Category Archives: Movie & Video

A Peek Into The New England Marine Scene

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A Peek Into The New England Marine Scene
 
If you are a follower / reader of Wooden Boat magazine, you will be familiar with the work of photographer – Tyler Fields, again thanks to the world-wide lock-down, life has been given to another previously ‘stalled’ project, which we now get to enjoy 🙂
I’ll let Tyler tell the story – 
“More than a year ago, Woody Metzger of First Light Boatworks and I started a video project introducing some of the people behind New England’s marine industry. The small network of boat builders, sailmakers and artists that make up what we do are the best in the world. Woody and I wanted to provide an quick introduction to the people behind these brands with the hope that getting to know us might encourage boaters to support the locals when buying new, restoring old or just keeping our lives on the water going. Our idea was simple; ask our friends four questions. 1 -Why has your business survived and where do you see it going? 2- What would you do if you weren’t doing this? 3- Would you like to see your kids do this? 4- Do you love your job? The responses we filmed were a mix of the expected, unexpected, humorous and a little sobering. After a handful of interviews, life caught up and we set our big idea on the back burner. Woody and his crew started building and launching boats one after another, after another and my schedule of chasing boats around New England ate up any free time we had. Well, the world has a habit of keeping us on our toes. At the moment, we all have found some extra time. So, last week I started digging through the footage and decided to start putting the interviews together. Oddly enough, the questions seem more fitting now than they did when we first asked them. We want to send out a huge thank you to each of the people and businesses who gave the time and let Woody and I into your shops. For the rest of us, it’s more important now than ever to support these small business. They are not just logos, they’re friends and family right here in our local communities.”
 
TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE
Popped down to Waiheke Island yesterday to show a potential buyer over Kailua, stunning day, stunning boat. More details at the link below:

Herald – Sailing Sunday

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HERALD – Sailing Sunday
Recently I was sent the  above gallery of photos of the small yacht – Herald, from kiwi Fred Lomas, who lives/works in Australia. The photos are from an album given to him by his ex (deceased) Omapere (near Opononi, Northland) neighbour – Aubrey Bracey.  Aubrey was a farmer / carpenter who built a couple of small boats, Herald being one of them.
How lucky were these kids to have a boat of their own at their age, these days we are just too PC.
I love the combination of paint colours – a perfect example of the old principle of only using 3 colours max on a boat. Also looks like as the kids got taller, they raised the cabin top 🙂
Devonport Yacht Club – Duder Cup – On The World Stage
Check out the link below to read / view a great story by Rob Peake, editor of the ‘Classic Boat’ magazine in the UK, on this years running of the Duder Cup race.

Ranui + WoodenBoat #3 Chat Session

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RANUI
When I spotted the photo above on fb I thought I had a great Mystery Launch competition photo, then eagle eyed Jason Prew ID’s her as the 1948, Lidgard built, 48′ launch Ranui, before her hull extension.  Seen here at the 1955 Auckland Anniversary Regatta. Recent photo below. And a shameless plug – she is for sale – link here
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Watch – WoodenBoat Editor – Live Video Chat With Alec Brainerd  – Artisan Boatworks in Rockport Harbor, Penobscot Bay, USA

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=woodenboat&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Check out the Artisan website here.
Courier Arrived Today – Not often I get one marked ‘Dangerous Goods’
The label even had ‘Danger – May damage fertility or the unborn child + very toxic to aquatic life’ on it.
What was it? Good old Red Lead powder. Don’t have a use for it at the moment but its like hens teeth to buy and being in lock-down, on-line shopping has been getting a little out of hand e.g. did I need that 8” bronze adjustable spanner from Arthur Beale – London’s 300 year old yacht chandler 🙂

Maureen II + Off Center Harbor Wet Sunday Treat

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MAUREEN II
 

One of the many woodys that contacted WW for a copy of Chris McMullen’s docking tips was Mike Empson, owner of – Maureen II, a Matangi, built c1967-68 by Brin Wilson. Maureen II is 100% kauri, 36′ long and weighs approx. 9 tonnes.

