Category Archives: Launches

LANAI – A Peek Down Below

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OPUA July 2025

LANAI – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody – LANAI was built in 1949 by Lanes. Carvel kauri construction. 

She has made several appearances on WW, links below. Its nice to see that her current owner has given her a hair cut and the fly bridge has gone.

There is lots of chat and intel in the past posts but a quick overview below.

32’ x 10’6” x 2’9”,  powered by twin Thornycroft 54hp engines, that sees her cruise at a comfortable 7.5 knots, max 10 knots. WW July 2014  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/07/04/lanai/

WW Jan 2022  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/01/05/lanai-2/

2016 Photo below

(thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up)

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MANDALAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MANDALAY

Todays woody the 23’ MANDALAY just ticks so many boxes – Its built of full length kauri carvel planks in 1932 – Kauri backbone – copper fastened on steam bent ribs – it has a modern engine >Yammer 3GMD 23 hp – 4 berths – standing headroom in the wheelhouse – easily driven by an auxiliary outboard.
AND – the real bonus – it comes with a purpose built legal road trailer that allows her to be easily taken ashore for routine upkeep and changing cruising location.

With todays spiralling marina costs these smaller, transportable woodys will be the future, or at least what keeps a lot of people in the classic wooden boating game.

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the tme heads up. She has appeared on WW before where we learnt from Harold Kidd that she was built by Ralph Shepherd in Auckland. – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/11/13/mandalay-2/

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILVERY MAIN + A Peek Down Below

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SILVERY MAIN + A Peek Down Below

Todays woody recently popped up on social media, it looks familiar but I can’t put a name to her.

All we learnt was that she is approx. 34’5” in length and powered by a 150hp Ford D-series engine, that gets her along at 8 knots.

A lot of creative license with the wide-angle lens interior photos, makes her look huge 😉

Keen to learn more about the vessel.

21-03-2025 Update – the boats named SILVERY MAIN – details in the link below to Oct 2015 WW story https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/10/28/silvery-main/

CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – FLORENCE

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CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – FLORENCE

Todays woody – FLORENCE, was built in 1895 by Miller & Tunnage and started life as a workboat in Port Chalmers.

A double ender measuring 28’ x 7’8” x 3’ and constructed from heart kauri , carvel planked. Forward motion is via a Yammer 45hp 3JH engine.

FLORENCE last appeared on WW back in May 2016  https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/05/28/florence-5/

Not a lot of details of photos on her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) – seller might be best to link to the WW story 😉

Photos below of her in previous configurations 

CYGNET – CLASSIC 1931 WOODEN LAUNCH

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Earlier photo
Earlier photo

CYGNET – CLASSIC 1931 WOODEN LAUNCH

The 32’ classic wooden launch – CYGNET recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). A Sam Ford design built in 1931, but not sure is also built be Sam Ford. As per most Marlborough Sounds craft she is very well spec’ed and was re-powered in 2006 with a new 53hp Yammer 4JH5E engine that gives her an 8 knot cruising speed. 

Can we learn more about CYGNET (if thats her correct name) and where she has been most of her life.

TANDARRA – A Peek Down Below

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TANDARRA – A Peek Down Below

The Lidgard built 42’ launch – TANDARRA has made several appearance on WW , links below, lots of chat so be sure to read the comments sections.

Today thanks to Ian McDonald and Alan Sexton we get to have an updated look at her.

Quick overview – 42’ x 12’5”,  built from triple skin kauri (+f/glassed), currently powered by twin 300hp 6 cyl Ford Sabre engines. 

With a build date of 1976 and those varnished coaming she sneaks into the spirit of tradition category. Her original owners were the  Opperman brothers.

Sure to get a rise from the Lidgard fan club but its been commented that there is some Salthouse influence in her profile, she looks very similar to a Corsair 😉

WW Aug 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/08/30/tandarra/ WW Jan 2023  https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/01/19/tandarra-2/

ARTEMIS – A Peek Down Below

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ARTEMIS – A Peek Down Below

Todays woody is ARTEMIS, built by Orams in 1971 though some elements of her do look older than 1971 and some look newer than 1971.

Her specs ar 40’ x 11’3” x 2’11”, forward motion is via Perkins 120hp diesel engine.

Home has been Picton, Marlborough but the craft hs recently sold and will be heading north to the Bay of Islands, don’t they all these days 🙂

Keen to learn more about ARTEMIS’S past life and how and when she ended out a southern gal.

CLASSIC EX WORKBOAT – WAIRANGI – Then and Now

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CLASSIC EX WORKBOAT – WAIRANGI – Then and Now

The 1933 Miller & Tunnsge built ex workboat – WAIRANGI has made several appearances on WW, links below.

Now franks to a social media story by Rakiura Herzhoff we get to see her in her early configuration. We also learnt that when launched she had twin masts and was powered by a Thornycroft engine.This was replaced c.1948/9 with a Gardner 6L3, which she may still have.

WW October 2014 https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/01/1934-millar-tunnage/

WW March 2016 https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/03/05/wairangi-3/

WW April 2017 https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/18/wairangi-4/

MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – 193O’s Photos = LADY VI

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MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – 193O’s Photos – LADY VI

Earlier in the week thanks to Rosemary Wakeman we had the great story on the launch – ESME.

Rosemary also sent in several other photos from her uncles (Ernie Sisson) 1930’s photo album. 

Two of them show a bridge-decker alongside a docked Clipper flying boat, location most likely Auckland.

Can we ID the launch. My guess is TASMAN, but I’m sure Nathan Herbert will have the answer 🙂

INPUT EX KEN RICKETTS – the launch is LADY VI – more here https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/14/mystery-launch-1404/

08–3-2025VINPUT EX OLAF WIIF – The photos of the flying boat are so cool.  It is NC18602 (number 18) and named California Clipper,  the very last 314 flying boat to be retired from service at Pan Am.  One of only 12 made, it had clocked up over a million miles in service. It dates the photo as being taken between March 1939 when Pan Am took delivery of its first 314 and 1946 when California clipper retired. 

CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – OCEAN STAR

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CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – OCEAN STAR

Recently Graeme Shephard posted the above photo of OCEAN STAR on fb.  Graeme owned the boat in 2001 >2006. She was built in 1942 as a fishing vessel in New Zealand. 16.8 metres LOA.

In the late 1940’s the Government bought her for duties around Auckland and fitted the bigger deck house.

Her engine when Graeme owned her was a 4/71 GM.

Graeme commented that he placed 2 tonnes of lead ingots in the bilges which made her a lot stiffer and easier crossing Cook Strait etc.

Graeme circumnavigated the North Island of NZ in 2006 and then sold her.

Back in May 2023 OCEAN STAR appeared on WW (link below)  sporting a completely new house and residing in Tauranga, photo below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/10/ocean-star-a-floating-apartment/

She was 4sale at the time – did she sell?