Category Archives: Mystery Boat

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 😉

Whangarei Town Basin 1943

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Whangarei Town Basin 1943


Todays photo, ex the Navy Museum, is captioned  ‘ Outer Patrol Launches Whangarei c.1943’. We have an interesting mix of vessels tied up.
The two on the right should be easy to ID – being Q Class patrol vessels i.e. motor launches built in the 1930s and used by the NZ Navy during WW2. John Clarke has supplied ex this site, a listing – Amakura Q04, Lady Gay Q00, Lady Margaret Q08, Lady Shirley Q11 later Q12, Maristella Q02, Movarie Q05 , Rawea Q06, Shenandoah Q03, Te Rauparaha Q07, Wirihana Q01. All navy inner and outer patrol vessels. John commented that if the WW list is correct, the vessels moored at the head of the line in the photo would be Maristella (Q02) and Lady Shirley (Q12). Maristella was a 40 footer, built by Sam Ford in December 1936 for Mr R.W. Wills of Epsom and fitted with a 50hp Ailsa Craig diesel. During WW2 RNZN patrol service she was fitted with a Gray for spares rationalization purposes. Lady Shirley was a 36 footer, built for Mr C Sinel of Auckland by C Bailey & Son in 1938. Both are still afloat and well-loved launches, search their names in the WW search panel for more photos / info.
 
Are we able to ID the launches astern of the Q Class boats?
 
I was contacted last week by Whangarei boatbuilder, Mike Hughes with a heads up that the little Harrison Butler ‘Omicron’ (below) was back in Mike’s workshop for a little regular maintenance.

She is a rather pretty looking yacht – but she should be given she was built by Percy Voss in 1945.
Omicron is kept at Parua Bay, Whangarei.
 
annual maintenance

 ID This Classic Launch & Win A WW T Shirt

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 ID This Classic Launch & Win A WW T Shirt
 
Photo ex Paul Drake, who uncovered it recently amongst his brother Nigel’s c1970’s colour slides.
The boat is pictured above in Lake Taupo’s Western Bay. 
I can tell you the boat is no longer on the lake and is currently being restored.
So woodys – all correct answers go into the draw for a WW t-shirt. Entries close off at 8pm 15-11-2019. Entry via email only – to  waitematawoodys@gmail.com
UPDATE – 1st time ever in a promo, no-one ID’ed the boat correctly – it is Kathleen M
And if you miss out on winning the t-shirt, you can always order one – click link below for details –
AND A REMINDER TO THE WOODYS DOING THE RIVER CRUISE TO CLEVEDON TOMORROW – SET YOUR ALARM CLOCK – ITS AN EARLY START. LOTS OF BOATS AND A GOOD WEATHER FORECAST, SO THE CAMERA WILL BE WORKING OVERTIME 🙂
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1967 Whangarei to Noumea Yacht Race Mystery Launch + Woody On The Rocks

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1967 Whangarei to Noumea Yacht Race Mystery Launch

Today’s photo comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb and shows the spectator fleet that gathered to farewell the yachts heading off in the 1967 Whangarei to Noumea yacht race. We have a classic woody mid photo – my first thoughts were – Romance II but on closer inspection its not her.  So woodys – who do you think it is?
 
Southern Woodys – A question
Does anyone do or know of anyone that does, ‘private’ bare-boat charters in the Havelock / Pelorus / Kenepuru Sound / Picton / Queen Charlotte region? A very experienced woody is looking to come to a gentleman’s arrangement re the use of a launch in the Marlborough Sounds this coming February (2020). For more details email me on waitematawoodys@gmail.com
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SAD NIGHT ON AUCKLANDS WATERFRONT
Woody Angus Rogers sent in at around 10pm the photos below of the launch Rio Rita on the rocks outside the OBC breakwater. Coastguard were in attendance. It was high water so unless she was towed off, she will be high & dry. Very sad.

Mystery Woody at Whangateau

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IMG_0478 Interesting woody in Wangateau Harbour

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Mystery Woody at Whangateau
 
Woody Denis O’Callahan (MV Tasman) spotted the above woody anchored last Saturday when he was mooching around the Whangateau Harbour.
There appears to be a ‘pole’ (maybe the main mast) lashed to the starboard bulwarks.
A few splashes of paint on the stern might be concealing a name, home port?
 
Anyone able to ID the vessel for us?
 

Waitematawoodys T-Shirts + New Release – Caps – Perfect Christmas Presents

Well woodys Summers almost here so it’s T-shirt weather. If you want a WW t-shirt nows the time to order – details below.
  1. Some background on the T’s – I only source top quality garments & use high-end screen printing for really tight detail & a durable finish. I’m passionate about WW & will only put the logo on something that is 100% quality.
  2. In terms of colour – we are like Henry Ford, we only do one colour – a very dark blue (navy) with white logo. 
  3. Price – same price for the last 3 years  – $34.95 (gst inclusive) + $5 p&p (one off freight charge, no matter the number you order). If that’s too much to pay for a quality T-shirt, well I guess you won’t be buying one, but I’m not prepared to compromise on standards. This years T’s are an even better cut / fit.
  4. Sizes – Refer chart below. If there is interest I will do a smaller female sizes.
  5. Ordering – B4 Xmas I’m doing a limited print run, so if you want a shirt/s – I need your order by Monday 25th November, sooner would be even better. I’ll advise payment details when I confirm your order.
NEW RELEASE – CAPS
I have done a small run of WW Caps and the feedback from my crash-test dummies has been very positive – so we have added caps to the merchandise list.
1. One size fits all
2. Light weight, 6 panel
3. Two colour options Navy Blue / Light Blue
4. Price is $32 (gst inclusive) + $5 p&p (no charge if ordered with T-shirt/s)

What’s next – email me at waitematawoodys@gmail.com & advise:

 

# Your name 

# Postal address

# Phone 

# Quantity & size/s & colour (cap only)

Ps – Sent in a sealed courier bag, so if you are ordering for a Xmas present, no-one will know the contents.

Size Guide