Category Archives: Launches

Kauri Speed Boat Barn Find

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Kauri Speed Boat Barn Find

Gavin Bedggood has asked for help from ww to identify his recent barn find. The speed boat is 16′ 2″ & would have had the motor in the middle and the people at the back.  She way have been powered by a Dodge flat head 6 engine and then a flat head Ford V8 after that.
The distinctive V stern should be a give away to it’s history as it’s a little out of the normal. The bottom of the hull is double skinned with canvas between the layers and the sides are seam batten construction with very thin 7mm planks.  It looks to have been built by a talented amateur as their are few little signs that it was not professionally built.  It was blue at one stage then orange.
The previous owner had it stored inside for 27 years in the Waikato just out of Morrinsville. What Gavin acquired is just the ‘remains’ of the hull with none of the original fittings. Gavin plans to restore it with as many 1930’s period parts as he can, but power it with a late 1960’s 3.5 litre Rover V8.

Do any of the woodys recognize the boat & possibly be able to name her or any dates. Gavin feels it could have been built 10 years either side of 1930 based of the style.

More pictures & speculation can be found at this thread on the WoodenBoat magazine forum
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?209069-Very-old-New-Zealand-built-Speedboat-Speedster-restoration

Strathallan

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STRATHALLAN
Strathallan was the name given to this Miller & Tunnage, kauri carvel built, double ender, ex pilot boat by the Timaru Harbour Board. She measures 46’6”” LOA & draws 6’5”. The traditional Scottish boat builder, Doug Robb built Strathallan in 1955 at his Timaru yard.

As you would expect from an ex work-boat the engine room is impressive & dominated by the 190hp, 8L3B Gardner. With a displacement of approx. 20 tons and being driven by the classic Gardner with a 3.1 transmission gives her a cruising speed of 8.5 knots at 810 rpm and max speed of approx. 10 knots at 990 rpm. Her size, design & power unit make her a powerful strong seaworthy vessel.

After being decommissioned as a work-boat in the 1990s she was converted to a cruising vessel. The main saloon, galley & engine room have full headroom & her walk-around decks are perfect for fishing. One of the hangovers from her commercial days is the exterior head with the door facing the stern; I can personally vouch for the view J

Strathallan is currently for sale & would be an ideal vessel for the boat owner who wants a classic, traditional boat that is a part of New Zealand’s maritime history. The asking price I understand is <$80k & at that price would be a good buy & still have the potential for a new owner to add their own touch to the boat in terms of decor.

Photo below was taken at Mahurangi Regatta (2012?) by Chris Miller – slightly different paint ‘job’ back then.

Strathallan

 

Princess

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PRINCESS

Back in early January 2016, I ran a story on ww, ex Paul Drake, on a launch by the name of Princess that had recently arrived at Lake Taupo. At the time there was discussion around whether the owners claim on her name plate as being a 1927 Col Wild launch was in fact genuine.

I was sent the above photos by Keith Grizzly / Raymond Davidson (sorry if I have the name/s wrong) taken during her extensive restoration over the 1998-2002 period. Apart from finding out she was used as a commercial fishing boat out of the Mahurangi, her builder was unknown to Keith and there was no name plate on her. Keith also commented that there was no evidence of any fire damage, so that may counter Harold Kidd’s comment that she may have started life as the 1927 36 footer Paloma which was pretty much burnt out in a fire in 1929 and completely rebuilt. But in HDK’s defence he also said that Paloma was hard chime.

So woodys use the link below to view the previous story & maybe with the addition of the above photos we can ID the launch.

Princess

Around The Yards – Neptune

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NEPTUNE WINTER HAUL-OUT

Over winter, Neptune the 1956, 30′ motor sailer built by Fred Lidgard on Kawau Island, has been hauled out at the Whangateau boat yard for some TLC & some major work to realign her drive shaft. After buying Neptune, owner Greg was my marina neighbour at Bayswater last summer & on numerous occasions relayed that over a certain rpm Neptune was not the the most relaxing classic to be aboard 😉 Now it would be an understatement to say Greg is a perfectionist so at the earliest opportunity he slipped her & set to correcting the problem.  I’m sure Greg will added to this post the exact details of the work – hint hint Greg 🙂
Neptune slid down the ramp 2 weeks ago & is looking magnificent, see photo below on her mooring. Neptune has always been gifted with wonderful, caring owners & its awesome to see that Greg has taken her to a new high. Check out the ww link (blue) below to see more of this woody.

Neptune

(todays post photos ex owner)

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Ngahi

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NGAHI

I first spotted Ngahi over the Easter 2015 period (photo above) in Waikalabubu Bay, Motutapu Island. Then recently Ken Ricketts snapped 2 photos (below) of her at Milford Marina on one of his ‘walk-abouts’. Given the Ngahi MCC name board on her stern, one of the Milford woodys should be able to provide us with more details.

Mystery Launch 13-07-2016

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Mystery Launch 13-07-2016

Today’s post is a going to test the talents of you woodys. Baden Pascoe sent me the above photos of a launch that is ‘parked’ outside Horopito Motors (central North Island). Baden commented that he was told by a Barbara Cole that it last floated at Whakatane, given its condition – that would have been a while ago 🙂

Barbara thinks the vessel may have been called ‘Gay Lee’.

