Category Archives: Launches

Lady Ellen Restoration Update

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LADY ELLEN  Restoration Update

Just had an update on Bruce Mitchinson’s Lady Ellen restoration project, I wish everyone was a s good as Bruce is in sending in work-in-progress reports 🙂

Bruces words – “Strut and rudder all back in place, below waterline fairing is going on at the moment.

Fairing done on the topsides, final fill and longboard, all over, will happen over the next few weeks.
Toe rails and beltings have been repaired and reinstalled.
Looking to undercoat topsides, deck, and below waterline early next month.
Inside we have stripped the paint off the underside of the cabin top and the decks, ready to be sprayed, along with the rest of the interior, as we move from aft, for’ard.
Cockpit complete with draining floor and seating, plenty of locker space, and gas bottle enclosure.
The existing rod steering, that used to be buried under the old water tanks, has been refurbished and can now be accessed through the new lockers.
Galley and saloon trim underway this week.
Painting inside the hull, to get ready for fitting out below deck.
Keeping the original layout apart from opening up the hanging locker into the for’ard cabin with a McGeady style window opening through the bulkhead.
No guesses as to what I will be doing this Labour weekend.”
Remember – click on photos to enlarge 😉

Champion / Iona

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CHAMPION / Iona

This Wellington woody, is a little the worse for wear – 2 options – bite the bullet & bring her back to life, there is a pretty workboat hull there & she looks like she wouldn’t be afraid of the open sea. 2nd option – as a donor for someone looking for 40hp Gardner L3W to restore. 
 
She started life helping to build flood gates in Taupo for a power station.  
I have had 4 people bring her trademe list to my attention, so there is some interest already. Asking price is $2k.
Her 32’8” hull is kauri & its claimed she is around 100 years old. Not 100% sure her name is Champion, anyone able to confirm?
 
So woodys – project or donor ?

Input ex Tony Brown – I bought the boat as a wreck in 1985 and re-ribbed it and replaced about a third of the planks. Also fitted the 3LW engine. I shifted to Kapiti on 2003 and sold the boat to John Luke. Before Taupo, the boat was at Napier and got stranded on the flats in the 1929 earthquake (where the airport is now) and then got taken to Taupo. There is info in both Napier and Taupo museums. 

John, the present owner has all the historic info as I gave it to him.
I have a spare 3LW and 2UC g/box if any one is interested.. never used in the boat as the installed one was too reliable.
Input from Paul Drake – Built as IONA by Bailey and Lowe for J A McFarlane of Napier (year not known). Named after the island off the West Coast of Scotland where his family came from. Relocated to Taupo after the 1931 Napier earthquake. Name changed to CHAMPION in 1944 when bought by Jack Taylor and put into survey. Left Taupo in late 1950’s. At Porirua harbour in 1970’s and re modeled over a long period of time to her current configuration. Located at Even’s Bay Wellington for some time. Re-named but pleased to see she has reverted to CHAMPION. Unrecognizable now from early days.
Update2 from Paul Drake – photos below of CHAMPION ex IONA. The1st one (b/w) shows her as a charter boat at Taupo under Jack Taylor’s ownership. She was of course built as a flush decker, Paul thinks about 1912, when the raised focsle was becoming the thing. Jack raised the cabin. Later, a wheelhouse was added.
The 2 colour photos show her at the early stage of her long 1980’s transformation when owned by Tony Brown.
Paul also commented that the Taupo Museum has a great photo of IONA being launched at Taupo c.1935, as evidenced by the steamer shed on he Government Wharf in the background of the photo. This shed was replaced by the present wharf offices in 1937. IONA sported the large letter ‘I’ on each side of the bow and a quirky and distinctive gable roofed ‘conning tower’ for the helmsman, which could have passed for a fish safe.
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Harold Kidd Input –  Macfarlane bought her from H H Tocker of Napier and had her trucked to Taupo in April 1935. He changed her name to IONA. The photo below is of IONA on the truck from the NZ Herald on 16/4/1935. She certainly looks very Bailey & Lowe of the period 1912. They built a couple of launches for Napier around this time, one for Davis & Boyd of Hastings in April 1911 and a 30 footer for an unknown owner which was in frame in July 1912.
Most of the Hawkes Bay newspapers’ archives perished in the 1931 earthquake so you have to rely on secondary sources for the period before that. Makes it hard.
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Aries

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ARIES

Aries is a 26’ Roy Parris launch, launched in 1962. She has a kauri hull & mahogany topsides.

Her zoom zoom comes via a Perkins 4-108 diesel.
She is listed on trademe (thanks Ian McDonald) & while she has recently had some TCL to the cabin sides she stills require finishing off.
Her reserve (starting bid) is $500, so there could be a bargain entry level woody to be had here 🙂

Mavis

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MAVIS

Chris Manning sent in the top photo of Mavis, as built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1919 & advised she is still alive & living in Havelock.

Greg Noble also sent me the above photos of Mavis on a ‘buck’s’ cruise (love that description of a boys trip), the photos come from Greg’s grandad, Perceval Noble, journal. 

In a previous WW story on the launch Maxie, in the WW comments section – Gavin Pascoe question if Mavis was the motor launch that took part in the early days racing at the Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club (1919 onwards),  can anyone comment / confirm this?

