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
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
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.
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
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
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)
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
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 🙂
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
CYA Patio Bay Weekend 2015
photos ex Alan Houghton & Fiona Driver
Just back from another spectacular wooden boat weekend at Patio Bay, Waiheke Island. The weather was good for the yacht racing but a little rolly in the bay. This put a few owners off anchoring but most bit the bullet & dropped the pick & were rewarded with another brilliant evening ashore at Margaret & Burt Woolicott’s waterfront bach. It had all the ingredients of a classic kiwi boating function – sun, sand, wood fired BBQ’s, the odd cold beverage, a barrel of rum, fire works & lots of nice people.
The evening was made special by the presentation to Chris McMullen of the CYA Outstanding Achievement Trophy for services to classic boating. See the previous ww post for more details.
Even yours truly got a mention in dispatches – I was the surprised recipient of the 2015 Patio Bay Trust Book Award – for my work on/with setting up this site & ensuring that future generations will be able to better experience our wooden boating history.
Enjoy the photos. Sorry that its light on yachts but conditions did not suit bobbing around in a wee dinghy & by now I hope most people realize that a ‘drive-by’ past Raindance almost always ensures a photo on ww 🙂
Must also mention the magnificent sight of having Viking sailing in the fleet.
I have posted on the CYA forum photos from the yacht post race prizing giving – link here
http://classicyacht.org.nz/cyaforum/topic/cya-patio-bay-race-xmas-party-bbq-weekend/
Yacht race results here http://classicyacht.org.nz/sailing/
10-12-2015 Sailing Photos below ex Carolyn Anderson (Waimiga)
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – CYA Outstanding Achievement Trophy
Last night (Dec 5th 2015) at the 2015 CYA Patio Bay weekend BBQ / Xmas party CYA member Chris McMullen was presented with the CYA Outstanding Achievement Trophy for services to classic boating. The trophy has only been presented once before (Haydon Afford).
Now Chris is a regular on ww & has sent most of his life in & around wooden boats. As a founding partner in McMullen & Wing boatbuilders there would not be a medium that Chris has not applied his skills to – wood, steel, alloy & the f word (fiberglass), the great thing is that thru-out his career he has remained true to his passion for wood. Even today Chris is at the forefront of trying to raise awareness & educate classic wooden boat owners on the issue of electrochemical damage to wood.
There is no other living, New Zealand wooden boat enthusiast more deserving of this award & I was proud to stand alongside Chis when he received the award.
photos ex Fiona Driver
ALTAIR
photos & details ex Lyn McGeady, Karen Moren, Brian Worthington, Sea Spray Magazine & Ken Ricketts. edited by AH
Altair was launched on 30th November 1961 by the floating crane at Auckland, having been one of the later boats built at 1A Summer St Ponsonby by Mac McGeady, (Supreme Craft), as production ceased in 1965. She was built for Stan Horner.
Altair is 43′ x 12′ 6″ beam, is single skin with 1 & ¼” kauri planking, mahogany coamings, laminated marine plywood cabin tops, supported by laminated mahogany beams & kauri decks. She was powered by twin 6 cyl., 100hp, 590E, naturally aspirated, Ford diesels, fitted with Paragon 2 to 1 gear box & reduction gears. The engines were marinised & supplied by John W Andrew Ltd when launched & installed by Tracey Nelson. Cruising speed was originally 9½ knots at 1800 RPM over the measured mile.
She is one of the comparatively small number of bridgedeckers designed & built by McGeady & is probably one of the best examples of this concept he ever created. The interior is all mahogany & the layout was done by Stan Horner for their family needs. The majority of the interior was carpeted. One interesting feature is that she has “round” portholes in the flare of the bow, a rare departure from the McGeady “trademark” of the “oblong” concept as used an almost all of his boats post WWII.
Below are photos of the log she was created from, not many boats can trace their provenance this far back.
02-02-22 Input From Bryce Strong
Upon reading the Feb. 2022 Boating NZ article on Altair, put pen to paper to in his eyes ‘balance the article’ – read Bryce’s words below.
“I believe I am qualified to comment as I had a very close relationship with a previous owner of Altair, and my brother Grant and myself served on board for the 5 years that she acted as a Coastguard cutter during their ownership. Additionally I owned two boats (Apache and Matira) at separate times, and they were moored at Clevedon alongside Altair at this owners property.Altair has certainly had more than four owners.
As per the article, she was built for Stan Horner, and while I do not know all subsequent owners, she was at one stage owned by an airline pilot in the Picton/Nelson area, (he had bought Altair in Auckland and moved her down there) and it was from him that Murray and Judy Inglis purchased Altair. They were the owners of M & J Inglis Transport in Auckland, a mid-sized carrier transporting foodstuffs throughout New Zealand. I am not sure of the exact dates, but it was likely around 1986, and they owned Altair until approx. 2007, so their ownership spanned a period of about 21 years. Murray and Judy sold Altair to the son of a friend around 2007, and for some time she was moored at Westhaven. Later I heard that she had been on-sold to a cabinetmaker? She has probably had 7-8 owners.
Of all the owners after Stan Horner, Murray and Judy probably carried out the most maintenance and improvements to Altair. When they bought she had twin Ford 6 cylinder engines that were getting tired, and after 2-3 years ownership Murray had them removed and replaced with the new Cummins engines and new gearboxes. And in later years he engaged a great boatbuilder, Wayne Avery, to construct the covered-in flybridge. Their home was alongside the Clevedon River, and Wayne and Murray mocked up full-sized panels in the silhouette shape of the flybridge, fixed them to the old flybridge, and then stood back on the adjoining main road to review and modify the shape until they were happy with the result. I believe that while it altered the previous long and low shape of Altair, it proved to be a great safe and dry place from which to helm her!
Wayne Avery also carried out the replacement of a major section of the foredeck at a later stage. Murray also had the teak handrails and SS stanchions installed.
I first met them in Islington Bay in 1987, and we became friends and boated together a lot over the ensuing years. In the time when private boats were used as rescue vessels, they decide to offer Altair to Coastguard, and the four of us served about every 3- 4 weeks for five years. Murray was a very good skipper, handling Altair expertly. Murray and Judy loved Altair very much, and used her very regularly. They were Members of the Akarana Cruising Club, and hosted some of a group of Americans who visited New Zealand. They took a couple on Altair for a cruise of the Hauraki Gulf. Later their hospitality was reciprocated in Seattle.
I am glad that the photo book of the tree and her construction have followed Altair, as it is indeed great provenance. However I doubt if Altair is indeed 50 foot LOA. I understood that she was 42-43 feet at launch, and later 4 foot was added to the stern, to make the present stern cockpit. Perhaps a measure will show the actuality.
Jack Taylor must of been quite old and forgetful when he made his comments on Altair, as I remember him inspecting Altair on the hard at Murrays home, so he certainly knew her, and he also socialised with Murray and Judy at their home on several occasions. He was a good surveyor and a nice chap.
It is great to see that Altair continues to be lucky – in the hands of owners who have the enthusiasm and the means to maintain and improve her, as these lovely classic wooden boats need and deserve.”
