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
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.
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’.
Update 13-08-2020 ex Cameron Pollard. Kingfish hauled out for a ‘full’ restoration 🙂
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/
Susan Paul
Anita > Maharitia
Andromeda
Waiere
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 😉
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
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
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/
GAZA (Astra)
Mooching around the wharf at Sandspit a few weeks ago, I spied Gaza tied up alongside the Kawau Island ferry berth.
Any Sandpit woodys able to enlighten us on her?, she appeared to be a well looked after classic. Next week I’ll do a story on the woodys berthed at the new (ish) Sandpit Marina.
Ken Ricketts believe’s Gaza was previously named Astra & most likely a McGeady design.
CAROLYN
Paul Newell sent me the above photo of a small 20ft launch, named Carolyn, he owned for about 20 years. Paul purchased her in the late 70s from Don Garner of Onehunga who had purchased the launch Little Tasman and was in the early stages of restoring her when he became ill and passed away.
Carolyn was powered by a Ford Consul petrol engine which Paul removed and fitted a BMC Captain diesel. There was a log book on board which said she was built by Lanes of Panmure for a Mr Wells, a City Councillor of Panmure.
Paul sold Carolyn in the late 1990’s when he purchased the McGeady built launch Arohanui. Paul saw Carolyn a few years later in very run down condition.
Other than sharing the photo with us, Paul’s primary reason for contacting WW is to enquire if she is still around today?
Any woodys able to help out with intel?
Kawau Island Boats & Baches
Recently I had had enough of weekends in Auckland so with the wife out of town, I took the opportunity to escape & experience the 2nd to last stage that some of us go thru e.g. yacht > launch> motorhome > death.
An old neighbour & friend Chris Miller, owns a large motorhome, so we headed north to Sandspit – & booked into the camping ground for the weekend.
On Saturday we took the ferry to Kawau Island for what is known as the ‘Royal Mail Run’ – the boat mooches around the island dropping off / picking up passengers & freight for all the private jetties. While not a woody, the ferry trip is a must do, you get to visit most of the bays & can even enjoy a wine or two.
The photos above are a random gallery of the woodys I spotted on the trip & some of the waterfront holiday homes.
