Category Archives: Launches

Mystery Launch – Waihora ?

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Mystery Launch

I think I can make out the name as Waihora. She was anchored in Oneroa on 26/10/2014.

What say you all on her pedigree?

Update 15-04-2019 – See below input from Jonathan Hope – its a great read.  Also check out the comments section – lots of intel there 🙂

“To all of you that have responded to the history of the WAIHORA,I would like to relay to you all some of my happy memories spent aboard her.Logan and Joyce were my uncle and aunt and I spent many weekends and Christmases cruising the Hauraki Gulf,Bay Of Islands and The Barrier as “cabin boy” on her after their son,Rudyard was unavailable because of family commitments.
Logan always addressed me as Little Charlie or Jack Jack.I knew him as Big Charlie .Charlie would phone me on a Thursday and say that we are off for the weekend.All good,he picked me up after his work at the Mill at 5pm on a Friday, and we went to the boat moored next to the Naval Base in Devonport.My first job after rowing the supplies to the boat was to get into the dinghy with auntie Joyce to remove the oil stains off the WAIHORA with Jiff.Charlie would relax while auntie Joyce and I motored to a suitable evening mooring.The next morning we would pull the piper net for bait using bran as burley.After that ,Charlie would drop me off on some rocky outcrop. The rules were that I had to chop up ground bait for half an hour,then start fishing with two handlines.After I had caught two thirds of a sugar sack of snapper,Charlie would pick me up.It was also my job to gut the fish on the trip home that he would give away to friends on Sunday pm.
Also,I those days,we would see a commercial crayfish pot say at the Barrier.The “rules” were that if you pulled a commercial pot and took a crayfish,you left a bottle of beer.A pretty good deal!After half of a 3 lb crayfish for lunch,I didn’t eat much dinner.
I could write a book of my memories on the WAIHORA, spearing kingfish and flounder at Te Couma Harbour,spearing big stingrays with a flounder spear attached to a rope and being towed in the dinghy for 10 minutes before the 4 pronged spear came out at The BOI,illegally laying flounder nets,diving for scallops from the cabin of the WAIHORA with only a mask that you had to hold on to,catching hapuka at the Barrier,going to my first dance at Triphena,having and my first dance with a girl! Charlie also gave me my first bottle of beer,It went straight to my head and I forgot about about my first girl friend .Needless to say,I didn’t row back to the boat.

Incidentally,Charlie’s first launch was the SEQUOYA,a bridge decker. When Brin Wilson was commissioned to build the WAIHORA I went with Charlie on the SEQUOYA to Rangitoto.He had plywood templates for the ribs of the WAIHORA which we matched against the branches of the pohutakawa trees!
So many fond memories!
I Devote my current and past fond memories to my Uncle, William John Logan Nicks.”
Dr Jonathan Hope

 

Launches at Waipu Landing 1953

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Waipu Boats

photo & details ex Colin McKenzie ex New Zealand Herald Jan 1953.

A flotilla of launches & the scow Rahiri seen here at the Waipu Landing at the start of the celebrations to mark the arrival of the Nova Scotian settlers there 100 years previously.
From the left:
#1 Bridge decker on left (was owned by Mac Kelly, Beachlands) Colin has forgotten the name of the launch.

#2 Highland Lass (Jim Somner, Waipu)

#3 Bluebird, (John Munroe, Papakura)

#4 Spindrift, (Gordon McKenzie, Clevedon – Gordon was Colin’s father & Commodore of the Clevedon Cruising Club)

#5 Rahiri (Jock McKinnon, skipper). The remains of Rahiri are now to be seen in the sands/beach at Blackpool, Waiheke Island.

