Today thanks to Ian McDonald’s eagle eye and a tme listing we get to have a gander at the 39’ bridge decker – Pathfinder. Constructed of kauri, single skin carvel, she is powered by a 130hp Ford diesel.
Back in Oct 2017 she made an appearance on WW under the name – Eunice K and we learned she had been renamed – Pathfinder. Link below. Check out the comments section, good chat on the vessel, don’t think we ever 100% identified her provenance. Maybe today. https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/10/17/eunice-k/
YESTERDAYS WOODY PUZZLE WINNERIS DANIEL THOMAS– WHO WON THE DRAW. THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS – ARETHUSA EX HEREWARD PICKMERE, NOW OWNED BY DEAN WRIGHT. The photos are by Winkelmann via the Auckland Library.
Back in late 2022 WW was contacted by Anthony Finlay in regard to the yacht – Voyager. Antony commented that he had recently purchased the yacht and was hoping to uncover details on her past. We have some intel – probably designed and built c.1950 by T.L. Marshall in Hastings. She is built from yellow pine with Oregon planking – 27’6” in length, a beam of 8’2” and draws 4’6”.
Its been recorded that she was sold in the early 1960’s and was relocated ’north’. There is also chat that she may have been sailed to Canada.
Can anyone help Anthony out – by confirming / correcting the above information and supplying details on where she has been in the last 60 odd years.
Input ex Neil Chalmers – there was a series of Sea Spray articles on her build (Robin Elliott may have the SS dates) . A Jack Taylor design ? Back in the 1960’s Voyager was a regular at Okahu Bay . The owner subsequently had the K class Anthea.
Input ex Robin Elliott – Voyager, 1950, Designer Jack Taylor, builder T.L. Marshall
Sail number F-90 NZYF Number 790. Number Remained unallocated in 1969 and she did not pick up her NZYF registration until 1976 NZYF Register
T.L. Marshall (Onehunga, Hastings) 1950/66+? (Moored Napier); T.E. Linnell 1968+? ; J.& E. Bray 1976+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1982); R. Ellwood (Opoitiki) 1983+? (Still Registered as Owner NZYF 1991); S.B. Richardson (Tauranga) 1999+?
AYMBA says blt 1950
27’6″ x 22’10″x 8’2″ x 4’3″ 364 sq ft berm 2700lb outside 8 hp eng 1953, 4 hp Stuart Turner 1968
SC Jan 1951: Added to the Napier SC register. SC Mar 1951: Marshall’s new keeler recently completed a cruise to Tauranga and back. SS Mar 1951: says new yacht… just returned from Xmas cruise SS Sept 1952:lines laid down May 1948′ built in Napier SS Nov 1952: Cover and photos p6, lines and construction. SS Mar 1966: For Sale SS May 1968: Registered
Reading the latest issue of ClassicBoat magazine, I see they are reporting that glassfibre classics will soon be seen on the Mediterranean classic yacht racing circuit.
The CIM (Comite International de la Mediterranee du Yachting Classique) have made the call to accept glassfibre classics on the racecourse. Refer below extract from CB for more details.
Given the size of the yacht fleets turning up for NZ Classic Yacht Association races these days, they will be following suit and probably let 8Y8’s into the fold 🙂
Earlier in the month, Kenny West was visiting the South Island for the Lake Rotoiti 2023 Antique & Classic Boat Show and ventured up to Motueka and had a mooch around the marina. The above two woodys caught his eye and today we get to share them.
THE BIGGEST LOAD OF HORSE MANURE HAPPENING ON YOUR WATERFRONT
By now I’m sure most of you will have caught up with the ‘developments’ taking place at what these days is known as ’The Landing’ on Aucklands Waterfront. One of our cities few remaining marine haul out / hard stand areas, will be closed and bulldozed. I encourage you to read the ‘STUFF” article that appeared in the weekends newspaper. You would think it was about a project in Colombia, thats how underhand things are. Link Below https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300820274/bulldozed-boatyard-yachties-face-off-with-wealthy-club-over-axing-of-public-hardstand
Sadly I think its too late to change things but lets record our frustration with the people that supported the project. Firstly the commodore and committee at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club should hang their heads in shame. On the RAYC website there is no individual contact details but they do have a Facebook page – so please go on there and record your anger – link below https://www.facebook.com/royalakarana
Lastly one of driving forces from the Auckland Council / Local Board is a weasel named – Scott Milne, his DNA is all over this project. FB link below, record your anger and promise not to vote for him again if he is in your local board (Orakei). Now if he has blocked new comments, just add you comment to one of his exisiting unrelated stories 😉
Lastly the Spencer family (Howard Spencer) – a bad smell will follow you around for a long time after this – lets vote with our wallet and not support their new haul out venture – Tamaki Maine Park in Mt Wellington.
