Category Archives: Mystery Boat

Mystery Launch at Westhaven

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Mystery Launch (Wanda) at Westhaven

No name, all I know is that her designer / builder was Garth Lane in 1948. Her specs are LOA 38’6″  x BEAM 11’3″ x Draft 3′
She is powered by two 50h.p., 4cyl BMC Leyland Commodores.

She looks bigger than 38′ & rather pretty. I took the above photos while at the Westhaven / Waterfront AKL 2015 Open Day & she was berthed on the brokers pier, so she could have been for sale.

Someone must be able to supply some more detail on her?

Mystery solved – its Wanda see more here 😉

Wanda II

Mystery Launch 27-11-2015

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Mystery Launch 27-11-2015
photo ex John Wicks

The above launch has just been hauled out at Hobsonville Marina (the old/new Westpark). Now in some eyes she is a bit of a potpourri but there is a honey of a hull there. As John commented, the shape comes down from Norse / Viking craft & later on whale boats.
Would not take much to drive her along a hull speed & above 😉

Any woody able to expand on her?

Update from John Wicks

“Today I was able to interrogate her owner. Had to inflict considerable pain – you know how reluctant boaties are to talk about their boats 😀
She’s “Florence” (not to be confused with the larger double-ender now known as “Florence II”). Her current owner has been restoring her for a couple of years and she’s about to get wet for the first time in a while. He believes she was built by Miller & Tunnage back in the early 1900s and was originally an inshore fishing boat. She’s had other commercial uses, apparently including being a line handling boat round shipping wharves – Port Chalmers?
I’m sure some other WW-er will know more of her history. HDK???
At any rate she’s now looking spick ‘n’ span and it’ll be good to see her out and about.”

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Mystery Location 26-11-2015

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Mystery Location 26-11-2015

The photo view is looking out to the bay, taken between two large macrocarpa trees on the beach front. A ferry can be seen in the bay heading south as well as a yacht & 2 launches. Taken in the early 1900’s. Anyone want to have a go at ID’ing the location & if your really good the launch on the right.

Remember you can enlarge the image by clicking on it 😉

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Mullet Boat SoS + CYA News

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Mullet Boat SoS
photos ex Tom Kidd & Nick Atkinson facebook page

Today’s post is a cry out to the owner of a Mullet boat that appears to have been abandoned at Te Atatu. The story goes something like this – a guy turns with the boat on a trailer 4 weeks ago & launches her at the bottom of Oliver Road so her planks could take up before he sailed it to Waiheke Island. Then he disappears & no one has seen him since. Talk is it will be chopped up soon if its not taken away.

Kidd Family (Harold & Tim) Input – the owner may be Mike Knuckley. And she was (tbc) built in 1904 by Fred Mann, sail # I-7. There is confusion as to her actual build date as there were 2 identical Mistletoe’s, one built in 1904 & the other in 1913.

So woodys – anyone know the owner? if so give them are rather big nudge.

Time For Some CYA News
See flyer below for the annual Patio Bay Weekend – the biggest & best event on the CYA calendar. Click to enlarge.

Also below is the latest edition of the Classic Journal (if hard to read, blue link below will download a copy)

Issue 103

Sarina

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SARINA (MYSTERY LAUNCH)
photo ex Pam Cundy

Realized today that we have not had a ‘mystery launch’ quiz in a while so here we go – she was berthed in the estuary behind the Whangateau Traditional Boat yard.

When looking for a suitable photo to post this one just jumped out as it also features a rather special boat, the steam ship Romany II. I was gifted the tiller one day by her Captain, Russell Ward, on a misty morning on Lake Rotoiti & I was hooked on steam.

So woodys – who can ID the launch?

L>R – Russell Ward, Murray Deeble , Alan Houghton

Update ex Pam Cundy
Strange coincidence Alan, Sarina is going back in the water at the top of the tide today, see photos below. She’s been out for 8 months having a refit – out with the BMC Commodor and a reconditioned Perkins in as the replacement.
The builder does remain a mystery.  Current owner, Kevin Lawton, took over his fathers boat after his passing. Sarina has been in the family for about 25 years.
Kevin seems to recall mention of Jack Telford building her at Milford around 1961-2. Can any one verify this ?

