Hotel by water, its time you did. The Classic Yacht Association (CYA) has an afternoon cruise to the pub next Sunday (18th). These events are a lot of fun – we head up the river / creek on mass & anchor / raft-up before going ashore for a drink & a catch-up. If you have concerns about the route, just follow the boat in front of you & anchor with the others. There will be plenty of ‘old-hands’ to show you the ropes.
High tide is 16:24pm & so we aim to be heading up the ‘creek’ 2hrs b4 HW, its a small tide at 2.8m so I would imagine we will be meeting up in the Herald Island / Lucus Creek area around 2.00pm, so leaving Westhaven area around 1pm. ETA at pub is 2.30pm & departure from the pub approx 5.30pm.
If you are not a CYA member (yet) come along & see what you have been missing out on.
The photo gallery above is a snap shot of past trips – enjoy.
Ps – Wear your WW shirt 🙂
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Ella B 4 Sale

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ELLA B – 4 Sale
 
I have been contacted by Taupo woody, Shawn Vennell regarding the very smart woody – Ella B.
 
Ella B is a ‘Monte Carlo’ design, barrel-back, classic inboard mahogany run-about. She was built in NZ by Bill Brassington, & measures 24’6” with a 7’6” beam.
The zoom zoom is via a brand new 5.7 litre 350 BFI marine V8 Kodiak engine complete with a Borg Warner 71c model 1.1 velvet drive transmission. The build quality & attention to detail is amazing + all components in the build were brand new, with the trailer being custom made by Bill.
 
Unfortunately due to health issues, Ella B is reluctantly for sale. This is a turn-key boat, fill the tank & you are off. I suspect the seller is very realistic in terms of a price, interested parties can contact Bill’s son Glen, via email  ellaco@xtra.co.nz to discuss Ella B in more detail.
 
Ella B has appeared on WW b4 – more details here.
 

 

Folly III

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FOLLY III

Today’s woody story features a 5’10” video on Folly III, a 33’ cruiser designed by W. Holmes & built by his sons, Reginald & William, c.1920 in Sydney, Australia. Her beam is 9′ & she draws 3′.
I understand Holmes senior was a kiwi builder that moved to Sydney to build bridges & later turned his talents to wooden boats, of all shapes & sizes.
I’m sure HDK will be able to enlighten us on the man.
The Folly III design follows the look of the popular American Lake Union Dream Boats.
The video is beautifully shot in Moreton Bay, Queensland & has a ‘colourful’ commentary from the Folly III owner, Stephen Lake 🙂 Enjoy
Thanks to woody John Sloane for the heads up on the video.

Kermath 182

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KERMATH

I saw the above photo of Kermath on Lew Redwood’s fb & immediately thought of the 2018 Rudder Cup launch race – so todays post is a big nudge / reminder to get your entry in.
What do we know about Kermath, race #182 ? This photo was tagged ‘Winner of the Big Tree Handicap at the Ponsonby Regatta, March 3 1923.
Harold Kidd Input – There were several KERMATHs built for C E Mackie, of 25 London Street, St Mary’s Bay (the house in which I lived as a toddler) just behind Collings & Bell. Mackie was the Auckland agent for Kermath marine engines. The earlier boats were built by Collings & Bell but I think this is the one built by Leon Warne in December 1920 which, by the time of this race, had a Cadillac car engine installed which made her quick. I think she’s the KERMATH that went to the Bay of Islands soon after.

AOTEA – A Peek Down Below

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AOTEA – A Peek Down Below
 
Back in March 2014 Aotea appeared on WW when an ex owner, Paul Newell, was trying to track her down (WW link below)
Now thanks to trademe & Ian McDonald we get to have a peek-down-below.
 
Aotea was built in 1950, supposedly in the South Island to a ‘Alexander’ design, she is carvel planked & powered by a 120hp Ford 6cyl. diesel.
Her specs are 40’x 11’5”x 2’11”
Rumour has it that she was built for the N.Z. Government and taken to Lake Taupo for the Queens Coronation NZ tour 1953-54. Paul Drake has confirmed that she spent time on the lake in the 1950’s, as a Govt. vessel.
 
What more do we know about Aotea?

