Todays classic wooden launch is named NAIROBI and the photo was taken by William Fletcher and is from the Auckland maritime museum collection via Lew Redwood.
All we know is the location is the Waitemata Harbour, with Stanley Point, Devonport in the background.
Quite an unusual design so hopeful someone recognises her and we can learn more.
Nice to see the Auckland Motor Yacht Club ensign flying ✔️
INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – NAIROBI first pops up in December1914 owned by H S Bates. She was allocated number 63 for racing with NZPBA and did race off and on until 1934 when she disappears, possibly through a name change. She does appear in a December 1914 NZ Yachtsman issue as MAIROBA. The extended cabintop is very likely a 1920’s affectation.
I think it’s likely that she started life as JERSEY LILY (2) which Tom Le Huquet built for himself in late 1910 and sold to H C Bates not H S Bates (but possibly the same guy) around December 1914/January 1915. JERSEY LILY had a 12hp Zealandia and was 30’/30’/ 7’5″/3′ which looks about right for NAIROBI. Bates put a new engine in her in November 1920 to get more speed.
Today woodys our classic wooden launch is named PRINCESS and we know little about her other than in November 1911 she won the RNZ Yacht Squadron race to Matiatia, Waiheke Island.
The top photo appeared in the December 30th 1911 issue of The NZ Yachtsman magazine.
The other photos ex the Auckland maritime museum via Lew Redwood were probably taken by a Robert Stewart and were in an envelope marked ‘Princess? / Sceptre’.
Can we confirm her name and learn more about her.
HAROLD KIDD INPUT – Bailey & Lowe built PRINCESS in December 1910 for themselves (Walter Bailey and Bill Lowe) as a showpiece for their firm. She was 35ft loa and had a Sterling 18/25hp engine for which they were the agents. PRINCESS was the model for their 35’x8’x 3’6″ tuck stern single skin launches that found their ultimate version in the raised-foredeck ROMANCE II. They sold her to Dr H D MacKenzie in 1916 She was later VANESSA and KAIPARA PRINCESS. and was derelict in 2012 on TradeMe.
CAN WE PUT A NAME TO THIS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ALICE
Todays photo is another from the Auckland maritime museum, specifically from the Fletcher Collection and the photographer is listed as William Fletcher. The photo comes to us via Lew Redwood.
Sadly we have no other intel but she does look very familiar.
Anyone able to enlighten us with a name, builder and location etc.
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH WINSOME II (MAUDE T > LATEX) 4SALE
Todays feature classic wooden craft is WINSOME II, the 36’ William Hand designed launch was built in 1924 by the Lane Co., Freemans Bay, Auckland.
WINSOME II has appeared on WW numerous times over the years as we have followed her movements around New Zealand.
Today thanks to her current owners we get an extensive deep dive into her past. I have included below a brief overview but encourage you to open / download the PDF file attached to todays story to experience her amazing visual and written history.
Built 1924 – LOA 36’, beam 9’6”, draught 2’9”, kauri chine hull.
Launched as MAUDE T for David Teed, the then mayor of Newmarket, Auckland. Purchased by a Capt. A.E. Emanuel, a ships’ pilot who came to NZ from Shanghai. Re-named LATEX. Commandeered 1940 by the RNZAF, served in Auckland and Tauranga harbours ferrying trainee pilots to and from airports. Acquired by Andy Donovan 1945, used as a charter boat, big game fishing, etc Re-powered with Gray V8 gasoline engine, Cruised at 20 knots. Wheelhouse added 1952. Repowered with Nissan SD 33 diesel 1991. Bequeathed to grandson Andrew Lusty c.1995. Then an unknown owner took her to the Bay of Islands. Found in 2002 by Mike Allan (Marlborough) and trucked and sailed down to Havelock, Marlborough. Refurbishment is ongoing, continued by Chris and Julia Knowles from 2002.
Maintained with significant assistance from Richard Browning (mechanic/electrical engineer) who also refurbished hull, and installed new galley, conversion to all-round LED lighting, installation 40 V solar panel and associated control panel. WINSOME II is powered by a Nissan diesel SD 42 T 120 HP straight 6 cylinder that had a marinised cooling system installed 1995. Refurbished motor installed 2016. Her comfortable speed range (cruise > max) is 8 > 10 knots.
