Category Archives: Launches

MV Mavis

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M.V. MAVIS

Mavis started life back 1918 as a Lanes 40′ trawler. Fast forward to 2004 when she had a  major refit that included –  hull refastened and splined, new decks and cabin, new  John Deere 150HP engine and re-wired. Given that she was recently in MNZ survey, she is very highly spec’ed and looks like she could handle just about anything that mother nature could throw at her. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up re the trademe listing.

Do we know anything more about her past?

09-04-2023 Update ex Alistair Rowe – I spotted Mavis on a mooring in Whatamango Bay – roughly 8km East from Waikawa.- looks to have found a good home.

Yesterdays story on the Classic Launch Parade just got better – more photos ex Jason Prew added, scroll down to view.

A Woody Parade & Pub Cruise

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A Woody Parade & Pub Cruise
The last 3 days have seen the running of the 2017 CYA Classic Regatta, the main event being the sailing but this year we had a parade of classic wooden launches.To be confirmed but on my count 22 classics took part & it was an impressive sight – I hope someone videoed it from the RNZYS as we motored past.
The photos below are a little low in colour as the day started very overcasts but as the day went on the weather just got better & better.
The day was acually in 2 parts – starting with the parade, then a cruise to the Riverhead Hotel for lunch. Given the number of vessels (several more joined in on-route) anchoring at the hotel end was always going to be interesting…………………….. A couple of ‘oops I’m aground’ but all sort out & the photos /names stayed in the camera.
The photo gallery form is a mix of my camera & Pauline Evill (guest on Raindance). Enjoy 🙂

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THE WINNER OF THE CYA LAUNCH TROPHY FOR BEST PRESENT LAUNCH & CREW WENT TO MARGO & JAMIE HUDSON – LADY CROSSLEY

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07-03-2017 Additional Photos ex Jason Prew

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Jeunesse

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Castaway

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Lady Crossley

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Trinidad

07-03-2017 – A short movie below, ex Pauline Evill, of Lady Crossley, Castaway & Lady Margaret arriving at the Riverhead Hotel.

07-03-2017 photo below taken from RNZYS at the start of the parade (sent in by Chris Leech)

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Jean 7314

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JEAN 7314

Jean started life as a Jack Guard fishing trawler, launched c1953. She was converted at Havelock in 2005 for pleasure use. She measures 45′ & is powered by a rebuilt 125hp Gardner 6LX that sees her cruise at around 8 knts. 4sale on trademe, she has the makings of a nice live aboard. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up.

Do we know any more about her past?

And at the risk of boring everyone – REMEMBER the Classic Launch Parade & Riverhead Hotel lunch cruise on Sunday 😉

09-02-2020 Input from Paddy Gerard – Built by Jack Guard in Pukatea Bay, French Pass for Merle Rayner of Kaikoura. Jean is presumably named after Merle’s late niece Jean Brooks (daughter of Keith and Wikitoria Rayner), who passed away in 1942 in her mid twenties. Merle died in 1959 and his son, Russell, took Jean to Timaru and continued fishing until he sold Jean in 1978. I understand she later worked out of Lyttleton, Oamaru and Bluff. Vince Armstong from Havelock bought her in about 2007/2008 and spent 18 months stripping her out- new ribs, new deck beams, engine overhaul, recaulking, and a brand new wheelhouse fitted. I coincidentally bumped into the chap who did the caulking a few months back – he mentioned that when they pulled the Gardner out they found the bilge had been filled with concrete! I think Vince sold Jean in about 2012 and she has had four owners since then. One of those owners tragically lost his life in the Platino yacht accident in 2016. I am now living on her in Wellington and look forward to giving her plenty of TLC and learning more about her past.

Mystery Launch 03-03-2017

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Mystery Launch 03-03-2017

Anyone able to help ID the above launch?, her trademe listing says she was built in the 1960”s by ‘Lange’.
36′, kauri planked & powered by a 130hp 6 cylinder Perkins that pushes her along at a comfortable 8 knots. She is Westhaven based, so someone must be able to shed some light.

And woody launch owners – remember the CYA classic launch parade & Riverhead Hotel lunch cruise this Sunday at 10.00am – details below, click to enlarge. All woody classic launches welcome  🙂

John Bullivant – The Big / Small Boat Builder

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John Bullivant – The Big / Small Boat Builder

John Bullivant owns an impressive collection of boats, even more impressive is he built / restored them himself – how you may ask? – they are radio controlled models of real boats, taken off detailed plans.

The black & white double image above shows John’s model of MTB49 & the real thing, illustrates the amount of detail John achieves.
John took over the bridge-decker he has named ‘Tamure’ as an unfinished project from the previous owner, as seen in the images & installed the present motor & associated equipment. We see the restored Tamure above.

John’s major build has been the W1 project, which we have seen on ww before as work-in-progess. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/05/w1-junior/
W1 is now complete & will feature on ww next week. (photos above ex John B & Ken Ricketts)

John also owns 2 real yachts in the 12′>16′ range,  which he has also rebuilt/restored featured here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/02/26/small-woodys-sailing-sunday/

Tassie II + A Great Read

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Tassie II

ww readers may recall that last year I was sent a collection of b/w photos by Rosemary Robinson, the granddaughter of L.C. Coulthard, boat builder of Onehunga. I featured the launch Doraine here & it generated a lot of chat. Amongst the photos were the above two & the name Tassie II, 1952, appeared close to the photos, but not directly underneath, so I’m a little uncertain to the actual name. I’m also assuming the location is Coulthard’s Onehunga yard.

Can any of the woodys confirm the name of the launch & supply an details on her ?

