Category Archives: Launches

CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR SAILER – HUIA

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CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR SAILER – HUIA

Todays classic wooden boat story is a great example of the ‘power’ of WW. We run a story an a craft and most of the time get fast feedback / input from people that have rubbed up against the vessel – however sometimes it takes a tad longer.

Back in September 2022 we ran a story on the 48’ ketch rigged motor sailer – HUIA  https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/08/huia-2/ We learnt then that she was built / launched in 1951>53 and was the first vessel built by the founders of Gough Engineering in Invercargill. Powered by a Garner 6LW – great story on the engine in the 2022 story.

Fast forward to last week when WW was contacted by Cameron Gough, the great grandson of Joe Cough, who is mentioned on the 2022 story. Cameron ‘found’ the WW story when he was  scanning some old family photos, some of which were of HUIA, he then did an on-line search trying to learn more about the boat’s history. Jackpot – there she was on WW, so long story short – Cameron sent in todays photos of HUIA , location being Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island , c.1950.

MILFORD CREEK WOODYS FLASHBACK 

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2026
c.1980

MILFORD CREEK WOODYS FLASHBACK 

In the last few weeks the WW inbox has been receiving a lot of photos of the Milford Creek aka Wairau Estuary (if you own a plastic boat berthed there) from days gone by. 

The recent upgrades to the marina berths have transformed the area into a very swish place to keep your boat, aside from the draught and tidal access window issues.

As we can see in some of the photos – it really was a mangrove creek once.

(photos come to us from Ian McDonald and Glenn Martin)

AND HOME THIS WEEKEND TO THE WOODYS BOAT BOOT SALE AT THE SLIPWAY MILFORD – IF YOU’RE WANTING SPACE TO SELL YOUR TREASURE  – BOOK NOW. Email waitematawoodys@gmail.com

CLASSIC MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH + Boat Boot Sale RSVP – SURF

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CLASSIC MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH – + Boat Boot Sale RSVP – SURF

Today classic wooden launch photo is from Robyn Kellian via Tobias Forsyth so we can safely assume the location is the Leigh region.  No names to help us but thats a very distinctive side profile so I’m sure we will get a positive ID from the readers.

In the photo she looks quite big (40’) until you factor in the child on the fore deck and the gent in the cockpit – so maybe 32-34’.

10-08-2026 INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – SURF was built in late 1916 by W. R. Dawson who owned her until 1927 . Fred Woolley of Auckland bought her in 1930. She was 32′ loa and was fitted originally with a 25hp Wisconsin which probably developed about 80bhp. She may have spent a season gamefishing out of Whangaroa in 1927 run by Kent.


LESS THAN A WEEK TILL THE WOODYS BOAT BOOT SALE AT THE SLIPWAY MILFORDIF YOU’RE WANTING SPACE TO SELL YOUR TREASURE  – BOOK NOW. Email waitematawoodys@gmail.com

MANSION HOUSE BAY – THERE WAS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE

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MANSION HOUSE BAY – THERE WAS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE

The recent Kawau Island photos on WW have rattled the biscuit tin photo albums and WW has received several duplicates of photos that have already appeared on WW.

Todays photo ex Chris Leech is a newbie to my eyes and shows a great mix of yachts and motor launches at anchor in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island.

 Always amazes me how they used to fill the bay back then. These days even with vastly superior anchors, most skippers are paranoid about you getting too close. 

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – A BLAZE (past event)

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – A BLAZE  (past event)

Todays rather disturbing photos again come to us via Robyn Kellian and Tobias Forsyth.Unfortunately WW knows zero about how the wooden double-ender came to be (1) aground (2) a blaze.

I could be wrong but at first glance it appears to have the makings of a ‘Beehive restoration’ eg a box of matches was involved.Whatever the situation its a sad end to what would have once been a fine classic wooden boat.

Can we learn any more eg boats name, date of photo, location and what actually happened.

BOOK YOUR BOOT SALE SPACE HERE waitematawoodys@gmail.com

MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SIGNATURE (BELUGA)

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MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – SIGNATURE (BELUGA)

Today again thanks for Robyn Kellian and Tobias Forsyth we get to see another launch from the Leigh region. No name is visible but the photo is tagged – Gav Perry. The photo was taken on 31-01-1994.                                                                                                  

The shed / yard appears to be at Whangateau, back when it was a public facility controlled by Russell Ward and used by the local boating community. 

Can we learn more about the vessel, has a slight workboat look to her.

INPUT ex MARK MCLAUGHLIN – This is SIGNATURE (Beluga), a  late Miller and Tunnage build. Featured on WW in November 2016. Lots of details and photos here. https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/11/08/signature-beluga/

CLASSIC WOODYS AT ANCHOR – HAURAKI GULF OUTER ISLANDS

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CLASSIC WOODYS AT ANCHOR – HAURAKI GULF OUTER ISLANDS

Todays photos come to us from Kent Forsyth, via his brother Tobias. 