Mike has been in touch with people connected to the Brin Wilson yard and been told she may have been built for someone connected to Ross Reid Contractors – that woodys is all Mike and wife Ann know about her, so would love to uncover more information on the vessel.

 
Mike has commented that he believes these boats were originally built with timber masts and timber lifeline stanchions, but Maureen II has had retro-fitted aluminium mast & boom, plus stainless lifeline stanchions. It has roller-boom reefing and a roller furling headsail.
 
Power is via a Ford 4-cyl E592 industrial stationary engine, marinised when new, by Lees Marine, fresh-water cooled. These engines were also used on the UK 4-cyl Ford Trader trucks, in the mid to late 1950’s and also on Fordson Major tractors.
Transmission is through a Parsons Marine-o-matic HG4 Mk 2 hydraulic transmission and she has a 1.75” bronze prop-shaft which is 11’6″ long. She is set up with dual station steering, which comprises a truck steering box with a long under-floor shaft, connected by chains to the two steering stations; one inside and the other in the cockpit.
WOODY WET SUNDAY TREAT 
 

As you know I’m a big fan of the website – Off Center Harbor, the site is probably best known for jaw dropping boat tours and in-depth how-to series, but the OCH lads also know how to slow down and soak up the scenery. Given the craziness of the last 5 weeks I have found myself trolling the OCH online library more than ever, looking to a cure to my boat less blues. I have some favourites that I would be embarrassed to say how many times I have viewed 🙂

Last week one that popped up again was the OCH lads doing an early morning mooch around the fleet at anchor at last summers Eggemoggin Reach Regatta in Maine. The stunning classic woodys are basking in a golden glow at dawn after the previous days racing and partying. It reminds me very much of Saturday morning at our own Mahurangi Reggata.
Chatting with Steve Stone from OCH, I mentioned the comparison as Steve was at the Mahurangi Regatta in 2019 and Steve kindly offered to supply a link to the ERR video – view it here  CLICK HERE 
 
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Early in the lock-down the OCH guys put together a special deal for waitemata woodys to help us out while we are boat less. Well the good news it is still on offer – so if you haven’t already joined up, do it today – link here 8-week membership with full access to the entire website for just $5 NZD. They’re also including an optional upgrade to an annual membership at the end of the 8 weeks at 50% off.
Woodys, signing up to OCH will be the 2nd best woody thing you have done – after discovering WW 🙂

Gem

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The above photo of Gem comes to us from Brian Cuthbert via Baden Pascoe.
Very few boats live up to their name but this one does – for a work boat Gem is very pretty. Anyone able to tell us who designed / built her?
Also what’s the large boat behind her and who built her?
SOME SERIOUS EYE CANDY
Check out this youtube video of the 130’ J-Class Endeavour in full flight – amazing footage of one of the world’s coolest classics – enjoy.

Apache + Superb WoodenBoat Video

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APACHE
 
I was sent the above photos of the launch Apache by Bryce Strong. Apache has made numerous cameo appearances on WW but very little is known about her other than – being built in Te Papapa in 1939.
Bryce found the photos yesterday while sorting old photos, as you do when locked down. Bryce commented that the colour photo shows Apache with the dodger on and a steering wheel in the cockpit. The b/w photo shows her without the dodger, probably early in her life. 
We believe that Apache these days resides in Thames – any woody able to expand on what we know about Apache?
02-09-2020 Input from Bryce Strong – Bryce uncovered the photos below of Apache during a CV-19 clean up
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WOODENBOAT MAGAZINE VIDEO SERIES
 