Sentosa

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SENTOSA

photos & ‘details’ from Pam Cundy

The photos above are of the 28′ double-ender Sentosa, that was recently hauled out at the Whangateau slip getting some DIY repairs & a lick of paint. Her owner, Bill Freeth would love to find out more about her background. Bill has had her for approx. 6 years & understands that she was kept at Panmure for 10-12 years. Bill bought her from Waitakaruru (Thames) way. Talking to an old Kaipara Harbour Master he thinks she may have been one of two built on the Kaipara.

She has just been re-powered with a Sole 44hp (a Spanish marinised Mitsubishi motor), previously she had a huge American landing craft motor in her. There is some speculation her original name was Golden …….. something – Golden Spray ??

Any of the woodys out there able to shed some more light on Sentosa’s past?

 

Moerangi

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MOERANGI

Moerangi is a 1901 Logan Bros 55’ 9” trawler style classic launch that spent most of her life as a fishing boat and ferry before undergoing 2 separate restorations the last in Whangarei costing I understand over $300,000.

Being royalty i.e. a genuine Logan, she has a wonderfully documented pedigree of ownership and escapades detailing her life over the last 113 years, which makes my life very easy when doing a ww post. Click the (blue) links below to view/read. Built in the Logan style triple skin heart kauri she has been restored by the expert shipwrights of The Wood Shed in Whangarei who obtained suitable heart kauri and replaced in the traditional manner all that was required, its interesting reading & you can see where the $300k went.

Powered by a 1950 Gardner 5L3 reconditioned in 1986 she has traveled approx 500 hours since and cruises 7-8kts at 750 rpm using approx 8 liters per hour. Accommodation is in 2 double staterooms forward with ensuite and aft plus 2 single berths. The wheelhouse has a large saloon and dining area, aft galley with 2 burner stove grill & oven, 3 way electric fridge, pressure H&C water, 1 heads and a separate full size shower. Electronics VHF, autopilot, GPS radar, depth-sounder & TV/DVD.

Moerangi is for sale (sales brochure below) & this really is one of those situations where someone can ‘profit’ at the expense of someone else e.g. all the money has been spent & the work done to sympathetically modernize this unique classic motor launch while retaining her graceful lines. Her next owner gets to enjoy the vessel without all the hard work & I’m sure at a discount to what was actually invested in her restoration.
Older photos

Akaroa Mail article 15/1/1988 click to enlarge

October 2014 ‘The Wood Shed’ shipwright work summary / report link Shipwright report October 2014 (2 pages)

Boating NZ Oct 2007 feature link Boating NZ Oct 2007 Article (5 pages)

Ownership history link Some Ownership history

My Girl

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MY GIRL
photo & details from Jason Prew, Harold Kidd & Ian Gavin

At ww we love restoration projects, anyone that commits to saving one of your old girls is a good friend of waitematawoodys.

Todays classic launch is My Girl, built by Dick Lang in late 1925 for C.B. “Tui” Waldron of the Wade who commuted with her. The square-bilge design was based on one by W.H. Hand. She was fitted with a 6 cylinder 100hp Scripps that pushed her along at over 18 knots. Waldron later took her to Whangarei and she was in NAPS as Z32 out of Whangarei in WW2. She survived at Te Atatu owned by Trevor Davies.

The photos above show her in days gone by & being transported from Te Atatu Boating Club to her new home where her new owner Jason Prew , who recently purchased her from the Davies family, will commence her restoration. Jason has both done himself & supervised some of the best restoration projects in the CYA fleet so we will follow My Girl with great interest. I think I might need to re-power Raindance to keep up with Jason (My Girl) & Nathan Herbert (Lucinda).
You can follow the project here http://www.my-girl.co.nz

Interesting statistic – there are 9 CYA members on the CYA General Committee, myself being one of them, of those 9, 6 of them are now launch owners.  Owning a classic wooden launch is the hot new boating trend 🙂

Nereides

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NEREIDES
photos by Russell Ward

The above photos of Nereides were taken at the ‘Tree To The Sea’ meeting  at Auckland’s Maritime Museum. Dick Fishers Akarana in the background.