Finding Pax
Popped down to Boat Books in Westhaven last night to catch Kaci Cronkhite the author of ‘Finding Pax – The Unexpected Journey o a Little Wooden Boat’ speaking on her just released book. Kaci has impeccable woody credentials having spent 10+ years putting together the world famous Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. Readers of the USA WoodenBoat magazine & followers of the WoodenBoat online forum will be familiar with her 1936 Danish designed & built spidsgatter (double-ender) yacht. The book chronicles Kaci’s purchase, restoration & subsequent search across 3 countries to uncover Pax’s past.
To quote John Summers, who reviewed the book for WoodenBoat magazine – “this is a book to curl up with & reflect on. Cronkhite’s writing is lucid & heartfelt, feelings at times more like a glimpse into a personal diary than a personal book. Reading it may make you want to by an old wooden boat of your own. Don’t say I didn’t warn you”

Copies are available for the very modest price of $35 from Boat Books   https://www.boatbooks.co.nz/
The photo below I snapped on the iphone is of Kaci’s personal copy with the dog-eared page makers, from which she read exerts.

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Welly Woodys

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Mataroa

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Waiata

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Little Tasman

Welly Woodys

Rob Uivel has been promising me some photos of his recently re-furbished 36′, 1928 Joe Slattery launch Mataroa  for some time, well last weekend the Wellington weather gods smiled & delivered up a near perfect day for a classic woody launch cruise – in the photos above we see Mataroa joined by Waiata (32′, 1913 built by David Reid), both boats had a jaunt around the inner harbour, finally anchoring and rafting up in Oriental Bay. After a pleasant swim and lounge around while heading home they spotted Little Tasman coming out of Clyde Quay marina. Fantastic to have the 3 beautiful classic’s together. All 3 woodys have been featured extensively on ww & you can see / read more on them by using the ww search box.

REMEMBER: This Sundays CYA Classic Woody Launch Parade & Riverhead Hotel Cruise. Non CYA boats welcome. RSVP (boat name & approx. crew numbers) to Angus Rogers    rsvp email link  Scroll down 2 ww posts to see details 😉

Included also below are photos of Prima Donna, which Rob feels bears some resemblance to an old Auckland boat called All Black.

27-02-2017 photo below of All Black dated 1910 ex Maxwell Uivel

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A Big Woody Weekend – A message for all classic woody owners.

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A Big Woody Weekend – A message for all classic woody owners.

Next weekend has the potential to be one of those moments when come Monday when you read ww, you go bugger – I should have made the effort to do that 🙂 So don’t make that mistake – go down to the boat this weekend – fuel up, run the hose over her, a little bit of TLC – then ring a few friends & invite them to have a woody experience next Sunday.
This coming Friday > Saturday > Sunday the Classic Yacht Association NZ is hosting its annual Classic Yacht Regatta & its a great opportunity for all woodys to rub shoulders & celebrate your shared passion.
If you have not experienced the regatta before or if you have been AWOL for a few years, things have kicked up a level – Regatta HQ is now the RNZYS so plenty of parking & opportunities to get up close to the race fleet – pre & post sailing.
In 2017 the Regatta Committee have included a launch event & introduced a parade for the  classic launches (you do not need to be a CYA member to take part) on Sunday morning & as a bonus the gods have smiled & given us an early afternoon high tide (1:42pm + a biggie @ 3.3m) – the significance of that is we can slide up to the Riverhead Hotel for lunch while the yachts race. Details are below in the event flyer. I will post a reminder on ww with the meet times etc later next week, but for now – there are just 2 things you need to do:-
1. Put a circle in the diary for Sunday 5th March.
2. Email CYA Launch Captain Angus Rogers (link below) with a quick heads re your attendance (include your boat name & approx. crew numbers)
RSVP EMAIL LINK
As a bonus for registering early & if you attend the Sunday prize giving (no charge for attendance) to will participate in the amazing spot prize draw – includes a Emirates Airline Holiday Package, Takacat Inflatable, Explore Group ‘Bay of Islands Package’, Steiner Binoculars, Yamaha Outboard, Kiwi Feather Props, Coast NZ product, Mt Gay Rum and more……but you need to be there. And the CYA Launch Trophy is being put up as a prize for the best presented Launch on the day – I’m the judge 😉 I’m a fan of Amisfield Pinot Noir 2014 😉

And woodys everyone is welcome at Race HQ at anytime over the weekend – grab a coffee in the morning & check out the boats or later in the day grab a beer/wine & catch up with old/new friends. Each day there are meals available. And let me kill off one of the oldest fallacies on the Kiwi boating scene – the RNZYS is one of the coolest, friendliest boating scenes in NZ – you can wear almost anything, maybe not a singlet & jandals 🙂 & prices are on par with most venues around town. Come down & have a look, you will not be disappointed 😉

Time to get back to today’s photo* – who can ID the launch that high & dry?

*ex Paperspasr via Nathan Herbert

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Mananui

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MANANUI

I was contacted recently by Greg McNabb looking for info / photos on his & wife Maria’s ex pilot boat Mananui. From what Greg knows / has been told – she was built in 1913 by Harvey & Lang. Greg’s grandfather & father bought her (ex Whitianga) in 1973. She is powered by a 120hp D series Ford and has been for the last 50 years or so, although rebuilt.
The ‘old’ photo of her sitting on the grid was taken in Whitianga on the day the family purchased her. She was originally commissioned by Edward Parish and back then named ‘Heare Mai’.

From the above photos we can see that Greg has done a wonderful  refit on her. These days her home port is Tauranga.
So woodys can we shed any light on her life pre. 1973?

Photo below at Sulphur Point Marina, Tauranga ex Paul Drake

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