Mystery Wooden Boats – Lake Manapouri The above photo, ex Lew Redwood, of Pearl Harbour, Lake Manapouri could almost be a painting. Its rather stunning and features two very smart woodys. Can anyone help ID either or both of these boats? Sadly there is no date accompanying the photo.
Booked Your Woody In For Its Annual TLC? Talking last week to a couple of yard managers + marine engineers and given the knock-on effect of the CV-19 lock-downs the work diaries are VERY full, in fact depending on what you want done, there is a strong chance you will miss out. So get on the phone today – or you might end up like this guys stern drive………..
MYSTERY LAUNCH – 1968 Sam McGreedy The above 39’ carvel planked, 1968 launch popped up on trademe, light on photos, the tme ones are very average. The stated builder is Sam McGreedy, thats a new one to me.Power is from a 130hp Ford diesel. Appears to be well fitted out.
From the photos I suspect it a Panmure boat – can on of the river rats enlighten us more on the boat?
That was easy, thanks Ken R – its White Cloud see more here
HOST VENUE: NZ Traditional Boatbuilding School 17 Totara Rd, Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland – Saturday 17 October 2020 – Sunday 18 October 2020
This is a two day course introducing you to the use of hand tools. Over the two days you will build a small tool box and a bench stop incorporating a number of woodworking joints and skills including cutting a simple scarf joint and then using copper nails and rivets to turn that piece into a handy Bench stop. Marking and cutting pieces for the tool box, preparing the timber with planes and a cabinet scraper, marking and cutting a dovetail joint, marking and drilling dowel joints, turning a square piece of wood into a round handle, final assembly and clean up.
This is a great course for someone wanting to learn how to cut accurately and use chisels and planes and other hand tools in a practical manner. Students will leave with a completed toolbox and bench stop and an introduction to many new skills. The tutors for this course are Olaf Wiig and Allan Hooper.
NOTE: Min of three students required, max of six students- COST $290 – includes materials for toolbox.
Yesterday I meet briefly with David Campbell-Morrison to receive a collection of boating books and magazines that David saved for the rubbish bin. The original owner of the collection was a Mr Thompson and most date from the early 1930’s to the mid 1940’s. Some of the USA MotorBoating magazines are in very good condition and the covers are almost collectable art. Today cover is from the March 1935 issue.
Amongst the many items was a ‘photo’ (press clipping) album – the photo below is dated Dec 1931 and appeared in the NZ Herald. Can we ID the launch on the left of the photo?The caption reads “Stretching their sails in preparation for the official opening of the Yachting season today. Pleasure craft which made a pretty picture on the Auckland Harbour last week-end. The yachts are Matariki (N10) and Leveret (V5)
At Sundays Stillwater woodys picnic I was chatting to boat builder Greg Lees and he showed me the above photograph (in its frame) of Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island that a neighbour had given him. Interesting that for once the bay is almost bare of yachts – maybe they were off racing at the time.
Are we able to ID some of the launches? I have numbered the boats in the b/w photo below + included a couple of blow ups of the photo, which may help.
MYSTERY LAUNCH 22-09-2020 The above photo comes to us from the Andy Donovan collection via Chris Collins (RNZYS Historian). The vessel is a total blank to me, but given all the very distinctive features and her size, I’m sure someone will be able to enlighten us on her name and provenance.
The ‘train spotter’ that names the boat and ID’s the pennant correctly – wins a WW bucket hat – normal rules – enter by EMAIL ONLY and if more than one correct entry, we do a draw. Closes at 7pm 22-09-2020. Enter here waitematawoodys@gmail.com
DIONE We are going to need so serious input today re the above launch – in the past on WW there has been a lot of chat around the number of launches named – Dione and their provenance. Today’s Dione is ex a recent Lew Redwood fb post and Lew competed that ‘she was the 1933 Allely’s launch in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island’.
Now this is where it gets confusing – previously (June 2018) Lew posted a photo of the launch below and commented it was ‘the Alley family launch, Dione, at anchor at Matiatia, Waiheke Island’. At the time Harold Kidd commented as below (after photo)
On the recent photo fb post HDK comments that he doesn’t think neither of them are named Dione. Now woodys you can see why a simple country boy like me is a tad confused.Anyone brave enough to add their input ? 🙂
Today’s photo ex Lew Redwood is tagged The Wharf At Mansion House, Kawau Island. There is a WW t-shirt up for grabs for any woody that can correctly name the three launches (L>R) at the wharf. In the event more than one of you get it right, we will do a draw. Entries via email only to waitematawoodys@gmail.com
RIVERHEAD TAVERN WOODYS LUNCH CRUISE – PUT A CIRCLE IN THE DIARY FOR NOVEMBER 8TH. NO NEED TO RSVP FOR NOW – I’LL SEND A FLYER OUT AFTER THE STILLWATER EVENT
The above photo of an unknown launch popped up on Mitchell Hutchings fb. Might be the perspective of the camera, but she appears to have a far sized boom relative to the mast. Can anyone help out ID’ing this woody?
Morning Dog Walks
Hard not to love boating and the sea when your early morning dog walk looks like this – no special effects, straight off the iPhone 🙂 You can just see the Devonport Yacht Club peeping out on the left from under the pohutukawa tree.
ID These Mystery B.O.I. Launches – Win WW Merchandise
Ok woodys, double banger competition today – we have two photos (by Tudor Collins) sent in by Nathan Herbert. All those that can correctly name the two launches, go into the draw for a WW T-shirt (s/s) and hat. Entries close at 8pm 18-08-2020.
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.
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.
