Category Archives: Launches

Kailua Refit – The Final Chapter

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Kailua Refit – The Final Chapter

Regular visitors to ww will have followed Kailua’s winter haul out at the Nautigue boat yard at West Harbour. Not long after new owners Jacquie & Stephen Langton purchased Kailua off Graham Guthrie, the decision was made to give her an extensive make-over. Stephen choose the Nautique yard to complete the work & reports that with the team of Ben & Neil the craft work and project management was great & he  only has good things to say about them – he joked to me that in the past he has built a few houses, & it’s hard to rave about your builders at the end of the project, but with these guys its been the exception.
Kailua was designed & built in 1960 by Bob Salthouse, when launched she was named – Lady Beryl.

Kailua was relaunched in late November 2016 & her first public outing was the CYA Xmas BBQ weekend at Patio Bay.
Enjoy the photos – you can view more on the project at the link below.

Kailua 2016 Refit

Taihere

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Taihere

Not sure of the correct spelling, her name appears to be either Taihere or Tairere, but we do know that she is a 32’8″ kauri bridgedecker. Same owner for the past 13 years but in the last 3 years she has had little use & as you can see in the above trademe photos what was once a smart classic is now crying out for some TLC.
She is powered by a BMC 4 cyl diesel. Thanks to Ian McDonald for bringing her to our attention.

What do we know about her past?

How Much Is My Woody Worth?

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How Much Is My Woody Worth?
That’s a question ww gets asked on a regular basis, the answer sadly in most cases is a lot less than the owner thinks. People get confused with ‘worth’ & what some one will pay i.e. the sale price, with classic wooden vessels – for worth think replacement cost, for sale price think less than 25% of that.
As I have pointed out before in NZ there is a growing demand for quality classic motor boats, a high % of this market do not have the skills, time or funds to restore one, so importing will become more appealing.
Today’s post features ‘Wando Lady’ a 1966, 65′ Stephens Bros motor yacht from California now calling the UK home. She sleeps 12 & is powered by twin Detroit V71 12 cylinder diesel engines rated at 495hp. Its on the market for approx NZD$400k (asking price) – I post for 2 reasons – its a great looking woody & I think most of you will be interested in viewing her. Secondly as an indication of whats available on the international market compared to NZ prices.

If you want to read more on her http://www.ybw.com/boats-for-sale/5091568?currency=GBP&utm_campaign=20161130_YBW-B_NWL_EO&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ET

Mystery Launch at Nelson

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Mystery Launch at Nelson

My woody spy in Nelson, John Burland sent me the above photo with a note saying the vessel could named Kaituna – any woodys able to ID the vessel &/or supply more details on her.
To confuse us there appears to be a few additions added over the years 🙂

FREE TO GOOD HOME
No not a box of kittens – this gift is both useful & valuable.
ww woody Jason Prew who is currently restoring (aka rebuilding) the 1925 Dick Land launch My Girl ( https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/08/08/the-restoration-of-my-girl/ ) contacted me with the offer below.
” I have a heap of leftover wood cut down to size to use for ribs, it’s red beech and takes to steaming well, a very durable NZ hardwood.  32mm x 16mm x 2.5m is the cut size, but i also have a heap of 8mm x 32mm, free to a good home, also use of a steamer that fits if you wish”

Te Arahi

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TE ARAHI

ww only knows a little about Te Arahi but as they say in the architecture game, she has good bones – being a Percy Vos bridge decker. She was launched in 1965. Her owner Graeme Finch was at the CYA Patio Bay weekend & the photos above are from both mine & Chris Millers camera’s. Photos also ex Brian Worthington & Ken Ricketts.
Graeme’s  father built the speed-boat Mystic Miss, pictured below and was a life member of the Manukau Speedboat Club.

Keen to learn more about her past.

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Input from owner

Hi – we are the current proud owners of Te Arahi, and thoroughly enjoying the transition from fibreglass yacht to classic wooden bridgedecker. I am only the 5th owner of this vessel, the previous owners shown below.

Owner    Name    Position    
1    Roy V Gibbs    South Auckland timber merchant    1965 – 1968
2    Capt Williams    Harbour Master at Whangarei            1968 – 1974
3    Colin Armiger    Manager at Bendon                      1974 – 1999
4    Cpt John Martin    Airline captain with Air NZ.     1999 – 2015
5    Graeme Finch    University of Auckland                    2015 –

As mentioned boat is built from a kauri tree milled at Helensville in 1963, built by Percy Vos and launched in 1965 – it is powered by twin 120HP Ford diesels, and electrical system was upgraded by previous owner John.

I would be interested to learn when the flybridge and walk through transon were added, plus any other history.

Graeme & Maggie Finch

12-01-22 UPDATE – photo below of Te Arahi at anchor at the bottom end of Waiheke Island, xmas/ny 2022

Felisa @ Oneroa

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FELISA

Every so often you get sent a photo of a vessel & you just go ” where the hell did that come from”. Today’s launch was photographed last Sunday anchored in Oneroa, Waiheke Island by Lindsay McMorran & folks she is a complete stranger to me – any woodys able to put me curiosity to rest ?

UPDATE – that was fast it is Felisa & you can read all about her here , Harold Kidd has all the details 😉

Felisa

A Woody Weekend – CYA Patio Bay Invasion

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A Woody Weekend – CYA Patio Bay Invasion

As promised today’s post is a photo essay from the 2016 CYA Patio Bay weekend. I know by saying it I will put a curse on things but the big boy up in the sky must have been a fan of wooden boats because the fine weekend % for CYA events is very high. He must also have been a launchie because he tends to smile on us weather wise more than the yachties.

