Category Archives: Launches

Easter Weekend Cruise – Photo Gallery

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Tasman

Wairiki on-route to Coromandel
Wairiki on-route to Coromandel
Spirit of New Zealand
Silens with load of driftwood aboard
Rorqual looking very smart
Ngarunui
Allergy
Chris McMullen on patrol
Dinner on Raindance
Name escapes me
Marie J
Trinidad waking up
Harmony a very salty launch, nice pad
Idler
Man o War Bay Sunset
Man o War Bay Sunset
Kathryn Ann
Kathryn Ann
Lady Margaret (CW)
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Raindance at Man o War Bay (photo Andrew Miller)

Easter Weekend Cruise – Photo Gallery

Headed to the bottom end of Waiheke Island for the 4 day easter break. Nice to see so many classics out & about. There were a lot more than the above photos, these are just the ones we mooched past. Everyone was graced with almost perfect weather & the water temp is still in the comfortable range.
See captions for details.
ps I got to practice my fuel filter changing / system bleeding on the way back………….. fun in a busy seaway 🙂

Moerangi – 4sale

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MOERANGI
photos & story from NZ Life & Leisure magazine

Today we feature the Logan Bros ex work boat Moerangi. When launched in 1901 she was schooner rigged & also had one of the first oil engines in New Zealand.
Built for Archibald Weir Jnr. she started her working life towing the commercial fishing fleet in & out of Moeraki, as the fleet started installing engines her role became redundant & she became a passenger ferry with the Peninsular Ferry co. in Otago. Around 1920 she was converted back to a fishing boat & moved around several ports – Port Chalmers > Lyttlelton > Akaroa. Her past is a lille cloudy after 1920 until the early 1980’s when she was converted to a pleasure craft. Her owners Alice & Mick Sinclair would love to know more about the ‘missing’ years.
ww has a great relationship with the crew at NZ Life & Leisure magazine, the #1 selling magazine in its field & we thank them for sharing this story with ww readers. You can find out more about the magazine here    http://nzlifeandleisure.co.nz/

More details & photos on Moerangi’s past here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/12/15/moerangi/

 

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House Boat

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House Boat
photos by Jose Campos

Ok its not a classic but its very cool & given its a long weekend, a few of you will be away at the bach or better still afloat so I thought it would be a good time to post this floating home.
It is a modular design that lets you choose a cozy studio or a fully-furnished three-bedroom house, all of which float. Living in a cool, modern house would be pretty great, but imagine taking that house and placing it in the water so you can have your very own waterfront property with 360 degree views. The house boats come in a range of sizes from 10 to 18 meters (approx. 33 to 59 feet) with a set width of 6 meters (19.6 feet) Propulsion comes from two small outboard motors that give you the flexibility of moving it to a new place every day. It’s even built so that it can easily be stored in two standard containers and shipped to you anywhere in the world.
Simply charge the boat and your house is self-sufficient for at least seven days. It produces up to 80% of its own energy needs for the year. It was also designed with a reduced carbon footprint using materials and technologies that have little impact on the environment.The kitchen comes fully equipped for all your daily needs. The house is also outfitted with a heat pump and AC generator, and a barbecue on the upper deck.

Tomorrows ww post will feature another ‘house’ boat but this one was built in 1901 & has the impressive ‘Built by Logan Bros’ builders plate.

The Kiwi Version 🙂

photo ex Dean Wright of Bay of Island marine scientist, John Booth’s ‘Waka’ 😉

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Buzzard

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BUZZARD

Buzzard is 1989 22’6″ spirit of tradition launch with a Holmes displacement hull, ply glassed 😦
Powered by 21hp Volvo Penta diesel motor that pushes her along at 5>6 knots. A perfect speed for her home waters of Lake Taupo.

Any of the lake woodys able to tell us more about her?

Launch at Leigh

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Launch @ Leigh

Launch at Leigh
photo ex Leigh Historical Photos (Paul Wyatt)

All I know about the above photos is that its possibly from the 1940’s, Can we attempt to ID the launch?

Sorry the ww post was a little late going live today – was out on the town last night………………. If you like Bluff oysters the trendy thing around the waterfront eateries is Oyster Happy Hour, normally 4>7pm, a dozen for $20, great value & the taste is to die for. Given how many we had, that just might happen 🙂

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Mystery Launch 24-03-2016

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 24-03-2016
photo ex Robin Elliott

Another mystery launch from Robin’s collection of photos from the Whangarei Cruising Club Collection, as far as Robin knows, all are from the 1940’s early 1950’s & and were taken by Palmer Photography in Whangarei (1910-1999). Most by the late Graeme Palmer and possibly some older ones by his father.

So woodys who can ID this one?