Below is a very cool video where Matt Murphy the editor of WoodenBoat magazine has a conversation with Evelyn Ansel, Matt’s words :-). I won’t spoil the story but Evelyn is wooden boating blue blood, with both her father and late grandfather being at the forefront of the wooden boat movement in the USA. I first discovered Evelyn when she fronted a fb video on a project herself and a small team were working, the digitization of the Haffenreffer- Herreshoff collection at the MIT Museum of Cambridge, MA in 2016. Evelyn is currently on the curatorial team at the Herreshoff Marine Museum of Bristol, RI.
Make a cup of tea / coffee, then sit back and enjoy this insightful and entertaining video. It was recorded yesterday so is very current. Now I know its not being PC but I have to say that Evelyn is rather cute 🙂

Oops – Best caption

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OOPS – Best Caption

Something new today – best caption, judged by Flora, wins a WW t-shirt. Enter in the comments section. Closes 8pm 17-04-2020
Photo sent in by Darrin Kennedy
The teddy bear in your houses front window (for children to spot on their daily exercise walks) during the CV-19 lock-down is a very cool thing – Taupo based woodys Cathy & Shawn Vennell have stepped it up a notch – we like that 🙂

Mystery Launch 14-04-2020

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 14-04-2020

The above photo comes to us via Lew Redwoods fb and shows a very smart launch unloading passengers at an unknown beach – possibly on the Hokianga Harbour. Photo ex Sheran Webb.

On my count there are 17 people aboard……….. not sure how many that Mk1 PFD would support 🙂

Anyone able to shed some light on the launch, she is way to pretty to be an unknown.

A couple of excellent videos below- enjoy

Check out this video ex ‘My Classic Boat’ from the 2016 Thames Traditional Boat Festival, a little OTT in places but some very cool woodys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMsPuVOTzjI

Proof even the ‘Experts’ get it wrong – Check Out The Video Below

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10156653684745251

The Restoration Of Melodeon

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The Restoration Of Melodeon

Now woodys if you know Dick Fisher you  will know that Dick likes BIG things – big classic boats, big projects, big (zoom zoom) cars. Chatting with Dick recently he informed me he had a project on the go, his words “something to keep me out of trouble” so of course I said ’send me some details – givens Dicks other two boats – Akarana, the 60’ 1960 AJ Collings designed and built by WG Lowe, ex Auckland Harbour Board pilot boat and Hamal, the 1975 purpose built exploration ship – I suspected the project would be a doozy. Photos of Akarana & Hamal below.
Dick and Colleen have a stunning track record of converting ex work boats into the most amazing classic cruisers so WW looks forward to following this project, we will be giving Dick a friendly nudge for updates.
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I’ll let Dick tell us what he is up to, remember click in photos to enlarge 😉

 
“The story so far goes a bit like this……
We purchased Melodeon from Greg Hayes in April 2018. Greg had owned & fished with her for the past 25 years. 
One of the photos above shows her at her semi-permanent berth at the Whangarei Town Basin prior to our buying her.
After the successful negotiation of price with Greg, who had expressed the wish for Melodeon to only be purchased by someone prepared to restore her.
We lifted her out at Dockland 5 in Whangarei, her estimated weight at this point was in excess of 50 ton. We removed as much equipment as were able which included 9 ton of lead balast. This would explain why when blasting the paint from the hull we uncovered seven (7) waterlines this made her draft aft at 7 ft. 
 
With the assistance of Boat Haulage Ltd we moved her to our workshop at Kamo & then commenced dismantling decks, bulwarks, wheelhouse & removed the engine & fuel tanks etc. She was then high pressure water blasted & garnet blasted all of the paint off inside & out.  She was then moved inside the same shed where Akarana had been for 5 years during her restoration.
 
The hull was copper fastened of 3 skin construction.. unfortunately the 2 inch Kauri decks were iron fastened & unable to be saved.
 
To date we have treated with preservatives the inside of the hull & currently has a holding undercoat.
 
The last few month I have been focused  on restoring the T8 Kelvin engine which was in reasonable condition. Main items needing replacing were a set of 8 exhaust valves , a complete gasket set plus other small items. I was able to purchase these from  Kelvin Diesels in Glasgow, a subsidiary of British Polar Engines. We have found this company & their staff most helpful in procuring parts. The engine is now complete & running very nicely. 
 
