Category Archives: Launches

Classic Woodys at Sandspit Marina

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Classic Woodys at Sandspit Marina

A couple of weeks ago I was up Sandspit way & spent an hour or so mooching around the new (ish) marina. Very impressive set up & with the yacht club’s haul-out facilities its a prefect spot to keep a woody. The real win win factor is the proximity of the ‘Greg Lees Boatbuilder’ yard, in recent years Greg & his talented team have rubbed the magic wand over some of our finest classic woodys. Just type Greg Lees in the WW search box to see the level of workmanship & perfection.

I have included a few photos of the motor camp where I stayed with my ex woodys boater – Chris Miller in this stunning motor home. 

A real bonus was the amazing meal & service we had at the Sandspit Yacht Club on Saturday night – I was expecting burgers & fries but no – everything – décor, service & the food was superb – check it out if you are up that way. The scallop entree was as good as anything you would get in Auckland City. Photos below.

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Update: I have been sent by Dean Wright the photo below of the dinghy ‘Tiki’ in happier times 🙂

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Mystery Tourist Launch

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Mystery Tourist Launch

Todays photo created some chat from Harold Kidd when it appeared on Lew Redwood’s facebook page. Harold commented that the location looked like Lake Rotorua & the launch could have been one of the Bailey & Lowe purpose built tourist launches, built in the 1900>1910 period for Robinson & McIntosh of Rotorua. Harold pointed out the steering position as the giveaway – “not open sea gear” were the words used.

I have enhanced the photo a little to show more of the launches features – can any of the woodys tell us anymore about the launch?

Update 31-05-2018 – I have been contacted by Alice Morrison who is moored beside the vessel pictured below in Tauranga. The vessel’s name is Presto and according to the owner, was built in 1898. She is approx. 40′ (that’s a guess) and made of kauri.  Alice is of the view that she looks similar to the mystery tourist launch above . What do the woodys think?

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The  Hottest Trend In Classic Boating?

The answer is ……… owning two boats 🙂

CYA launch dynamo Nathan Herbert (Lucinda) has now joined the 2 boat club. Photos below of the new addition – Pacific (photos below ex Nathan’s fb), being hauled out at Miford Marina. One of my bucket list classics. 

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Stardust

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STARDUST

Stardust is a 36’ Athol Burns Kauri built woody. 

Her trademe listing states she was built in 1962 & zoom zoom is via a 80hp diesel.

Home is Motueka, Nelson.

Anyone able to tell us more about Stardust?

Mystery Classics On The Waitemata

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Mystery Classics On The Waitemata

Steve Horsley recently sent me the above photo – it came from a collection of old albums that Steve has been loaned. The album photos cover – Auckland, Sydney & England.

The only one that Steve can shed any light on is the V-Class on the left (is the sail # 16 or possibly 36?). Her name is AVOO or AVDO?

Anyone able to ID the motorboats on the right?

Kingfish

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KINGFISH

Anyone looking for a bargain classic woody? Kingfish is listed on trademe (thanks Ian McDonald) with a $1 reserve & an oh to familiar tale “its leaking and sinking and due to a marriage breakup its not getting the love it needs” 

I can tell you she was built in 1914, is double skinned kauri, measures approx. 33’ in length, & powered by a 120hp diesel.

The owner is after a quick sale as the bilge pumps are shot. Listing details here https://touch.trademe.co.nz/motors/listing/view/1639329557

Sorry about the quality of the interior photos – but thats all that was available.

Interested to learn more about Kingfish – anyone able to help?

Input from Harold Kidd & photos below from Cameron Pollard

I’m certain KINGFISH has been on here before. She was built by H.N. Burgess at Judges Bay in 1914 as a hybrid yacht/launch, expressly for game fishing and spent her early life based in Gisborne and Tauranga. Unrecognizable from her original configuration with quite a big rig.

