Category Archives: Launches

2015 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – Get There

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2015 Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade

One of the best wooden boating events in NZ is taking place this long weekend at Lake Rotoiti (Nth. Island). If you are anywhere around the central North Island on Saturday (7th) I would encourage you to make you way to Lake Rotoiti. I went last year & it was a hoot, I’ll be back again on Saturday, so if you miss it – it will be on ww early next week.

Event & viewing details here
http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/
http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2015/classic-wooden-boat-parade/rotorua

Woodys in the Bay Of Plenty

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Woodys in the Bay Of Plenty

Over the weekend two of waitematawoodys cub reporters 🙂 were snooping around Sulphur Point Marina in Tauranga & put their iPhones to good use. Thanks to Jason Prew & Nathan Herbert for this peek at some of the classics in the Bay.
Enjoy

Martini
Martini
Martini
Galatea
Quando
Gay Dawn
Gay Dawn
Gay Dawn
Lady Doreen
Lady Doreen
Lady Doreen
Sou’East
Noelani
Khadine
Khadine
Khadine
Miss Ida
Freelance
Freelance
Freelance
Dolphin V

Classic Yacht On-Line Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

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Classic Yacht On-Line Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

Latest edition of the on-line USA magazine ‘Classic Yacht’ . Remember in the USA yacht = boat so there is lots of motor-boat related stories. Enjoy 🙂

click link to view   http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/ClassicYacht/cym-janfeb2015/2015012001/#0

Miss Helen

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MISS HELEN

For the last 2 weeks I have had phone calls & emails from ww followers telling me about the ‘new’ classic launch that just appeared at OBC. The words being used are “totally immaculate, like new”  /  “newly restored and gleaming” etc.
She is visible from Tamaki Drive & is in fact the ex Bay of Islands game fisher – Miss Helen. Built in 1932 by Colin Wild. I have posted restored & ‘old’ photo as a comparison for you – I like the effort that has gone into keeping / making her very original.

So folks – who can supply more info on her? I would love to see the interior & learn a bit about the restoration.

We need her in the CYA launch fleet 🙂

(a big thank you to Mark Edmonds, Nathan Herbert & Lindsay McMorran for photos & details)

 

Harold Kidd Input

She was built in 1930 by COLIN WILD for L.E. McQueen of Wairiki Road, Mt. Eden as AUDREY M and had a 125hp Lycoming 8 cylinder engine. McQueen had her dodger raised to give 6ft 6in headroom in October 1931 and had fresh water cooling installed. He then sold her to A.L Davenport who renamed her MAHSEER. Davenport sold her to Whittaker in 1934 and he renamed her LADY HELEN. He sold her to L.A. Marquet who sold her to A.E. Fuller of Russell in August 1937. She was altered for gamefishing. In August 1942 she was severely damaged coming ashore in a gale at Russell and substantially rebuilt again. Again she was renamed, MISS HELEN to tie in with the rest of  the Fuller fleet, MISS IDA, MISS KNOXIE, MISS RUSSELL etc.
BTW the Register of British Ships says she was built in Russell, which is incorrect, although she was re-built there once or twice.
McQueen, of course, had WILD build WAIRIKI in October 1934.

The Register of British Ships says she was built in 1932, which is also incorrect. The RBS is a very dodgy resource, especially where the vessel was registered well after she was built, as here.

Input from Ken Ricketts

She belongs to Terry Porter of McMullen & Wing. – photo below during during restoration towards the end of last year.
Terry has done an absolutely fabulous job on her, splining, beautiful new interior, the whole bit. She is powered by a brand new 4cly high performance artificially aspirated inter-cooled Cummins Diesel. AH

2015 Auckland Anniversary Regatta Tug Boat Race

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2015 Auckland Anniversary Regatta Tug Boat Race

Below is a selection of photos from CYA member Brett Evans of Mondays inner harbour Tug Boat race. This looks a lot of fun & great to see so many of the CYA fleet ex work boats competing.

