Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Thames Mystery Shipbuilder Launch

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Mystery Shipbuilders Launch @ Thames

Thames Mystery Shipbuilder Launch

The above photo of the launch hauled out was sent in by Nathan Herbert from a (semi) recent trip to Thames. Any of the woodys able to ID her & supply more details?

 

A Cool Day Out @ Motuihe Island – Sunday Oct 8th

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von Luckner Centenary Event – Sunday 8th October

On Sunday 8th October Motuihe Trust is commemorating 100 years since the daring escape of Count Felix von Luckner from the First World War internment camp on Motuihe Island. There will be guided walks and interpretive talks while you stand at the locations where the events happened. You will also have the opportunity to visit the regenerating native forest  areas where more than 400,000 trees have been planted and many endangered birds, including little spotted kiwi, plus skinks and geckos and the iconic tuatara have been released and are thriving.

This is a free event but you need to register so we can plan the day.

If you are taking your own boat, register at volunteermotuihe@gmail.com  or phone 0800motuihe.

Bring a picnic and there will be a sausage sizzle and ice creams for sale (bring cash) and tea/coffee for a donation. Wear comfortable walking shoes. You need “walking fitness’ and the walk is not suitable for small wheeled pushchairs.

If you wish to travel with Fuller’s ferry to the event book on https://www.fullers.co.nz/events-plus-deals/akl-heritage-festival-motuihe-event . $32 return for adults and $16 for children.

 

Mystery Launch 08-09-2017

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LEONE tbc

Mystery Launch 08-09-2017

Last year I was sent the above photo by Ken Ricketts, who obtained the photo of the bridge-decker from a Mrs Carol Stewart. The background around the photo is a little hazy so I’m asking the WW readers for their input.
Ken is confident the boat is Leone, as he says an old friend, Ray Bailey, owned a similar looking vessel in the 1970’s. Back then she did not have the coamings as seen in the photo fitted.
Ken tagged the photo ‘Leone – owned by Merv Cunningham c.1988’. Via a friend (Dennis Ross), I knew a Merv Cunningham around that time & I recall he owned a launch, but believe it or not I was a yachty back then & did not pay much attention to motorboats, so I do not recall what she looked like.

So woodys, anyone know the vessel & her past?. Also what became of her?

Almana

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Almarna

ALMANA

A wee bit of a mystery boat today, the above photo of Almana was sent in by Gwenyth Herbert via Nathan Herbert.

Very keen to learn who designed/ built her & where she is today? Extra points if you can name the other launch 😉

Input from Harold Kidd – She was built in 1940 by Cliff Roberts and Alder (don’t know which Alder). According to AYMBA records subsequent owners included P.H. Power, J K Robson, J H Buchanan, R M & G W Best (who thought she was built by Sam Ford), D Farmer and A C Hailey. There is a possibility there were either two ALMANAs or some of these owners didn’t notify AYMBA of change of ownership.
In 2013 she was for sale with a 1972 Perkins 65hp diesel.

Update 16-05-2019 photo below of Almana moored in the Whau River just past Te Atatu Boating Club. (photo ex Jason Prew, via Nathan Herbert)

Almana

And as a bonus today – some sailing porn – the photo below of the S&S Dorade was sent in by David Glen, taken at Hamilton Island Yacht Week. Dorade was recently voted by the UK ‘Classic Boat’ magazine as one of the 10 restorations that changed the world i.e. created movements & changed lives.

David commented on the photo “Great pic of the legendary one in anger”.

Unknown

03-06-2019 Input from Nathan Herbert & photos ex Jason Prew – Shes now attached to what I think is a Harbourmaster mooring at Northcote point. Somebody needs to save her.

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22-08-2019 Update. Steve Cranch sent in the photos below, sadly it looks like Almana is greater closer and closer to the land fill…………… 😦

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Parani

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Parani

PARANI

I was sent (in fact 10 times….) the above photo of the launch Parani by Gary Chaplin who is trying to track down the where-abouts of this motor launch.

All Gary knows is that she was originally based in Lyttelton.

Gary commented that Parani was once owned by his bosses (Alan Martin , of Martin Hydrulics. CHCH) father. I have asked Alan for the fathers name – if I get it I will add to the story, in the meantime do we know anything about the launch Parani?

