Category Archives: Mystery Boat

MYSTERY WHITIANGA LAUNCH

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MYSTERY WHITIANGA LAUNCH

Have not had a mystery / ID the boat story in a while. Photo taken Whitianga – late 1940’s > early 1950’s.
First woody to correctly name the boat – wins a waitematawoodys cap. Entries via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
As you read this I’ll be at the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade – lots of cool photos on Monday.
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Mystery Launch 21-01-2020

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 21-01-2020

The photo of todays launch popped up Mitchell Hutchings fb page. Mitchell commented that he had been given the photo but there was no reference to its origin or the name of the launch.
Nathan Herbert has proposed that it might be Wainunu (photo below ex Nathan Herbert) or Phyllis M, anyone able to help us out ID’ing the launch?
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Harold Kidd Update – Definitely WAINUNU (ex PHYLLIS M) built by Fred Mann at John St., Ponsonby in December 1919 for himself. She was sold to Clive Power in 1953 who renamed her WAINUNU and used her for yacht club work and a Coastguard auxiliary.
Photo below of Phyllis M ex Nathan Herbert
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I was floating around on Saturday / Sunday so tomorrow I have a good collection of classic woodys out enjoying one of the best weekends of the summer.
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Meloa Creek Boating Graveyard

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MELOA CREEK BOATING GRAVEYARD 

Baden Pascoe recently stepped away from the boat for a few hours and went for a walk – a walk that is unknown / overlooked by a lot of Aucklanders – around the Meola Creek, Westmere / Western Springs area. Baden captured the above photos of using his words a “boating lost in time collection”.

The top photo above is interesting, would love to know the story behind this old girl.
The last photo is a very old school photo – two mullet boats between tides 🙂

The map and photos below are from the Auckland Council website.

MOTUIHE WOODYS 1987 + WIN A WW T-SHIRT

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wendella at motuihe xmas 1987

MOTUIHE WOODYS 1987 + WIN A WW T-SHIRT
Good morning Woodys – The above photo was recently sent to me by John Newsham and is tagged ‘Wendella at Motuihe Island wharf xmas 1987’. I suspect that the yacht in the foreground is Wendella*.
Todays challenge is can we put names to the 2 launches in the photo? The first woody to correctly name them, wins a WW T-shirt. Normal t’s&c’s – entry via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
* more on Wendella below from John Newsham

Yacht on the left in the pic I sent earlier is Stewart 38 Wendella, built by Claude Spooner in f/glassed ferro for his own use c1960. She had been drawn out to 39’ and made centre cockpit. Extra toilet in aft cabin. For’d head had other loo and a small mosaic tiled bath. Had pressurised hot water from the Lees/Ford 6 cylinder diesel with the exhaust up the mast heating the water (to warm in 15 minutes). Bath had to be baled out – no drain. Was used once for a child and then for stowage ‘English’ fashion. Held 2 cartons of ale and the bagged spinnaker. I crewed on her 1968/70.

Wendella was a virtual sister-ship to Bernie Skinner’s ‘Swanhilde’ which circumnavigated the globe. Pic of Swanhikde is attached here. She was wooden. Taken late 1980s/early 1990s at Coro or TeKouma.

Wendella Jan 06 built c 1962

Its not a boat but I love the VW Kombi I spotted parked up at Enclosure Bay, Waiheke Island yesterday, I was just about to snap an interior photo when I realise there was a couple ‘having a cuddle’ inside – exit stage right very quickly 🙂
Nice Land Rover as well.
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Waitangi Wharf Mystery Event

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WAITANGI WHARF MYSTERY EVENT

Todays photo ex Ross Griffin and from the Jim Shaw’s collection show several woody launches rafted up alongside the Waitangi Wharf.
In terms of the date of the photo, Maurice Sharp has commented that the bridge opened in 1933 and in the photo it appears to not be finished, so the likelihood is that its pre 1933. The assembled crowed are very well dressed so the photo must have marked some occasion of note.
Can anyone help us with the event and with ID’ing the launches?

LENORA – Woody Runabout

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Mystery  LENORA – Woody Runabout

John Wicks sent in the above photo of this very cute woody. John spotted her at the West Harbour marina launching ramp, mid December. John’s first thought was an early Mason Clipper, but the shape isn’t right for that. 
The blokes with her thought she could be an import, possibly from the US, and that she’d spent some “lake time” (Taupo?). She’s certainly been looked after.
John couldn’t tell how she’s planked, but it’s over stringers on web frames. The Volvo Penta engine and stern drive are apparently original gear. 
Anyone able to enlighten us on this woody?
Input from Angus Rogers – It is Lenora now back on Waitemata Harbour owned by John Stephens. It was a home build by Mr John Tonkin who was a dental surgeon. He built it on his basement in Auckland and then used it at his holiday home in Taupo for many years.