Romance II

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ROMANCE II

As I said on yesterdays post one of the highlights for me personally of attending the 2015 Mahurangi Regatta was getting to see Pauline & Harold Kidd’s 1919 Bailey & Lowe launch Romance II post her restoration under the hands of Marco Scuderi. If you asked Marco he would tell you that Harold was VERY clear in the project brief, in fact I would suspect there has not been a launch that has been so thoroughly researched & documented 😉 The brains trust of classic wooden boats were all over this project, Harold even had Robert Brooke swinging the caulking mallet.
There are still a few projects to be completed but visually the team have nailed it.
Unfortunately I did not manage to get a photo of her at speed, she was just to quick for Raindance. She did look very smart leaving the harbour on Sunday morning at ‘full chat’ (a HDK term).

Harold Update

We took about half a ton of modern excrescences out of her, sink bench, stove/oven and that huge hideous dodger, leaving only coms, stereo, deep freeze and head. Marco repositioned the Morse control so that we can now get full revs (probably 3500) out of the lusty Moon Engines-set up Hino diesel.
Walter Bailey designed her for 17 knots with a 100/150hp Sterling so she has the lines but is much lighter without the Yankee benzine-gobbler.
She now gets up on what passes for a plane earlier than before but we carried out no full power trials and didn’t get anywhere near “full chat” at Mahurangi, just hurried along to catch up with and photograph the lovely JESSIE LOGAN and WAIRIKI heading home on Sunday morning. I reckon she’ll nudge 20 knots when we summon up the courage.
On the other hand, she handled the nasty easterly jobble coming home from Bon Accord early on Monday morning well, ticking over at 1200 rpm and making 8 knots (plus flood tide).
When the Navy did a survey of launches available for patrol purposes in 1927 she had a 100hp Stearns, the “hot” engine of the time. The comment was “good seaboat”. We confirm that.
The Mills family of Devonport, who commissioned her from Bailey & Lowe in 1919, lived in Huia Street where I lived for many years, so there are multiple resonances for us.

2015 Mahurangi Regatta Weekend – 70+ Photos

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2015 Mahurangi Regatta Weekend – 70+ Photo Parade

The photos tell the story of the weekend – perfect weather, stunning boats & nice people having a great time. Todays post is just a slice of the 3 days of classic wooden boating. I have 100’s of photos that will filter thru into ww over time. Not all are ‘picture perfect’ – its hard to helm the boat (solo) & take photos in a very congested waterway.
As always you’ll see a mix of motor-boats & yachts because even though some people seem blind to the world of classic launches – the weekend is in fact the biggest collection of classic wooden boats afloat in one place in NZ. Remember people – its all about wooden boats 🙂
Saturday nights prize giving & dance ashore at Scotts Landing was one of those evenings out of the bag – a perfect sunset to cap the day off, the panoramic photo above was sent to me by Mark Lever (owner of the very smart 1926, B.J.L. Juke designed launch – Nereides) & portrays the scene perfectly.
I counted 30+ classic CYA launches around the bays – I’m sure there were more, just didn’t see them all. The launches had a wee parade around the bays on the Saturday to fly the flag for the CYA launch fleet. There was a ‘names in the hat’ draw at the prize giving & one of our newest members – Bill Mitchinson owner of MV Gay Dawn, who traveled up from Tauranga for the weekend, won the ‘Motor Launch Log Trophy’. Now all we need is for last years winner (a non CYA member) to play the game & return the trophy 😦
The trip north for me had one big objective – to see Pauline & Harold Kidd’s just re-launched classic launch – Romance II afloat. Harold & boat builder Marco Scuderi have rebuilt R2’s dog-house & tram-top to pretty dam close to the day in 1919 she slipped down the Bailey & Lowe ramp. In my eyes her lines & proportions are spot-on. There is a photo of her in todays post but I will feature her in more detail on ww tomorrow.
Winners Are Grinners – the CYA boats, skippers & crew cleaned up all the major sailing races at the regatta – photos from the prize giving at the end of the post.
Enjoy & remember you can enlarge any photo by clicking on it 😉
Romance II
Weena
Wenna
Tuna
John Dory
John Dory and Ferro
Gay Dawn
Manapouri
Una
Duetto
Kiwitea
Orari II
Orari II
Tiromoana
Strathalan and Allergy
Mahanui
Mahanui
Kailua
Darleen
Tawera and Darleen
Lillian
CYA Launch Parade
CYA Launch Parade
Karros II
Korama (Thetis)
Shuh-Shuh-Gah
?
Lady Adelaide
Akarana
Raiona
Allergy
Kayla Rose
Zeltic
Ballerina
Kairanga
Matanui
Raindance
John Dory
Rainbow
Ngatira and Breeze
Ngatira
How you win – its all in the detail
Tawera and Peg
Scot
Thelma
Frances
Jessie Logan and ?
Jessie Logan
Frances
Frances
Rainbird
Breeze
Wairiki
Tawera (L) Thelma (R)

