Mystery Launch At Te Atatu Boating Club
Short story today, other things got in the way of WW life.
So we have another woody from last weeks visit to TBC.
Can we put a name to the boat and learn her past.
ADA / IDA – Can We Join The Dots
Recently WW was contacted by Tom Gordon in relation to his boat – ADA that Tom is trying to find out more information – I’ll hand over to Tom below:
“ ADA, I have been told is one of the 3 kauri hulled boats. The three I believe were built by Miller and Tunnage in the 1920’s however so far I’ve not been able to find out some more finer details in regards to exact build date or archive type photos. I’m looking to repair ADA and re float to maintain some heritage now that I’ve learned some history.
Sir Clifford Skeggs was an owner and one of his ex workers ‘Squidly’ from Taieri Mouth, Dunedin did own it also. Sadly he has now passed and I’m unsure if Cliff is still alive.
I’m wondering if the vessel – INA in the WW archives (WW link below) is definitely one of the three sisters to ADA. I’ve also heard of the names ROA and IMP, potentially one of these is the 3rd? “https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/11/ida-woody-classics-weekend-stillwater-picnic-cruise-update/
Can we help Tom out with more intel on ADA and potentially the ’sisters’
Looking For Help Identifying This Wooden Boat
Todays woody recent popped up on a Lester Oliver fb post and appears via Maurice Sharp reposting.Lester’s commented that the boat at the dry dock at Ahuriri, Napier. The gent on the left is possibly Napier architect Louis Hay. In the background is the Hawkes Bay Farmers Co-Op Assoc. building . The cowel on the cabin top looks very large relative to the rest of the vessel. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.
INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – We’ve been here before.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/06/30/hawkes-bay-mystery-motorsailer/
I still can’t establish a name for the boat but have a little more information. She was built in Auckland, no builder known, and shipped to Napier in May 1936 as a hull. Later Louis Hay fitted a steam engine which accounts for the small funnel shown in the earlier images. My guess is that the steam plant was replaced with an internal combustion engine later, hence the large ventilator occupying the same hole as the funnel. As for her name, it doesn’t appear in any newspaper articles even those announcing that Louis Hay was the Commodore of the new Hawkes Bay Yachting & Power Boat Club in November 1936.
Work in progress
29-04-2024 UPDATE ex HAROLD KIDD – The hull was built in Auckland and was offloaded from the PUKEKO at Gisborne because of heavy weather.
Message For The Owner Of The Launch – KARAKIA
If you send me an email confirming the boat location and your ownership I’ll drop a WW burgee in the post – why? Because if you look carefully at the photos you will see they have painted the WW logo on the cabin side 🙂 photos ex JASON PREW waitematawoodys@gmail.com Read / view more on KARAKIA here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/10/01/karakia/
MANSION HOUSE KAWAU ISLAND 1971
Todays photo comes to use from ‘Timespanner’ (Auckland Library Heritage collection via Maurice Sharp fb.
The caption reads ‘Muriel Clark on the balcony at Mansion House, KAWAU ISLAND. 1971, Ron Clark (the photographer I assume).
An unusual light number of boats in the bay, and mostly launches. Maybe the yachts were out racing.
Can we put names to the 4 classics in the bay – refer below enlarged image. And for a change rather than WW merch, I’ll gift a bottle of my ‘ world famous in Devonport’ homemade tomato sauce to the first woody that supplies the correct answers. I’ll rely on Nathan Herbert to be the oracle on ID’ing the boats – Entry via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com – closes 7pm 23/04/24 Conditions: Winner must be Auckland based, NZ Post doesn’t like glass bottles 😉
NOTE: as pointed out by K Ricketts todays photo has been developed incorrectly – I have flipped the image toshown the correct orientation – refer below
LAUNCH DAY MYSTERY – MANAIA
Another photo sent in by John Dawson – to some of the WW workboat group the answer to ’Name the boat’ is probably very easy. Not for me however – things that help –
• 1st three letters of the name are – MAN
• home port is shown as Whangarei
• lack of varnish suggests a workboat
• style suggests pilot boat• funnel may have the letters WHB on it > Whangarei Harbour Board
So what say the workboat brains trust
UPDATE – Thanks to several woodys we have confirmation that the vessel is Manaia – Designed by AJ Collings and built at the P. Los yard in 1963, for the Northland Harbour Board as a toilet boat. LOTS of photos and detail in the links below https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/01/26/manaia/ https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/04/05/manaia-a-peek-down-below/
COMPASS ROSE – A Peek Down Below
The launch Compass Rose popped up on tme nearly a year ago and at the time we ran a story on her that generated a lot of discussion / chat in the comments section around her DNA. We never really established her origins but I tend to lean on the side of Allan Keane’s input – i.e. her builder and as launched name is unknown but c.1986/88 her name was changed to – Arthur Daley. c.1995 she was sold again and renamed – Compass Rose. Allan’s ‘knowledge’ comes from having sold (brokered) the boat 3 times.
