Category Archives: Launches

LABOUR WEEKEND CLASSIC WOODY BOATING AT KAWAU ISLAND

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LABOUR WEEKEND CLASSIC WOODY BOATING AT KAWAU ISLAND

In recent years the Kawau Boating Club have probably been the must progressive boating club in town with their upgrades to facilities – clubhouse, jetty, fuel dock etc and securing the longtime tenure on the clubs assets.

In addition to all this the club, spearheaded by Mike Mahoney, have been planning to create an icon event for the club – well sometimes looking backwards is a smart thing – for decades the KBC hosted every Labour Weekend an OPENING WEEKEND REGATTA, but for all the wrong reasons the event had slipped off the calendar. Fast forward to 2024 and opening weekend at Kawau is back – bigger and better than ever. 

KBC will be holding hands with the Ponsonby Cruising Club to offer up an action packed long weekend of boating activity – afloat and ashore. See below for details.

While most of the on-the-water activity is sailing focussed, WW have been working with KBC and PCC to encourage classic woody launches and classic cruising yachts to attend. 

The plan is to hold a classic woody event on the Sunday where woodys will participate in a parade around the bays / baches in Bon Accord Harbour – along the lines of the Mahurangi Weekend launch parade. Meeting time will be 11am off KBC wharf.

We will spice it up with prizes for things like – Best Dressed Craft / Longest Traveled / Oldest Boat / Lucky Draw etc – + all woodys in the parade will also go in the draw for a haul-out at the Slipway Milford yard. On the Saturday there will be a waitematawoodys gathering ashore to catch up and enjoy each others company. There will be lots of opportunities over the weekend to enjoy the recently refurbished clubhouse – so make plans to be there.

So for now

1. Circle Oct 25 > 28 in the diary

  1. 2. View / download the file below to read all about the weekend.

3. If you own a yacht or crew on one – down load the entry form at the link below

LABOUR WEEKEND SPRING SPLASH (12)Download

And there is always a woody boat story – check out the photo below ex Ken Ricketts of two woodys in Whakatakataka Bay (Orakei, Auckland), can we put a name to the boat in the foreground. Excuse the image quality – pulled off TV screen.

INPUT ex NATHAN HERBERT – It’s Natasha which kept sinking and then was hauled at Okahu and presumably left by road or bin. The other is a Kempthorne / Salthouse KB760 type, presumable fibreglass. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/06/07/natasha/

KAIPAPA – CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS WOODEN BOAT

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KAIPAPA – CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS WOODEN BOAT

WW was contacted yesterday by Lindsay McMorran (MV POPPET – Logan 33) in regard to a woody that has just appeared on his pier at the OBC (Outdoor Boating Club, Orakei) the boats name is KAIPAPA.

At first glance I might be a little to quick to use the term woody….. looks a relatively new hull shape and someone made good use of some plywood sheets on the cabin 🙂

 Seems PACIFIC isn’t the only boat that used the ‘WARNING BOW THRUSTER decals that came in the packaging 😉

Anyone know more about KAIPAPA

CLASSIC MOTOR BOAT – ORMPAPERE

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CLASSIC MOTOR BOAT – ORMPAPERE

Todays woody recently popped up on tme (Ian McDonald ✔️), while the cabin house is calling out for a facelift more in keeping with her hull, as the architects say – she has got great bones.

A woody sympathetic craftsman could easily turn ORMPAPERE into a real looker.

Some background – 22’ in length built by Alf Sanders in the carvel planked method. Forward motion is via a Nissan SD22 4cyl. diesel engine.

Home port is Waikawa Bay, Picton – the perfect base and craft for cruising the Marlborough Sounds

LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #6

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LADY CAROLE RESTORATION – UPDATE #6

Today we have the latest update on the restoration of LADY CAROLE, as previously co-owner Patrick Crawshaw will walk us thru it – certainly on the home straight 🙂

“A couple of weeks ago the cradle had to be removed for another boat, and so the cover had to come off. After all this time under the plastic, we were able to see Lady Carole for the first time after all the work we had done. Later that day, the cover was pulled back over and she went back into hiding for the home stretch of work to be done – finish line in sight! 

The original waterline, which was grooved into the planks, was reinstated.

Window trims with top coats

The glass for the windows arrived and were fitted along with the trims. 

Chrome half cowl vents were collected from the fabricators who had to repair them and then they went to the Chromers. Both companies did an incredible job at restoring them. 

Plinths had to be made for them to sit on. This is them being pre-fitted to the boat so we could get the plinths right as they angle back and in. 

And finally the colours are going on and we can see the colour scheme a bit better. All two-pot rolled on and then tipped off with a brush. 

Second coat white, then it will be masked for the blue to form a sharp line. 

Lady Carole letters will go evenly spaced just below the walk through instead of either side as they were before. 

Mid section is going to be browny red and this goes on tomorrow, so more photos to come once this is done. Rub rail will be white to break up the blue a bit. Waterline will also be white.” 