Auckland Woody Fishing Fleet

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Auckland Woody Fishing Fleet

Woody Simon Smith sent in the above b/w photos, showcasing some of Auckland’s fishing fleet – registration numbers that I can ID are – 1696 , AK1789 ,  AK29 , & Emerald ?
What do we think the date is? Interesting that there is so many in port at one time.
An Other Block of Flats Contender
My post a few weeks ago on this topic created a lot of chat, the boat below isn’t a woody but it really is closer to an apartment than a boat. You would have to assume that it wasn’t designed by a boatie.
I would be a little bit worried about the boats ratio of above & below the water 😦
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Stella Maris

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STELLA MARIS

Subject to it passing a good survey this ex work (fishing) boat would have to great value for someone looking for a live aboard. Reviewing her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald), the conversion to pleasure use looks very well done.

Stella Maris was built in 1971 & measures 48’6”, with a 10’8’ beam. The power comes from a 320hp MAN diesel, that is governed to 185hp. Her carvel haul is spotted gum & Oregon pine.

She comes with an impressive list of fittings.

Anyone know who built her & who did the conversion?

OAR MAKER?

I have had a request from a woody looking for an oar maker, there are lots of  ‘commercial’ ones out there e.g. Gull, but my man is looking for a more custom made oars.  Can anyone recommend a boatbuilder or good DIY’er that could produce a pair?

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Pacific Gets the X-foul-e-8 Treatment

As Pacific gets close to splashing, woody Nathan Herbert has treated her to a serious bottom clean 😉 Another stunning job, ready for another 100 years of woody boating.

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The Workboat – Hauraki

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Work boat Hauraki

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HAURAKI

The above photos show the work boat – Hauraki, in the top photo dated 1947, she is tied up at the ‘Auckland Wharves’ & sandwiched between two other work boats – challenge to Baden Pascoe – name the other vessels?
This photo come to us from Lew Redwood’s fb page, where David Balderston commented that Hauraki was Captain Day’s first ferry & he ran her to the bottom end of Waiheke Island, before he purchased the Baroona.
In the 2nd photo, I suspect she is anchored somewhere around Waiheke Island. The photo comes to us from Sally Churchs family album via fb, it is captioned ‘O.L. Hauraki’ &  written on the back of the photo are the words – Hauraki, 40hp Johnston diesel. 8 knot. Licensed 25’
Do we know what became of her post her ‘ferry’ days?

Input from David Balderston

I am very much afraid those pictures of the HAURAKI are two different boats. The stern on the first is square and the other one is counter. The sheer on the first is non existent while that on the lower certainly is. 
I believe the bottom one is the real Waiheke ferry launch HAURAKI. 
The thing is with research, as I have found, its like looking through a key hole and then you see something. Like the above launch HAURAKI, I thought, at last! there she is as a fishing boat… Anyway a positive outcome is that it moved Sally Church to look through her family album to produce the second photo – this time the real boat. 
Input from Harold Kidd – There were several HAURAKIs. The pic below is of an old HAURAKI fishing boat being relaunched in 1932 as AK119. There was another fishing boat HAURAKI AK46 owned by Waitemata Fisheries in 1942, considered for war work, possibly the same boat as the AK numbers were re-shuffled during the 1930s for some reason. Another (or the same) HAURAKI was reckoned by Andy Turnwald to have been built by Merv Strongman. Then you’ve got the ex REHUTAI steamer and another on the Kaipara owned by G. Constable!
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Input from Dave Stanaway –  The photo below is Chris Rabey’s photo of Miss Hauraki c1980 at the Hokianga. Looks to me as if O L Hauraki in your second photo is the same vessel. I think Ray Morey will agree. I sailed on the vessel 1963.
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Mystery Launches at Whangamumu 

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1928 Whangamumu

Mystery Launches at Whangamumu 

Today’s photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb shows the whaling station at Whangamumu & is dated March 1928. From the number of barrels of oil in front of the factory, a visit from a freighter must be due.
Anyone able to ID the launches at anchor? The bridge-decker on the right shouldn’t be too difficult given the design, oval ports on the cabin & twin masts?
Kairangi Out at Gulf Harbour
Photos below ex Ken Ricketts hauled out at Gulf Harbour for a spring spruce up