For the launch fleet Saturday was a pearler, but not so good for those in the yacht race – lots of sun-screen & H2O would have been the order of the day. The lack of wind meant a late arrival in the bay for the yachts but soon after the anchors dropped, crews were heading ashore for the BBQ at Margaret & Bert Woolicott’s bach. I apologize for the lack of BBQ / Prize giving photos, for once I was just enjoying the company of the classic wooden boating community. Nice to see so many new members & boats joining in the festivities.

The above photos are just a selection of the turn out – enjoy, I did 🙂

Lake Rotoiti Calendar Winner = Simon Smith with the correct answer of Grant Cossey as the commodore of the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association. Saturdays post featuring the calendar was huge in terms of viewing numbers, 2nd highest in the last 2 months so I hope that results in lots of calendars sold 😉

I’m a big fan of what they call ‘paying it forward’ – via ww I come across quite a lot of boats bit- some of these I have re-gifted to a woody that was undertaking a very hands on restoration. Over the weekend he gifted me the below – proof that paying it forward works 🙂

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Update – lots more very good photos at the link below. These ones are from the camera of Chris Miller, who was aboard Raindance with me. The one below makes me laugh – you have to twist Chris’s arm to get him to photograph a yacht – this photo sees him using a yacht to frame the real photo – the launches 🙂 http://wp.me/p6Eld4-1is

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Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.)Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Invitation + Calendar Release

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Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade

Good morning woodys – I’m as excited as a dog with two willies today, its the CYA annual trip to Patio Bay, Waiheke Island for the CYA Xmas BBQ, we have fleet of nearly 50 classic yachts racing down & based on past years they will be joined by the cream of the classic launch fleet. Its a magic setting & a fun night – check ww out on Monday for a photo gallery of the weekend.

Another great woody weekend is the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade, an event myself & Chris Miller have attended for the last 3 years – check out the links to those ww stories & photos below.

2016 PARADE  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/02/09/lake-rotoiti-classic-and-wooden-boat-parade-2016-150-photos/

2015 PARADE https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/09/2015-lake-rotoiti-classic-wooden-boat-parade-photo-gallery/

2014 PARADE https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/02/11/2014-lake-rotoiti-nth-island-classic-wooden-boat-parade-snapshot/

Todays post is really a shout out from the Lake Rotoiti event organizers, 2017 is the 20th parade so will be special – the organizers are calling for any woodys interested in participating in the weekend to contact them – the crew keep things pretty simple e.g. if its wood & it floats – its eligible – so woodys start thinking about attending – I highly recommend it 😉 Date = Feb 3>5, thats Waitangi weekend. Contact details below.

The 2nd shout out is to promote the events calendar (see below) – this year its twice the size (A3) & packed with over 35 of mine & Chris’s photos. Perfect xmas gift for any woodys office, shed or kitchen (if you are brave). The calendars cost $15 or $40 for 3 – order via Rachel at zea.rachel@gmail.com or on the parade website http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/

WIN A COPY
And folks ww has a few to give away – so a wee quiz – all woodys that email the correct answer to the question below – go into the draw to win a calendar – email address = waitematawoodys@gmail.com
Q: Name the current Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Association commodore.
Draw closes 5pm Sunday 4th Dec 2016 & winner notified on ww on 5th Dec 2016

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Lady Karita

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LADY KARTIA

I very happy to be able to advise that the 1938,43′ Sam Ford designed bridge decker Lady Karita is now in the hands of a new woodys friendly owner, Murray Shaw. Murray also owns the Collings & Bell bridge decker Kawhiti so the man has been bitten by the bug 🙂 . Work is already underway to return her to her former glory, see photo above, ex Steve Thomas, of ‘work-in-progress’ restoring her brightwork. The immediate plans are for her to remain in the Nelson region, but hopefully one day we will see her back on the Waitemata.

Lady Karita was built in Kauri for a flag officer of the Ponsonby Cruisng Club, Mr Victor Salek. Powered by Ford 130hp diesel, shaft drive, sees her cruising economically at 8.5 Knots. For many years she has been based in the Pelorus Sounds.

Back in June, CYA member Mark McLaughlin (Mapuna) alerted me to the fact that LK was on the market, Marks father has been Lady Karita’s caretaker/skipper for the last 15 years in Havelock & supplied the 2 press clippings below.

 

04-04-2018 Photo below ex owner Murray Shaw of Lady Karita hauled out in Nelson. In the background is Lady Ellison – nice to see the two Sam Ford built launches together 🙂

LADY KARITA + LADY ELLISON

 

BEAUFORT -50′ Woody Motor Cruiser

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Floating Apartment –  Beaufort a Grand Banks 50

With the average house price in Auckland knocking around $1million, this 50′ wooden Grand Banks currently on the market for $429k sure beats a wee box apartment.
Launched in approx. 1972, she is built like a brick outhouse, constructed in mahogany and Burmese teak. She is hull number 37, of 65 produced & the current owner of 6 years, bought her in Virginia, cruised her down to Florida then shipped her to New Zealand.
This woody offers amazing cruising comfort and luxury with a large covered cockpit leading to a massive main saloon. To starboard in the saloon is an L shaped settee with dining table and chairs. Opposite is a settee and buffet and, forward to starboard is the bar and fully-equipped galley. To port is a walkway to the huge pilothouse with guest seating and access to the wide covered side decks through port and starboard doors. Before entering the pilothouse, there is a stairway down to the sleeping accommodation. The two forward staterooms each have 2 x single berths and share 2 x toilets and 1 x shower. The passage to the master aft provides access to the port and starboard engine rooms and the master features 1 x double and 1 x single bed with own ensuite with head, shower and, tub.
Powered by twin 210hp Caterpillar 3160’s & a fuel capacity of 3,800L she falls into the long range cruiser class if you were considering extended trips.

24-12-2016 photos below ex Ken Rickets