SNOW GOOSE
The 24’ launch Snow Goose was built in 1963 at the Salthouse yard, and recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald). The forward propulsion is via a marinised 3L Mazda Titan diesel engine.
And that woodys is all we know about her – can we learn some more about what she has been up to for the last 60 years. Home is currently Tauranga.
STILLWATER WOODYS WATERFRONT PICNIC – OCT 7TH – RSVP NOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com
NZ Airforce Maritime Craft
The owners of the very fine 36’ Colin Wild 1939 built launch – Rehia were recently going thru a family photo album and uncovered the photos above from one of their grandparents. The grandfather in the late 1940’s > early 1950’s was a mechanic based at the Hobsonville airbase servicing the fleet of maritime support craft.
In my eyes in the photos above there are 3 different craft but it has been suggested that the top 2 photos are the same boat. Also the size of the airforce insignia on the bow of the top craft looks very large , maybe not a NZ vessel?
Can we ID the craft.
INPUT EX John Bullivant – The top 2 photos are of US built 63ft Maiami class crash boats. The RNZAF had a few of these operating from Hobsonville and Laucala Bay in Fiji . The class was originally powered by 4 Kermath 500hp ‘Sea Raiders’ (linked nose to nose in pairs) but later were powered by twin 630 hp Hall Scott ‘ Defender engines as standard, – some with V drives. A number of variants were made. Top speed was around 36 knots (16 model 168s were built with twin Packard 1250hp for a speed of around 48 knots) Boats were used by Russia, UK, Australia, Sth Africa, NZ and the Dutch.
INPUT EX Mitchell Hutchings – the two photos below show the two vessels featured above. The first one is of the 63’ Rescue Launch 276 and the second of 313, both at RNZAF Hobsonville.
INEAWA – A Peek Down Below
The 34’ Ineawa was built c.1926 by a Jimmy McLaren to a Clyde Boat Builders design, possibly in Onehunga, Auckland. Constructed from single skin full length kauri planks, sourced from Gt Barrier Island. Her beam is 9’ and she draws 2’5”.
Forward motion is via a 150hp diesel, but back in April 2014 when she last appeared on WW (link below to that story) the engine was recorded as a 105hp AEC – comparing photos it appears the same engine, maybe a typo. WW April 2014 https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/04/03/6721/
STILLWATER WOODYS WATERFRONT PICNIC – OCT 7TH – RSVP NOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com
WHANGAREI MARITIME FESTIVAL
Today I wanted give you a heads up about an upcoming woody event – the 2023 Whangarei Maritime Festival , October 14>15th, at the Town Basin.
The venue is already a very cool destination for anything maritime based, but over the weekend it will buzz with non stop activities – 30+ boats on display, free boat rides, food and entertainment, trade displays, talks and movies, arts and crafts market. Check out the Festival Sound programme below + the link to the festival website.
https://www.whangareimaritimefestival.co.nz
Check out a previous WW story on the venue https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/27/wooden-boats-whangarei-town-basin/
Saturday is a big day for NZ – hopefully the nation awakes up and heads off to a polling booth. Depending on the result I’ll be at the festival on Sunday, if the worst happens on Saturday night, probably best I’m not behind the wheel of a vehicle – I’ll be investigating setting up bryonbaywoodys 🙂
FESTIVAL SOUND PROGRAMME
Downloadable Event Booklet Below
WHANGAREI FLASH BACK
The photo below has appeared many times on various social media sites, but this is the best reproduction I have seen – comes to us ex Dean Wright via the Tauranga Library collection.
WAIMARIE
The two b/w photos above show the 32′ Oliver & Gilpin built launch – Waimarie being launched c.Sept 1964. She was built for a RG Falconer.
The b/w photos came to WW from Dean Wright via the Tauranga Library collection.
HOW DO I STOP THE ROLL
Well woodys you can’t – all boats roll but you can minimise it – read on.
