Category Archives: Launches

Princess

Posted on by
5

Princess 0878

Princess 0885

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

Posted on by
2

20160507_150750[1]

20160608_160958[1]

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)

20160705_101559[1]

Ngahi

Posted on by
11

Ngahi AH

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

Posted on by
16

IMG_1844

IMG_1841

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.

Screen Shot 2016-07-13 at 10.26.45 AM

Why Is Classic Sailing Stuck In The Doldrums?

Posted on by
8

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.

CYA Aug2016 a

CYA Aug2016 b

Valsan

Posted on by
4

valsan2

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

Posted on by
8

FullSizeRender-2

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

Screen Shot 2016-07-10 at 5.53.41 PM

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 😉

FullSizeRender-1

FullSizeRender

ANDROMEDA – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
8

ANDROMEDA 4

ANDROMEDA 5

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

ANDROMEDA 2...

ANDROMEDA

Dolcina

Posted on by
7

Mystery Launch 10-07-2016 b

Dolcina ( no longer a Mystery Launch)
photo ex Carol Stewart

Carol Stewart passed the above photos onto Ken Ricketts. Ken has commented that with the advantage of being able to enlarge the photo supplied to him, he is “fairly confident” the name on her side reads Dorcina. I’ve also enlarged it & would not be be betting the house on it reading Dorcina, its just too fuzzy to read.

So woodys anyone able to put a name to this launch ? The canoe stern must help in the ID process.

Update from Hylton Edmonds

“Close, but no cigar!! She’s Dolcina (original name?) and  resides in the Bay of Islands on a mooring to the outside of the Opua Marina.
She is normally very spick and span, the 2014 photos below were taken late season, show a regularly used boat, which when underway looks really great too.
Don’t know any more other than the fact you always get a friendly wave from the ‘crew’.
A very similar looking launch (may even be the same one?) when I was a boy, used to moor over by the railway embankment/bridge in Whakatakataka Bay (Orakei).
That particular  boat,  reputedly built (as a vague recollection) by an AHB employee to the same (but scaled down)  design of the  58’ foot (Bailey and Lowe 1912) Pilot Launch Waitemata.
When I see anybody aboard  Dolcina,  its usually in the Tug out pushing barges, so a bit hard to give chase and catch her (!), but if and when I do, I will see what I can find out.”

March 2014 060

March 2014 061

25-07-2016 Input from Ted Sharpe

“I owned DAUCINA for 21+ year’s in Thames Coromandel, when i purchased her, her name was Daucina not Dolcina,we believe she was built in Wellington Island Bay in the 1950’s we bought her off Rob Wilson Who worked and lived at Kawau Island, The owner before Rob was the harbour master in Wellington and retired to Kawau Island with DAUCINA , i did quite a bit of work on her as she had been stripped out inside to carry building material from Sandspit to North Cove Kawau, i raised both cabin’s. i sold her to Allan Martin and William Owen so they could use her to update the book ..William Owen’s Hauraki Gulf 2nd edition…there is a picture of them coming out of Happy Jack Coromandel , ( page 176 ) hope this is helpful information , p.s. we had many great holiday’s with family and friend’s cruising the Hauraki Gulf .”

18-05-2022 UPDATE – new photos ex Baden Pascoe

Ex Naval Motor Launch

Posted on by
3

Screen Shot 2016-07-07 at 11.39.04 PM

Screen Shot 2016-07-07 at 11.39.18 PM

Ex Naval Motor Launch

Today’s post features an ex Navy survey launch, its name is hard to read but appears to be Penguin. She was built in 1944, is approx. 34’6″ long & powered by a 6 cyl. 100hp Ford D-series diesel. As they say in the modelling game – she was rather nice bones, quite a looker & I expect with a bigger engine there would be rather more zoom zoom than the current max of 10knts 😉
As you would expect from a Navy build, its built like the proverbial brick s_ithouse i.e. Australian hardwood.

Any woodys served on her & or can enlighten us on her past?. Home these days is the Marborough Sounds, photos ex trademe.

03-09-2016 Input from Russell ward

Below is the provenance of Penguin, scanned from Bob McDougall’s fine reference NZ Naval Vessels.

The pic of her on Lachlan with the flurry of activity (and look at the size of those davits! In contrast with the wiry matelots) dates from 1950 and is a well known RNZN picture.

The radial davits were replaced by Whelan type that swing out at the turn of an Admiralty Patt over engineered bronze caused switch. Luxury!

In passing, look at that cut out in the skeg. She’d turn on a dime in confined waters with a kick ahead as did Sam Ford’s bridge deckers that were similarly done. Many boats of the time were like that.
Penguin i001

Penguin i002