 

A Woody Quizz

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A Woody Quizz

Ok woodys who can ID the above photo – looking for location, boat names & approx. date, a little hint – think Jim Young 😉

And of the subject of Jim Young, the man himself will be at The Ponsonby Cruising Club, Logan Lounge, this Friday night November 13th. to meet and chat with people from 6.30 on. Jim will then give a short talk at 8pm.
Jim’s book ‘Jim Young – designer, boatbuilder, sailor’ is a cracker, starting off with his early sailing and boatbuilding career as an apprentice to Roy Lidgard, working on minesweepers during the Second World War and then the challenges and dramas of starting out in business on his own at the age of about 25, building wooden boats in a small shed in Little Shoal Bay in Birkenhead. Signed copies of the book will be available for sale on the night. The perfect xmas present to yourself 🙂

I understand the PCC kitchen will have meals available and of course the bar will be open.

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Early St Marys Bay

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Early St Marys Bay
photo ex Ron Wattam

The above photo was found in two pieces in a collection of old Collings & Bell photos, Ron joined the pieces up & with a little photoshop work we have today’s image.. Given the source of the photo we could assume that the location is St. Marys Bay / what is now the Westhaven area.

Can anyone confirm the location & any luck ID’ing the vessels?

Input from Barry Davis

This is St Marys Bay before St Marys Bay Road was extended down to the foreshore sometime in the 1930’s? Until then the steps to the right were the public access to the beach. The building to the far left looks like the old Ponsonby Cruising Club headquarters. With the road being extended down to the foreshore the club rooms were moved forward and onto piles with another level added.

Onehunga Launches

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Onehunga & Launches 22-10-2015
photo ex Nathan Herbert ex MYMBC

I suspect that today’s photo will be a challenge for woodys to ID. Initially all I’ll say is that it is Auckland.
Eight+ years ago when I purchased Raindance (then Nona C & previously Lady Gay) & was in discussion with Harold Kidd as to her provenance, I was staggered when Harold told me that in the early 1900’s there were 100’s of sub 35′ launches, most following a very standard design, built in & around Auckland both as workhorses & pleasure craft. When I see a photo like the above I can understand the difficulty ID’ing those that survived 🙂

Bruce Pullan Input

Onehunga Basin prior to the reclamation, now motorway. Manukau Hotel to the left, Tearooms in the centre, Wharf in the background.

Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island

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Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island

photo ex Scott Taylor ex ‘Old Auckland’

Today’s photo shows a collection of craft anchored in a bay with a wharf & waterfront baches. The land does have a Rangitoto Island look to it but the baches appear too substantial for the island.

Who can ID the location & some of the boats?

 

Tui – Sailing Sunday

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Tui – Sailing Sunday

I have had to photoshop the above photo as there were a few visible clues.
So the question today is – whats the boat & why she it famous?

After she has been ID’ed I will supply more details on the how I received the photo 😉

Update: The above P-Class is in fact Tui, built in Auckland by David Marks in 1952 and given to Her Majesty the Queen with the suggestion that Prince Charles might like to learn to sail in her. She is presently on loan to the ex Royal yacht Britannia from Portsmouth Naval Base. The photo was sent to me by David Balderston who visited Britannia recently while on holiday.

19-10-2015 Photo below of Tui’s display card was sent in by Greg Fenwick

12-09-2017 Input from Christopher Deane

Last month when we were in Edinburg, Scotland we went for a tour on the Royal Britannia .

I must say it is a very interesting tour. The first Yacht I have been on which carries a Rolls Royce as standard equipment.

Another interesting find was this P Class sailing yacht Tui that was presented to the Queen, during her tour in 1953 .

 

As a bonus today click the link to view some eye candy from the Panerai Regatta in Cannes. Photos courtesy of Classic Yacht / Guido Cantini / Officine Panerai

Regates Royales, 2015 in images