Category Archives: Launches

Bay of Islands Eye Candy

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Bay of Islands Eye Candy

Today’s post is again from the camera of Dean Wright & will put a smile on the face of the Work Boat boys. The first two photos show ‘Mason Bay’ making her way in from Piercy Island past Bird Rock. And the second two show ‘Swanson’ heading out the the Bay towards Piercy.

Now imagine putting the head on the pillow in Deep Water Cove for the night & being woken in the morning to the dulcet tones of ‘Vibrant Curiosity’s’ helicopter taking off 😦  The super ‘yacht’ (below) snuck into Deep Water Cove under the cover of darkness. I’d be looking for the 12gauge 😉

HELP NEEDED
I received the message below yesterday for a potential woody owner. Please read & if you know of anyone that could help – contact Hamish at hamish@artandobject.co.nz

“I am hoping you might be able to assist me with a recommend. I am looking at acquiring a wooden boat – located in Masterton. I am struggling to get down and inspect prior to purchase. Would any of the ww members or persons down in the Wairarapa be able to inspect and report back to me?. I am happy to pay for this service. Regards Hamish”

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Tarati Mei

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TARATI MEI

I was recently contacted by Andy Winter who is on the lookout for information on an Allen Williams boat, built around 1964/5 for Dick Read grandfather of Andy’s wive – who unfortunately passed away in 1980. Andy has come across a picture of Allen Williams actually building the boat, which he believes to be a similar design as ‘Banshee’ except this boat is 34’6” long and 9’ft beam. The boat was called ‘Tarati Mei’ when she was launched, named after his wife Dorothy May.

Andy is trying to find out what happened to her, whether she has been renamed or is around no more? Andy asked Milford boat builder, Geoff Bagnell about the boat but he doesn’t remember her. Andy thinks she would have been kept at Milford until the early 1970’s. Any help or direction from the woodys would be most appreciated.
In the photos above the first two show Tarati Mei  just before launching from Allen’s yard. Dick Read is the guy on the transom. In the second photo we see Dick’s wife (Dorothy May) launching her.
The third photo is of Allen Williams building ‘Tarati Mei’.  The last photo is what appears to be an ‘enhanced’ photo of her at Kawau – probably late 1960’s. Andy feels this may actually be a painted copy of a photo, either way it does show what she looked like in this era.
Andy commented that he saw a similar looking launch in Gulf Harbour being lifted out recently called ‘Murphy’, but didn’t get chance to talk to the owner. Any one else seen this vessel?

Harold Kidd Input

The name is actually TARATI MEI, not TARITI MEI (oops fixed. AH). She was built in 1965 and had dimensions of 29’6″ x 25′ x 9′ x 2’6″ and was powered by a 100hp Fordson diesel. Her APYMBA number was 311.
Bill Jobey bought her from Dick Read and renamed her PATTY J.
Bill Jobey was a core member of the Milford Cruising Club and always had a snapper or two if you pulled up alongside him off the Barrier. Lovely man who died a few years ago. However any old-time MCC member should know what has happened to her.

Saucy Sue – 12′ Jack Logan Dinghy

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Saucy Sue – 12′ Jack Logan Dinghy

Woody Mike Johnson sent me the above collection of photos of Saucy Sue – his 12′ Jack Logan dinghy. Mike mentioned that he was very grateful to friend David Peet for spotting the Logan on trademe  and for his brother and our friend Brian for convincing Mike’s wife, that ‘you can have two boats’……… even if it means her car is now exposed to the weather.
Mike was doing up a 9ft Mosquito Craft at that time and there was understandably a degree of concern as to where this was all going, so well done Brian.
The weathered varnish in some of the attached interior pics has since been restored. A few ‘mods’ have been tastefully added in the interests of comfort (aka staying dry) 😉
You can tell from the background scenery in the photos that Mike & Saucy Sue have traveled around the wooden boat events, great to see craft like this being used. Subject to the event, the Suzuki gets swapped for a Seagull.

Trolling On The Lake – Mokoia

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Trolling On The Lake – Mokoia

The above photo, ex Harold Kidd, is of Mokoia, fishing on Lake Rotorua. The question of the day is – when was she built and who built her?
The first correct answer in the ww comments section, after 6.30am, scores a 2017 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Calendar.

Harold Kidd Input – MOKOIA was built by Bailey & Lowe in December 1903 for the Hot Lakers Steam Navigation Co. Typical “settler’s launch” by Bailey & Lowe, very similar to Chas Bailey Jr’s MILKMAID type. There were hundreds of these all over New Zealand.

