Category Archives: Launches

North Star

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NORTH STAR
photo & details ex Ray Morey

Ray sent me the above photo of North Star which was built in the 1950’s for an uncle of Ray’s wife, Joe Harris of Pahia. She was kept on a pile mooring at the Waitangi River for many years.
Ray recalls that North Star was the subject of discussion on the CYA website a year or more back (I have been unable to find the discussion, but the sites search mode is a tad lacking), I thought also that she had appeared on www but again can not find any reference.

Ray is keen to learn more about the vessel, he says that he always believed that she was built by Brian Lane at Totara North – can any of the woodys shed some light on her past & where she is today?

Quay St. Launch Landings

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Quay St Launch Landings
photo ex Lindsay McMorran

According to the caption on the above photo – the photos shows the recently completed ‘Fine Launch Landings’ in Quay St. on Auckland’s waterfront.

How many of the launches (L>R) can we name?

Slipped away yesterday for a trip up the upper harbour to the Riverhead Hotel for lunch with some good mates. Zero boats, we like that, just lots of people in silly costumes 🙂

Arohanui

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AROHANUI
photo & details ex Ross Farrant

Arohanui was built by Roy Parris in 1974 & is 30′ long. Owner Ross purchased her a couple of years ago from a gent by the name of Doug Wood. Ross understands Doug runs (perhaps ‘ran’ now) a diesel servicing business out of Westhaven.

Milford boatbuilder Geoff Bagnall was an apprentice under Roy Parris at the time Arohanui was built, Ross spoke to Geoff recently and he told Ross that he remembers there were 4 of these 30′ launches built, he also recalls that Arohanui was built for a Dick Milburn who is now deceased. Geoff knows nothing of her history after that.

You will notice in the above photo a small cabin top on the foredeck. Geoff Bagnall did that job for previous owner Doug wood at his Milford shed a few years ago, it appears that most of Roy’s boats had a flush foredeck but Doug wanted headroom, and it does work, brings more light into the boat and doesn’t detract from the overall look of the boat.

Arohanui is powered by a Lees Marine conversion, six cylinder Ford truck engine, Ross was amazed at how much oil the sump took when he did my first oil change.

Anything anybody can tell ww about her history would be great as Ross & Sue Farrant are a bit light on details relating to her past.

(sorry about the photo quality, as supplied)

Kohema

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KOHEMA
photo & details ex Michael O’Dwyer

Today’s photo is from the Napier Sailing Club & shows the launch Kohema on the clubs opening day in 1950. Of all the photos in the ww library this one would take 1st prize for the most people aboard 🙂

Can any woody tell us a bit more about Kohema?

04-06-2016 photos added ex Ronald Walker

Corona

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Approximately mid 60’s at Torrent Bay

 

CORONA
photos & details ex Peter Campbell

Corona was built by G.Curnow & M.V. Wilton in Nelson & launched at the beginning of 1938.
She was built for H.I. Dimock who sold Corona typewriters in Nelson, hence the name of the vessel.
Peter’s grandfather purchased the boat approximately mid 1940’s & she has stayed in the family since. 70 years of ownership is very impressive. Her specs are – 38′ LOA, Beam 10′, Draft 3′ 9″ & with 6′ Headroom.
The hull is kauri carvel construction & her original engine was a petrol Chrysler Ace. These days powered by a Ford diesel 2725E, which sees her cruising at 8 – 9 knots, max 11knots.

Peter reports that Corona is a very comfortable, economical boat & perfect for the use it gets now, Abel Tasman, D’urville Island & the Marlborough Sounds.

Legend has it Corona was featured in a NZ boating magazine in February 1938 page 9. Does anyone know what magazine?. Peter love a copy of the article or better still would anyone a copy of the magazine they would part with. So woodys – can anyone help ID the magazine &/or supply a scan of the article / or the magazine?

Navy (Admirals) Barge

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Navy (Admirals) Barge
photo & details ex Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H

The above launch was photographed by Ken while recently hauled out at Gulf Harbour for some maintenance. We understand that she is still in use by the Navy & used for cadet training. Built at the Devonport Dockyard, she is 3 skins of timber.
Her specs are – Length 14 metres, beam 4.45 metres, draught 1.2 metres.
She originally had 2 x Perkins Turbo 6 cyl diesels which have been replaced with 2 x D4 Volvos giving her a top speed of 10 knots, which seems rather slow ?

Like most service craft she has had highs & lows e.g. she was used by Princess Di on one of her Royal visits & also discovered some ‘unchartered’ (yeah right) rocks off Tutukaka 2 or 3 years ago on returning from the Bay of Islands.

I’m sure some of the woodys that have spent time in & around the dockyards will be able to expand on what we know about her.

OOPS Photos from Chris Leech

18-12-2015 Photo below ex Chris Leech of the twin Perkins HT6.354M diesels with Borg Warner gearboxes as installed when new.

Ready for re-launch – Feb 2016 – photos ex Ken Ricketts

30-11-2016 Photo of Admirals Barge below ex Jon Trimble via Ken Ricketts.

admirals-barge

Hazel May

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Hazel May

Hazel May
photo & details from John Burland

Today’s launch, Hazel May resides in Nelson Marina & is owned by Stephen Donar (?), that folks is the extent of what we know. John took the photo while cruising the dock looking for woodys.

So folks can we shed some light on this old girls past?

