Category Archives: Launches

Wairangi – heads north

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WAIRANGI- THE JOURNEY NORTH - PICTON TO AUCKLAND- PT 1- A CLEAN BUM FIRST

WAIRANGI- THE JOURNEY NORTH - PICTON TO AUCKLAND- PT 1- SHAKE DOWN CRUISE WAITANGI WEEKEND - 1

WAIRANGI- THE JOURNEY NORTH - PICTON TO AUCKLAND- PT. 1- DEPARTURE DAY 1

WAIRANGI – Heads North
photos ex Owen Foster via Ken Ricketts

As previous noted on ww Wairangi has been sold & is relocating to Auckland, Waiheke  Island I believe. Owen supplied this collection of photos from the passage from Picton to Auckland. Wairangi was designed by Wren Carey & built by Andy Miller of Miller & Tunnage fame. For a 1934 vessel of her design she is unusual in that she was launched as a pleasure vessel, which goes against her looks that scream ‘work boat’ converted to pleasure use. Wairangi was the opposite as she became a Lyttelton pilot boat c1948.

To view / read more details of her past click here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/28/wairangi/

05-03-2016 Arrives safely at Waiheke Island

07-04-2016 – Wairangi getting a little love at Pier 21. Photo ex Rod Marler

Wairangi at Pier 21

11-04-2016 Update & photos below from CYA member Neil Williamson (owner of MV Safari & the mullet boat Arawa)

Currently doing some work on Wairangi at the moment and thought I would share some pics now the hull has been stripped back showing the planks in fantastic condition
She’s so well made and still in great nick. Great to work on ones like this.

26-10-2016 – photo below of Wairangi in Smokehouse Bay, Great Barrier Island 28/03/2016. ex owner via Ken Ricketts.

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Lady Evelyn

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LADY EVELYN

I took the above photos recently in Matiatia Bay, Waiheke Island, from the mooring I assume she is a permanent resident there & hence know nothing about her. So woodys can we shed some light on the lady?

Remember the 3 day CYA Classic Yacht Regatta start today. Photo below of some of the early birds tied up in front of the RNZYS at dusk last night.

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Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show

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Lake Rotoiti Antique & Classic Boat Show – This weekend

For the South Island woodys this weekend (5>6th March 2016) sees the running of the 17th Antique & Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes.
Always a spectacular weekend in a stunning location.

If there are any ww followers attending, pack the camera & send in some photos.

More details here http://www.nzclassicboats.com/

David Glen sent in the photo below of the 1st arrival 🙂

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Awatere

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AWATERE
photos ex Pam Cundy

The above photos of Awatere were taken by Pam over the 2015/16 Xmas / NY period. I’m assuming that she is from the McGeady stable, can anyone from the McGeady fan club confirm?
What else do we know about her?

More photos below ex Karen Moren, Ken Ricketts & Hylton.

AWATERE c1950s OKAHU BAY

 

Lady Mae (Antipodes)

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Lady Mae

LADY MAE (Antipodes)
photo & details ex Evening Post (paperspast) via Peter Loughlin

The above press clipping shows Lady Mae moored at Port Nicholson just after her arrival from Auckland in late November 1939. She was purchased by a Mr L Boielle, who renamed her Antipodes. At the time of her trip from Auckland to Wellington, under the command of Auckland yachtsman Mr D Wellington, she probably set a record for the passage for a craft of her size. Powered by a 38h.p. Ailsa Craig diesel engine, she did the journey in 76 hours. In my eyes a very pretty & sensible  launch.

Anyone able to enlighten us on what became of her in Wellington & later years. And if she is still around today?

Harold Kidd Update

I don’t know her origins (yet) but she was owned by Herbert Walker in Auckland in 1938 as LADY MAE, obviously then a recent rename. Walker sold her to Boielle of Wellington and he commissioned Dick Wellington to deliver her to Wellington. Dick had just got back from a Pacific cruise in his ketch SEAWARD and was waiting to go into the RNZAF. He was later killed on operations over Germany.
Boielle renamed her ANTIPODES but sold her to the Police in 1941 for use by the waterfront police at Lyttelton and sailed down in November. In 1943 she was chartered to the RNZN for boom defence work at Wellington . After WW2 she was retained by the Gorvernment, renamed ROTOMAHANA and used as by the Tourist Dept on Lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera.
She was 34’x9’6″.

PS Herbert Walker was a well-known dentist in Auckland. With his brother J.M. Walker, Herbert owned several launches including the 27ft DRAYTON built for them in late 1912 by H.N. Burgess of Judges Bay and the second 35ft DRAYTON built in 1916. In 1939, Herbert Walker was Commodore of the NZ Power Boat Ass which changed its name that year to the Auckland Motor Yacht Club.
I still can’t figure out the builder of LADY MAE, but she did have that name as early as 1935.
I suspect that LADY MAE is involved in the complex swapping and renaming of launches between the Walkers, with their DRAYTONs, David Teed, with his MAUDE T’s, W A Wilkinson, with his SPEEDWELLs and H.D. Heather, with his ROTHESAYs which is a nightmare.
Herbert Walker married Mary May Henderson in 1927. Just maybe she’s named after her?
Work in progress…..

Lisa Rose

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LISA ROSE
photos & details ex trademe

Lisa Rose was built by C.E Thompson (Boat Builder & Motor Engineer) in Dargaville to pull out big Kauri logs via rivers.
She measures 22′ & is powered by a 1980 40hp Isuzu diesel, reconditioned in 2010,  the engine is keel cooled, making her an ideal vessel for going up rivers e.g. she can make it up the Puhoi river to the Puhoi Pub.

