Category Archives: Launches

Kaikoura in the B.O.I.

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Kaikoura in the B.O.I.
The above launch is pictured above anchored in the Bay of Islands, Dean Wright scanned the image from ‘old’ film but is unaware of the boats name.
Anyone able to ID her & provide some history on the vessel ?

Update: Vessel has been ID’ed as the 1952 built launch Kaikoura. Lots of chat in the WW Comments section & photos at the link below

Kaikoura

03-09-2017 – Updated photos below ex owner of 25 years – Peter Jones, via Ken Ricketts. Peter bought her off the Bridgeford family & this would make him only her 3rd owner.
She still has her 2 x 510 cu. in. 165 h.p .V8 Perkins diesels.

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Tautane (>Centaurus)

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TAUTANE (>Centaurus)

The above photo of Tautane was sent to me by her owner Clare Robinson, Clare is hoping that we can uncover more on her past.

What we know is that she is a Miller & Tunnage, completed in 1945 or 1946, operated as fishing vessel for a time and then was purchased by the Napier Harbour Board as their pilot boat and renamed Tautane. Sometime during her tenure there, a Detroit 6-71 manufactured in 1963 was fitted to replace a lower power Gardner.

She was purchased by Colin Davenport in about 1993 and was used to ferry guests out to Endeavour Inlet in Queen Charlotte Sound and for day fishing and diving charters. Colin added the canopy.

Clare bought her in June 2017 and is in the process of converting her to a live-a-board.

The photo shows Tautane as she is currently, sitting at Picton wharf next to the ferry terminal in May 2017. Clare has advised the boat is now named – Serenity.

Do we have any more information on? Russell W you must be able to help?

Input from Russell Ward – below are two photos of the ship one as originally launched – Centaurus and the other being used as she should be. More details in the ww Comments Section.

Update 15-05-2020 Line drawings below sent in by Murray Wikinson. Brian Engliss ex Miller & Tunnage foreman sent them to Brian years ago. Andrew Miller of St Leonards designed the hull for Miller & Tunnage. Murray owns a near sistership “Golden Light”.

Serenity (ex Tautane)

Tamahere – A Peek Down Below

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TAMAHERE – A Peek Down Below

Tamahere last appeared on WW back in 2014 (link below), now thanks to a trademe listing we get to see down below.
She is 40′ long & powered by a 85hp Isuzu diesel that pushes her along at 6>8 knots. Its claimed she was built in 1903.

Back in 2014 we were unable to uncover any details on her, there lots of thousands of more WW readers these days, so hopefully we can unearth more on her.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.

See / read more here    https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/03/17/tamahere/

18-04-2018 ‘New’ Photos below ex trademe

 

Willie-O

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WILLIE-O

Another photo from Dean Wright, taken in the late 1980’s at Russell in the Bay of Islands. This time its of the classic wooden game launch – Willie-O.

Who can enlighten us more on this beauty?

03-07-2017 Update & photos below from Michael Best (owner)
Willie Oliver built the Willie O in Tauranga approx 1974. He used her as a charter boat for a couple of years out of Tutukaka. Robin Cutfield from Tutukaka then used her for charter work for many years in the Bay of Islands.
Michael has owned the Willie O for approx 11 years. The enclosed fly Bridge was on her when I bought her (can’t blame him for that – Alan H) Willie O is approx 41 feet long, 13ft beam and 4ft draft. Power is from a 3208 Cat 210 hp. Hull is ship plank kauri with mahogany cabins sides.

 

Lake Rotoiti Barn Find Restoration

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Lake Rotoiti Barn Find Restoration

Alan Craig the Lake Rotoiti boat builder (Craig Marine) dropped me a note the other day to say that he was restoring the about boat. She would have to win the WW barn find prize 🙂 Her story goes like this – has be in a shed on a farm in Rotoma for the last ten odd years. Built in 1928, 24′ in length, appears to be to a USA Hacker Craft design or most likely copied, she is in fact not to dissimilar to Malolo.
It has been owned by Peter Davies and was his Fathers boat from near new. Details Alan has been told about her history: Built in Picton by Vic & Clarrie Olson? (Scandinavian or Swiss?). Built for a Mr Stocker then brought by Mr Davies in 1930, it was sold a while later and brought back again by Mr Davies once the wool price lifted and in 1950 an old, but still new, 1938 Osco marine flathead V8 went in it and is still there now. Alan thinks it was sold once again then found by Peter and brought back to Rotoma.

There is a Hacker Craft step pad fitted to her (the only reference to Hacker Craft) but this could easily have been a later addition. The plans are to rebuild the engine and try get a bit more than the supposed 90hp out of it. Apparently they didn’t get much speed out of it but looks like pretty small prop set up.