 

Unknown / Mystery Boat 20-07-2017 + Woody Homes

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Unknown-5

Unknown / Mystery Boat 20-07-2017

I was sent the above photo by Ray Morey, Ray is hoping to be able to ID the vessel.  It was on the Waikato River in the mid 1950’s operated by ‘Henry’s Sand Co.’, until being replaced by the steel tug “S.P.”  – Ray has no idea where she came from nor where she went.

Can any of the woodys help out with any details?

Woody Homes

Woody Brett Evans sent me a link to a feature on a sleepy seaside village in France with a small fishing port, a population of less than 3,000 and some very peculiar-looking houses. At a moment’s glance, they could almost appear to be an unfortunate pod of beached orcas, but look again carefully at those unusual roofs. Yes, those are boats … upside down! Local fishermen of Équihen-Plage have lived under scavenged boat hulls here for over a century and today, many of these upturned vessels now serve as a unique holiday accommodation for travelers visiting the French coast. Very cool idea. You can see more at the link below.

Postcards from a Seaside Village of Upturned Boat Homes

Unknown-1

 

Mystery Launch 13-07-2017

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MYSTERY LAUNCH - WARKWORTH RIVER (2)

MYSTERY LAUNCH 13-07-2017

Today’s ww post shows an unknown launch anchored in the Warkworth River, date unknown also. Given the location I suspect it could be a Tudor Collins photo. Ken Ricketts who emailed me the photo thought it could possibly be a lost sheep from the Allan Coggan photo collection.
Anyone able to ID her & supply more details?

Mystery Launch 05-07-2017

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MYSTERY LAUNCH 05-07-2017

The above launch has just appeared on trademe & according to the listing the owner due to health reasons is unable to continue with the project. The owner states that he believes she may be called ‘Leigh on Sea’, can anyone ID / confirm a name / more details.
She is 39’4″ in length & powered by a 120hp diesel, it states the engine year is 1920 but I suspect that wrong, more likely the build year?

That is one impressive cradle, built for the Queen Mary 🙂 Thanks to Ian McDonald for the heads up on the listing.

Mystery Launch 25-06

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Mystery Launch ex Gavin Bedggood

MYSTERY LAUNCH 25-06-2017

Today’s photo was sent to me last year by Gavin Bedggood. While she could be one many ‘HQ Holdens’ i.e. general transport for the gulf, her size might make ID’ing her possible.

The photo below ex Baden Pascoe puts a new twist on the term ‘from tree to sea’ – in this case the opposite 🙂

APOLOGIES for the missing photos on the right hand side of ww at the moment – Photobucket the host, have decided to charge people $400p.a. for ‘3rd Party Hosting’ of photos, I’ll work something out, hopefully later today 😉

Back to its roots

Ngapuhi – Help Wanted

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Unknown-3

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Ngapuhi – Help Wanted

Today’s post features a launch that is most likely named Ngapuhi. In fact Harold Kidd is 95% sure of that & we are pretty confident she was owned by S.B. (Hoki) Williams the manager of Shipbuilders post WW2.

But the big questions are – who built her?, when? and what happened to her at Shipbuilders?. One thing for sure, she is a fine looking ship. So woodys can anyone help out on her provenance?

UPDATE 18-08-2022 photo below of Ngapuhi in Schoolhouse Bay, Kwau Island xmas 1949 ex Ken Rickets.

Unknown Yacht Wreck – Sailing Sunday

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YACHT WRECK - BADDELEYS BAY -T.COLLINS a

YACHT WRECK - BADDELEYS BAY -T.COLLINS b

UNKNOWN YACHT WRECK – Sailing Sunday

Today’s post features two Tudor Collins photos of an unnamed yacht beached at Baddeleys Bay, on the Tawharanui Peninsula, photos ex the TC collection at the Auckland Museum emailed to me by Ken Ricketts.
Anyone able to ID the yacht & how she came to end up on the beach ?

Few things in life scare me – but I do have a thing about snakes – if it had of been me working on the electrics of this boat, an underpants change would have been on the cards 🙂 Click link below to watch the video