Category Archives: Launches

Rawene – A Peek Down Below

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RAWENE – A Peek Down Below

Woody John Wicks sent in the above photos of the launch Rawene. They came from a friend of John’s, who got them from his brother on Tauranga, so the details were a little light e.g.  only the name & the date 1926.

This Rawene (there have been a few) has appeared on WW before when she lived on Lake Waikaremoana, looks like she is being hauled after receiving some TLC, as mentioned below in the owner’s comments. Great to see below decks.

Link here to when she first appeared on WW, I in fact had suggested that she had to be a finalist for the 2016 Floating Bach Awards 😉 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/21/2016-floating-bach-award/

Below I have reproduced Hendrik Metz’s WW comments on the vessel.

Keen to hear more about what happened to with her while she was out & if she did make it back to the Lake?

Rawene – as told by owner, Hendrik Metz

Built in 1928 by L.C. Coulthard, Boatbuilder of Onehunga, on a commission for a Mr Alexander Alexander of Napier, Rawene operated as a fishing boat out of Ahuriri.

After the Napier Earthquake in 1931, Rawene was left high and dry on the newly formed mudflats, caused by the earthquake.  Mr Thomas Holden of Gisborne, on a visit to Napier thought she would make a good lake boat and purchased her and brought her to Waikaremoana, in 1931.

The Holden and Heggarty families spent many happy holidays at Waikaremoana on board Rawene.  In 1960 following the death of Mr Holden the boat was sold to the Chapman Brothers of Frasertown, who owned her for the next eight years.  Phillip de Lautour, who was then farming at Ohuka, purchased Rawene from the Chapmans about 1968 and eventually sold her to Walmsley Canning of Porangahau, April 1970.  On 11th September 1976 she was purchased by a partnership of Jock Ross and Evert Metz.  The Metz/Ross families still own her today.

She is currently in Tauranga undergoing a refit but will be back at Waikaremoana early in 2017.

Mr Coulthard’s son, who helped with her construction says they built an identical boat at the same time but he cannot remember her name – if anyone knows of a similar shaped hull we would be keen to hear more.  Originally Rawene didn’t have the raised roof at the stern or the poop deck these were added in about 1978.

 

 

 

 

 

Harmony

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HARMONY

Harmony ticks an awful lot of boxes for anyone looking for a ‘spirit of tradition’ woody. First – she was designed & built by Robert Brooke, that alone makes her very special. Robert launched her in 2014 & as you would expect only the best materials were used in the build – with the hull being 9mm ply, epoxy glued.

Harmony measures approx. 15’ & is powered by a 20hp Honda o/b & comes on a customized galvanized trailer.

Harmony has only been in the water around 7 times & while she performs beautifully, the Honda has never been up to full speed.

Robert built Harmony for his own use but circumstances have changed & now she is reluctantly offered for sale.

Any woodys looking for a lake boat for Xmas? If so I would move quick, as Harmony will not be on the market for long

(thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-up)

It’s Hard to Find the Perfect Wife….

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It’s Hard to Find the Perfect Wife….

……But woody Rod Prosser has. Over the last couple of years Rod has been acquiring a flotilla of classic woodys in various stages of restoration.

You may recall that he already owns ‘Firefly’ the 1882, 25’ counter stern day launch & the late 1950’s / 60’s Chev 327 V8 powered flat-bottom ski boat ‘Kiri Moana’.

Rod was doing a trademe troll & came across the old Lake Karapiro ski boat above, desperately looking for a new home. Given that Rod had a set of deck vents, step pads, windscreen supports, plus flags and other various other bits and pieces sitting on a shelf, in the garage, left over from when he was doing the Classic Craft boats way back & they would not suit the flat bottom ski boat – it seemed like a marriage made in heaven. Just needed wife Florence’s nod of approval & seeing that she had been asking what Rod was going to do with the bits, he suggested a family trip to Tauranga & surprise, surprise – came back owning the Karapiro boat.

As a bonus it came with a pretty rare Gray Marine AMC Rambler 327 Fireball V8 from the early sixties.

Even better news, Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig may have an old farm shed to store her until she gets her time in the sun.

So short, long story – Rod must have the perfect wife. 3 boats, that beats me.

 

 

Mystery Launch 08-12-2017

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Mystery Launch 08-12-2017

Today’s mystery launch started life as a Coulthard sedan launch, the photos above show her in the mud at Whangarei a couple years ago. The photos came from Nathan Herbert, who commented that while working on Lucinda a while back he met a man who mentioned his family had a long ownership of this boat.

So woodys – can we name her & dig up some history on her past life?

09-12-2017 – More photos ex Jason Prew (name plate photographed from a distance)

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Mystery Location With Lots of Woodys at Anchor

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Mystery Location With Lots of Woodys at Anchor

The photo above was sent to me by Heather & Keith Nicholson, it was originally posted on the ‘Whangarei Way Back When’ facebook page – Heather thought it might be Mansion House Bay but it could also be Russell.

Whatever the location, there is a great collection of launches in the bay.

Can we confirm the location & ID a few of the woodys at anchor?

 

Lake Rotoiti Launch – Rescued & Lost?

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Lake Rotoiti Launch – Rescued & Lost?

The above photo was sent to me by Greg Noble & would have been taken around 1973/4. Greg found this launch half submerged, just south of the Okiri Falls side of Rotoiti, Rotorua, miles from any houses.

