Category Archives: Launches

Woody Winter Weekend

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Woody Winter Weekend

Given the weather in Auckland last Friday you would struggle to believe the above photos were taken over the weekend. I escaped the Principality of Devonport early Saturday morning & headed down to Waikehe Island. Did not even stop on-route to the marina for supplies. The forecast said variable so I was planning on dining ashore.

Well for once all the forecasters got it right – Saturday was a stunner. After a few months of cleaning oil out of the bilge several times & numerous repairs I was very much in the “bugger this old boat gig” mode. We are a shallow lot – one good day / night & I had the bug again J

If you do not like crowds – winter cruising is the way to go.

Coming back on Sunday afternoon I rubbed shoulders with the magnificent ship Felicitare & the 1927, Colin Wild built, Lady Margaret – both looking stunning & doing the same as me i.e. slopping off for some R&R. I was sure Felicitare had featured on ww before but my search showed nothing – what do we know about her?

Great Workmanship

I own several dinghy’s from classic clinkers to what Harold Kidd once called a ‘Baby Riviera’ – he was referring to my American built Walker Bay dinghy. I bought her 2nd hand & have owned her for 10 years – towed behind a woody, she is pig ugly but without a doubt the most stable tender I have come across.

She was looking very sad & the inflatable tube patches were out numbering the good areas. So had to make the big decision – take the tubes off & just have a normal dinghy or order replacement tubes from the USA (US$850). Enter Terminator Boats (Kevin Tomlin) in Albany. They said they could manufacture a new set of replacement tubes, I was a little hesitant about the final look, but went with it & as you’ll see in the photos below, they have done a brilliant job, in fact better than new. I highly recommend them https://www.terminatorboats.co.nz

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A Big Parris

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A BIG PARRIS

To the best of my knowledge there were not a lot of big Roy Parris launches built, was there a reason ? shed size?. This one was built in 1960 & is 36′ & made of kauri. Zoom zoom is via a 120hp Ford diesel that comfortably pushes her along at 8 knots @ 1750 rpm.

She has been a very lucky classic woody in that as well as having the same owner for the last 20+ years, she has also been moored in a boat shed during this period.
Do we know anymore about her past?

She is 4sale on trademe, I can’t make out her name, but one of the woodys will recognize her 😉 Appears to be a lot of boat for the money.
As always – thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the listing.

Where Is She Today?

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Lost Runabout

WHERE IS SHE TODAY?

Today’s boat, isn’t a mystery boat as we know that it was owned by one of the Allen family (owners of the launch Tiromoana & the C class yacht Tuirangi in the later 1940s-50s) & was probably belonged to Henry Allen’s son in law Joe Coggan.
The photo was taken in front of the family’s business premises at that time in Manukau Rd Epsom opposite Epsom Girls Grammar. Photo emailed in by Ken Ricketts.

Can we put a name to her to & what became of her ?

Lady Ellen Restoration

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LADY ELLEN RESTORATION

The plight of Lady Ellen has been documented on ww in the past (link below). We were able to happily report that she had been purchased by Bruce Mitchinson & 6 weeks ago transported north to Russell in the Bay of Islands.

Lady Ellen

A few days ago Bruce gave me an update on the restoration – read below.
“Restoration work underway with removal of rotten timber around cabin, decks and bulkheads. Much of the interior has gone to the tip. Under the foredeck canvas, near perfect Totara decking, which is drying out ready for a sand and some fibreglass.
Next up, replacing the rotten timbers with old kauri before new side and aft decks go down.
Engine is back together, almost, and Ken Jaspers is sorting out new mounts, gearbox seals and couplings down in Whangaparoa”
Bruce has promised to keep us updated on the project.

27-09-2017 Project Update ex Bruce M

Starting to look like herself again.

Glassed plywood cores for  cabin sides ready for timber finish inside and out.
Slight adjustment made to the rear windows, which always looked a bit odd, but still trying to retain that McGeady look.
Rebuilt coachroof over the aft cockpit to remove the v-shape combing and modified structure so that corner posts are no longer required.
Narrower aft deck now provides enough room for continuous seating around 3 sides of the cockpit and storage.
Galley has gone, including the floor, to make way for a new under floor water tank, raised floor and new galley fit out.
As you can see there is still a lot of work to do.
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Update Jan 2018 – The focus over the last few weeks is to get topsides ready for finishing by the end of the month. A lot of work has gone in to re-fastening and frame repairs to pull everything back into shape, and as you can see the Lady Ellen has plenty of shape. Thanks to our boatbuilder, Brett Avery, we now have a very sound vessel. Main saloon is now completely stripped out, including the old steel diesel tanks and de-greasing the bilge and engine bay is next up, while removing the last of the antifoul underneath and cleaning up the diesel soaked planking. New rudder tube is in and Brett has made a start on framing up the floors so that we have some work space inside to start on the interior work next month.
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UPDATE 24-02-2018 More restoration photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/02/23/an-update-on-the-lady-ellen-restoration/

Mystery Launch 13-07-2017

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MYSTERY LAUNCH - WARKWORTH RIVER (2)

MYSTERY LAUNCH 13-07-2017

Today’s ww post shows an unknown launch anchored in the Warkworth River, date unknown also. Given the location I suspect it could be a Tudor Collins photo. Ken Ricketts who emailed me the photo thought it could possibly be a lost sheep from the Allan Coggan photo collection.
Anyone able to ID her & supply more details?

