Category Archives: Launches

Privateer

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PRIVATEER
photo & details ex Paul Drake

Today’s launch is Privateer a recent arrival at Lake Taupo. Can anyone comment on where she came from and what her history is? Paul mentioned that she seems quite heavily ribbed. Not an Auckland boat perhaps?

The photo is taken (Aug 12) at the marina at Motuoapa (at the southern end of the lake) & the reason its so empty is it has been closed and emptied of boats, in preparation for its re development.
Soon the weathered wooden jetties and the wetland/island in the middle will be gone. The new marina will lack any character whatsoever and be all plastic, as is the custom these days. A little sad if you like weathered wooden jetties! Anyway, its great that the last boat out will be a woody.

Star Drift (Lovely Lady)

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STAR DRIFT (Lovely Lady)
photo ex Pam Cundy at Whangateau Traditional Boats

Now today’s post is looking very sad, but still afloat. The photos show Star Drift (if that is her real name) moored in Tryphena Harbour at Gt Barrier Island. The flying bridge (I hear you John 2Dogs) almost passes the test, so I suspect at some stage she has spent time in the hands of a good boat builder.
What do we know about her & given I do not know the date of the photo, is she still there & floating?

Harold Kidd Input

The boat was launched as Lovely Lady & was built by  R.T. Hartley at Whangarei in 1951 to a design by Dick Hartley. She was 33’x11’x3’9″ and had a Scripps V8 originally. She was built for game fishing and is featured in the December 1951 SEA SPRAY mag.

Update 04-08-2019 Photos below sent to me by Tony Simpson, who spotted her on a trailer at Tryphena, Great Barrier Island.

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Tony Simpson

Cherokee

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CHEROKEE
photo ex Ken Ricketts. Details ex Harold Kidd

Today’s post is of the sedan top launch Cherokee. The photo above was taken by KR c.1972.

CHEROKEE was built for J. W. Farrell in 1958 and, according to Bo Farrell, was a 34 footer. She had a 100hp Gray engine.

Interested in more info on her past & whereabouts today.

A lot of chat on Cherokee & possible sister ships in the ww Comments section.

High Tea

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HIGH TEA

Now I know Gravenhurst, Ontario is a long way from the Waitemata but when I saw the above photo on the WoodenBoat facebook page & checked out the amazing work that Brackley Boats do, I just had to share with you this great set of photos,below, that show High Tea’s pilot house being reunited with the hull & then relaunching.

At 58′ and 30 ton this Ditchburn motor yacht is a beast & swinging from the crane looks like a wee run-about , yeah right.

Check out some of the other boats that have been lucky enough to have spent time at the Brackley yard  http://www.brackleyboats.com/

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Wooden Boats In Croatia

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Wooden Boats In Croatia

Somehow I think the middle child must be deaf, she has emerged from 22 years of sharing a roof with me & says “Dad you’ll be proud of me, I’m sailing on a wooden yacht in Croatia” & sends me the above photos. When I asked if they actually sailed i.e. put the sails up, she replied “yes I think they did a few times” 🙂
Had a chuckle at the big ugly air con unit on deck, I suppose its the trade off for a cool cabin & cold drinks.

That’s her in the middle doing a back flip 🙂

And b4 Jason P comes on & says “what sails”, there is a wee one 😉

Jennifer II

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JENNIFER II
photo ex Tony Kellian ex Pam Cundy at Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard

The photos of Jennifer II were sent to Pam by Tony & show her hauled out at the Whangateau slip & at sea. Jennifer was used by Tony’s grand father Ross Kellian to commercially fish out of Leigh.
The Kellian family would like to know who built her etc. and if she might be still be around.

So woodys – can anyone help out with info on Jennifer?

Okareka

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OKAREKA (Ferg)
photos & details ex Ian Nairn, Harold Kidd & John Blundell

Ian Nairn sent me the above photos of Okareka taken when his family owned her between 1961 & 1975 approx.. At the time Ian’s family owned the Britomart Service Station in Custom Street East, Auckland.
Ian is a member of an exclusive ww club, 3 of his families boats have featured on ww – Silver Spray, Lady Pat & Okareka.

Okareka was built by Colin Wild in 1952 (tbc) & when launched her original name was ‘Fergy’, the significance of the name being that her original owner Ted Copsey & his son Peter had the Massey Ferguson tractor dealership in Pukekohe. Copsey sold her c.1957 to Don Brown of Almorah Rd Epsom. It appears Brown changed her name to Okareka.
During the Nairn ownership period they added, with the help of Roy Parris, the dodger over the open rear cockpit. They also installed the twin Ford diesel engines (on the 25th July 1968).

