Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Lake Taupo Launches At The Landing

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Lake Taupo Launches At The Landing
The above photo comes to us via NZ Vintage Postcard fb and is captioned – The Landing, Taupo and is possibly from the 1930>1940’s period.

A question for Paul Drake – is the boat ‘closest to the channel‘ your 1914 Bailey and Lowe launch – Romance  ? If so, that would date the photo post 1931.

Can we ID any of the other boats?

Input from Paul Drake – Yes the launch nearest the channel is ROMANCE, still at Taupo and owned by the Drake Brothers. She arrived ex Napier post 1931 earthquake as a flush decker, and had her cabin raised when acquired by Jack Taylor and put to work as a commercial boat, probably in 1932. The counter stern boat is KINGFISHER. Thomas Ryan ran the 60 foot steamer RMS TONGARIRO ( Bailey and Lowe 1899 and built at Taupo) until 1925. She eventually rotted away on the foreshore between the Boat Harbour and Acacia Bay – photo below at the Taupo Wharf, before the 2 storied cargo shed was built , so quite early on in the 1900’s.

Tongariro

Input from Nigel Drake – The boat between Romance and Kingfisher looks to be Waihora, about 23 feet in length and probably a Couthard built boat, (not to be confused with the Brin Wilson built Waihora). She was on the lake for a long period of time and ran for hire under local identity “Tabby” Tabernacle.
POHUTUKAWA 
Lock-down = less going out = more fires, so collected a load of firewood today, life is easy when there is an arborist in the family 🙂
While at his yard, I spotted this magnificent pile of Pohutukawa logs, the coffee cup is there to give you an indication of the size of the 12 logs . A huge tree came down in a recent storm, blocking a road so out with the big chainsaws. Not destined for firewood, I’m told a few coffee tables and bar tops.
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Mystery Clevedon Launch – Seaforth

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Mystery Clevedon Launch

MYSTERY CLEVEDON LAUNCH – SEAFORTH

While sliding up the the Wairoa River on Saturday, on route to the Clevedon Cruising Club, I spotted the above launch hauled out.
Her identity is really bugging me, I feel I should know who she is, but just can’t ID her.
Hopefully one of the CCC members will help us out or Mr Herbert 😉
Update – Nathan has come to the rescue – the launch is Seaforth – lots of photos and details at the WW link below

HELP NEEDED TRACING LAUNCH

Can anyone provide details on the whereabouts of the 40’ launch – Albatross III, built c.1960’s to a Harry Biddle design.
Previous locations are Auckland > Bay of Islands > possibly Nelson. Owned at one stage by Joe Bosanquet. Call sign was ZM4180

Mystery Devonport Launch

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Mystery Devonport Classic Launch

Today’s launch popped up yesterday on Keith Humphrey’s fb. The location is Queen’s Parade on Devonport, Auckland waterfront. Date is c.1925. Keith commented that on the extreme right of the photo is the Flagstaff Hotel which was relocated from the site of the present Esplanade Note. In the middle of the photo should be Anne Street.
This before the sea wall was built and in those days boats were hauled out on the slope alongside the road.
Keith also commented that military style tents can be seen on Mount Victoria.
So the question woodys is – any anyone ID the launch moored in the foreground.
There is a great collection of small launches hauled out.
In the 1927 photo below we see the sea wall and carpark under construction.
(Photos ex Devonport Historical and Museum Society)
Our Youngest Woody
Boat builder Greg Lees sent in the photo below of his very new (less than a week old) granddaughter. Daughter (& mother) Rosie didn’t waste any time introducing her to the woody speedboat – ’Summertime,  Rosie built. WW link below
https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/12/24/10216/
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Westhaven Classic Launches

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WESTHAVEN CLASSIC LAUNCHES 

Today’s photos come to us from Scott Taylor and are from the same batch that Scott sent in earlier in the week. You may recall that Scott is the son of the late Mac Taylor, the Westhaven based boat broker.
Scott told us that the photos was probably taken by himself over fifty years ago while he was tagging along with his Dad at Westhaven.
In the top photo we see the 1970, Salthouse built launch -Idler, previously on WW  https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/03/27/idler/
In the 2nd photo, closet to the camera, we have a very new looking, modern, mystery launch, which I suspect used up a lot of sheets of plywood in her construction. Alongside her is what I assume is Connie V, the 1949 Lane Motor Boat Co. built launch. These days tucked away at The Slipway Milford, previously on WW
I’m unable to put a name to the last photo – Nathan?
She is an impressive looking craft.

Help Needed Identifying Waiheke Launch

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Mystery Waiheke Launch

Today’s woody is seen anchored in Matiatia Bay, Waiheke Island and comes to us from the Williamson family collection via Mitchell Hutchings fb.
And that woodys is all we know. Looking for help on this one 🙂
Update ex Nigel Minn – She is Matanui – more here

Mystery Westhaven Launch

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MYSTERY WESTHAVEN LAUNCH 

I have been sent the above photo by Scott Taylor, son of the late Mac Taylor, the Westhaven based boat broker. Scott advised that he had been going through a box of old negatives which he converted into digital photos and came todays woody is one of them.
Scott commented that  the photo was probably taken by himself over fifty years ago while he was tagging along with his Dad at Westhaven Marina.
Are we able to ID the launch – to me it screams late 1940’s Lidgard bridge-decker and I suspect I know the owner – but I have been wrong before 🙂

