Category Archives: Movie & Video

Mahurangi Regatta 2019 – Classic Wooden Boat Movie

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Mahurangi Regatta 2019 – Classic Wooden Boat Movie

The weather forecast is for a very average day today so I decided to share some serious eye candy with you. The video above comes to us from the very talented Roger Mills via his drone camera.
Once again Roger was out and about over the regatta weekend and captured some amazing classic woody footage.
I have to comment that it was very pleasing to see the classic woody launches featured, thank you Roger. All to often people forget there are more wooden motorboats afloat on the day than the stick and rag boys 🙂
Enjoy the video – its a goodie.
To view a high res / quality version of the movie – us the link below.

The Marine Photographer’s Eye, Benjamin Mendlowitz – OCH Video Featuring Kiwi Classic Wooden Boats

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The Marine Photographer’s Eye, Benjamin Mendlowitz – OCH Video Featuring Kiwi Classic Wooden Boats – The best photos of our fleet you will have ever seen!

Today’s story is rather special as the team at offcenterharbor.com have given waitematawoody readers access to their latest video that features woodys from this years Mahurangi Regatta. The OCH site contains over 500 videos (& 500 articles) that range from boatbuilding, to trimming sails, to a complete course on understanding every aspect of your marine diesel engine. There’s even a 42-part series on how to build a Caledonia Yawl camp cruiser. The collection of videos features mariners and craftspeople at the very top of the boating field, showing exactly how they do things, and which products they use in their work.

One of the OCH founders is Benjamin Mendlowitz who, in my eyes, is the worlds finest photographer of classic wooden boats, this January, Ben and his co-founders escaped the US winter and headed down under. Whilst in NZ their #1 mission was to attended the Mahurangi Regatta and to this end on the Saturday Jason Prew with My Girl & myself with Raindance hosted – Maynard Bray, Benjamin Mendlowitz & Steve Stone for a Regatta photo shoot.

In the 11 minute video, Ben talks us through his day on the water filming woodys. In the opening section when Ben is commenting on our classic fleet he says “I was newly inspired in my photography”. When a photographer with as much experience as Benjamin Mendlowitz says that – that is saying something about our woody fleet. Plus the video is a master class for anyone interested in marine photography.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND SIT BACK AND ENJOY + CHECK OUT THE COOL OCH OFFER BELOW

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/marine-photographers-eye-benjamin-mendlowitz-in-new-zealand/ww190523

SPECIAL 50% OFF – LIMITED TIME OFFER

The OCH site is 100 percent membership driven, and they do not accept advertising. Not lining their pockets with advertising enables them to provide OCH members with the unvarnished truth, straight from legendary masters of their craft – without worrying whether they piss off an advertiser 🙂

In addition to allowing WW woodys to view the video at no-charge, they have also put together a one-off subscription offer for WW readers.

They are offering 50% off the annual rate – thats an amazing US$24.50 – BUT woodys be quick it will not last for long + there is a Risk Free Guarantee – try it for a few days, if your not happy they will provide you with a 100% refund. I’m a subscriber – I love the site, I have watched one story probably 10 times.

JUST CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE  

https://www.offcenterharbor.com/join-now-2450-ww/

WHAT YOU GET:

  • FULL ACCESS to everything on the site for 1 full year (including our growing library of over 1,000 videos and articles)
  • Your membership includes three full “how-to-build” video series (80+ videos worth over $500 that you get free)
  • You can get your questions answered in the “comments” section under each video and article
  • Join our community of “off-center” boating enthusiasts around the world

 

 

Restoration of Te Uira begins

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RESTORATION OF TE UIRA BEGINS 
 
Pleased to announce that the restoration of 45’ C & W Bailey built (1896) Te Uira has finally begun in Australia.
During the week I was contacted by Colin Grazules with the news – I’ll let Colin tell you the story.
 
“We have constructed a new wee shed to house the old girl and the steel and iron keel has been removed.
At this stage we are envisioning that the restoration back to her original condition should take 2 to 3 years all going well.
The owners wish is to return her to as close to her launch configuration as possible.

We will begin by removing the ribs that were added to stop her leaking in 1898.

But we need your help.

We need if possible a detailed plan of where the original stringers were installed and the triangular beam that sat on top of the floors?
A plan or photos of what the original keel would have looked like would be greatly appreciated.
I have a copy of Robert Brooke’s book ‘Beautiful Boats’ but unfortunately the plans in the book have little detail on this. 

A deck plan would also be of great assistance including including where the original mast step would have been installed etc.

