Category Archives: Mystery Boat

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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Carousel

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Carousel

CAROUSEL

Today’s woody is another photo from Bryce Strong’s collection – the launch is named Carousel and is a mystery to the WW data-base.
Can anyone help us uncover her provenance?
REMEMBER WOODYS – ONLY 3 DAYS TILL THE LUNCH CRUISE TO THE RIVERHEAD TAVERN
 I’ll be emailing out meeting times etc today to attending boats and those attending by car 🙂
WCW Riverhead June2020

Antares

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Antares (2)

ANTARES
Recently I received from Bryce Strong an envelope of ‘old’ boating photos – the result of a CV-19 lock-down cull of the family photo collection. Its a flash back of woody boating on and around the Waitemata.
The above photos show the 34’ Antares, built in the 1950’s by Supreme Craft in Auckland. I suspect that at the time, Antares was owned by Bryce’s brother-in-law, Ron Philips.
Antares has appeared on WW several times  and you can see / read more of her past at the link below, be sure to check out the additional links in the story to experience more.

https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/09/25/antares-2/

Who Can Help ID This Yacht
The vessel below was snapped by Cameron Pollard at the entrance to the Tamaki River – Cameron estimate her length around 55′.
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Input & photo below from John Mellars – owner built, spotted Whangaparapara 15 March 2019.
Not very woody though.
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WCW Riverhead June2020
RSVP waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Mystery Launches – Mansion House Bay

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Mystery Launches – Mansion House Bay

Today’s photo of Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb and is tagged 1920 – 1939 so that date spread isn’t much use to us.
An unusual photo given that no yachts are seen.
Any eagle eyed woodys able or brave enough to ID any of the boats?
Ken Ricketts was probably there (in nappies) and will remember the sound of each boats engine 🙂
WCW Riverhead June2020
RSVP  waitematawoodys@gmail.com

Mystery Taupo Launch + Woody Eye Candy

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MYSTERY LAKE TAUPO LAUNCH + WOODY EYE-CANDY
The above b/w photo comes to us from Lew Redwood’s fb.Details on the launch are un-know, can anyone help ID the boat.
Paul Drake Input – Probably RHODESIA. Photo shows her at Waihora Bay. The post sticking out of the water would be from the jetty which used to be there a long time ago. There are eight short stumps there to this day. Little is known of RHODESIA, but patrons of Domino’s pizza joint on the Lake Front in Taupo can study her, as they wait for their order, in the large format photo which is part of that establishment’s decor.

Harold Kidd Input – RHODESIA was built in Auckland in September 1912 and railed down to Rotorua. She was 30ft loa 8fft beam 2ft 9in draught. Her first owner was Marshall Ryan Shipping Co who used Bailey & Lowe for their new builds so it’s a fair bet they built her too. Roy Forrester of Helensville ran her for the company in the years immediately after WW1. When Taupo Shipping Co was liquidated and its assets sold off in August 1925 she was sold off. I am not sure she was then renamed TUWHARETOA because Sam Crowther was running a TUWHARETOA for hire in 1923.

There’ll be an answer which I suspect Paul Drake will ferret out.
Paul Drake Input / Reply to HDK – The idea that RHODESIA became TUWHARETOA is very interesting and quite possible. I remember her in the 1950’s. She had a raised cabin, to the full width of the original cabin, which was very well done. To my eye, she was a looker.
Continuing on with the Taupo thread, over the weekend Dean Wright sent in a gallery of photos from the marina at Lake Taupo, included was the stunner below of the Drake Brothers (Michael / Paul / Nigel / Roger) launch East Wind. When I shared the photo with Paul Drake he advised that it was him in the cockpit homeward bound from one of his recent weekly fishing expeditions.
In the photo Paul is seen taking soundings with the boathook. The lake is quite low and that day the bottom looked very close in that part of the channel. You can see that he has the boat hook at the ready, the minimum sounding was about four feet.
He also commented that the fishing since the lifting of lock-down seems to be rather good.
The Drake family have owned East Wind for approx. 50 years, but know little of her early provenance (<1920). She was clearly built as an open boat with motor. She still has the original foredeck and coaming under the newer raised deck. See 1932 photo below – East Wind, centre with another of the Drake boats Romance directly astern. 
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WCW Riverhead June2020