Category Archives: Mystery Boat

CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH

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CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH

Earlier in the week WW was contacted by Jason Waterson re his recently acquired launch. Her current name is 5 O’CLOCK SOME WHERE, but in a previous life was named ELSIE MAY II.

Jason is hoping to confirm her design / builder, current think is Allen Williams and learn more about her past.  When Jason bought her she was on Lake Taupo and previously was in Napier. Forward motion is via a Fordson 40hp diesel engine.

Can we help Jason out.

Now if she was mine I’d we buying a small tin of a pant and returning the coamings (window surrounds) to a semi wood look, or similar – as per the photo of EILEEN PATRICIA below.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

CLASSIC WORKBOAT – TE TUI + MYSTERY LAUNCH

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CLASSIC WORKBOAT – TE TUI + MYSTERY LAUNCH

We have two woodys of interest in todays photo – firstly the Auckland Harbour Board launch TE TUI seen in the forefront looking very smart for a ‘workboat. The photo came to us from a Chris Wood post on the ’Tug & Workboat of NZ fb page. Chris commented that she operated at Westhaven Marina or the Harbour Masters loft at the end of Queens Wharf. Frequently used for wharf soundings. The Engineers Dept. had  a similar boat named – TE WAKA.

Chris asked what became of these boats. B Worthington commented that TE TUI resides in Tauranga these days.

Can we get an update on her status and builder etc and also TE WAKA.

The second woody of interest is the sedan top launch behind TE TUI, any thoughts on her name.

CLASSIC WOODY SITTING THERE ROTTING

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CLASSIC WOODY SITTING THERE ROTTING

There is a fb page titled ’Sitting there rotting, help save me – New Zealand’ most of the posts are plastic boats but occasionally a woody pops up.

Todays woody is one such post – the supporting copy on most of the posts is to the point eg free, be quick back hoe booked.

Yesterdays post was novel reading – reproduced below

 FREE Boat.  Huge Restoration project.  

This Photo was 2015 clean and antifoul haul out, Trying to find more recent photos and will make a trip to take more photos of here current state.

ENGINE HAS BEEN UNDER WATER, Stupid questions will be ignored. MAST HAS BEEN REMOVED 

1916 Miller & Tonnage. My Mother lived on her for 26 years. She is being kept afloat by auto bilge pump. Hull is mostly in good condition, Decks and cabin are rotten.

Mums options are, 1: the boat comes home to my property to rot away, 2: Boat is taken to a yard and destroyed… 3: Someone makes a terrible decision and chooses to restore her. <<<Pretty Please I love this Boat 

EDIT..   Doh….  Boat is in Opua Bay of Islands

Can we name the vessel

WHAT BECAME OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TAIHO

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WHAT BECAME OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – TAIHO

WW has been contacted by John Dawson concerning the whereabouts of the classic wooden launch TAIHO, a quick WW search popped up the photo above.

Back in Jan 2016 Jason Prew was mooching around Great Barrier Island on his summer cruise (in a yacht back then, before he saw the light and joined the motorboat fleet) and snapped this photo.

I might be wrong but it seems TAIHO has gone to ground for the last 10 years – maybe a name change?, can we learn more eg design, builder, length etc + where she resides these days.

HEADS UP – Check Your Keel Bolts – Nice shinny nut, very dodgy from there on down…………… 😦

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH HAUL OUT DAY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH HAUL OUT DAY

Todays classic wooden boating photo comes to us from John Dawson, and other than it being tagged ’Northland’, thats all John knows about the photo.

So woodys can we learn the location and possibly ID the craft being hauled out.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

WOODEN LAUNCH

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WOODEN LAUNCH

Todays woody first appeared on tme 2 years ago and I saved the photos, hoping that we would learn more about her but she didn’t sell and then was delisted and sold, I assume off-line.

At the time the listing headline just said ‘Wooden Launch’ and we didn’t learn much more than that she was 33’ in length, built c.1912 and was powered by a 60hp Fordson diesel engine. There is an impressive number of switches on the dash and the radar tower id OTT.                        Home back then was a mooring in Mana, Wellington and she being sold ‘as is- where is’.

Anyone know what happened to the launch and more details.

1970’s STORM WRECKED HAVOC TO THAMES BOATING FLEET

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1970’s STORM WRECKED HAVOC TO THAMES BOATING FLEET

Recently Glenn Martin sent the above photos that originated from the Thames Historic Pictures fb page.   Glenn commented that they were captioned – ‘Storm Damaged boats in the 1970s Shortland Wharf Thames NZ’ , but in Glenn’s eyes he believes the date was probably earlier. Blowing up the photos the pickup truck in the top photo does tend to date it earlier. Also in the 2nd photo the shoes on the observers on the wharf have a 1970’s style – so maybe the photos are not from the same period. Thoughts?

Did some sniffing around online and learnt that records from coastal engineering and council archives confirm storms in February and May 1970 affecting the Coromandel coast (including areas near Thames). These brought large easterly swells and storm surges, that damaged wharves and boats and caused erosion and flooding.

If you have spent time there you will know that Thames sits on low-lying reclaimed land beside the Firth of Thames, so is always susceptible to flooding. 

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

MYSTERY 1933 MULLET BOAT

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MYSTERY 1933 MULLET BOAT

Todays outstanding classic wooden yacht photo comes to us from Heritage Images – TW Collions collection via a Lew Redwood fb post.

The photo is tagged ‘1933 Mullett boat under power Bay of Islands’, and that woodys is all we know.

To me it has a Whangaroa Harbour look to it but I’m sure I’ll be corrected 🙂

Tudor Collins was a very talented photographer and most of his work is clearly identifiable without any reference to his name. The Bay of Islands was one of his favourite locations and his collection of work is vast and just not limited to marine. In fact better known for his native bush / forest work.

Can we learn the yachts names and designer / builder.

(photo ex Toby Hyman)

WOODEN WORKBOATS ON THE HOKIANGA 

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WOODEN WORKBOATS ON THE HOKIANGA 

Todays photo is a flash back to rural life in the early 1920’s when launches collected cream from wayside settlements around the harbour and transported the cargo to in this case a dairy factory ar Rawene. 

In addition to the cream loads the boats provided transport for both farm and domestic supplies. The craft were the equivalent of todays Toyota HiLux ute.

Have to love the hatch / all weather shelter on the launch closest to the wharf. I think they were referred to as ‘blue collar flybridges’.

KAWAU ISLAND — Idyllic Classic Times Afloat

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KAWAU ISLAND — Idyllic Classic Times Afloat

Todays very cool photo comes to us from a recent Lew Redwood fb post and is tagged – ‘Yachts & Launches at Kawau Island 1900-1916, Hocken. 

Can we ID the canoe stern launch on the righthand side, middle/top of the photo.

Its a very salty clinker dinghy, what’s the significance of the ‘4 KAWAU’ on the stern – was here a fleet back then.

😃 given the dates even K Ricketts can’t claim he was there when the photo was taken 😉