Update from Geoff Brebner

Not to sure of when she was built but think it was before 1920. She was built (another “I think”) by T. le Huquet for Henry Bronlund (my mothers uncle) who farmed at Stony Bay on the far side of Cape Colville. Named for their eldest daughter Hazel. Stony Bay was very remote at that time and she was their only means of direct communication with Auckland. Kept in a boat shed, she would  be loaded with bales of wool then return with enough provisions to keep them going. She was latterly taken over by son-in law Jack Strongman  of Coromandel and kept there for many years. I think she was originally powered with a Twigg petrol engine. Strongman’s had the agency for Perkins engines so it wasn’t long before she was re-powered. She was very fast with it seeming no limit to her hull speed. Jack and his sons Cyril and Nigel were great tinkerers and innovators and Hazel May could to the trip to Auckland in under two hours. Jack Strongman set up the Strongman Electric Supply Co in 1946 and supplied Coromandel town with electricity until the late 1950’s when Coro was connected to the national grid. Jack’s brother Sam set up the Strongman Shipping Co in 1936 (Wee Pat, Maretana and Coromel). Hazel May was sold to relations in Nelson a number of years  back. Good to see she’s still alive!    🙂

Photo below ex Andrew Pollard ex Classicboatsnz

 

Kawhiti

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KAWHITI
photos ex Tim Jackson, Russell Ward & Harold Kidd, details ex Russell Ward & Harold Kidd

Tim sent in the above photo of Kawhiti hauled out at The Landing (Okahu Bay) getting some TCL. I’m very happy to see the ‘spoiler’ has vanished 🙂
Kawhiti was built by Collings & Bell in 1952 for D A Wilkie, later owners J M Simpson of Beach Road, Howick (1958). Terry McAvinue owned her from 1968 to 1997 when Harold Kidd took the image below of her in Matiatia.

Kawhiti is powered by a Ford diesel & if the memory is correct was for sale in 2013. I assume she has a new owner, can any of the woodys update us on where she calls home these days & any other info?

 

Lake Taupo Launches

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Lake Taupo Launches
photo ex Paul Drake

Today’s photo was sent in by Paul ex his brother Roger. Roger collects old Taupo postcards & this one is part of the collection. The post card was tagged ‘Launch Haven, Waikato River, Taupo’.
The recently posted launch ‘Katoa’ can be seen center right, can we ID any of the others?

10-12-2015 Input from Paul Drake

In the stream from the left – KAHURANGI (said to be home built in Hastings – last seen at Mana Marina some years ago being set up as a live-aboard). NGARO (Lidgard?). ARCADIA (said to be a Slattery and still at Taupo but with a different cabin). KATOA.

Moored to the river bank – at far left is KOTAHI (now at Auckland Zoo as previously discussed on ww.) At far right alongside each other are MARY (last seen on the Whanganui River) and HAPPY DAYS.

On the far side of the river above KATOA is NOMAD (previously owned by the Bull family who replaced her with KATOA). NOMAD last heard of at Rotorua.

Lady Joyce (Lady Jane)

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Lady Joyce (Lady Jane)
photos & details ex Ray Morey

Now last week I did a post on Lady Jane, hauled out at Gulf Harbour, via ww we discovered that Lady Jane was originally named Lady Joyce. Ray sent in a wonderful photo of her being transported on launch day.
As Lady Jane she has been significantly altered (photo below). Ray sent me the two photos above that show Lady Joyce on a picnic cruise, the location is up the Whangamarino river at the junction with the Maramarua river. The people are, from stern – Willy’s sister Mrs. Thelma Nolan, Willie himself, wife Jessie in cabin door, the head behind belongs to Ted Stedger, farm manager, one of the ‘girls’ in the wheelhouse/saloon and on the bow is Barry Logan and his wife-to-be.

Ray asked the question as to how could anyone destroy those beautiful sweeping curves and plant ugly boxes atop that hull. In retrospect ww would have to agree with him, but boats are like houses, they get modified primarily for two reasons (1) to suit the current owners requirements (2) to remain stylish or current i.e. matching the latest design trends. There is no doubt that as launched she was a very smart motorboat & today I’m sure she is a very practical wooden boat, the dilemma people face is ‘do I want a classic wooden boat or an well maintained old wooden boat – from ww’s viewpoint its fantastic that so many people are now restoring some of our old wooden boat fleet back to classic looks.
But as they say – beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so as long as people are looking after these old girls, ww is happy. One day they might closer match their former beauty.

Now I could have added these photos to the existing ww post but they are just to good to be ‘add-ons’, they show off the beautiful lines of the vessel & lifestyle her owner enjoyed.

Click link to view & read the first ww post on the ‘two’ Lady J’s

Lady Jane (Lady Joyce)

Note: we have already learned that the owner of Lady Jane is considering reverting back to the Lady Joyce name & overtime undertaking some sympathetic restorations 🙂

LADY JANE - GULF HARBOUR 28.11.15 - 1

Update from Ray
Ray sent in the photo below (ex Brian Worthington) that shows Willy’s two eldest daughters, Margaret  and Betty with the tender he built for Lady Joyce. These exquisite little dinghys were built using only two shadow molds. He would knock up one boat inside of a week. It is not in the above cruise photos because Thelma’s husband Thomas would have been in it with the camera.

Recent Photos – Oct2019