The standard of workmanship of her is amazing. Given Russell’s fondness for this motorsailer I’m sure he will chip in with more details.

WW FOLLOWERS – YOU ARE NOT ALONE 🙂

Mondays post on the Patio Bay weekend, hit an all time high for viewing numbers, in the 24hr period the post was viewed 8,689 times.

Zoe

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ZOE (MYSTERY LAUNCH ON THE KAIPARA)
photo from Russell Ward

Russell was recently mud plugging and gunk holing over on the West Coast – Kaipara, skippering the steam boat Romany when he came across the nice bridgdecker above, tied up  at Helensville. Russell noted that the styling of the windows was very ‘individual’.
Russell was told by a local that it was built in 1948 & was also told her (the launches) name, but forgot it 😦  .

An unusual boat in an equally unusual location – someone most be able to ID her ?

As always – click photos to enlarge 😉

1937-1938-ford-5

18-10-2015 Update from Cherry Bishop

This boat was built by my father Francis Bishop and a boat builder friend who’s name may have been Gladden. It was built from one of the last kauri logs to have been milled in the North island and yes 1948 is the year it was built. He dearly loved the boat and named it after my Mother “Zoe”. During my childhood we often took her out on the Kaipara fishing and netting for flounder and stayed overnight,sometimes for up to several weeks at a time depending on the demands of home and work. We often attended the Kaipara cruising club regattas and other events.We also sometimes moored at the lagoon at the end of the South Head Peninsula and I have fond memories of falling asleep in the bow of the boat listening to ship to shore radio and the sound of lapping waves and peacocks meowing ashore.As children we all fished and swam “with the sharks”.
Since my Father was born in 1910 he was familiar with boats sailing the Kaipara harbour and I once found a series of drawings he had done as a child of “boats” which were very detailed. I think he was really a frustrated boat designer. He left school age twelve during the depression as labour was needed on the farm and he was a farmer all his life. Boats were his hobby and a great love.He died in 1999 aged 89.

Reluctant Sale of Baldrick (Ngaku) the Steam Boat

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Reluctant Sale of Baldrick (Ngaku) the Steam Boat

Anyone need a nice little 16′ Vos clinker (has original builders plate) with divine provenance but a little prostituted by a steam engine and boiler. Built in Auckland in 1953 from Heart Kauri & Jara decks & pohutukawa stem, plus Mangaeo ribs.
CYA member & ww stalwart Russell Ward has the original Stuart Turner 8hp engine which he would pass on in part exchange for Baldrick’s steam plant.
Her current owner Gary Langstone bought her from Don Penn in Rotoiti and intended to use it.. However bad health has forced a sale.
Baldrick is in good going condition, on a trailer, stored in a shed & can be inspected at any time.  Trailer rego is on hold but no problem to activate it.
The steam engine is by Don Hasbrook & built by Donn and others, the boiler is by McCarthy Engineering Ltd & only 15years old.
Gary paid $8000.00 for the craft and would like to recover this. For enquires phone Gary or come and see it . Phone  09 2946614 or email glangstone@xtra.co.nz
For more photos & history http://www.woodenboatparade.co.nz/40-59.htm

ps fingers crossed when she sells, her new owner reverts to her old name – Ngaku  🙂

CYA Patio Bay Weekend 2014

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CYA Patio Bay Weekend 2014

This weekend is the best event on the CYA calendar, ticks all the boxes – enjoy the photos, I took hundreds – below is a slice of woody nirvana. Enjoy 🙂

As always – click on the photos to enlarge 😉

CYA Launches

Some Sailing

Party Time

Prize Giving

Now hows this for a mark foy finish after 17.8nm – take a bow Steve Cranch – the King of handicapping 🙂

Thelma by a bow sprit

Chad T When He Discovered It Wasn’t Fancy Dress This Year 🙂

I knew it was going to be a good day when we had a visit from these beauties