Category Archives: Mystery Boat

LOOKING FOR INFO ON THE CLASSIC LAUNCH – WAKANUI 

Posted on by
5

LOOKING FOR INFO ON THE CLASSIC LAUNCH – WAKANUI 

WW was recently contacted by Craig and Mary Mountjoy regarding the launch – WAKANUI.

Craig commented that she was launched in approx. 1969, having been built for Ed Schischka, who farmed at the mouth of the Puhoi River, on land that is now the upstream part of the Auckland Regional Reserve at Wenderholm. 

WAIANUI was kept on a swing mooring just outside of the family farmhouse, which is now known as the ‘Schischka Homestead’. The Schischka family mostly used her for day fishing expeditions, in between milkings.

Mary believes she was built in Greenhithe, which would possibly indicate Salthouse, but Lidgard has been remembered as another possibility.

The above photo, at Westhaven, Auckland may have been taken on launch day. In the photo she appears to be around 30’ in length.

I questioned Graig re the photo as it appears too perfect i.e.had it been re-touched, Craig assured me he had scanned the photo from the original 1969 print. 

Craig and Mary last saw her on a mooring in Opahi Bay, Mahurangi around the early 1990’s, and are very keen to find more information on her design, builder, any history and where WAKANUI is now. 

So woodys can we help out.

IMPORTANT EVENT UPDATE – Note: new date for Woody Boat Boot Sale – now August 02

WOODY WHANGAREI HOUSEBOAT

Posted on by
3

WOODY WHANGAREI HOUSEBOAT

The above painting of todays woody comes to us from Barb Hudson via the NZ cars, boats, motorcycles fb page and is captioned ‘Hone Houseboat Whangarei’.

The question for woodys is “did the boat actual exist or someones creative freehand”.  If it is or was an actual boat do we know anything about the vessel.

UPDATES

Greg Philpott sent in the b/w press clipping below , taken form the ’Northland Holiday – 20 March 1978. The HONE was built in WW1 as a freight carrier servicing war ships. She was retired c.1948.

Paul Shaw sent in the colour photo that he found posted by David/Janet Matthews on “Whangarei Way Back When” fb of the same houseboats near Kissing Point, Whangarei. And commented that you couldn’t miss them anytime you drove between the city centre & Onerahi.

MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH DOCKSIDE – BELL BIRD

Posted on by
5

MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH DOCKSIDE – BELL BIRD

Todays woody popped up on a post that Don France made on the Tug & Workboat fb.

From comments made the bow scroll tends to point towards either a Collings & Bell or Bailey & Lowe built vessel.

The location has the look of a tide estuary / coastal river.

I’m being very generous in the heading with the use of the word ‘dockside’, I’m sure it was fit for purpose but wouldn’t pass todays OSH standards 🙂

Anyone able to ID the boating location.

15-05-2025 INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – This is surely the present day BELL BIRD. She has been at Taupo for many years and is in frequent use. Certainly Bailey and Lowe. Photo below ex Jason Prew Jan 2015.

★ Mondays AVALON photo bomb was the highest rating in terms of views for YTD 2025 – looking forward to more updates.★

THURSDAY’s WW Story – tomorrow we have the last of the 7 part series –  ‘AN INSIGHT INTO NZ’s UNIQUE MARINE ENGINES’, complied by Ken Ricketts.

While having a niche audience, we received a lot of positive feedback and additional intel from readers. When approached by Ken Ricketts re WW running the series our primary aim was to record the data on a searchable source for access now and in the future. 

WW thanks Ken Ricketts for his passion, time and tenacity in pulling it together.  In the next few days I will do a post to provide all the links to the 7 stories in one location.

WHAT WE USED TO DO BEFORE BOAT HAULAGE CAME ALONG

Posted on by
6

WHAT WE USED TO DO BEFORE BOAT HAULAGE CAME ALONG

Todays woody photo was sent in by John Dawson who found the photo on a Paul Lishman fb post. Paul commented that the location was Vine Street, St Marys Bay, Auckland and taken by M. Friedlander.

In the comments section there was debate on both the design of the yacht and the possible date. Paul commented it was 1970 but others felt based on the cars shown it was more likely in the 1950>60’s period.

Comments that the yacht looked like a Townson design, possibly 30’.

Any woodys able to help confirm the approx. date and  design.

A scary observation – when this photo was taken you could have bought a house in Vine St for around $5,000 – did a search on a random number e.g.10 Vine St = $3,650,000 …………  

INPUT ex JIM LOTT – Definitely a Townson 30 with higher freeboard than the 26 ft earlier design. Looking in the Townson book, Magic Flute was finished by Alan Warwick who took delivery of the hull in 1966 and lived in Herne Bay. Des built all the hulls himself. Owners finished them off. Names include Firebird, Mercury, Falcon, Anitra, Finesse, maybe about 4 others, so probably 1967 or 68.

MYSTERY CLASSIC LAUNCH – Help Needed Identifying The Craft 

Posted on by
2

MYSTERY CLASSIC LAUNCH – Help Needed Identifying The Craft 

Todays classic wooden launch photo was sent in by John Dawson with a comment that while ‘sorting out’ a box of old family photos, he found an old newspaper clipping of the above boat , and on the back someone had written ‘Awhina’. So the first question woodys  – is  AWHINA the name of the boat and then if so what do we know about her. 

The bow pennant appear to have cross on it, as well as the hull, so maybe a vessel that serviced something medical related eg – quarantine ship / island , rehabilitation island (alcoholic detox) etc. Supporting this the word Awhina is Maori for – the helper, assist, support.

Can we learn more about the boat.

