Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Dick Lang Boats – Lady Jane

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Lady Jane - Dick Lang

DICK LANG BOATS – Lady Jane

I was recently contacted by Keith Brady whose grandmother, Lettie Lang (Kennerley) was married to Dick Lang.  Keith experienced Dick’s boats as a child during the summer holidays & he is interested in the boats Dick Lang built over time, wanting to get a sense of the scale of his operation and type of boats he built.

I think I know the answer (no) but Keith was wondering whether there is a repository for details of Dicks boats or records of the boats he may have built. He is also interested in any photographs of other boats build by Dick and of his boat shed used to build these great vessels.

Keith sent me two photos, the one above is of Lady Jane which was the vessel he himself experienced time on. Do we know what happened to her?. The other photo, below, is a different vessel, which Keith has not been able to identify. Can any woodys help out?

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16-02-2018 Input from Baden Pascoe

In the yard photos below (ex Glen & Merv Strongman) Baden does not knew the boats name, but it’s obviously a hard chine launch. Baden thinks the date would be in the 1950’s & one of three boats Dick built at Coromandel.

The only work boats that he can think of are Roa 1927 and Giorgina 1939

Baden encourages someone to start a time line – as a start, Baden has supplied the below.

Awhitu 1925? Was on the Manukau most of its life (pictured below)

Tawa, upper harbour passenger launch.

Eunice and Patsy, 1921 ,towing launches ( in Harold & Robins book page 77)

Miss Brett, Fullers and later Salvation Army

Tasman Star, 1935 fishing boat (still existing)

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Awitu – Romo – 228
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16-02-2018 Input from Bruce Pullman

Bruce received the two photos below from Bob Wichman. One is of Awhitu when on the Manukau, the other is as reconfigured and name change to Inverness in 1993. Inverness is still sitting in the mud at Thames, condition is quite sad.

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UENUKU ?

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UENUKU ?

I was recently contacted by Maureen Jenkinson who had seen the launch Uenuku featured in a WW March 2013 story. View on this link https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/04/18/uenuku/

Maureen believes the photo above of her grandfather’s boat, could be the same boat. Maureen believes it was built by my Grandfather, Archibald McMillan, at Kerepehi in the early 1900’s. The man in the photo is his friend Bill Stilton a farmer from the district. She believes Arch McMillan built mainly fishing vessels and so the Uenuku was something special. We don’t know who it was built for.

McMillian had to leave the area for Auckland about 1928 requiring medical treatment as a result of having been gassed in WW1, treatment that was only available in Auckland. Sadly he died in 1931 at the age of 40.

His maternal Great Grandfather, John Lees Faulkner was a boat builder, from Whitby Yorkshire, who built and operated coastal vessels between Tauranga and Whangarei.

Any woodys able to comment on the two vessels?

Harold Kidd Input – This image is of UENUKU built by Tom le Huquet of Devonport for T.A. Moresby of Paeroa in April 1912. The three oval windows in the clerestory are a dead giveaway. There’s a good Winkelmann image (below) of her aground at Katikati in Robin Elliott’s and my book “Vintage NZ Launches”.

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A Winter Project – Well maybe several winters……..

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A Winter Project – Well maybe several winters……..

A WW follower sent me the above photos asking if I knew anything about the boat. All the seller has told him is its 28’, wooden & “needs a lot of work’. That would be the understatement of the year. I understand it’s being sold to recover unpaid storage fees.

So woodys, anyone recognize the launch?

 

 

Winsome (#3)

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WINSOME (#3)

Today’s story features a launch by the name of Winsome, there are already x2 Winsome named launches featured on WW (Winsome & Winsome II), today’s one is a 3rd.

I was contacted by Sonny Gough on behalf of their friend Lois Wood. Lois remembers her father’s launch, Winsome, being moored at Cox’s Bay Auckland in the 1950’s & Lois is curious to know if it still exists.

The above photos, although low quality, are the only ones she has of the vessel.

Input from Janet Watkins (Nee Pickmere)

“Attached (below) is a photo of Winsome in 1909 from a copy of the NZ Yachtsman, Dec 3. Looks like the same hull. She featured in those early magazines as an “Oil Launch” and racer and was owned & raced by Mr Cooper? When she was altered is unknown. 

My Grandfather, A.R. Pickmere, bought Winsome in 1924, A.H.Pickmere inherited her in 1943 and she is still owned by my brother in Whangarei (& currently in the Bay). We have not been able to verify when she was built and launched but from old records it was prior to 1918 possibly as early as 1914. Thanks to old diaries her story is well recorded with photographs from 1924.”