 

This is what makes the regatta racing so special – where else do you get sailing like this?

Yes, there were life jackets on-board for everyone

Saturday Night Prize Giving & Dance

 

Grinners Are Winners

Hamish Ross – Rainbow
Steve Horsley – Ngatira
Mike Mahoney – Tawera
Chad Thompson – Prize

Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

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Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

photo ex Heather & John Lidgard

Today is the 175th Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, for a young country like NZ that is a significant milestone. Out on the water today will be boats of all sizes & ages, from radio controlled pond yachts to the giants of the classic fleet – the A-Class keelers. Now even if you are boat-less today, I encourage you to head down to the harbour & grab a good vantage point.

For classic wooden boat lovers – the key times are:
10.00am for the Tug Boat Race. New inner harbour course this year with the start off Princess Wharf
12.00pm for the A-Class classic fleet start, again off Princes Wharf

Full details on today’s events here  http://www.regatta.org.nz/the spectators

Today’s photo from 1946 shows spectators cramming every vantage point they can at Westhaven. The large concrete building looks a ‘little’ more impressive today as the home of the RNZYS. The large launch on the right was Claude Atherton’s Manuwai.

If you do get out, take the camera & send me some photos 🙂

It would be amiss of me if I did not mention some of the people behind today’s regatta – I’ll upset somebody by saying this (but that’s ok) but without the support & effort of this core group of people from the classic boating movement the regatta just would not happen – (in no order) – Bruce Tantrum, John Street, Baden Pascoe, Joyce Talbot, Eric Mahoney & others I’m sure.

Pacific at the 100th Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

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Pacific at the 100th Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta

photo ex Nathan Herbert

Given that tomorrow is the 175th running of the regatta, I felt it was a perfect opportunity to post the above stunning photo of the launch Pacific & her crew watching the A-Class fleet compete in the regatta.
From L>R – A18 Tawera / A16 Little Jim / A2 Rawhiti / A14 ? / A15 Prize / A5 Rawene / A9 Moana

Tonight there is a big on-the-water fireworks display in the inner harbour so if you are in & around the city – check it out. Details at the regatta website (link below)

I would encourage you tomorrow to make the effort to find a good viewing point as the regatta is one of Auckland’s truly special days.
More details here http://www.regatta.org.nz/

Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961

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Photo 1

 

Mahurangi / Warkworth c.1961

photos ex Ken Ricketts

Todays post show 2 photos taken c1961, most likely at Xmas & show a collection of launches tied up at the wharf at Warkworth. The really neat thing is hat most of these craft are still a float today & in as good, if not better condition.
It would be nice to see some of those varnished coaming again 😉

Several of these launches will be at todays Mahurangi Regatta & weather & numbers interested – maybe making the trip up the river to Warkworth for lunch.

Ken has attempted to ID the launches – see below.

PHOTO 1
Front row Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify outer 2 boats.

Top left row, tiny bit of bow too small to indentify next to wharf next is
Cherokee & next is Menai. Ken can’t identify outer boat of that group

PHOTO 2

Bottom left Gay Dawn, Ken can’t identify the other 2 boats.
Next row to right is Faye at wharf, next to her is Royal Falcon & next is
Cherokee & then Menai. Ken can’t identify the outer boat.

Far row to right –  boat at wharf is Southern Belle, may have been owned by Stan
Blundell, the outer boat next to her is Lady Karita.

Boat at anchor Reelemin II

Photo 2