Lisa Rose is an old boat, possibly c.1940.  Keen to learn more re her past & year of build.

Harold Kidd Input

Charles Eric Thompson was born in 1875 and died in December 1965. A lot of his boat building was at Aratapu but he died living at Beach Road, Dargaville. He was building until late in his life, but even in 1940 he was 65. Nice model of a hull.

Mystery Launch 29-02-2018

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Mystery Launch 29-02-2018
photo ex A. Turnball Library / Whites Aviation

Todays photo is dated 29 Jan 1950 & is from the 100th Anniversary Day Regatta. The ferry spectators are watching the 18 footer race.
Who can ID the launch in the forefront?

A Salty Little Place – Port Motueka

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A Salty Little Place – Port Motueka
photos ex Daniel Renall

Dan, owner of the very beautiful & slippery classic yacht Jonquil* sent in the above gallery of photos from his recent trip south. They showcase a collection of the classic craft moored at the Port Motueka marina. As I jokingly commented to Dan, if you owned the varnish franchise for the area you would go broke very quickly 🙂
Some have been featured on ww before but if a southern woody is looking in on ww today, it would be nice to ID some of the vessels.

* check out Dan’s recent re-fit of Jonquil http://classicyacht.org.nz/cyaforum/topic/jonquil-winter-work-2015/

Remember to drop into ww on Sunday, I have a great post on the history behind the Okura gigs. A great read & lots of photos.

St Ayles Skiffs

You may recall a few weeks ago that ww featured the recent Raid NZ that took place in & around the greater Auckland area. The event featured the increasing popular St Ayles rowing skiffs. One of the international rowers was Murdo Macleod – click the link below to see Murdo’s photo essay of the event. You will quickly discover that Murdo is a professional photographer. This essay appeared in the UK newspaper/online ‘The Guardian’, some great coverage for the event & NZ.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2016/feb/25/coastal-rowing-new-zealand-kiwi-st-ayles-skiff-raid

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PARIS (Alena)

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PARIS - GULF HARBOUR 7.11.15 - 2

PARIS (Alena)
details ex previous owners via Ken Ricketts, rewritten by Alan H

The early origins of Paris are unknown but luckily her recent history is well recorded. The speculation is that she was built mid 1960’s  but the builder is a mystery. Ken would name his normal favorites – Shipbuilders, Lidgards etc but in terms of the ww records I will leave it blank until we unearth more info.

Paris is approx. 30′ long & powered by a 90hp 4 cyl Ford Dover diesel Moon Engine. The engine apparently originally had a mechanical gear box, which has been replaced in recent times.

Some History – starting in the late 1990’s. She was named ‘Alena’ at this stage.

• Purchased c.1997 by Warwick Tankard off a gentleman named Rod Gear (of Gale Plastics). When Tankard bought her she had been on the hard stand at Half Moon Bay marina for 3>4 years following a partial sinking. Tankard undertook the work required to return the vessel to the water & kept her at Bucklands Beach for approx. 5 years. During Tankards ownership c.2004 the vessel suffered an electrical fire on-board & was completely re-wired & at the same time the engine was replace with the Ford Dover.

• Tankard sold the vessel to Tony & Ember Emm c.2002. After purchase they used her for 6months then transported her to their back yard in Whenuapai and spent the next 18 mths. undertaking an extensive restoration. During this period they did extensive work to the cabin & decks, removed rot & glassed the hull 😦  The Emm’s renamed her Paris before re-launching her. Named in lieu of a much promised, never eventuated trip to Paris. During this period she was kept at WestPark marina.

• The Emm’s sold Paris on 26-06-2008 to Graham Melsop who only had her for a short time (2 summers) & during his ownership kept her at the OBC Marina in Orakei.

• Melsop sold her to Roland Hughes c.2009/10 & she moved around a lot during Hughes ownership – Tamaki River > Pine Harbour > West Park > Bayswater. In fact she was a neibour to my Raindance at Bayswater when Hughes was living aboard & it was always pleasing to know someone was keeping a watchful eye on my baby.

• Hughes sold Paris to present owner, Andrew Smith in 2015 & after some time on the hard at Bayswater to correct some ‘deferred’ maintenance she was moved to her new home at the Stillwater (Wade River).

During our Christmas / NY cruise I spotted Paris on Man-o-War Bay at Waiheke Island & she was looking very smart.

The photos above of Paris on the hard at Gulf Harbour were taken by Ken Rickets & the 2006 photos below are from the Emm collection

Keen to learn details of her earlier history including design / builder.

PARIS - 2006

27-02-2016 Photos below ex previous owner Warwick Tankard  via Ken Ricketts (scanned from low quality copies)

Sea Devil

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SEA DEVIL

Just when you think you know most of the restored classic launches out there, a ‘where-did-that-come-from’ slides into the bay.
Sea Devil dropped anchor alongside myself & Lady Margaret in Oneroa on Saturday. As Sgt. Shultz used to say in Hogans Heros – I know nothing about her but given she was flagging the RNZYS & Kawau Boating Club burgees someone out there must know her.

Her tram-top / doghouse configuration was a topic of conversation aboard Lady Margaret, there is a lot happening there but for a boat of her size it seems to work.

26-02-2016 update – photos below ex Harold Kidd during her ‘recent’ refit.

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