In the previous WW story – link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/05/02/lady-fay-arthur-daley-compass-ros/ there was speculation her launch name was Lady Fay and built by Orams & Davies in Whangarei in the early 1960’s. As often happens the collective memories get a little mashed up over the years so very keen to be able to clear up the question marks hanging over her. Thanks to woody John Dawson for the photos.
MYSTERY LAKE LAUNCH
Well woodys it is only a mystery because the owner, trying to sell her chooses to not show the vessels name – a tad crazy when selling a classic – the name is what joins the dots.
What we are told (thanks IanMcDonald / tme) is that she was built in 1978 and is described as a Woolley 25, kauri planked, powered by a Volvo Penta 28hp diesel engine and calls Lake Rotoiti (Nth Island) home.
The ability to trailer the boat is a big bonus – but sadly the trailer is probably worth more than the boat 😉
Hopefully one of the Lake Rotoiti woodys can enlighten us more.
MYSTERY WORKBOAT TA74
Todays woody photo comes to us from the Tauranga City Library collection via Dean Wright.
Based on the photo tag – the date is probably April 1966. The fishing ‘license’ # (someone remind the correct term please) is TA 74.
Anyone know more about the boat and what became of her?
MYSTERY NORTHLAND LAUNCH
ID’ing todays woody will either be very easy eg someone will know all about the launch or it will need the input of many.
The launch is located in a paddock in the Kaeo / Kerikeri area – on the Takou Bay Road.
The ‘photographer’ was Murray Deeble, who apologised for the photos – he couldn’t get better pic as Murray had no desire to be shot and fed to the owners dogs 🙂
So woodys what do we know about this craft – given the location, maybe Nathan Hebert will have seen the boat and been braver than Murray.
KAIWAKA ROADSIDE WOODY
At the recent Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat weekend I was asked about the woody that has been ‘parked’ in front of a property near Kaiwaka – as long as I can remember, well as long as I have been interested in woodys boats. She has sat in that same spot slowly decomposing, Im sure her owner would tell you its a work-in progress but…………….
The craft is visible from the main road, on the right hand side heading north.
Can anyone ID her for us
INPUT FROM PREVIOUS OWNER (Terry) – She is a Harley Black Marlin design, name was Aljo (spelling could be wrong) when I owned her back in the mid 70s.I think she has had a name change .She is battern carvel construction.I brought her in Tauranga but I believe she was from Whakatane after my ownership she moved to Clevedon river for many years, them moved north to the Bay,Last time I saw her in the water was in the Mangawhai river a long time ago.
I22-02-2023 NPUT ex BARBARA BUSET –
Well, would you believe it, I think I was the previous owner of this boat, before it was left there on the side of the road, must be coming up to 20 years now!!
It was known as Alijo when my ex-husband and I bought it in the 90’s. We re-named it Bartab and spent thousands doing it up. The first thing we did was have it parked on our front lawn at One Tree Point giving it a complete repaint. All the squabs and curtains were remade and she looked a picture. The shower/toilet was rebuilt and the engine had major work done on it, much to my ex’s disgust as it was a Ford and he was a Holden nut! She was moored on the blind channel at OTP, not far from the little dairy there. Over the years we had a new bow rail, new Bimini and new automatic winch. I loved going out on her for the weekends and we even took her up to the Bay of Islands a few times. With the divorce, she was sold and I don’t know what happened to her then until I suddenly noticed her there at the side of the road at Kaiwaka. She’s been there so long now that I don’t think she can ever go back in the water. I understand she’s a Kauri Carvel. It’s so sad to see her every time I go to Auckland, rotting there on the side of the road. When I used to go out on her I kept a log book which I still have! Unfortunately I’m away from home at the moment, but as soon as I get back home, I’m going to find it and then I might have some more info for you.
Couldn’t believe it when the Woody’s web page popped up tonight as I had only driven by earlier today and always talk about her whenever I see her.
I’ll be in touch again nearer the end of the month when I’m home and can find my log book.
YESTERDAYS QUIZ WINNER – Graeme Finch , he correctly picked – cooking – I started the process of making the ‘World Famous In Devonport Tomato Sauce’ 🙂
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