Check out the below flyer – cool woody events like this are why if you aren’t already, you need to join the Classic Yacht Association. As the Irish say “the craic will be mighty”

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Napier

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NAPIER

The above motorboat is captioned ‘August 1905, new motor yacht for Mr. E Logan & comes to WW via Lew Redwood’s fb. The original photo was taken H Winkelmann.
The vessel was the 1st of its kind in NZ to be fitted with a Napier engine (no prizes for how she got her name). The engine ran at the high speed (in those days) of 800rpm & was good for 12 knots & was reported to have practically no noise or vibration.
Her cockpit / canopy setup was the norm back then, before the advent of the ‘doghouse’.
Does anyone know the designer / builder & what became of her?
The count down is on for the start of the 2018 Rudder Cup Launch race – the banter has started, scroll down to yesterdays story & click on the comments section 🙂
But as they say – talk is cheap – if you are thinking of doing the race, give the race committee* a heads up – entry is by invitation 😉
* I’m one of the committee.
Harold Kidd Input – She was designed and built in 1904 by Robert Logan Sr who is seen conducting his boat.
She was smashed to pieces in Freemans Bay in a gale in March 1908. T H Steadman of Whangarei owned her briefly in 1907.

Katie Didit

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KATIE DIDIT

I was mooching around the Milford Cruising Club yard yesterday afternoon checking out the process of Pacific & My Girl.
The answer is Pacific should splash in 2 weeks & My Girl, in early November.
While there I spotted the Grand Banks woody – Katie Didit, from the presentation of her bottom I would say that the x-foul-e-8 team have done the business to below the waterline. An amazing process, smooth as the proverbial ‘babies b_m’
Her teak / mahogany? planking can’t be faulted.
Interesting that she is single screw, I thought most of them were twin screw.
Her stern says Gulf Harbour, what more do me know about her & when she arrived in NZ? There must be an interesting tale behind her name?
19-10-2018 – Input from Brett , the owner.

The came from the American wife of a past owner. The husband was away in the Navy & each week/month when his pay cheque was sent to her she squirrelled some away into a secret bank account.
When hubby came home he told her he wanted to buy a ‘yacht’ & pointed out his dream being a 36’ Grand Banks. While Katie dipped into the fund & bought it for him. Hence the name.
Brett advised that Katie is still alive, in her mid 90’s in San Diego & he has meet her – its a small world 🙂
A couple of Pacific / My Girl photos below – in one we see what really happens down there, Mr Herbert, Prew & Deeble in a deep philosophical chat about what colour anti-fouling 🙂
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Aotea

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AOTEA
Aotea recently popped up on trademe (thx Ian McDonald) – she would be a big project for someone but as the architects say “she has got good bones”.
Her listing states that she has been gutted inside & the motor is seized. The 29ft ‘bridge decker’ cabin top is ply, so easily removable if one wanted to go back to her roots.
Her owner is unsure as to her past, but seems to remember something about it being built in the Hokianga, in Horeke back in the thirties or forties.
Aotea is parked on the hill where it was dropped off when purchased, so reasonably easy access to remove. Owner only selling as age / heath makes the project beyond them.
 
Woody Nathan Herbert has commented that she looks like a 1900’ish counter stern open launch such that he has seen in very old Kaeo /Whangaroa photos.

Lake Rotoiti 1953

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Lake Rotoiti 1953

Todays photo, ex Lew Redwood fb, is dated April 1953 & shows 2 launches moored at Okere on Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua.
Can we ID the boats, the nearest looks familiar but I can’t place it.
I’m sure the Drake Bros will solve it for us 🙂
And hows the photo below for a work place pic – this is the office for one of your family friends – Police Eagle chopper returning to base after the night shift.
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Could the photos below, ex Jason Prew, be the same boat as above? Location = Geoff Bagnall Boatbuilder, Milford yard.

Mystery Whangarei Launch

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Mystery Whangarei Launch

Today’s launch, if you believe the trademe listing (thx Ian McDonald) is a 26’ ‘Bayee Low’, built in 1960. He rhull is kauri carvel.

Zoom zoom is from a 60hp Isuzu diesel.

Do we know any more about her?

 

Arita

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Arita

ARITA

Todays photo is ex Lew Redwood / NZ cars, boats……. FB page. (Originally ex Auckland Museum, Winkleman collection). It shows the 1909 Logan Bros built launch Arita, seen here in the Bay of Islands
Zoom zoom was via twin 15-20hp 2 cylinder Kelvins.
Details ex Harold Kidd.
Do we know what became of Arita?

Harold Kidd Input – ARITA had a sad end. She was a double tunnel hull 48 footer with twin 15-20hp 2 cylinder Kelvins built for R.O. Clark & Co of Birkenhead by Logan Bros in April1909 but sold to H H Adams in June 1910 to replace ELIZA (now KUMI). Adams owned Moturoa Island in the Bay of Islands so this is where the pic was taken. She was active in NZPBA races and events until Adams sold her in 1919 to Charles Hansen (later of Moturekareka) who renamed her WAIOURU.
She reverted to ARITA for a while until Capt. G H White bought her in 1924 and rebuilt her for carrying 94 passengers on the run to St Heliers, Kohimarama, Orakei and Beachlands. A 45hp 4 cylinder heavy duty Gardner costing 500 pounds was fitted. He renamed her EDNA WHITE.
On 30th April 1927 she caught fire, was beached and burnt out at Kohimarama.She was valued at 3000 pounds, an enormous sum at the time.
All the buffs who rely on the Register of British Ships for source material say she was built in 1912 by Arch Logan because that’s what Capt White put down on the registration form in 1924. Maybe he thought “Arch Logan” carried more weight than “Logan Bros” and “1912” was preferable to “1909” or maybe he was just wrong/careless. I’ll bet on the latter, but this is how bunkum becomes history.
Here endeth the lesson………..

PS Note the “conning tower” control position right forward on the coachroof, an early move towards the bridgedecker.