Well this is just the start and I’m hoping this will become an ongoing conversation to ensure that we can do justice to Te Uira and her heritage!!

I intend to post the restoration on the NZ Classic Yacht Forum and on the Cygnet Wooden Boats FB page and will keep you appraised of the progress.”

 

Below are two videos of the keel removal.

Previous Input From Harold Kidd

TE UIRA (usually shortened in Oz to UIRA) was built by C.& W. Bailey and launched on 17th October 1896 for Gidgeon Palmer of Melbourne as a 5 rater.
She was taken across by the steamer TARAWERA with Chas. Bailey Jr going with her to settle her in.
She was quite successful in Melbourne but came up against SAYONARA, the bigger Fife-designed cutter.
She raced in Melbourne with the St. Kilda club for many years, converted to a Marconi rig in 1925.
 
You can also eat / see more here  https://wordpress.com/post/waitematawoodys.com/13298

TAUFALE – A Peek Down Below

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TAUFALE – A Peek Down Below

The 32’ Les Coulthard built (c.1933) launch Taufale has featured before on WW, see link below, and appears in numerous layout / styles. Now thanks to her trademe (ex Ian McDonald) listing we get to have a peek down below. 

Taufale is powered by a 1965 Ford Lees 70hp diesel. Her tme listing states she has 2x 300L fuel tanks – if thats the case she should be able to lap NZ without a bowser stop 🙂
 
Make sure you read the WW comments section – there is lots of chat on her. Video viewing also, below
 

Monowai III – Southern Cruise

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MONOWAI III – Southern Cruise
Todays WW story is part 2 of Dean & Deb Wright’s recent 2 week Fiordland cruise aboard Monowai III, owned by Andy and Brenda Bell. Today we focus on the launch Monowai III. The photos above also include some from last years (April) cruise > Port Pegasus, Stewart Island, the shots of hail on the foredeck, were when the temp dropped a bit post a front that came through.
Interesting Info:
 
  • 47’ Saunders
  • 11’10 beam, 4’9” draft
  • Carvel kauri construction
  • 15t light ship mode, 18t heavy (Fiordland mode)
  • 8V71N GM diesel, twin disc 2:1 box
  • 2” shaft, swinging 29×21” 4 blade
  • Built by Harold Saunders, Tory Channel, launched 1976
  • Built as a fast cray boat for Cook Strait, capable of 21 knots when launched.
  • Dave Duff was the 1st owner, he kept the boat moored by the Mana Bridge.
  • 2nd owner was Peter McManaway, who did his apprenticeship at Saunders yard and worked on the original build of Monowai III. Peter extended the hull 3’ and did a major conversion, changing the aft fish hold to accommodation and completely changing the wheelhouse to the current configuration. He also added two planks to the height of the hull.
 
She carries 1200 litres of diesel with an additonal 480 litres in portable containers. 600 litres of freshwater. Cruise speed approx 8 knots with a fuel burn around 2 litres per nautical mile.
 
Past Owners:
Dave Duff
Peter McManaway
Syndicate from Wellington
Ron Legge / Richard Downer ( sold to Andy and Brenda Bell in June 2013)
 
 
Below is a video (drone footage) Dean took of the boat going through North Port, Chalky Inlet. That’s the hulk of the Stella lying beached. Built in 1875 and was the first purpose-built lighthouse ship apparently.

Prudence

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PRUDENCE
 
I have been contacted by Graham Paddon looking for information regarding Prudence – his 36’, 1965 Bob Swanson designed and built launch. Graham purchased her as an unfinished project about 3 years ago.
 
You will see in the photos above, ex the front cover of the November 1965 issue of the Mana Cruising Club newsletter – how Prudence looked when launched, the 2nd photo is the newsletter story on the boat. 
Graham knows very little of the boats history between her launching and when he bought her 3 years ago. If any woody can help Graham out it would be very much appreciated. The photos below show her today…….  I have to say she has lost the classic look. The newsletter photo and the fact she is triple-skinned kauri is just enough to sneak into WW 🙂
 
Classic Yacht Association Yachting 2019 Regatta
Last weekend saw the biggest fleet of classic yachts competing on the Waitemata in years – well done to the new CYA crew for pulling it all together. 
I was out of town but Roger Mills, aboard James Mortimer’s Logan – Little Jim, filmed and edited a very cool video from Day 2, Race 2. Check it out below – stunning footage of the old girls racing on our magnificent harbour – speaking of which – if you can, remember to join todays protest flotilla to stop the Auckland Council stealing more of our harbour – meet at 3pm off Queens Wharf – details here.  
 