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27-05-2018 Input from Dave Butler – Kingfish was owned by Jack Peat from Te Puna who had it moored in Tauranga harbour in the 60’s. He was a member of the Tauranga game fishing club and I have numerous photos of him and crew with marlin, makos, and threshers caught near mayor island. Kingfish was powered by a Gadyver engine? which Jack replaced. He gave me the old prop because the new engine revolved the drive shaft in the opposite direction. Jack sold her in 1972 and she was moored at the new marina in Tauranga harbour for several years after that.

11-06-2018 – Update. I can report that Kingfish has joined the Pollard fleet & has already been given some TLC , refer photos below hauled out + photos of her being retrieved for the trip ‘home’.

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Update 13-08-2020 ex Cameron Pollard. Kingfish hauled out for a ‘full’ restoration 🙂

Moata & Caprice

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MOATA & CAPRICE

Todays photos are from Bruno Redwood’s facebook page & show the 1937 Moata anchored in the Clevedon River c.1965, the river was ‘in flood’ at the time. The 2nd photo also shows the 34’ launch Caprice, built in 1916 by the Grandisin Bros. 

The last photo, just of Caprice c.1966, again on the Clevedon. 

You can view / read more on Caprice here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/29/the-launch-caprice-silver-bay-waiheke-island/

And Moata here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/04/04/moata/

A Visit to Colin Brown’s Omaha Boat Shed 

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Anita > Maharitia

 

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A Visit to Colin Brown’s Omaha Boat Shed 

A coupe of weeks ago I gave mate a hand to take his clinker dinghy to Colin Brown’s yard at Omaha. Steve inherited the dinghy from his father-in-law & she was in need of a little TLC. I intro’ed Steve to Colin & as they say the rest is history 🙂 Forgot to say – Colin originally built the clinker.

While at the yard we had a look around the numerous projects under way. The c.1950, Chris Robertson built yacht Susan Jane is nearing completion & you can view the project at the link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

In numerious sheds/shelters were:

Anita > Maharitia – the biggest Lidgard built at Kawau Island. A lot of work happening to her & a very OTT re power, check out those Gardiners.

The vessel in the shed is Andromeda, a Townsend yacht that has been stripped for conversion by Dave Walker to a launch.

Of most interst to me was Josh Hawke’s 26′ carvel launch, Waiere. Built in c.1913 Josh restored her over a 6 year period that saw the replacement of her ribs, keel, stem, hood ends, interior, decks, cabin top & re-caulking. 

All Josh knows about her past is at one stage she was on the Kaipara as an open flounder boat. 

A 21hp DaeDong pushes her along very nicely. Any one know more about her past? You can see more photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/01/02/mystery-launch-3/

18-08-2018 UPDATE The clinker in the 1st few photos (Steve Finnigans – Mayflea) is back from Colin Browns yard looking be swish 😉

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Mystery Launch at Lake Rotomahana

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Mystery Launch at Lake Rotomahana

The above launch is obviously a tourist / charter boat but the styling is very ‘out there’. Photo comes from Lew Redwood’s facebook page. Nathan Herbert has commented that she has a nice looking hull, the question is from whom & when did the top 1/2 arrive?

The caption states: Steaming Cliffs, Waimangu, Rotomahana.

Lake Rotomanhana, Rotorua, is the North Island’s deepest lake & increased it size x20, as a result of the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption.

Any woodys able to shed some lift on her background > & what became of her?

 

Aorere

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AORERE

Aorere was built in 1965 & is 18’ 6” in length, & her 18” draft allows her to mooch into a lot of spots most boats can’t.  A 8hp Yanmar diesel engine pushes her along at 5 & by the look of the rig on her stern she is a good scallop boat. Currently located in Riwaka, near Motueke at the top of the South Island.

She is for sale on trademe (thanks Ian McDonald).

Anyone know who built her?

Wanderer

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WANDERER

Wanderer has appeared on WW (link below) before when she was berth at Milford Marina & crying out for some TLC, refer photo below.

I happy to be able to say that she has received the TLC & is for sale. Currently she calls Half Moon Bay home. The photos today are ex trademe (thanks Ian McDonald)

Wanderer past is a wee bit of a mystery & this is debated in the WW link. We do know that she is approx. 28’ & is powered by a Perkins diesel, her hull is kauri .

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/16/wanderer-ii/

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