MYSTERY LIDGARD WOODEN LAUNCH – LE ANNE > SALACIA TOO > EMMZEE

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MYSTERY LIDGARD WOODEN LAUNCH – LE ANNE > SALACIA TOO > EMMZEE

John Dawson wrote in earlier in the week that while sniffing around fb he came across the above photos. In them we see a c.1960’s launch built by John Lidgard at this West Auckland yard on a Winstone Ltd transporter on route to launching.

Can we ID the boat and learn more about what became of her.. Update – was originally named LE ANNE and now named EMMZEE.

INPUT ex KEN RICKETTS – The boat is the SALACIA TOO. She lied at the Sandspit for many years & was named as she is, (or was originally), by the early owners as their first boat was called SALACIA. Photos of SALACIA TOO below (last three relate to – SALACIA)

Now named EMMZEE – photo below

MYSTERY SHIPBUILDERS 30’ WOODEN LAUNCH – ANTIBES

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MYSTERY SHIPBUILDERS 30’ WOODEN LAUNCH – ANTIBES

Todays woody is only a mystery because there is no name visible on the vessel or mentioned on tme (thanks Ian McDonald).

What we know is she was built from triple skin kauri (+glass) in 1979 by Shipbuilders and is powered by a 180hp Nissan turbo diesel engine, given her length and engine size she cruises nicely at 10 knots.

I have spotted her several time moored at Waiheke Island and she always looked well cared for.

The 1979 build and some of the design elements (flybridge, stern profile) keep her out of the true classic group but she gets away with it, which isn’t easy on a sub 30’ vessel.

Can we put a name to the launch.

REMEMBER BOAT YARD SALE AT TE ATAU BOATING CLUB TOMORROW

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES AT SANDSPIT YACHT CLUB

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCHES AT SANDSPIT YACHT CLUB

Its’ not often we see two Dave Jackson boats together, hauled out side by side. Gregs Lees sent in the above photos from the yard at the Sandspit Yacht Club.

On the left is the launch – KARROS, Dave’s own boat, built in 1974 and on the right LADY BEV, the first boat of his own design, which he built in 1957 for his father. 

Photo of KARROS afloat in this WW story from Oct 2013 https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/10/03/karros/

We get a better look at LADY BEV in this link from a WW story back in July 2022 https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/07/30/lady-bev-cya-heritage-basin-marina-poll-results-revisited/

And a peek down below on LADY BEV in a WW April 2024 story https://waitematawoodys.com/2024/04/13/lady-b-bee/

WAIMARIE – CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – A PEEK DOWN BELOW

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WAIMARIE – CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – A PEEK DOWN BELOW

Last September Dean Wright shared with us photos of the Oliver and Gilpin launch – WAIMARIE on launch day, link below to that story. At the time it was recorded that the date was Sept 1964 and she was 32’ in length. WW Sept 2023 https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/09/22/waimarie-ii-2/

Now thanks to a recent tme post we get to have a gander down below – interestingly the launch date there was given as 1960 and her length being 34’4”.

Built from kauri planks in the carvel technique. Forward motion is via a Ford 80hp Diesel engine that gives her a cruising speed of 8 knots.

RSVP – waitematawoodys@gmail.com

SALTY LOOKING WOODEN LAUNCH – GREY TEAL

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SALTY LOOKING WOODEN LAUNCH – GREY TEAL

Woody John Dawson sent in the above photo of a very salty looking launch / maybe motorsailer named – GREY TEAL.  A friend of an ex work colleague of Johns owned her in Wellington but other than the photo and the boats name, thats all he knows. With those hills in the background, maybe on the Wairoa River (Clevedon).

So woodys can we learn more about GREY TEAL.

INPUT ex HUGH GLADWELL – She was built by Howard Greenwood at Whangateau. The first owner John Murray is standing in the cockpit on the launching day. She had a sloop rig and John used her for long lining out of Leigh
INPUT ex RUSSELL WARD – Location is Whangateau Traditional Boatyard.

MARINE YARD SALE @ TE ATAATU BOATING CLUB

SEA FEVER – 1958 CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH RELAUNCHED

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SEA FEVER – 1958 CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH RELAUNCHED

Earlier in the month we reported that the 34’ John Salthouse built classic wooden launch – SEA FEVER was hauled out at the Slipway Milford for some TLC.

Yesterday afternoon she slipped down the railway into the Milford creek looking very grand.

#1 job was a Jason Prew Paint Job but her newish owners also upgraded some systems, repainted the decks, converted the old compressor driven freezer to 12V and removed / replaced a few spots of boat cancer. She was also fitted with a bow thruster to protect the new paint job 😉

As per most owners the project is a rolling restoration and next winter the cabin coaming bright work will get a birthday.

SEA FEVER is one of John Salthouse’s best sedan designs and enjoys a light and airy saloon with large windows that makes for a very comfortable vessel both on route, at anchor or in the marina.

Full Sea Fever Review Here https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/08/25/sea-fever-a-peek-down-below-4sale/

And if you are ever in doubt as to the best way to haul out > launch your classic woody – check out the video below – railways rock ✔️ your boat will repay you for the kid gloves.