INPUT ex ROSS DAWSON – From Papers Past NZ Herald 23.7.1919…. Awhina “Hospital motor launch given by the NZ Power Boat Assn. for use in connection with the NZ Hospital ship Maheno….built in Auckland by volunteer labour in June 1915…launched June 10 1915…

30-04-2025 ex ROSS DAWSON – Copy of Papers Past clipping below which gives a full explanation of how this launch came about as charitable cooperation of number of Auckland boat builders. (click images to enlarge)

ATTENTION ROGER CAREY FAN’S

WW has been contacted by Trevor Cozens re the vessel GEM – refer below.

“I am not sure if anyone will be interested, but I have got the building moulds, stem and backbone patterns for Gem, built by Roger Carey. Also the basic lines drawings and a construction drawing for her. I was given them by a chap who used to work for Roger. I no longer have a use for them and if anyone is interested I am willing to give them away. I moved over to Picton from Greymouth 2001 and worked for Jim Carey until the yard closed 2009ish.

My email address is tjcozens@xtra.co.nz.

As featured 4 weeks ago on WW https://waitematawoodys.com/2025/03/29/classic-wooden-work-boat-gem/

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SPOTTING IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS

Posted on by
5

CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SPOTTING IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS

Last week I received a note from Denis O’Callahan, past owner of MV TASMAN, Denis commented  that he had been sailing in the Bay of Islands with his son Logan on his Farr 10.20 “Drums of Time”.

Logan wanted to explore the KeriKeri inlet in his newly refurbished wooden dinghy so they rowed up to the Stone Store, observing the many boats on pile berths along the way.

In the top photo we see the Brooke families Colin Wild launch LINDA, which resides in Kerikeri these days.

Later they were at Paradise Bay, Rangapukapuka and photographed the bridge-decker TAMAROA – link here to previous WW story on her https://waitematawoodys.com/2020/09/21/tamaroa/

Later in the trip they were at Matauwhi Bay anchored near the ketch/yawl – OKERE. History unknown, can we learn more.

Finally, as Denis was preparing to go ashore for the bus trip home they were anchored at Paihia near an old gaffer named FROLIC. 

Logan later leant that FROLIC is from Hobart and is preparing to head up into the Pacific soon.

HOW DO THESE WOODEN BOATS STAY AFLOAT

Posted on by
Reply

HOW DO THESE WOODEN BOATS STAY AFLOAT

Recently Alistair Rowe sent in the two photos above of wooden vessels berthed at Westport marina.

Alistair described them as crusty old work boats, but I think he was being overly nice. If they were up any of the rivers, creeks in and around Auckland I think it would be a pretty safe bet that the Harbour Master would have removed them.

The boat in the top photo appears to have an oil/fuel boom around her, but the boom looks as old as the boat….

Forecast for the long Easter weekend is evil so leaving the marina will be a challenge – have already cancelled my mooring booking at Kawau Island.

You have to feel sorry for the Kawau Boating Club, seems of late every long weekend sees an unfavourable weather forecast . Fingers crossed things improve for the legendary ANZAC Day dawn service at KBC.

HELP NEEDED TRACKING DOWN THE WOODEN LAUNCH – TINA MARIA

Posted on by
1
TINA MARIA – c.1965

HELP NEEDED TRACKING DOWN THE WOODEN LAUNCH – TINA MARIA

WW has been contacted by Rob Staub (MV SURPRISE) on behalf of his friend, Mike Prigg who is hoping to learn what became of his father , John Prigg, old classic craft. Mike and Rob attended the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart in February and the festival triggered memories for Mike of the two woody’s his father owned in the 1960’s. And of course Mike’s eager to hear if they are still afloat today.

The launch is named TINA MARIA and was sold in about 1965. There is also a yacht but we will cover her off in WW’s Sunday story

TINA MARIA was kept in Westhaven during John’s ownership. And Mike understands she was originally kept in the Te Atatu River.

WW along with Mike are keen to uncover more on TINA MARIA.

UPDATE ex Nathan Herbert – well that was quick – Nathan has already ID’ed TINA MARIA as the launch OCEAN QUEEN that has made numerous appearances on WW and these days resides on Lake Taupo. Photos below ex Paul Stewart, and link to one of her WW stories. Keen to learn when the name change occurred. We learnt in the WW story that she was probably built by Joe Slattery in 1920 and was named OCEAN QUEEN when launched, so at some stage she has had a name change to TINA MARIA and reverted back. https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/08/05/ocean-queen-a-peek-down-below/

2019
2014

MYSTERY QUEENSTOWN WOODEN LAUNCH

Posted on by
2

MYSTERY QUEENSTOWN WOODEN LAUNCH

Scrapping thru the WW archives I came across an email dated March 2020 from Peter Grant that appears to have slipped between the deck cracks.

We understand that the photos above were taken by Whites Aviation and later hand colourised. They were once (might still be) hanging on an office wall in Queenstown.
Peter commented that the location appeared to be Wakatipu and the vessels looks to be a double-ended ex-work boat. Anyone able to put a name to the vessel.

HDML KUPARAU – BROKEN INTO AT DARGAVILLE So keep your eyes and eyes open if anyone in the Dargaville area is trying to offload a GPS / Depth Sounder & Chart Plotter – call the police please. 

MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH 25-03-25

Posted on by
Reply

MYSTERY WOODEN LAUNCH 25-03-25

Long overdue  a mystery launch competition – the above photo comes to us from the Auckland Libraries heritage collection via Nathan Herbert.

Can we ID the vessel – first correct answer, received via email after 8am today, WINS a WW Burgee. 

Answer to waitematawoodys@gmail.com