So woodys what are the collective thoughts on her.

Update from Andrew Pollard –  I have a poor quality photo of this boat, i found it online sometime ago. See below.
I have it under the name Gay Lee also.

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Why Is Classic Sailing Stuck In The Doldrums?

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Why Is Classic Sailing Stuck In The Doldrums?

Now here is an idea – may be the Classic Yacht Association should change its name to something like the Classic Boat Club – why? well given that over 50% of its boat owner members are launch owners & in physical numbers the classic launches out number classic yachts, maybe the ‘yacht’ name is not reflective of the movement.

If you want further proof, in the latest addition of the CYA newsletter, Sheerlines (see below), the new (to be elected tonight) CYA chairman + a ex yacht captain + the out-going launch captain – all have their latest classic boating projects featured & guess what? – they are all motor boats. Sure 2 out of the 3 people also own a yacht, but the trend for the last few years has been launch ownership. The out-going CYA chairman owns a motor boat & has his classic yacht on the market.
Even a blind-man could see there is a huge shift to classic launch ownership & the more relaxed, social activities associated around launches. Today the ‘sport’ of racing a classic yacht has less & less appeal, the yachts look magnificent but there is no queue of people to own / sail them. Just look at the asking / sold prices for classic yachts these days – that alone tells the story.

Aside from the name, the real issue facing the CYA is membership retention – has been for the last few years. No shortage of people joining up but an un-healthy number continue to drop off at the other end. Despite record numbers joining in the last 3 years (would be in excess of 100 individuals) the total membership number almost remains static.

There will be a change of guard at tonights CYA AGM – lets hope they are open to welcoming new thinking in terms of the classic boating movement & what it offerers up to retain members. The days of the CYA being a yacht club with its primary mission providing yacht racing for classic yacht owners, is over – that role needs to be handed over to the numerous classic yacht ‘trusts’ that these days directly or indirectly control 68%+ of the active classic yachting race fleets.

If your a CYA member, make the effort to come to the AGM tonight – 7.00pm @ the RNZYC, Westhaven.

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Valsan

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VALSAN

Today’s photos, from the Tudor Collins collection, are of the 1938, 45′ Lidgard built bridgedecker Valsan. Harold Kidd commented previously on ww that Valsan was built for Alex Harvey Jr as a 38 footer with twin 90hp Grays. She was lengthened (as were so many of these big bridgedeckers) to 45ft by the time she went into NAPS as Z10 in 1942-3, possibly during the time she was being repaired after going up on the Castor Bay reef in February 1940. Peter Annan bought her when she was de-mobbed in 1944 and renamed her Lady Edith. Annan had been the long-term owner of the big Logan cutter Thelma. In 1948 Annan sold her to Arnold Baldwin who changed her name back to Valsan.

Lots of photos of Valsan on ww, just enter Valsan in the ww Search box to view.

Lucinda Nearly Ready To Splash

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Lucinda Nearly Ready To Splash

ww has been following Nathan Herbert’s restoration of the 1930 L. Coulthard bridgedeck launch ‘Lucinda’ since early in 2014 when Nathan asked me who owned the what looked like abandoned 28′ launch moored off the Devonport Yacht Club (photo below). Post purchase, Nathan is on record as saying that he was hauling her out at Milford Cruising Club for a quick clean up & a lick of paint – well 2 years later, splash date is fast approaching & all the shiney bits are going on.
I dropped down to MCC over the weekend & the old girl is looking very smart.
When she slides back into the creek I’ll do a full post. Today’s one is more to keep the pressure on the boy to finish the job & start enjoying her.

Q: Whens the duck board going on Nathan ?, you will regret not putting one on 😉 and what is the car spot light doing on the cabin top ………….. 😦  I’m some one of the woodys must have a more suitable light gathering dust in their shed ?????

You can read / view more on Lucinda here

Lucinda Hauls Out

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31-07-2016 Update

Was driving home via Milford & took a wee detour to check on the progress – just in time to see the mast being stepped – looking very smart (excuse the photos the light was disappearing fast)

And the curtains are up 😉

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ANDROMEDA – Sailing Sunday

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ANDROMEDA – Sailing Sunday

Todays’s post is a tad different – it not often (these days) that we see a yacht being converted to a motor boat. Ken Rickett’s emailed in these photos of the Townson 26′ Serene -Andromedia that he spotted while on a visit to Colin Brown’s yard in Omaha. She was built in 1960 of 2 skins of kauri on opposite diagonals & is now owned by Dave Walker, of Warkworth, who recently bought her off Dave Jackson. She had been keep out in the weather, in DJ’s garden, in a semi derelict state, for about 3 years, with her coamings completely past their use by date.  Reports are that she was in a very sad state in general, but with a sound hull.

Dave Walker decided to remove all her interior & coamings & start again & convert her to a displacement launch, to be powered by a smallish diesel. You will see in the photos he has already fitted a deadwood with shaft log.

The work is being undertaken in a shed at Omaha, as per the photos. Dave anticipates having her in the water within approx. 18 months.

Ken was told she had been moored on a pile mooring at Westhaven originally, for many years, & was virtually unused, with someone just going aboard to pump her out, every now & again.

So woodys can we shed some light on Serena’s yachting past

Work-in-progress photos – April 2018 ex Ken Rickett’s

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