RESOLUTE
Resolute’s new owner James Patterson sent in the above photos of her hauled out recently getting so TLC to the exterior. Next project is the interior – having been aboard prior to James purchase I can say that will be a rather big job 😉 but as they say ‘the bones’ are all there.
To read (a lot) more on the past of this 1937 Dick Lang classic – check out this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/10/resolute/
James has assured me he will keep us updated when the interior work begins.
Unknown / Mystery Boat 20-07-2017
I was sent the above photo by Ray Morey, Ray is hoping to be able to ID the vessel. It was on the Waikato River in the mid 1950’s operated by ‘Henry’s Sand Co.’, until being replaced by the steel tug “S.P.” – Ray has no idea where she came from nor where she went.
Can any of the woodys help out with any details?
Woody Homes
Woody Brett Evans sent me a link to a feature on a sleepy seaside village in France with a small fishing port, a population of less than 3,000 and some very peculiar-looking houses. At a moment’s glance, they could almost appear to be an unfortunate pod of beached orcas, but look again carefully at those unusual roofs. Yes, those are boats … upside down! Local fishermen of Équihen-Plage have lived under scavenged boat hulls here for over a century and today, many of these upturned vessels now serve as a unique holiday accommodation for travelers visiting the French coast. Very cool idea. You can see more at the link below.
The 1946 Launching Of Mahara
Harold mentioned on the Mahara ww 2015 post (link below) that he had an upcoming article on the Shipbuilders Ltd’s SupaCraft launches in the August issue of Boating NZ magazine. Included in the article is the above great photo taken in 1946 of Mahara being launched. The photo came from boat builder, Tim Windsor’s collection. Thanks go to Harold for sharing Tim Windsor’s photo, its superb quality & showcases what a stunning wooden vessel she was / is.
Check out the link for more photos & details.
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
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?
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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
14-07-2017 – Photo of Lonaero – as mentioned in Cameron Pollard’s note in the ww comments section .
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.
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