Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Mystery Launch B.O.I. 1965 Taiparu > Isa Lei

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Mystery Launch B.O.I. 1965 – Taiparu > Isa Lei

Today’s photo comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb and shows a collection of support vessels assisting in the 1965 (April) National Spearfishing Contest, underway in Deep Water Cove, Bay of Islands.

Of most interest is the launch on the right  – not sure how you would describe her – pilot house launch? , 1/2 a bridge-decker 🙂 Its not Tasman but very similar. Some of the big Colin Wild > Salthouse launches (Lady Crossley, Turongo, Trinidad ) followed this design.

UPDATE – Launch Identified by Ken Rickets as Isa Lei (Taiparu). Photos below ex Ann Hood via Ken Ricketts

Harold Kidd Input – ISA LEI was built as TAIPARU by Lidgard Bros at the Western Reclamation, Auckland for J. Carlton of Sunny Bay, Kawau and launched on 7th December 1939 with a 6 cylinder 90hp Graymarine petrol engine. In 1946 she was owned by C. Pryce Jones. I H McRae owned her in 1953 and it was he who changed her name to ISA LEI. Roughly 1954 to 1975 she was owned by Lloyd and Jim Somner. I think her sistership was WAKATERE which spent a lot of her life in Tauranga.

More photos and details here https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/30/isa-lei-original-name-was-tauparu/

Outboard Boating Club – Way Back

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OUTBOARD BOATING CLUB – Way Back

The above photo surfaced on the OBC’s fb page a little while back and didn’t really spark much chat, other than that Paritai Drive was looking very bare – only one house 🙂 , the model of the bus on Tamaki Drive must help with the date – so woodys can we date the photo and possibly ID any of the vessels?

New Flag For My Boat – A little big (7’x4’), but the real McCoy – cotton cloth, everything sewn on, bronze fittings.

Mystery Bridgedecker – LADY ELLISON

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Mystery Bridgedecker – LADY ELLISON

No name on this old girl but her tme listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us she was built by Sam Ford in 1950, measures 36’ x 9’10” x 2’9”.

Built of kauri and powered by a Ford D360 diesel engine, that gets her along at 10 knots max. Other than calling Nelson home, that is about all we know about her. Can anyone put a name to her and tell us about her past?

UPDATE: SHE HAS BEEN ID’ed AS LADY ELLISON https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/03/06/lady-ellison-3/

HELP WANTED – ANYONE KNOW THE YACHT – KITENUI

The story goes that she was designed by Colin Wild and built by John Salthouse. Can anyone tells us more details about this yacht.

Update – photos below ex John Newsham

Mystery Launch – Andy Donovan Collection

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Mystery Launch – Any Donovan Collection

Today’s woody is a total unknown, no dates, names, specs etc on the rear of the photo- so hopefully we can ID the boat and uncover some of her past.

After a long 7 weeks – I went boating yesterday, RD forgave me for neglecting her 🙂 A heads up, some serious wood floating around the harbour.

Koala + Win A WW T-shirt

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KOALA MYSTERY LAUNCH 01-10-21

This one shouldn’t be too hard to ID so no prize today for the boat. In the photo above the launch is seen leaving Fitzroy. It is Koala (Amaryllis).

But woodys – 1st one to correctly ID the slim / trim lad on the left in the photo below,  wins a WW t-shirt, fresh from the screen printers – one advantage of CV-19 – 24hr turn around at the printers. 🙂 Email your answer to waitematawoodys@gmail.com AND the gent and anyone related to him isn’t eligible to enter 🙂

Coromandel 1955

03-10-2021 UPDATE / CORRECTION – Eddie has advised that Doug Reid is the 4th from the left. The young man on the extreme is Norris. Ed can not recall his surname. Paul Pettit is tallest 5th from the left. Paul played the Bag Pipes.Murray {Mudge} White extreme right.

Two Black Holes

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Two Black Holes
Many moons ago when I was looking at buying a classic boat, my father-in-law commented “son you already own one black hole, why would you want another”. He was referring to the fact that I owned a 100+ year old wooden house that back then was hoovering up every cent I earned, and in his eyes an old boat would do the same, but quicker. He of course was right and I took his advise and didn’t buy the boat. 

Waited a few years and after he ‘left’ us, I was back in the market 🙂

When I was sent the above photo by Glenn Martin of a house in Beach Haven on Auckland’s North Shore, it reminded me of the vision my F-I-L had of what I was going to inflict on his daughter. 
Anyone know the story behind the boat?

Mystery Launch B.O.I.

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Mystery Launch – B.O.I.

Today’s photo appeared on the cover of a recent issue of the Property Press in Russell. Scan sent in by Dean Wright. The question of the day is = can we ID the woody on the right? Dean is leaning towards ex big game boat – Zane Grey.

Kiriana

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KIRIANA MYSTERY LAUNCH 14-09-2021

Todays photo comes to us from Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection, many thanks Tim Barnett. Can we ID the boat and uncover some of her past – unless she has gone south, in the above configuration she isn’t known to me. Possibly named Ritunha or Rihuria.

UPDATE – correctly ID’ed by Nathan Herbert as Kiriana

And to my fellow Auckland woodys – another week of Level 4 lock-down …………. I try to steer clear of politics on WW but this is too much – open the borders and lets get on with business and life, Covid is here to stay, we just have to live with it.

Komuri

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KOMURI

Today’s photo comes to us from Heather England’s fb and shows a very smart looking steamer. The photo was originally sent to Heather’s grandmother in 1912 when she was 12.,  and has a Dunedin post mark stamped on the rear, so the possible location surprise surprise is Dunedin. The photo is tagged Komuri on the back, which is the maori word for ‘fine weather’ which kind of sounds like a good name for a boat.

Would love to learn more about the vessel and what became of her – she is a real looker.

Input from Harold Kidd – KOMURI was built in Dunedin in 1913 by Austen Jenkinson to a design by McRae for James Johnston. She had a 2 cylinder Bolinder semi-diesel crude oil engine. She was sold in 1916 to the lessees of Campbell Island for whaling. On the trip down she had an engine breakdown and was abandoned at sea, the crew took to the surfboat. Long story. (thanks Nathan Hebert for the advising the correct spelling)

And On A Lighter Note
I was sent the image below by a WW follower, whose daughter has too much spare time during lock-down. I have enlarged a section to help you see the blatant breach of copyright 🙂

Workboat Wednesday + Garage Sale

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Starlight 1984 @ Woody Bay Rakino Island

WORKBOAT WEDNESDAY

I was sent the above photo by Gary Stanborough whose family owned the 32’ Des Townson designed and built yacht Starlight from 1978 to 2016, so any other namesake boats would always catch our attention.

Gary took the photo in 1984 in Woody Bay, Rakino Island but knows nothing of the history of this salty looking old timer. She’s tied alongside another fishing boat. Does anyone know of her past or what’s become of her? Reg # is AK14333.

A great example of the amazing work the Rakino Island residents have been doing on the planting front. 

LOCK-DOWN GARAGE SALE

One of our followers is using the enforced lock-down to clean out a home workshop.There are a few bits and pieces up for grabs and a project boat that never got finished, but it’s very close to being done though. It looks to be around 14ft, and a sailing and rowing skiff. Design is called a Phoenix 3. Comes with a rig and centre board but not the trailer. Offers around $500 will see the boat oft a new owner.Plus a woodworkers tool cabinet & a few misc. tools
Drop me an email if you are interested waitematawoodys@waitematawoodys