The benefits of a self draining cockpit

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The benefits of a self draining cockpit

The above photo is dated 1956 and the venue is Seatoun Wharf in Wellinton. Not sure how the launch got onto this situation but hopefully she survived. Anyone with a non-self draining cockpit can relate to this. One of your worst nightmares.
I’m still getting late orders for WW gear for xmas, trying hard to fill the orders and post so they get out for xmas. Even doing a few deliveries to WW loyalists 😉
Mahurangi Cruising Club Year Book – the best ever, its packed with photos of both launches and yachts – seems my constant nagging has finally paid off 🙂
Grab a copy at Boat Books, either at their Westhaven store or on-line.
And if you are stumped for the perfect Santa present for yourself (after all who else knows what you want) they have copies of:
K- Class – The Hauraki Gulf’s Iconic Racer – Cruiser. By Jenni Mence
Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy. By Brian Peet

Whangaroa Big Game Fishing Launch

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Whangaroa Big Game Fishing Launch

I have been sent a great collection of photos from the Whangaroa area, I need to digest them and pull the best together for a WW story – in the meantime I thought I would share one of the boats with you.
For once I know its identity – but can anyone give us a name and some history?
Des Townson – A Sailing Legacy Book Winner
The winner of yesterdays quiz to name the boat designer whose name has appeared the most on WW is Warren Jack. The correct answer was Colin Wild, lots of entries for Logan and Lane but the answer needed to be the designers name – not the ‘brand’ of boat. Warren was the only one with Colin Wild. There has always been a lot of discussion around the man and his yard, not just his boats on WW.
The consolation prize – a WW hat, was won by Simon Adams. Prizes in the post 🙂
Check out Fridays WW story for another great woody prize to be won.

Labour Weekend 1945 at Westhaven – Mystery Launch + Prizes To Be Won

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Labour Weekend 1945 – Westhaven – Mystery Launch + Prizes To Be Won
Check out the bottom right photo – anyone able to name the launch? I can’t but it should be easier for the WW train-spotters.

BOOK PRIZE DRAW – WIN A COPY OF ‘DES TOWNSON – A SAILING LEGACY’

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Correctly name the boat designer who’s name has appeared on the waitematawoodys site the most often and you go in the draw to win a copy of the Brian Peet book – DES TOWNSON – A SAILING LEGACY. If you don’t want to risk not winning a copy – order here today   https://destownson.co.nz
+ a bobby prize – a waitematawoodys t-shirt drawn from all email entries received – correct or not.
ENTRY VIA EMAIL TO waitematawoodys@gmail.com If you enter via the WW comments section, you will be disqualified (take note Ken Ricketts). Entries close 8pm 17-12-2019.
Todays woody model is Graeme Finch (MV Te Arahi) in front of the Cologne Cathedral. Us woodys get around 😉

Help ID This Launch – Lady Fay

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Mystery Launch 09-12-19

MYSTERY LAUNCH – Lady Fay

The above photo of a launch hauled out at Maraetai Beach c. late 1950’s > early 1960’s,  comes to us from Ian Richards, the son of the late John Richards, via Ken Ricketts.
Ian recalls going out on the launch when here was a young boy (born 1961).
Today’s woody challenge is can we ID / confirm the name the above boat? It may not be easy, read below.
Ian has a view that it was called Lady Ellen, after his grandmother – Ellen Muir Richards, but the name board while having two words visible, they appear too short to read Lady Ellen. Also things are some what confusing – in the 1950’s the Richards family owned a Mcgeady launch named Lady Ellen (which is not the above boat), they sold this boat c.1962 to Harry Collard. The Collard family went on to own Lady Ellen for 55+years.
So – is todays b/w photo an earlier Richards boat that shared the LE name, or just a random photo from the Richards family album? (love the clinker)
Either way its a great segue to the fact that Lady Ellen, now owned by Bruce Mitchinson is scheduled to be re-launched this weekend after a 4 year refit 🙂
Input from Ken Ricketts

After contacting the several members of the extended Richards family, Ken has advised that the boat is Lady Fay and most likely one of the Sam Ford ‘ non pounding design’ series, which he built in the later 1940s-50s.
Ken also obtained a history of the family’s boating life, which covers two generations & with the help of Harold’s input, is as follows;
 
# John Augustus Richards owned the following (starting with) LADY FAY > LADY ALLYSON > LADY ELLEN > AMYRILLIS (KOALA). 
# His son, John Glanville Richards owned in the following order: 
LADY SANDRA, (Ex Len Peckham) > the yacht CORMORAN (steel offshore c.50’, twin diesel) > the yacht CHIVAS REGAL (built for him) > 2 launches (built for him) both named JOANDRA. The second of the 2 being c.60′, designed by Bill Upfold & built by Vaudrey Millar, post 2000, & launched very shortly before he passed away.  
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Last Nights K Class Book Launch
The launch party at the RNZYS was a stunner, the audience reflecting the status that the K Class has always enjoyed on our Waitemata Harbour. The book is both a great read and a thing of beauty, I was lucky to get an advance copy and have been savouring it for the last week. It is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone with salt in their veins. Contact the author Jenni Mence via email to order a copy.  jenni@kclass.co.nz
If you are of Scottish ancestry and consider yourself lucky – I have 2 copies to give away on WW, I just have to think of a suitable entry quiz 😉