Category Archives: Launches

The Motor-sailer – Silver Spray

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SILVER SPRAY – Motor-sailer

WW was recently contacted by Bella Scott whose father owns the rather impressive motor-sailer – Silver Spray.

WW is very short / light on details – can anyone tell us about Silver Spray

INPUT EX PAUL DRAKE #1 -Built for the McManaway family of Paremata, Wellington, as a commercial fishing boat, and fished out of Paremata for many years. Converted to present configuration at Mana Marina twenty or more years ago. Good to see that she has retained her name.-

INPUT EX PAUL DRAKE #2 –Built by Jack Guard in about 1938. Owned by Wilfred Thomas McManaway and fished as a line boat in Cook Strait. According to his grandson Ian who served on SILVER SPRAY as a teenager and who I talked with today, she was a very stable working platform. Painted green with white boot topping when new. After being sold out of the family and reconfigured much as she is now, she struck rocks in the Marlborough Sounds and sank. She was salvaged and somewhat rebuilt by McManaway Marine (Picton). It is said that she survived her rocky encounter only because of her collision bulkhead, which had been retrofitted by grandson Ian at the behest of the Marine Surveyor, probably in the late 1960’s. Ian McManaway served his time as a shipwright with the Wellington Harbour Board when he finished his time fishing, and later became a Pilot-Launch Master.

Is There Money To Be Made In The Classic Wooden Boat Industry

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Is There Money To Be Made In The Classic Wooden Boat Industry

Short answer yes – if you are good, own a railway slipway and fair in your costs.

The Slipway Milford smoko room wall of honour is a good indication of the woodys that have been for a ride on the Slipway railway 🙂

Would make a good quiz – ID’ing the boats but too busy / lazy doing nothing in a bay at the moment.

SPRAT – Workshop Update

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SPRAT – Workshop Update

The 28’ David Bedham designed spirit of tradition launch that we featured on WW back in November 2023, link below  it nearing completion at the Slipway yard in Milford.

Will be a very smart and fast addition to the Waitemata Harbour, were her intended use is as a fast island commuter.

Looking forward to the sea trial report after the addition of a very smooth and quiet Yamaha 4-stroke o/board.                https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/11/18/sprat-spirit-of-tradition-orakei-hardstand-good-news/

2024 THE YEAR TO BUY YOUR CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT

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2024 THE YEAR TO BUY YOUR CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT

I hope you all survived New Years eve, these days its always a struggle to last to midnight 🙂

I’ll make a new year prediction – 2024 will be least expensive time to buy a classic wooden boat for the next 5+ years. Prices were very deflated thur-out 2023 but they won’t stay like that – so if a classic craft is something you have on the bucket list – check out the link below. There are others that for privacy reasons do not appear on the list so if you are or are going to be in the market in 2024, let us know.               https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/10/16/buying-or-selling-a-classic-boat/

CLASSIC WOODEN BOATS FOR SALE

HAZEL MAY – Update

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HAZEL MAY – Update

The launch – Hazel May last appeared on WW back in Dec 2015, link below, lots of intel and photos there.

Today thanks to some dockside (Nelson marina) mooching we get a better look at Hazel May.

Quick overview ex Geoff Brebner – built c.1920, probably by T le Huquet.

CLICK ON THE YELLOW BANNER BELOW FOR TIPS ON NAVIGATING THE WW SITE

WEKA – 1

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WEKA – 1

Woody Murry Deeble sent in the above photo of the workboat – Weka-1, that he spotted on his xmas/ny migration north. 

We have previously learnt from a Lew Redwood post that in a past life she was a cray-boat > snapper longliner working out of KAWAU ISLAND.

Previous owners have included Wilf Tech and Gordon Johnson.

Photos below ex Lew’s fb

A very smart, well proportioned workboat, you dont see many of those 🙂

MV GUNNER Update

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MV GUNNER Update

The Lanes (Picton) built launch Gunner last appeared on WW in April 2021  https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/20/help-needed-iding-gunner-woody-involved-in-collusion-sinks/

On a recent mooch around Bayswater marina I spotted her looking rather smart – some one has spread some TLC on her – a very salty looking small ship, the canoe stern making her near perfect.

Photo below ex K Ricketts taken during her period doing survey work

Three Of Our Best Classic Wooden Launches 

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Three Of Our Best Classic Wooden Launches 

Post the Slipway Milford’s year end bbq the yard kicked into gear as three of our finest classic launches arrived / left the creek – Gay Dawn (ex MCC Slip) after a Jason Prew Paint Job, Tasman after some TLC – or as Russell Ward says – in for a shave and some war paint. Then Rehia also for a shave and a very fast head replacement . Not often we see three lookers in one spot. 

Talking of spots, check out the photo below – someone really needed a pair of disposable overalls 🙂

Way too much eating yesterday, but we never learn.Santa did find me, but i now need a bigger boat.

WAIONE – LATE 1960’S

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WAIONE – LATE 1960’S

Todays photo of the 32’ launch – Waione was sent in by Neil Cummings, whose parents owned her in the late 1960’s , in the photo Neil is seen with his older sister, at the time Neil was aged 4>5 years old.

Harold Kidd has previously commented on WW that she may have been built by Joe Wheeler, in Bayswater c.1970.

Waione has made many appearance of the WW site, a lot linked to my ‘recent’ restoration. The link below will take you to a summary go Waione stories.

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Waione&submit=Search

In the 2022 photos below we see her first at the Mahurangi Regatta and then again in November at Kawau Island.

The fat man in the red suit is scheduled to make an appearance tonight – remember to leave out a piece of Christmas Cake, a glass of whisky and a carrot. 

Lady Karita Needs Some TLC

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Lady Karita Needs Some TLC

The magnificent 43’ Sam Ford built (1934) launch – Lady Karita is looking very unloved on her Nelson marina berth. Sadly her owner passed away earlier this year and the southern sun is starting to have its way with the finish 😦

Someone needs to buy some shade cloth. 

(photos ex J. Burland)

Boatshed Parties Getting All Trendy

The Slipway Milford had their end of year bbq bangers in bread + few beers yesterday – Here I go getting in trouble with the Human Rights Commission again – but the additional of some workers with two X chromosomes has stepped up the calibre of the fare 🙂 Two of the below graced the lunchroom table – well done Jan B.