Princess Pat + CYA AGM Voting Oops

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PRINCESS PAT

Recently on Michell Hutching’s fb the photo above popped up as an unknown launch, hauled out at an unknown location.
The photo is ex the Williamson family collection.
Quick as a flash Jason Prew commented that the boat was named Princess Pat and that killed off the on-line chat.
Today’s woody questions are:
1. Is Jason correct? he is after all, not Nathan Herbert 🙂
2. If she is PP, what is known about her past, she has no profile on WW
3. Where is she today
20-07-2020 Harold Kidd Input – PRINCESS PAT was built by T.M. Lane and Sons in 1914. She’s been around ever since, although she spent most of her life from 1922 until 1938 as CATHERINE, reverting to PRINCESS PAT by 1944 when she was badly damaged in a collision with the vehicular ferry EAGLEHAWK. Pretty well-known launch!
21-07-2020 PS When PRINCESS PAT was in the EAGLEHAWK collision in 1944 there was a pic of her half submerged in the Herald (refer below). It showed four portholes in the port side raised deck, one forward of the chain plates. I guess it’s possible she had four to port and three to starboard (as at present), or that the the forward port one was filled in during her reconstruction or later again.
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REMINDER – IDA RE-LAUNCH @ RNZYS TODAY – ALL WELCOME
Ida Invite
CLASSIC YACHT ASSOCIATION AGM – COMMITTEE VOTING OOPS 😦

It’s no secret that the CYA struggles to attract good candidates to stand for ‘office’, but then they don’t help themselves. See below. How can you vote when you don’t know who the candidates are? Then maybe its a ploy to discourage Proxy Voting ……… nothing would surprise me 🙂
And yes woodys – I have pointed the mistake out twice to the CYA and still no advice to the members or updating the website.
UPDATE – 21-07-2020 The Oops has been fixed, 12 days after pointing it out 😉
Proxy Voting Closes at 5pm Monday 27th July 2020
Nominations Close   at 5pm Tuesday 28th July 2020

Queen of Beauty

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Queen of Beauty motoryacht

QUEEN OF BEAUTY

The magnificent looking motor yacht – Queen of Beauty was owned in the early 1900’s by Samuel Kirkpatrick, he kept her in Nelson. Aside from owning Queen of Beauty, Kirkpatrick’s biggest claim to fame was he founded K Jams back in 1881, in 1884 they were turning out over 10,000 cans a day. In the 1960’s the remains of the business were purchased by J. Wattie Canneries.
Kirkpatrick died in 1925 and its believed QoB was then used for fishing for a while. Seems incredible that a vessel of her stance would ‘go commercial’ but that is what they did in those days.
I have been contacted by Tam Hazan who is working on a record of Samuel Kirkpatrick’s life – Tam and myself would like to uncover what became of the Queen of Beauty, there has been chat that she may have ended up in Queenstown.
INPUT EX CAMERON POLLARD – Photo below of QoB in work boat mode – that’s her in the background.
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Anyone Able To ID This Old Girl
Woody Russell Ward’s wife, Marie, snapped the photo below last weekend of this double-ender woody on the move in Whangateau Harbour. Another project for Whangateau boat yard?
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Input from Denis O’Callahan – Denis snapped a couple of photos of the above mystery woody that appeared back on 13 Nov. 2019 – link below. We couldn’t ID her then – any suggestions – Russell Ward ?? , its your stumping ground 🙂

02-08-2023 Update – if Tim Hazan who looking for intel on the ‘Queen of Beauty’ contacts the email below. They maybe able to help. Alan H

plunketpeter@gmail.com

Not Spindrift (now a mystery launch)

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SPINDRIFT   Mystery Launch

I have been sent the above photos of the launch Spindrift by Christoph Hoessly, whose grandfather, Ken McLeod owned her prior to having the launch Marquerite built.
At some stage in the 1940’s she may have been owned by Auckland (North Shore) identity – HT Morton.
The last known where about of Spindrift is a note (Feb 2016) in the WW comments section by Rob Lees, advising that the boat was then owned by Bruce Ashby and moored at Kawakawa Bay. Rob also commented that other than having her varnished coamings painted white, she looks the same, as launched.
Can anyone update us on the current whereabouts of Spindrift and any photos? + details on builder / launching date.
OOPS – IN FACT MAKE THAT A DOUBLE OOPS 😦

Seems woodys we have a wee issue with todays story – numerous people have contacted me and advised that the launch pictured above is not the boat owned by HT Morton.
The big question is – were there two launched named – Spindrift ? Or has Christoph Hoessly got his photos mixed up, it is after all over 70 years ago that his grandfather took these photos. As one woody commented it appears the stories have become ’tangled’.
The photos below, ex the Clevedon Cruising Club 75th Anniversary (2017) commemorative book (by Merle McKenzie), clearly show the Spindrift that was owned by HT Morton. (Thanks to Barrie Abel, Colin McKenzie and Jess McKenzie for photos & input)
So woodys can anyone help us clear up the confusion? Identifying the launch above in the b/w photos would be a big step.
Spindrift CCC Picnic
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Jean Marie + Build A 1/2 Model Boat

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JEAN MARIE

Today’s woody popped up on Mitchell Hutchings’s fb, the photo was taken some years ago and Mitchell was unaware of the woodys name. The photo came from the Williamson Family collection.
Avon Cruel has commented that she appears to be Jean Marie and was owned by George Irvine during the 1980’s, on the Kaipara Harbour (West Coast of NZ)
Can any woodys confirm, enlighten us on the vessel?
Looking For Something Really Cool To Do – Build a 1/2 Model
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Master craftsman Allan Hooper is running another of his weekend (2 day) courses at the NZ Traditional Boat Building School in Auckland – next weekend (July 4/5th).
You will learn the basics of lofting and develop a great understanding of how lines are used to design a boat hull. At the end of the 2 days you will walk away with your own half model.
Course bookings at the link below
https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2020/build-half-model-course2/auckland/te-atatu-peninsula/tickets
Check out the last workshop review below ex attendee Christine Beech.
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