St Ayles Skiff’s In The Bay of Islands

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St Ayles Skiff’s In The Bay of Islands
 
Time for a break from the miles of Australian varnished wood on display at the recent Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart 🙂
Today we are looking at some very smart St Alyes skiffs that made an appearance at last months Millennium Cup in the Bay of Islands. Woody Dean Wright snapped the above photos at Russell. It appeared that the crews from several of the super yachts ran their own mini regatta – a rowing race around the bay. Dean captured this on video (below) and commented that given the speed they hit the beach obviously the racing crews weren’t the guys in charge of the paint job.
 
I assume that Mike Mahoney was behind the rowing race as one of the skiffs – Wee Tawera, would have been aboard his magnificent super-yacht – Tawera. Mike was one of the people, including Baden Pascoe and Steve Cranch and others that introduced St Ayles skiffs and the concept of coastal rowing to New Zealand. Wee Tawera was built at the NZ Traditional Boat Building School. View more on her here. https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/03/29/wee-tawera/
 
 
 

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – Part 3 – 90 photos + video

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TAMARIKI – Peter Mortimer

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – Part 3 – 90 photos + video

For the few of you that have seen enough beautiful boats in the last few days, I promise today will be the last AWBF photo gallery. But for the record Tuesdays AWBF WW story out performed Mondays story and had in fact the highest number of views of any story on WW in the last 12 months 🙂
Today our gallery comes to us from the camera of CYA NZ Chairperson – James  Mortimer. On top of capturing some great photos, James was in a very unique position at the festival – his father Peter was exhibiting the 1979, Gary Wheeler built yacht – Tamariki (photo above), which was the only NZ flagged boat in attendance, and they briefly had the past two NZ CYA chairs and the current one on board for a beer at the same time, nice.
Again, different person = different perspective – enjoy and remember , click on photos to enlarge.
And as a bonus we also have a video of the James Craig leaving her dock – would be nice to have a vessel of her presence based on the Waitemata. Filmed by Andrew Christie.

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019 – Photo Parade – 200 Classic Wooden Boat Photos – Part 1

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AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL 2019 – HOBART, TASMANIA – PHOTO PARADE 200 CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT PHOTOS

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Well woodys while I was gutted that I had to cancel my trip to the festival, I honestly believe that we have ended up with a better view of the festival. I have been inundated with photos from woodys from both sides of the Tasman. The coolest thing is that the show is so big and the exhibitions so broad, that there have hardly been any duplications – my new best Aussie woody friend – Andrew Christie has excelled with photos from the air (drone) and on the water (he borrowed a clinker dinghy from the ‘Living Boat Trust’ and rowed around the docks). My kiwi woody friends –  Colin and Sheryl Pawson + Fiona Driver and Rod Marler + James Mortimer  have supplemented Andrew’s photos with more stunning photos from their camera’s. As an aside Andrew won the AWBF 2019 short film festival, with his entry ‘Wooden Boat Lunacy’ featuring a Billy Holmes built motorboat – Folly III. This short film has been featured on WW – link here    https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/11/08/folly-iii/
Rather than mix them all up – I thought it would cool to group them by photographer. There will be more to share with you over the next few days, seems like everyone has maxed out the mobile data packages 🙂
Remember you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them – Enjoy
Andrew Christie

 

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James Mortimer
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A Very Big Woody Weekend Down Under

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A Very Big Woody Weekend Down Under
This weekend is a very big woody weekend DOWNUNDER, we have the Lake Rotoiti Classic& Wooden Boat Parade in NZ and over in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia – it’s the bi-annual Australian Wooden Boat Festival.
Both events are huge and will be covered by waitematawoodys. Starting with the AWBF tomorrow (Monday). I have Woodys at both events sending in photos, including drone video footage, which brings a whole new perspective to our coverage.
The photos above come to us from Colin Pawson & Andrew Christie
Below is a short drone video of the fleet in what they call the Parade of Sail on the River Derwent. Many thanks to Australian woody, Andrew Christie for this video and tomorrows photo gallery.
P-CLASS P500 DAFFY DUCK
We cover everything on woodys – from mega events to a guy trying to track down the P-Class yacht his father built for him 55 years ago 🙂 Does anyone know the where-about of P500 (Duffy Duck) ? Paul Silva would love to know that she is still around and if possible have a look at her. He’s also keen to buy her – so woodys can anyone help Paul out?