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Input from Harold Kidd

The Pickmere WINSOME was built by Bailey & Lowe in 1918 for J H Foster. W A Wilkinson bought her in 1921 and renamed her WILMA. She soon reverted to WINSOME. Wilkinson sold her to Dr Phil Andrews of Russell in 1923. Janet’s grandfather A R Pickmere of Whangarei joined the delivery voyage North in June 1923 and bought her from Andrews in 1924. She had a 20/35hp Sterling from new.
The WINSOME pictured in NZ Yachtsman in 1909 WINSOME was a torpedo-stern 34 footer built in November 1907 by Bailey & Lowe for F J Cooper with a 12hp Hercules originally. Cooper sold her to C A Whitney of the Colonial Ammunition Co in 1920. Then there’s a name change I guess because she soon disappears under that name. It looks like she reverted to WINSOME later. There’s little doubt that the pic above is of the 1907 WINSOME.

I mentioned the other day the amount & size of wood floating around in the Waitemata Harbour. Barbara Cooke sent me the photo below of this monster log that was towed into Opua boat ramp earlier this week. The recent king tides and storm have more than likely released this thing from a beach or the likes. Oysters and other marine life were flourishing over it so would have been submerged for some considerable time. Scary stuff. Imagine hitting that…even at anchor would be enough to do a spot of damage.

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Early Auckland Downtown Waterfront

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Early Auckland Downtown Waterfront

The above photos were sent to me by Lindsay McMorrin & were taken off much larger photos on the hoarding in front of the downtown restaurant formerly known as Cin Cin. The hoarding is above the sea wall repair site.

Any of the woodys able to ID the launches? On the first photo, the 2nd launch is Olivene The launch at the front of the 2nd photo is Tauri.

 

 

Photos below ex Baden Pascoe of Tauri > Phyllis

 

 

OOPS – Last Quiz Of The Year

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OOPS – last quiz of the year

The above photo was sent to me by a mate, he recalls the incidence was 3>4 years ago. Interesting to note the 4sale sign on the bow rail….. wonder if it happened during a test run ?

So woodys – the 1st one to correctly name the boat & the location, wins a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2018 calendar. Entries via the WW comments section.

I hope Santa finds your chimney on Sunday night & you get to spend time with the people closest & dearest to you 🙂

 

Mystery Clinker & Engine

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MYSTERY ENGINE

In the latest Lake Rotoiti Wooden Boat Association newsletter, one of the members, Andy Hammond, was looking for help to ID the engine in his 14’ clinker run-about.

Andy commented that the engine was a proper marine unit with F & R gearbox, and almost certainly “Made in England” as it says so on the fuel filter housing. Also has A/F spanner sizes.

Any woodys able to help Andy out on the engine? & what do we think about the design of the boat?

 

Mystery Launch 08-12-2017

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Mystery Launch 08-12-2017

Today’s mystery launch started life as a Coulthard sedan launch, the photos above show her in the mud at Whangarei a couple years ago. The photos came from Nathan Herbert, who commented that while working on Lucinda a while back he met a man who mentioned his family had a long ownership of this boat.

So woodys – can we name her & dig up some history on her past life?

09-12-2017 – More photos ex Jason Prew (name plate photographed from a distance)

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Lake Rotoiti Launch – Rescued & Lost?

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Lake Rotoiti Launch – Rescued & Lost?

The above photo was sent to me by Greg Noble & would have been taken around 1973/4. Greg found this launch half submerged, just south of the Okiri Falls side of Rotoiti, Rotorua, miles from any houses.

Greg got her floating and towed her to a pull out on the Maori Land between the two lakes. Initially Greg lots of ideas of restoring her but as often happens, never got round to it. While she was there somebody told Greg that she had broken a speed record on Auckland Harbor, this impressed Greg at the time but he can’t recall any of the details now, nor her name.

Sadly, she was left there and Greg has no idea what became of her. The thinking was that at least she was safe & people could see her and admire her and hopefully she would be saved from eventually going under.

So woodys – the big question Greg would like answered is – did she survive & if so what became of her.

Would be cool to also put a name to her & confirm the racing pedigree.

What prompted Greg to send me the above was the Mystery Launch story on 08-11-2017 (link below), what say those with an eye for lines – similar / same ?

Mystery Launch   08-11-2017

 

 

 

Mystery Launch 03-12-2017

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Mstery Launch 03:12

Mystery Launch 03-12-2017

Another Nathan Herbert photo, this launch is presented in a very different configuration from when she held various speed records. The first woody to correctly ID her wins a Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Parade 2018 Calendar. NOTE: entries ONLY via the WW Comments section.

No ‘Sailing Sunday’ today – but Mondays story will more than make up for that – don’t forget to check it out.

If you don’t win the calendar, copies are available for $15, a steal – click this link for details on ordering.

Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat Association 2018 Calendars