Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Spotted In Nelson

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Spotted in Nelson

While Trinidad has been sitting in Nelson waiting for a weather window to start the 2nd leg of their circumnavigation Nelson > Milford Sound), Barbara Cooke has been sniffing around the marina with her phone camera. The two small woodys above are an interesting mix – one would like to think the clinker motorboat does not venture too far from port. The deflated dinghy along side is a worry 🙂

The canoe stern yacht on the other hand looks very salty.

Anyone able to ID these two woodys?

 

Crescent

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CRESCENT

I have been approached by Ted Bosch asking about the vessel Crescent, that twenty years ago he restored for a client. She is a Miller & Tunnage double ender. Ted renewed nearly everything from the hull upwards and a new reconditioned 6 cylinder Gardner was installed, new bulkheads, engine beds, deck and wheelhouse, rig. From the photo above taken at her re-launching in 1988, she appears to be lovely little boat.

Ted understands she was even used as the mother radio ship for the 1990 Noumea race, but soon afterwards the owner sold her to some people in Tauranga and Ted has never seen her again.

Ted commented that Crescent was always very dear to him and wonders what came of her and would like to know her whereabouts.

 

Brick Smit House

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Brick Smit House

The 31’ Cauldrey launch above really is built like a brick smit house. Built in 1972, she has a triple skin kauri glassed hull, the decks & cabin are ply glassed. And to top it off there is a 4cyl 60hp Gardner dsl (Model LK) engine shoe horned in. With 350L fuel tank, she could go a long time between drinks.

She was built by a retired boat builder. Her current owner has had her for 23 years. Anyone know the vessel’s name?

Thanks to Ian McDonald for the trademe listing heads up

 

Tamure

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TAMURE

Have been asked by woody Chris Leech, to help dig up some more intel on the John Woollcott designed, John Gladden built (Milford) launch – Tamure, pictured above.

All we know is whats on the builders plate e.g. the above + a build date of 1974. Anyone able to help out with details?

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Input & photo (of Tom & Phyllis Williams) from Baden Pascoe

Built for family friend Tom Williams who moved to Whitianga in the mid 1970’s. Dad (John Dory) and Tom fished in tandem at the inner Mercury Islands, Hole in the Wall passage. Before Tom died he gave me a video of her launching. Built from recycled kauri from an old church. I did a profile on Tom’s life in professional skipper if any one is interested. From memory she was designed by Woollacott.
When Tom retired he sold her to Tony Boyce who used her for game fishing.
Tom spent his life in the industry, he was partner in the Scow Lena, then bought Beverley (Dafodil) has skipped for Sanford and Sealord.

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15-02-2018. Photo below ex Baden Pascoe. Who commented “She is a remarkable little boat, carried a big laod, fantastic sea boat. Where dad and Tom fished would not be for the faint hearted. I hope the new owner cleans her up , would be nice to see Tom’s fishing reg still on her.”

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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 🙂