NOTE: In an early ww post Ken Rickett’s commented that Okareka’s varnished coamings were painted white pre 1953, the photos above are dated 1964 so Ken’s memory bank needs rebooting 🙂 Also Ken states that her first owner was Don Brown, which clashes with the Ferg name / ownership link ex John Blundell – hopefully today’s post clears up these discrepancies.

More details on the vessel, her owners & recent photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/04/29/okareka/ – remember to read the COMMENTS section 😉

Ronaki

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RONAKI
photos ex Pam Cundy at the Whangateau Traditional Boat Yard

I know nothing about todays launch other than that Pam & George saw Ronaki in Ruakaka a couple of years ago. She went onto trade me and was sold. The lifebuoy has 1912 on it so maybe that’s some indication of her age. A serious case of the ugly sister going on in the last photo.
Anyone know what became of her?, fingers crossed someone took on the challenge & restored her.

Harold Kidd Input

RONAKI has a picture in our “N.Z. Vintage Launches” at page 63.
She was built as a fast harbour launch by Collings & Bell for the Auckland Harbour Board in January 1913, a 38 footer powered by a big 55-75 hp H.C. Doman marine engine with a max of 14 knots. Photo below. After many years of service with AHB she was sold to G Hyauiason who had her bridgedeckerised. The RNZN took her over in 1942 for control service (at the boom, I think) but sold her in 1944 to J.A. Collins. My uncle Lou Wilson, MD of Morris Black & Matheson bought her soon after that. Lou certainly wasn’t the one who rowed over and asked for points for a V8. I really don’t know about that story, particularly where the V8 came from.
The AHB bought her back subsequently and fitted a Leyland. A group of us looked at her around 1986 but bought FERRO instead, principally because we were warned off the Leyland and favoured the Caterpillar in FERRO, plus she was much more original.
The other RONAKI was built as MANUKAU by Chas. Bailey & Son in 1914 for the AHB to use on the Manukau.

The photo below is from Ron Wattam & was taken during her sea trials.

LOST – The MY GIRL Motorboat Racing Trophy + Good News on Margaret S

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LOST – The MY GIRL Trophy + Good News on Margaret S

This ones going to test the collective memory base of the all the woodys out there. We are looking for a trophy that was linked 80+years ago to the NZ Power Boat Association, I’m talking here about the old NZPBA, with races that involved real wooden boats – not the lumps of fiberglass with oversized outboards on the back they race today.

The trophy was the ‘My Girl’ trophy & was donated by a Mr. C. (Tui) Waldron to replace the ‘Burt Cup’. There are numerous press clipping that mention events where the cup was contested, won or presented. I have attached copies below for your reference / interest.
Despite all the searching no photo can be found of the cup.

The present-day owner of the launch ‘My Girl’, who the cup was named after, Jason Prew would like to track down the whereabouts of the cup & any information on what became of it. While the cup itself may not have survived, someone out there must know something about its past. Launches that have won the trophy include – Taura, Tasman & Crusader. Crusader was owned by the Rev Jasper Calder & was steered to victory by Miss Edna Herick. It appears that in several of the events that the trophy was offered up, one of the conditions of racing was the vessel had to be steered by a woman.
Launches that have raced for the trophy include – Taura, Aumoe, Edwina, Tasman, Nautilus, Ramona, Crusader, Wailani, Lady Margaret & Wanderloo.

So folks anyone able to help out in the hunt??

Note: Photo above taken during a Victoria Cruising Club annual regatta, year & boats unknown. Romance II could be the launch on the left. Photo ex ‘Sir George Grey Special Collection (Auckland Libraries)

Good News About Margaret S

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CYA member Alan Good reports that the Collings & Bell launch Margaret S, built as Marne c.1918/19 that has been moored off Bayswater marina  breakwater for several years has found a new owner – sailmaker Bud Nalder, the photo above shows her being towed from BW to Whakatakataka Bay (OBC) where she will be hauled out & undergo restoration. Knowing Bud’s skills & level of craftsmanship, Margaret S is in very good hands.
For more details / photos on her https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Margaret+S&submit=Search

Now moored in Whakatakataka Bay (photo Mark Edmonds)

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