This will be a great project to follow – Alan is keen confirm / learn more about her past so if any woodys can help, please comment.

Now Alan’s not a man to run things up the flag pole, chatting on-line he says ” speaking of projects, should probably show you the Chris Craft we just finished” – totally blew we away – amazing project. I’ll run a story on her soon.

Update ex Alan Craig – Alan found the below under the fore-deck – D Jennings?

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Lady Doreen – Win a WW T-Shirt

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Lady Doreen @ Russell

Lady Doren a

Lady Doreen – Win a WW T-Shirt

As mentioned yesterday, Dean Wright also sent in the above two photos from the Snook Fullers collection. In the 1st photo we see Lady Doreen coming into weigh two marlin at Russell (the anglers left to right in the cockpit Ist guy unknown, WG Sherman, Bill Pocklington, Emmet Olsen, 5th guy is the deckie, name unknown).
In the 2nd photo with the 3 kingfish over the side – I’ll give a WW t-shirt to the first woody that can name the Maori gent standing on the left in the cockpit. Answers only via the WW comments section. (If you have won one already, you are out of luck)

31-07-2017 Update – In the comments section Lindsay suggested that the mystery person could have been Kura Beale, it wasn’t – the correct answer was Matt Rata. But Dean Wright sent me the photo below of Kura weighing in a thresher shark.

Kura Beale

 

 

Bay of Islands Game Fishing Fleet

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Bay of Islands Game Fishing Fleet

Woody Dean Wright was given access to some of Snook Fullers super-8 film that showcased big game fishing in the Bay of Islands. Dean edited all the fish out and made the movie clip below of the wooden boats Snook captured. A very impressive collection of craft.
I assume all (most) of you are able to view youtube movies?– if you are not, drop me an email, I would hate to think a lot of you were missing out. waitematawoodys@gmail.com

I have 2 great Lady Doreen B.O.I. photos from Dean which I will post on Saturday & run a wee promo for the first person to name a passenger in the boat 😉 WW t-shirt for the winner.

PRESTO – Is She Or Isn’t She?

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PRESTO – Is She Or Isn’t She?

If you believe the trademe listing, this is a very old lady – it says Presto was born 1898. Built by Charles Bailey, 42’ in length, 3 skin kauri. Originally powered by a steam engine but now powered by a 1950 100hp, 471 Detroit diesel.

Our resident Bailey guru HDK should be able to confirm or destroy this woodys birth details. Builder aside – what more do we know about her?. Current home is Taurangi. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-up 🙂

28-07-2017 Comments ex Russell Ward
Port Doctor’s Boat. General workboat around the place when I was a kid at school. Had a boxy wheelbase with control position atop. Always scuttling round Hobson Wharf. Eventually retired.
She lay at Barry Brickell’s Diving Creek property in Coromandel for many years and was sold to a man who did the honours and but put the rakish upper works on her. Painted her green which is what I always remembered her as. Her old wheelhouse may still be at Driving Creek.

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Comments below ex Ray Morey
1st an aft view of PRESTO under steam, that cut from the pic of Lady Vie and pan-am flying boat at mechanics bay
2nd is part of the blue boats dated 1973 from left is RANGI-SPRAY-unknown and just showing on the right is PRESTO after rebuild. This when Subritzky owned her.

Photo below from Dave Stanaway from when he knew her in the 1960’s when Bryce Subritzky was her master.

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Input from Harold Kidd – below is a clipping from the Auckland Star, 30 March 1898 – covering the launching.

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Read lots more on the Comments Section

Lady Clare

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LADY CLARE

The above photos of Lady Clare were sent to me by Dean Wright, they date from the 1980’s when Dean was game fishing.

Dean recalls that Lady Clare  was owned at the time by a chap named Peter Clarkson, but his memory may be clouded, it was the 80’s J

In the photos above she’s being skippered by John Batterton & they’re weighing in a Broadbill at Paihia c.1987.

What more do we know about Lady Clare & where is she today?

UPDATE Some historical photos ex Ken Ricketts below – not sure if the varnished coamings are as orginal – but the ones of her with a block of flats on top, show her at Mahurangi a couple of years ago. Read more about her past in the comments section of this post.

 

 

Ngaroma

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Ngaroma

NGAROMA

The above photo of Ngaroma, with the #85 on her, was sent in by Lew Redwood & is ex the NZ Herald heritage image collection.

She was built in 1910 by Collings & Bell & when launched, called Hazel. You can view photos of her on this link, when she was rigged for big game fishing     https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/05/07/12500/

Anyone able to ID the other two woodys? & as a wild shot – what they were up to i.e. an event?

Photos below of Hazel ex Jason Prew – Okahu Bay 2003 – before her one way trip to NZTBS 😦

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