TAURIMA

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TAURIMA

I was contacted recently by Alice Morrison with the news that she had just bought a 1960 (circa) Billy Rogers sedan launch named Taurima. She is 36′ & constructed of double diagonal kauri. Unfortunately the previous owner didn’t know much history about her so Alice is hoping that some of the woodys out there can shed some light on her?
She is obviously a sister ship to Margaret Anne  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/03/margaret-anne-2/ , both very lucky boats as they both have lady owners 🙂

So woodys can we help Alice?

14-02-2017 Update ex Alice M – She has a 110hp Lees Marine Ford. The previous owners were Kevin & Bryce Thorne from Whangarei but the vessel has been moored in Opua or Jacks Bay in the Bay of Islands. I have asked Bryce to find the contact details of the owners before him. All he knew was that it used to be in Auckland where the owner used it to take him from the city to Waiheke all the time.

ID the Location & Any Vessels

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ID the Location & Any Vessels

Another photo above from the ‘Found Album’ ex Peter Renall. Anyone able to shed any light on the impressive number to vessels hauled out?

Drone Footage
Check out this Vimeo drone ‘video’ from the Mahurangi Regatta 2017” filmed / complained by Roger Mills. I even spotted by clinker dinghy, middle of the beach

3/4’s a Woody – Wild Horses

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3/4’s a WOODY – WILD HORSES

Taupo woody’s Cathy & Shawn Vennell own a rather special zoom zoom woody, Judy H – a 19’6″ Chris Craft replica speed boat, which I have had the pleasure of skimming over the top of Lake Rotoiti in. For an 8 knot woody, doing 75kph+ is like space travel 🙂 You can check out Judy H here    https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/10/the-two-extremes-of-classic-boating/

Last weekend the Vennell’s turned up at the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat weekend with a floating bach – a Mason Clipper named Wild Horses. Now this addition to the Vennell fleet was not a total surprize to me as we had chatted on & off last winter about the suitability of a MC for Shawn & the family.

Wild Horses has a plastic (f/glass) bum but there is enough wood else where to get the ww tick. Zoom zoom comes from a very grunty V8 (Shawn will chip in soon with details)
Already Wild Horses has made a lot of Vennell love & looks stunning – can not wait till next year to see what else they will (tastefully) do to her 🙂

Marie J + Hirawanu

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MARIE J

Marie J was built in Whangarei by Master-Craft ( M Ryan) in 1956 & measures 30′. Built of kauri & presently owned (for approx 5 years) by Peter Croft  & kept at Gulf Harbour.
Peter C.  bought her off a Mr Hambrook of Auckland, who bought her in Motueka (2005) & cruised her to Onehunga, Auckland, via the West Coast. Then a quick road trip over to the Waitemata Harbour. Her history at Motueka & before that, is unknown.

She has been powered by a 4 cyl 90 hp Ford diesel since new & due to some very bad luck has had a total of 3 of these engines, including one installed  this week by Moon Engines.
The engine history goes like this , whilst in the care of a previous owner, she was tied to a wharf one day, at low water & when the  tide came in she got jammed under the wharf & ended up with water on the wrong side of the hull, which flooded the engine. This resulted in a replacement identical engine. Then the  present owner Peter C. had the misfortune to be cruising along one day & an oil cooler hose ruptured & sprayed lubricating oil all around the bilge & pumped the engine dry, which then promptly seized up. Thanks to Peter Croft & Ken Ricketts for the photos & details (edited by Alan H)

OMG – words fail me……………….. Its a bit like one of those dogs with a big body & very short legs – normally the result of a hole in the fence 🙂
For the record – it’s a 1948, 38′ Lidgard named Hirawanu.

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Some Days Are Just Made For a Wheel-house

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Some Days Are Just Made For a Wheel-house

Far north woody – Dean Wright was recently going thru a pile of his old images & came across the above shots from the 2012 Bay of Islands – Tall Ships Race. Dean reports that it was bucketing down and a 3 meter swell, the 3 above do not appear phased by the conditions 🙂
From the top the 3 photos show:

1. Bram Cone’s Meola coming around Tapeka in a trough
2. Cal Crook’s Donna Maree
3. Jim Ashby’s Olga

Meloa has been well covered on ww before – can any woodys tell us more about Donna Maree & Olga?

Update from Dean – below is the beautiful Nina, she was later lost in the Tasman with the loss of all crew.
Bob Van Pierce’s Cora
Spray behind a swell.

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Mystery Launch – Boat Sheds

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MYSTERY LAUNCH – BOAT YARDS

Morning woodys, after the gigantic post (160+ photos) yesterday from the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, I thought it was time to serve up some mono-tone imagery. Today’s photo is from the album that one of Peter Renall’s clients saved from the dump bin.
The S. Ford & R. Lang branded sheds must help with ID’ing the launch in the forefront.

And woodys if you were out & about yesterday enjoying Waitangi Day, just scroll down for a serious woody experience 😉
Enjoy.