Todays photo gallery are a mix of dates, used to give an overview of her adventures.
Today’s story has two objectives.
To record and share the remarkable history of this beautiful 100-year-old classic so that her story is preserved for future generations.
And to help find her next owner – not simply a buyer, but a custodian who recognises they are acquiring one of New Zealand’s maritime treasures… a vessel that also happens to stop people in their tracks wherever she goes.
14-07-2026 INPUT ex ELLEN ANDERSON – Daughter of the “unknown owner” (mentioned above) that took WINSOME II to B.O.I. – the old photo below is Ellen at the helm as a little girl.
MYSTERY TIM WINDSOR DESIGNED CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH
Recently the prolific fb poster Lew Redwood has been sniffing around the Maritime Museum photo archives and has discovered ( I use that term because so much of the museums treasures are ‘hidden away’ ) a treasure trove to old b/w boating images from the 1940’s.
Today thanks to Lew we get to see a 26’ classic wooden launch that was designed by Tim Windsor and built at the Shipbuilders yard in Auckland.
The photo is dated 1948 and the photographer is most likely Tim Windsor.
Can we put a name to this classic wooden launch and learn what became of her.
Todays launch is a recent arrival on tme (thanks Ian McDonald), before I comment I reproduce the sellers comments “Shes a bit rough around the edges but got solid bones. A lot of boat for the money.”
It states she is a Sam Ford design but I struggle with that and at some stage an owner must have had access to sheets of plywood at a good price and didn’t own a protractor i.e. not a lot of curves to be seen.
All that to one side asking price is only 12k, so a low cost entry level 36’ launch. What we know – 1964 build, triple skin kauri, powered by a 120hp Ford, home port Tauranga.
CLASSIC SOUTHERN WORKBOAT – ELIZABETH DN.61 – CONVERSION
The 36’ 1956 Miller & Tunnage (Port Chalmers) built classic wooden launch – ELIZABETH started life was a work boat, built for E.J. Pile of Moeraki. Her reg # being DN.61 .
From her tme post she was converted to pleasure use in 2000. Post the conversion she has lived on Lake Wanaka (fresh water).
Forward motion is via a 75hp Ford 6 cyl.2715E engine.
Like all southern girls she is well fitted out for comfortable life afloat, including a heater.
If the top photo above is current and with her parentage, its a good buy at 28.5k. Thanks Ian McDonald for the heads up
At the time we learnt she was built of kauri and powered by a 60hp Ford Lees diesel engine.
Earlier in the week her current owner, Daniel Carter posted on-line that he had just hauled her out for some TLC. The post generated some amusing chat with a previous owner (Robin Smith15 yrs) recalling that the gent he bought her off was a house painter and every year ‘annual maintenance’ consisted of him mixing together all his part tins of house paint and applying it to both the interior and exterior 🙂
Home these days is the Bay of Islands. Can we ID her builder.
THE BEST BOAT RESTORATION TOOL IS OFTEN A SHARP PAINT SCRAPER
At first glance todays classic wooden launch would scare most off but the last photo shows that beneath all that old paint lies a nice woody. Her seller on tme is open to offers so this could be a great winter (or winters…) project.
What we are told – built in 1929 by Lidgard , she measures 31’6” and has been dry stored for a period.Her interior has been removed, as has the engine – so a blank canvas.
CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – GRYPHON
Over the weekend WW was contacted by Glenys Milne who writes / edits the Sandspit Yacht Club newsletter regarding the launch GRYPHON, seen in the above photo.
The vessel had recently been ‘hauled’ out at Sandspit by the Harbourmaster, and due to neglect, was demolished. Glenys was hoping to via WW uncover some early history on GRYPHON and commented that she appears to have had a once fine hull, but had had alterations over time eg the enclosed cockpit.
I tongue in cheek refer to these additions like this as TV1/2/3 i.e. she appears to have 3 TV screens on her 🙂 So woodys – can we help Glenys out with some history on GRYPHON.
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