Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Auckland Woody Fishing Fleet

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Auckland Woody Fishing Fleet

Woody Simon Smith sent in the above b/w photos, showcasing some of Auckland’s fishing fleet – registration numbers that I can ID are – 1696 , AK1789 ,  AK29 , & Emerald ?
What do we think the date is? Interesting that there is so many in port at one time.
An Other Block of Flats Contender
My post a few weeks ago on this topic created a lot of chat, the boat below isn’t a woody but it really is closer to an apartment than a boat. You would have to assume that it wasn’t designed by a boatie.
I would be a little bit worried about the boats ratio of above & below the water 😦
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Mystery Launches at Whangamumu 

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1928 Whangamumu

Mystery Launches at Whangamumu 

Today’s photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb shows the whaling station at Whangamumu & is dated March 1928. From the number of barrels of oil in front of the factory, a visit from a freighter must be due.
Anyone able to ID the launches at anchor? The bridge-decker on the right shouldn’t be too difficult given the design, oval ports on the cabin & twin masts?
Kairangi Out at Gulf Harbour
Photos below ex Ken Ricketts hauled out at Gulf Harbour for a spring spruce up

Mystery Boat – Wairoa District

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MYSTERY BOAT – WAIROA DISTRICT

Today’s photo comes to us from one of Bruno Redwood’s old fb posts, sadly Bruno (brother of Lew) passed away recently.
The photo shows a group of day trippers, possibly on Lake Waikaremoana c.1880’s
Anyone able to ID the boat & confirm the location?
Harold Kidd Input – KAHURANGI, built for the Goverrnment Tourist Bureau for use on Lake Waikaremoana by Logan Bros August 1903, 36ft loa 10hp Union engine.
The photo below was sent to me yesterday by woody – Tim Evill, Tim was out fishing in the middle of the gulf between Rocky Bay and Maraetai & spotted a bouy in the water (11m depth) on closer inspection there was a yacht attached to it – anyone able to tell us what was at the end of the mast & how it got there?
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Aurora

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Aurora 14-10-2018
Woody Baden Pascoe snapped the above photo recently at Okahu Bay, on Auckland’s waterfront. Hopefully hauled out to get some TLC.
What do we know about her?
Input from Neil Chalmers

Its ‘Aurora’  a 22 foot Harrison Butler , Thuella design, built by Neil Brown in the 1940’s .
Aurora competed in the storm ridden 1951 Wellington to Lyttelton. For some days it was thought Aurora may have suffered the same fate as  Argo and Husky, however she eventually made it to Lyttelton after over a week at sea to take second place 
In the 1960’s Aurora was moored off Kohi beach . The distinctive raised topsides and  round portholes prompted Des Townson to ask how many guns she had !
 
The woody below came ashore at Rocky Bay, Waiheke Island a couple of weeks ago after slipping her mooring. Thankfully some locals stepped in to prop her up between tides. I don’t know what happened to her, hopefully she will be rescued – but looking at there bum, it looks like she has been a tad neglected of late. Thanks to Tim Evill for the photo.

Any one know her fate?

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The Gables Hotel, Russell, Bay of Islands + Mystery Launch

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The Gables Russell, BOI

The Gables Hotel, Russell, Bay of Islands + Mystery Launch

Today’s photo of the Russell foreshore,  comes to us from Lawry Williams via the ‘Old North Auckland / Northland fb page.
Anyone able to ID the launch on the beach? The canoe stern should help.
Recently I hosted one of the worlds foremost boating photographers onboard Raindance. We were out shadowing the CYA classic yacht race fleet. At some stage I’m sure Ben’s photos will appear somewhere very public. He was very taken with Waitangi, the most photographed yacht on the day. Ben snapped a photo of Raindance – see below, probably the only photo I won’t remove the photographers tattoo from 🙂
Alan Houghton at Helm of RAINDANCE
Also out on the day was the RNZYS photo boat, who kindly shared with me some photos they took, the one below I like a lot (enhanced a little by mate Chris Miller, the light was poor)
Raindance 1-RNZYS- CM

Te Haruni

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TE HARUNI
Back in June 2016, woody Mark Edmonds was cruising around Waiheke Island (ashore) & came across an old launch hauled out at a residence in Surfdale. We did a ‘Mystery Launch’ story on her but never uncovered any more details.
Now out of the blue I get an email saying that her name is Te Haruni & she is for sale on Facebook.
A little digging around & I found the fb listing, the asking price is $1800, she has no motor & would have to fit into the ‘work-in-process’ category.
In the listing it states that it was the sellers fathers working project & now needs a new home. I have a contact ph # is anyone is interested.
Hopefully with a name & the above photos we can ID the old girl.