I was recently included in an email exchange where a classic launch owner was asking Chris McMullen why they should replace the mast (rot issue) on their launch given that there was no plan to make use of a sail. Chris shared with us both a copy of a 1909 extract titled ‘Ballasting of Motor Boats’ from an article by Charles G Davis in the book – ‘Motor Boat Handbook vol. 1’. The article provides all the information required for displacement launches. If the above images are too hard to read – below are links to downloading the articles.
WOODY + VINTAGE MOTORBIKE STILLWATER WATERFRONT PICNIC – OCT 7TH – RSVP NOW waitematawoodys@gmail.com
MOMO
Bay of Islands woody Dean Wright sent in the above photo and video of a very salty woody trailer boat, Dean took the photos on Saturday as Momo cruised back up the Kerikeri inlet.
If the background noise in the video doesn’t match what you would have expected from Momo – relax, you ears aren’t playing up – Momo is powered by an o/board. The noise is coming from Dean’s woody – Arethusa’s Gardner 4LW.
Would love to learn more about Momo.
A bonus for the Gardner nuts – link below to a past WW story on Arethusa, which backgrounds the restoration and installation of the Gardner 4LW in Arethusa.
Big thank you to all the woodys that attended the Boat Boat Sale at The Slipway Milford on Saturday – a lot walked away with a WW cap and burgee tucked under their arm 🙂
JO MARLI – A Peek Down Below
A couple of weeks ago (Sept 1st) we ran a story on the launch – Jo Marli, link below, at the time we uncovered some intel on her, short story – built in 1959 by Jack Taylor.
Today thanks to a tme listing from May 2023 we get to have a gander below decks. Photos sent in by K Ricketts. The listing must have resulted in the relocation from a swing mooring in Mahurangi to Auckland. Always nice to see the classics going onto a marina berth – they get better looked after and more people see them, and we like that 🙂
https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/09/01/jo-marli/
HERCULES
Back in Sept 2021 John Newsham sent in the top photo above of the ex tug – Hercules that John photographed in the xmas 1987 period.
The second photo was sent in by John Dawson last week.
All we know about Hercules is that she is 50’ in length and was built by Howard Greenwood at his Whangateau boat shed.
Can anyone tell us more and whether Hercules is still afloat and where.
INPUT ex Mitchell Hutchings – Hercules was never a tug. She was designed by Denis Ganley for the late Joe MacArthur to be a cruising version of the Hudson River N.Y. tugs he loved. Hull built in steel by Howard Greenwood and finished with a beautiful wooden interior (some from the old Bean Rock lighthouse legs) by three boatbuilder mates at Joe’s property up the Paremoremo Creek. After many years of family cruising she was sold to a new owner who I believe took her to New Guinea. Engine is a lovely Gardner.
11am TODAY – BOAT BOOT SALE @ THE MILFORD SLIPWAY YARD – 5 OMANA RD, MILFORD – CASH ONLY
There will be limited stock of WW merchandise offered for purchase to pre approved woodys 😉
VICTORIA CLASSIC BOAT FESTIVAL – Vancouver – Dockside Tour
Last week we had a story about Peter Knowles and his travel to the Victoria Wooden Boat Festival vis his v-blog ‘Boat Life – Travels With Geordie’. Peter very briefly showed us some of the craft arriving – today we get a dock-side wander, complete with captions for the classic woodys.
I hope the people at Auckland’s maritime museum see this video – re their upcoming Auckland wooden boat festival next year. The stand out observation is the mix of yachts + launches + work boats + small craft – it is all mixed in together and thats what works all around the world – not rocket science……………..
INPUT ex Neil Chalmers – Great video , at 2 56 there is the NZ yacht ‘Two Sisters’ (was sail no. F3) . Has a Woollacott look about her. I often wondered where she got to .
A picture of her at Bon Accord Kawau appears in the ‘Cruising in NZ Waters’ by GR Paul (below). This was the go to book in the 1960’s before to the RAYC Cruising Guide was published.
REMEMBER BOAT BOAT SALE 11am SATURDAY @ MILFORD SLIPWAY – 5 OMANA ROAD, MILFORD $BRING CASH$ WW MERCHANDISE FOR SALE
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