Taiaroa

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TAIAROA

The above photos of Taiaroa were taken by boat builder Colin Brown while she was hauled out on the hardstand at Wellington. Colin was in the capital for the re-launching of Little Tasman. Colin & his team undertook the magnificent restoration of Little Tasman at his Omaha yard. photos emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

What do we know about Talaroa? – certainly looks like a southern boat with a work boat past.

Input From Russell Ward

Rumored to have been a rowing boat carried on one of the RNZN ships whose name I forget. Someone said she had been steam, but never IMHO. Motor boat certainly – a Standard or Union. Most probably a local Dunedin fishing boat –not Miller and Tunnage I don’t think –they wouldn’t have been formed when she was built.

Became an OHB workboat around 1940 and later and later passed to the Sea Cadets in Dunedin and then came to Wellington in the 1970’s?.

Owned by Sam Hunt for a time and kept by his live in boat shed –he probably generated the lively colour scheme.

Fell into indifferent ownership and was slowly going downhill at Evans Bay Marina.

I met her maybe four years back when the owner had just died (on board?) and his brother wanted to sell her. A bit of a mess and bought by a good soul who put her up at the hard stand and doesn’t seem to have progressed much.

Photos below at varying times in her life. Acknowledgements to esteemed members of the Workboat Study Group.

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14-07-2017 – Photo of Lonaero – as mentioned in Cameron Pollard’s note in the ww comments section .

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Do We Know This Boat + Mahurangi Regatta Goes Viral

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Price Herald island 4451 Free Lance

Do You Know This Launch?
Have had a request from David Balderston who is publishing a book on ‘ Upper Harbour Ferries’ & would like some help ID’ing the above vessel. David understands it was owned by Ted Price of Herald Island but David would like to put a name to the vessel – can we help?

Mahurangi Regatta Goes Viral

Back in late Jan this year the Mahurangi Regatta had some special visitors from an American boating website named offcenterharbor.com The OCH site is a membership only (i.e. paid) weblog that is based on video content, with over 700 stories on & around wooden boating available to members to view. It is very good – I subscribe.
The latest video is on the Mahurangi Regatta & also profiles Steve Horsley & his Chas Bailey gaffer – Ngatira.
Below is a link to watch the 1:30 preview, the full video is approx. 8:00 minutes in length. Both showcase the event, the vessels & the NZ wooden boating movement very well.

http://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/new-zealands-mahuranghi-regatta-featuring-chaz-bailey-ngatira/?awt_l=9UxcQ&awt_m=3dbaAIHC2.44w9k

Rumbotl

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RUMBOTL – Spirit of Tradition – Motor-sailer

Rumbotl is a 42′ motor-sailer, launched in 2002 (hence the SoT tag) but with a very long gestation period (15+ years). She was built/finished off at Warkworth, by & for John Middleton. Her present owner Don Bruce bought her in 2007 off John M. Photos & details ex owner, emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.

She is built of 1″ strip planked kauri, fibreglassed over, the kauri was retrieved from the BNZ building in Queen St Auckland, during its transformation many years ago.
She is powered by a 1980’s 100 hp, 6 cyl., Ford diesel. She has a lead fin keel.
She is fine example of old/new coming together – certainly deserving of a better name than rum bottle, if she was mine I’d be renaming her 😉

10-06-2018 Hauled out at Gulf Harbour (photo ex Ken Ricketts)

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Kingfisher

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KINGFISHER

I uncovered in my ww files the above photos of the 26′ Kingfisher, I checked using the ww search box & found no reference so maybe she slipped between the cracks 😦
The photos were from a trademe listing that Dean Wright tipped me off about back in early 2016. She was built in 1936 in England from NZ kauri and is double layer, one diagonal & one straight. She started life as a lifeboat with an open hull, later working out of Mokau to transport wool bales to waiting vessels. The photos show her in varying degrees to presentation – in the trademe listing it started she was without a motor & needed some work work to the hull & decks, lets hope she sold & the buyer is classic friendly – anyone able to update us?

Dick Hartley – New Escort Run-About

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Dick Hartley – New Escort Run-About

Post my trip to the Lake Rotiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade early this year I was sent the above photos from her new (it) owner. He purchased her last year & is completing a full refit on her. She was built in 1971 & won the best boat at the 1971 Epiglass Boat Show.

The work included wiring & electronics upgrade & full repaint. Hopefully Sam reads ww &  he can tell as what powers her.

Harold Kidd Input – She was the subject of a full boat test in Sea Spray of August 1971. She was a Dick Hartley “New Escort” design built by Ray Fink at Tamahere. Her original power was a Chrysler V8 with a Penta outdrive.

Updated photo 02-05-2018

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