Tobias told us that Kent found the old photos of boats at the market on Waiheke Island.In Tobias’s eyes the cove looks like Arid Island (Little Barrier) and the raft up is in Smokehouse Bay, Great Barrier Island. Do we agree?

Can we ID the launch at anchor in the cove. I think I’ve let my QC guard down with the Smokehouse Bay photo – there could be a vindex/s hiding in that raft up 🙂

UPDATE – as ID’ed by several WW followers, the launch is the 45’ John Gladden built (1972) Bridgedecker. Featured on WW back in April 2017  https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/04/17/45-pilot-house-bridge-decker/

BOOK YOUR BOOT SALE SPACE HERE waitematawoodys@gmail.com

WHY CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS BECOME AN OBSESSION

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WHY CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS BECOME AN OBSESSION

There have been several magic bullet moments in the history of waitematawoodys, actions that had significant impacts on the readership numbers. The most significant was an international phone call, now I tend to ignore these calls as normally it is some self titled investment guru wanting to share a once in a lifetime investment opportunity with me. For some unknown reason I took the call  and it was a gent named Carl Cramer, who introduced himself as the Publisher of WoodenBoat magazine in the USA, that got my attention pretty quick. 

Carl told me he and the founding publisher / owner of WB – Jon Wilson, had been chatting on the phone, bored senseless after being snowed in for 3 days. As they were talking Jon Wilson was trolling the web looking for sunny wooden boating content – bingo Jon hit on the waitematawoodys site and the story of the day was my coverage of the  3 day Mahurangi Regatta weekend. Over 200 photos and videos, Carl told me Jon suggested he make contact – which led to our telephone call.  Back then WB was print only and a very popular on-line forum, so he was impressed with this new-ish blog format. Carl used to send a short, chatty weekly email out to the WB magazine subscribers, we talking 50,000+ – he asked if he could do a story on waitematawoodys. The story was a cracker and started with being snowed in and getting an infusion of summer boating that cured his cabin fever. He finished by saying.“This website is truely great”
Overnight the WW viewing numbers went into orbit, from around the world and we still retain a high % of them. In fact the USA is number 2 on the readers list.

Sorry for the long lead in to todays WW story. Over the years I have read several features on how Jon Wilson founded the WB  group but over the weekend I stumbled on a YouTube channel named ‘LIFE ON THE WATER’ – one of the featured videos is titled ‘Jon Wilson – The Restorer’s Journey’. In their words it is is a cinematic portrait of the man who took on a monumental task to change the course of wooden boat history. I haven’t come across a better insight, explanation on this bug we all suffer from. Read it, I promise afterwards you’ll feel better about life and your classic wooden boat.

CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN FLEET GATHERED AT KAWAU ISLAND 

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CLASSIC 1948 WOODEN FLEET GATHERED AT KAWAU ISLAND 

Recently WW was contacted by Moss Carlin concerning a cache of b/w photos that his wife found among her mothers processions. Her father Ray Rhodes was a member of the RNZYS at Westhaven in the 1940’s – 1960’s period.

Included was todays stunning photo of a squadron gathering at Mansion House, Kawau Island in 1948. WW has previously shared other photos most likely from the same gathering, but none have offered a panorama of this scale, nor been of the photographic quality of todays photo. Reviewing the photo its warming to see so many of these classic wooden craft are still afloat today – 80+ years later. Tomorrow we get to share a gallery of classic sailing craft from the Rhodes family album.

And while on the subject of Kawau Island – sad to get advice during the week that the RNZYS had found a buyer for Lidgard House and surrounding land. The pros & cons of the sell off have been well documented, so I’ll leave the topic alone……….


WHO DESIGNED THIS IMPRESSIVE DINGHY

WW has recently been in discussions concerning the dinghy below and the owners desire to ID the designer / builder. The dinghy has the hallmarks of vacuum bag, multi veneer construction, a technology with origins from the late 1940’s New Zealand boat builders were early adopters and this dinghy is a product of that technology.

Found derelict in an Auckland shed she was carefully restored to its current condition – only used occasionally for classic boating events where its lightness and low resistance hull form saw it win several classic boat races. It remains an immaculate very rare time capsule of mid century boating.

SPECS: Length 8’ 9″, beam 4’ 5” – weight 45kg. Constructed using straight grained Mahogany and resorcinol glue. Her transom is kauri.

SO WOODYS ANYONE ABLE TO ID HER ORIGINS

And woodys its for sale on tme.

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – EAGLE RAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – EAGLE RAY

Today thanks for Robyn Kellian and Tobias Forsyth we get to see another launch from the Leigh region. The name on the helm seat reads – EAGLE RAY, and the photos are tagged – Wayne Collings.                                   Given the bunting and ‘crowd’ we can assume this was launch day.

The shed / yard could possibly be at Whangateau, back when it was a public facility, available to the wider boating community. 

Can we learn more about EAGLE RAY.

INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – A strip plank Greenwood so far as I know,. Photos below (as of today) ex Jason Prew