Up to date the work has been carried out mostly by myself & my son Richard when he had time. The engineering side of the restoration we can manage ourselves.  We now realise we need a skilled boat builder to assist us with the woodworking aspect.
It is our intention not to alter the overall design, with the exception being the wheelhouse which needs to be a little bigger.  
 
We are fortunate in that Greg Hayes has passed on to me the Marine Dept files dating back to October 1934.
Some salient points for you:
Plans, specs & building was carried out for Melodeon by Chas Bailey & Son in Auckland.
Original engine was a German Deutz/110BHP / 2 cycle diesel/ @ 450RPM this was replaced by the current T8 Kelvin.
Propeller:  4 blades /59 inch dia x 48 inch pitch – 3.3 to 1 reduction
Dimensions: Overall 57ft Beam 15ft6in draft 7ft
The existing T8 Kelvin was installed new in 1960 & the estimate from info we have, is that she has run well in excess of 100,000 hours.
Melodeon fished using different methods all around NZ, during the 1939/45 war the US Navy commandeered her for service in the Pacific.
  
This is an ongoing project for me in my dotage & its keeping me out of trouble.. in fact it’s a pretty big job….as the TV Ad goes…”
 
A Heads Up
Two cool things you may have overlooked in the last week
1. Do check out the link that Hylton Edmonds posted in the WW comments section. Its to a National Film Unit movie that features the then police launch Lady Shirley going about its duties on the Waitemata Harbour – fast forward to the 5:10 mark to catch the start, its a great watch and lots of our woodys make appearances – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlqfwtybXE
2. Put your hand in your pocket and spend NZ$5 to subscribe for two months to the very informative and entertaining Vblog – OFF CENTER HARBOR. The guys at OCH have offered up this deal to WW readers so you can get your classic boating fix during the lockdown – details here  OCH $5 Deal
Akarana (L) – Hamal (R)

Ngaio – A Peek Down Below

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NGAIO – A Peek Down Below

Last weekend a few woodys gathered in Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, one of my all time favourites was there – Ngaio the 1921, Arch Logan built, 36‘ launch owned by Jan Barraclough.
Ngaio is such a stunner she couldn’t be from any other designer / builder than Arch Logan. I got to have a peek below – enjoy 🙂
She has made several appearances on WW, links below – her restoration is well documented here.
19-03-2020 Harold Kidd Input – How interesting to see the Logan Bros’ builders’ plate on NGAIO. I assume it was put there by Arch? If so, he was keeping the LOGAN BROS name alive. Of course he would still have had a stock of their builders’ plates but I can’t quite work out his motivation in using one on NGAIO. Robin might care to comment too?
20-03-20 Robin Elliot Input –Sorry I missed this. I have been self-isolating for the past 15 years or so and now it seems the world has caught up with how peaceful it can be.

The Logan plate is Interesting. From the photos in the earlier WW posts, that plate has been there on Ngaio for some time but whether it was there at the time of launching is impossible to say. Doubtful.

I’m not sure if there is one on Doreen/Coquette – I don’t think so – but as you say why would he put one on Ngaio in 1921? He was very ‘proper’ and it just would not have been right.

I suspect that rascally his son Jack was flinging them out when he cleared out the house in Bayswater in the 1950’s and passed one over to the then owner of Ngaio; probably on the grounds that Ngaio was an Arch tweak of a general hull shape developed at Logan Bros?

Interesting that there are 4 small screw holes in the plate around its edge but some philistine has drilled two big boofy holes in the centre for a couple of bog-standard slotted screws. The two empty holes in the timber above the plate lead me to believe there was another item (a different plate?) there before the Logan plate.

It’s not strictly correct but hey, its a nice addition.

RC Yacht Racing
Yesterday while waiting to pick up a family member from the medical centres near North Shore Hosp. I wandered down to Lake Pupuke and spied a group of gents sailing their yachts in the Quarry Lake.
A very pleasant way to fill in 1/2 hr – nearly forgot about the patient 🙂

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