First forward to last week and Mark contacted me to say the boat had just turned up on trademe in Motueka looking a tad tired, but recoverable. Mark commented that she seems to have had a few names along the way – in the tme listing they say she was previously known as – The Hattersly. The Master-Craft builders plaque is clearly visible in one of the photos.
Forward motion is via a Ford D series 120hp engine.Probably best described a
s a project but in the right hands she could be returned to her former self 🙂
KOTARE Re-launched Todays woody is the 28’ launch – Kotare, built and launched in 1961 by Frank Wilkins to a 1960 design of A N (Bill) Couldrey. Kotare first appeared on WW back in 2014. Over time we uncovered an amazing amount of history on the vessel. The 2022 WW story when wooden boat builder Alan Craig gave us a shed tour on restoration / rebuilding of Kotare has all the references, photos and links to her past – link to the 2022 story below https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/10/10/kotare-restoration-boat-shed-tour/
Last week Alan Craig advised they had just relaunched Kotare at Lake Rotoiti. Her owner had just finished the interior refit in his shed inTe Puke since Alan and the team at Craig Marine finished painting Kotare last year. Alan commented that she looked pretty sharp. The work had been done in a pretty confined space and they hadn’t really been able to stand back and look at it till now. A new 35hp Beta diesel has been put in to replace the BMC.
As we have come to expect of anything that slides out of the Craig Marine shed Kotare is a stunner.
Todays woody is the 40’ yacht – Restless built by the Tercel Bros in 1920 to a Alden/Tercel design. Now to save you having to do the maths, that makes her an impressive 104 years old. Constructed of kauri, her beam is 11’3” and she draws 6’ (lead keel).
During her life Restless has seen a lot of the South Pacific and back home is a regular contestant in the Bay of Islands Tall Ships Race.
Any boat to survive a decade needs to have been in the hands of caring wooden boat lovers – Restless has been lucky, her owner of 55 years Tim Beattie is one such gentleman and Restless is always presents in beautiful condition.
Her sail wardrobe, mast and rigging reflect her ocean cruising life. Her second means of forward propulsion is a 58hp Fordson diesel (1965), overhauled in 1990 – that gives her a comfortable 6 knots.
If you haven’t already guessed it – yes Restless is for sale. Classic wooden craft of her pedigree and condition rarely come on the market. There are several options for her next owner in terms of her interior – the one I would favour would be retaining the period layout and just treat her to a refresh e.g. upgrade the hardware – stove, head etc.and refresh the upholstery. Or you could just sail away and enjoy her as Tim and family have.
Back in Oct 2014 the launch – Waratah popped up on WW, at the time she was 4sale on trademe and the WW story generate a lot of chat in the comments section – link below https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/06/waratah/
We learnt that she was 28’9” in length, built in c.1924 by Alf Bell and was named All Bell when launched. Amusing story around the name in the 2014 story.
Back in 2014 Waratah was needing some serious interior fit out and TLC but afloat, photos below.
Fast forward to 2023 and she has become a restoration that started but came to an abrupt halt. Waratah is currently stored near Kerikeri, Northland and her owner Kevin O’Donnell would like to move her on, at no cost, to someone that will take on the project. The time frame is ‘quick smart’ as Waratah is resting in the exact spot as to where a house is going.
WW was sent the above photo by Shelley Campbell, who uncovered the photo amongst some old slides that belonged to her grandparents. Shelly resides in Australia and commented that she had family in NZ and took cruises from Australia to visit them in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Unfortunately none of the slides are labelled so Shelley has been trying to figure out where the photos are taken using Google image search, the WW site came up in one of those searches for the above photo.
So woodys the question today is – can we ID the location and launch – Shelley was thinking possibly Lake Taupo or Lake Wanaka.
NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show 2023 (Nelson Lakes)
Today thanks to the camera of Michael Brownee we get to take in the amazing woody craft and spectacular scenery at Lake Rotoiti, South Island for the 2023 NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show that was recently held (March 4>5)
Michael has captured the essence and spirit of the event beautifully , if he not a professional photographer , he should be 🙂
I attended the show 3>4 years ago and it should be on every woodys bucket list.
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