Whitianga Mystery Launch + Akarana Launch Day ‘Home’ Movie

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Whitianga 1950

Whitianga Mystery Launch + Akarana Launch Day ‘Home’ Movie
Great photo above dated December 1950 of a lot of pleasure craft at Whitianga – the question is can we ID the white launch in the middle of the photo? Baden Pascoe will chip in, I’m sure 🙂
The Launching of Akarana
I was sent the above 2 minute ‘home’ movie by Ngairene Rogers of the launching of the 1960 Auckland pilot boat Akarana, designed by A.J. Collings & built by W.G. Lowe. Ngairene promised me the a copy of the movie approx. 8 months ago & I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in the post. I’m sure Dick & Colleen Fisher, owners of Akarana, will be rapt to view it. So thank you Ngarene for sharing it with us.
(sorry about the ‘tattoo’s the middle off the screen – the price you pay for free hosting)
Ngairene’s brother Wade worked on Akarana when he was an apprentice in the early 1960s. He also did all the interior and detail work on Deodar (the harbour police launch), Ngairene commented that Wade was such a good boatbuilder that all the wealthy “yachties” used to ask that he be the one to work on their precious yachts, even though he was an apprentice.
The movie is in two parts, one section in black and white and the other in colour. There are also a few of bits of the boatbuilders clowning around (or working?), such as putting a plank of wood into a steamer.
Ngairene occasionally is in contact with one of the apprentices (Ross MacIntosh) featured in the movie, Ross lives in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill. In the movie Ross is the one wearing a pale short sleeved shirt and (short) brown shorts with a hammer sticking out of the belt on the left side – he walks away from the camera at one point then looks back over his shoulder and bends his left arm backwards as if waving.
You can view/read more on Dick Fisher’s restoration of Akarana here

Rotorua Woodys + Goodsons Trucking

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Rotorua Woodys + Goodsons Trucking

I have been contacted by Lesley Parker who is researching the Rotorua trucking firm of Goodsons Ltd. In the process of her research Lesley came across the above photos, & she is keen to learn more about them – dates, location, name of the launches etc.
The photos come from Lesley’s grandparents, who are Gregorys & coincidentally- her godfather was actually surnamed Goodson. He ran a tobacconists in Rotorua and was a friend of her uncle and her father.
There are two launches pictured above, one with a tram top & dog-house, and the other with a sedan cabin configuration, this one is named ‘Moose’. Given the location of the trucking firm (Rotorua) & the name Moose, I suspect the boat was connected to Moose Lodge?
Lesley also sent in the photos below of Goodsons logging trucks (same truck, different load), this photo may like jog some memories re dates

Harold Kidd Input – 

The 28 footer MOOSE was built by Collings & Bell for Noel Cole of Moose Lodge, Rotoiti in February 1939. It looks like she was railed to Rotorua and taken by Goodsons’ Ford V8 truck to Rotoiti. Her engine (unknown but probably a Gray, like BETTY’s) was right aft and used a Vee drive, then a novelty in NZ, the layout designed by H. C. Meikle.The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh used her when they stayed with (Sir) Noel at Moose Lodge.

Mystery Launch 16-09-2018

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Mystery Launch 16-09-2018

Todays photo shows a rather pretty launch anchored in the Waihara Stream, near Cape Colville, in the Hauraki Guil & is date c.1918.
The photo comes to us via Lew Redwood’s fb
Any ideas on her name details?

Woody On Tour Up North

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MANA ROSE Opua

MANUIA, WAIRUAMA & OTHERS WAITANGI INLET

Woody on Tour

Ken Ricketts sent in the selection of photos above from a recent trip (car) up North to the Bay of Islands.
An eclectic mix of craft – some known, some not – we see Manuia in the Waitangi Inlet, Mana Rose hauled out on her owners Opua front lawn, the salty wee ship Weitox.
Anyone able to ID the unknown below?