Reproduction of advertisement below ex Robin Elliott

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Sirius

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SIRIUS
info ex Les Sharman via Ken Ricketts

Sirius was built by Owen Woolley in 1956. She is 32′ long & is powered by a 4 cyl Ford diesel, which owner Les says is 90 hp.
Les bought Sirius in 1999 off a retired car dealer called Fraser Chapman. She was moored in Thames at that time.

Les spoke to Owen Woolley before he died, when he lived in the  Warkworth area &  Owen told him she was the first boat he built, after he completed his apprenticeship & she was built at Panmure. Sirius is berthed at Gulf Harbour

Any of the woodys able to supply more info on her earlier days?

Harold Kidd input

According to APYMBA records this SIRIUS was built by Owen Woolley in 1956 with dimensions 32’x29’8″x10’4″x2’9″ and had a 52hp Fordson diesel. Her owners in the period 1960-73 were G.D.B. & J.M. Chambers of Hinemoa St., Birkenhead. There seems to have been another SIRIUS in 1957 owned by D.H. McMillan of Lunn Ave., Mt Wellington, with a different registered number but it could be the same boat, I suppose.

Off Gt. Barrier 2003

SIRIUS OFF GREAT BARRIER 2003

17-04-2016 photos c.1990’s, ex past owner Fraser Chapman via Ken Ricketts

CYA Cake Day

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CYA Cake Day
photos Alan H & Daniel Renall

Last Saturday was the annual CYA ‘Round-Rangi’ yacht race + post race BBQ + Cake Day. The tradition of the Cake Day goes back a long way when women did not take part in yacht racing & once a year the men folk would invite women out for the day but they had to ‘bring a cake’. The cake day tradition lives on but these days its a competition to see who has the best looking & best tasting cake & more often than not, the cakes are made by the blokes.
The weather was a little fresh & the sailing fleet numbers were low, in fact only 3 yachts sailed the course 😦  this did not stop a great late afternoon raft up in Islington Bay which saw the cake judging happen afloat this year, I arrived later on & missed the announcement of the winners but if it was up to me Daniel Renall’s carrot cake would have won. Given how good it was I suspect wife Alex made it 🙂

A good turn out from what I call the ‘Gang of 8’ – the loyal launches who support the CYA events. We had in the bay – Wirihana, Lucille, Florance Dawn, Raindance & Kumi. Great to see Kumi back on this side of the island, owner Haydon Afford has just returned Kumi to the Waitemata after 2 seasons on the Kaipara.
I did see the recently relaunched Maria heading back up the Harbour when I was heading out so maybe Nick Voerman had been in the bay earlier in the day. BUT over all a poor turnout from both yachts & launches.

And a message from the yacht crews to the skipper of W1, slow down in the bay. Thats two complaints in 3 weeks………… 😦

The rebirth of Juanita

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The Rebirth of JUANITA
photos Greg Lees & Alan H

Yesterday I was privileged to be asked by Greg Lees to attend the re-launch of the 32′ classic launch Juanita, a 1951 Allan Williams (Milford Creek) built beauty that has  just spent the last 4 months in the Lees Boatbuilder shed at Sandspit. In Greg’s words she was in for a ‘refresh & to bring her back to her original appearance’ – well Mr Lees, I do not think she has ever looked this good before so you have exceeded the brief, but we have come to expect that from the yard. Greg commented that Juanita’s new owners (Nick & Anna Davidson) contribution to the work was huge, every weekend for the 4 month period.

Juanita has had a busy life having called numerious places home – Auckland, Whangarei, Lake Taupo, Whitianga & now Sandspit.

Juanita’s past has been well documented on ww – some links below for details & photos

Juanita

Juanita

I took the photo of her below late last year, moored off Greg’s wharf looking very sad & tired as she awaited her turn in the shed. Arohanui was in-residence at the time mid restoration. One of the reasons Nick chose the Lees yard was the long association the yard & Greg personally has had with Juanita, in fact Greg told me that he once got very close to adding a flybridge to her, luckily that never happened 🙂

Again I’m so pleased to see so many of our classic launches being returned to their finery – so woodys who’s next in the shed?

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Took the opportunity to have a  peek at Karros hauled out & chat to Dave Jackson, with a 14′ beam she is a rather pretty big bottomed old girl 🙂

Mystery Launch 19-03-2016 – NGAIRE

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 19-03-2016
photo & details ex Robin Elliott

The above photo is another ex Robin Elliott’s Whangarei Cruising Club collection. Photo most likely from the 1940’s > early 1950’s period and taken by Palmer Photography in Whangarei (1910-1999). Most by the late Graeme Palmer and possibly some older ones by his father.

With the swordfish graphic on her bow she has a slightly familiar look to her but my memory bank isn’t sparking today, so woodys – anyone able to ID her & the two vessels in the background? The #38 might help – race?, fishing comp?.

18-05-2026 UPDATE ex Nathan Herbert – I’m not sure how I knew 10 years ago that she was called NGAIRE.