Greg got her floating and towed her to a pull out on the Maori Land between the two lakes. Initially Greg lots of ideas of restoring her but as often happens, never got round to it. While she was there somebody told Greg that she had broken a speed record on Auckland Harbor, this impressed Greg at the time but he can’t recall any of the details now, nor her name.

Sadly, she was left there and Greg has no idea what became of her. The thinking was that at least she was safe & people could see her and admire her and hopefully she would be saved from eventually going under.

So woodys – the big question Greg would like answered is – did she survive & if so what became of her.

Would be cool to also put a name to her & confirm the racing pedigree.

What prompted Greg to send me the above was the Mystery Launch story on 08-11-2017 (link below), what say those with an eye for lines – similar / same ?

Mystery Launch   08-11-2017

 

 

 

CYA Patio Bay Weekend – 2017 – 50+ Photos

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CYA Patio Bay Weekend – 2017

The photos show that 2017 was another cracker Patio Bay year, but what photos don’t get across is what a great group of woodys were there. The numbers were down a little on previous years but those that made the trip will remember it as one of the best. Plenty of room to walk around & mingle without standing on someones dinner plate.

Several Riviera owners, did they bit to re-confirm that they all have big egos & small brains – motoring thru the race finish line at 25+ knots & creating wakes you could surf on. A little exciting if you are sitting in an 8’ dinghy taking photos & wondering if the Riviera is on autopilot & the skippers playing with his small willy 😦

One of the Patio Bay race traditions is the winning skipper of the A Division has to fill the trophy barrel with rum for the following years party. Last year Prize was the winner & based on dock chatter, a sample was drawn off for analyse at the Mount Gay distillery –  purity & alcohol content results to follow 😉

(remember to click on photos to enlarge)

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Mystery Launch 03-12-2017

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Mystery Launch 03-12-2017

Another Nathan Herbert photo, this launch is presented in a very different configuration from when she held various speed records. The first woody to correctly ID her wins a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2018 Calendar. NOTE: entries ONLY via the WW Comments section.

No ‘Sailing Sunday’ today – but Mondays story will more than make up for that – don’t forget to check it out.

If you don’t win the calendar, copies are available for $15, a steal – click this link for details on ordering.

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association 2018 Calendars

 

Almost A Mystery Launch

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Almost A Mystery Launch

The above photo was sent to me by Nathan Herbert & is tagged ‘Team of horse hauling Karine / Karere’. It comes from ‘Heritage Images’.

So woodys – today we have a few questions, not easy, but we must be able to uncover a bit more about this cute motorboat.

  1. What is her correct name?
  2. Who built her?
  3. Where & when was this photo taken?

As you read this I will be motoring to Patio Bay for the CYA weekend, I cannot wait – a trip to the bottom end of Waiheke Island is long overdue. I have charged up the cameras so Monday’s story on WW will be a rather large photo essay of the weekend. Most Auckland boaties either have not discovered, or forgotten (thank god) how great the bottom end is, the photo below (no digital enhancement) is one of my favourites 🙂

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Southern Isles

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SOUTHERN ISLES

The above photos were sent to me by Ross Ashby in response to a comment on WW about Southern Isles. These days she is based in Clevedon, Auckland & from the photos appears to be being very well looked after.

Ross commented that originally he understands she was fitted with a Lister engine but now has a Gardner 6LX ( a bit overpowered) & the original wheel house was added to, but not by Ross

What more do we know about Southern Isles?

Input from John Wicks:

“Ah! My teenage (and later) “sweetheart”.! Built by and for Tom Wells at Wakatahuri in Forsyth Bay, just outside Pelorus Sound.. Typical Wells shape and construction. Original (main) engine was a JP3, Lister which was hand started and fed from a 10 gallon tank abo ve it. The tank was topped up from the main fuel tanks by a semi-rotary hand pump – not much to go wrong there!
Originally she had a 2-cylinder Lister wing engine to port. Not many boats her size had a stand-up-and-around-in engine room.
Her original smaller wheelhouse had a swivel helm seat which came (IIRC) from the old Wellington-Nelson ferry “Matangi” which was wrecked at wakatahuri by the Wells’ Sounds Wrecking Company. The helmsman’s knees went under a horizontal tram-style wheel. Avery comfortable place to steer from.
Accommodation was under the raised foredeck, and was a step or two up from your usual fisherman’s “2-berth coffin” 🙂 with a small but well thought out galley (with one of those green and cream small gas ranges that used to be common) two settees and a table. The backs of the settees were pipe-cots which could swing up to make two more berths. I’d reckon it’d be a bit cramped with 4 aboard though.
There was a hold for gear under the aft deck, and the toilet was partially bulkheaded off in the port aft corner of the engine room.
Just about all the above has been changed over the years – sadly IMO.
Like most of the Wells family’s boats, Southern Isles was used for numerous commercial and pleasure purposes. Tom Wells took her on a cruise right around the South Island in (I think) the 1950s
As is probably obvious from the above screed, at the time she was my idea of what a launch should be!”

AND A REMINDER NUDGE – CYA XMAS PARTY TOMORROW AT PATIO BAY.

If you have not experienced the weekend before, you must, its hands down after Mahurangi weekend the biggest gathering of classic wooden boats in NZ & the Saturday BYO BBQ ashore is legendary. See you there. Photos below from last year in the bay + see more here   https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/12/05/a-woody-weekend-cya-patio-bay-invasion/

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