A SNAPSHOT OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – MARISTELLA
As a result of the photo (see below) of the classic 40’ wooden launch – MARISTELLA, built in 1936 by Sam Ford, appearing at the recent Classic Woodys Boat Show at OBC – WW was contacted by Katherine Armstrong. Katherine’s parents Roy and Daphine Bridge were previous owners of MARISTELLA.
Katherine commented that she had a collection of photos taken during their ownership. Of course I asked for copies, which today we all get to share.
In the 4th photo above the other launch is AWANUI, which at the time was owned by Bob Goldie. Can we learn more about AWANUI.
In the last photo above we see Roy and Daphine on the ‘flying bridge’ of MARISTELLA.
One photo is tagged APR 64, so we can safely assume the photos are c.1960’s
ONE MAN, ONE CRAFT – IS THIS SPAIN’S LAST REAL SHIPWRIGHT
Good friends Pauline and Tim Evill escaped the rain and cold of NZ and have been mooching around Europe. Tim dropped me a note about a famous old boat builder known as Pepe de Pacho, in Castropol in Asturias, northern Spain who was the oldest member of a family of wooden boat builders that had been working on the Rio EO from the same tiny boatyard for almost one hundred years.
After a visit to the boatyard, where no one was home, he headed to the marina and managed to track down the old man after much detective work. It was a wonderful experience. A asked Tim to pull a story together – which today we great to share.
In Tim’s words – “As we travelled along the magnificent coast of Asturias, passing one beautiful seaside town after the other, I decided to go looking for a legendary character whom I had read was revered as the last traditional shipwright in the area—Pepe de Pacho. After numerous false forays and clumsy attempts with Google Translate, we finally fell upon a group of salty sea dogs who got on the case for me, called around, found Pepe at home having lunch and wrangled an invitation to the great man’s house.
Now retired from building full-size boats, Pepe de Pacho or Pepe as he is known, turned his talents to the most intricately detailed model boat building. The exquisite samples of his work are now displayed in part of his home in a small museum. There, he continues to build his intricate wooden models and keeps the tradition alive in miniature.
When a couple of curious Kiwis suddenly turned up armed with nothing more than eagerness and spanglish he was extraordinarily magnanimous and generous with his time—even though he spoke barely a word of English. With a permanent smile,he took his time to show us around whilst describing the history of the original of each model whilst I smiled and nodded and sadly caught only about a tenth of what he regaled me with.
After about an hour of awe struck admiration of his entire collection of over 90 boats, we shook hands, posed for photos and bid a fond farewell to Pepe and his lovely wife. A modest man of immense talent and irreplaceable knowledge and craftsmanship.
As we left Pepe advised us to go and learn Spanish and come back again! Every boat has its own story, he said, and without the language, we’re missing too much history.”
Below we have the story of Pepe’s very salty life – its a great tale, I hope you enjoy the read. (as always you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them)
Pepe de Pacho: The Soul of the Asturias Boatbuilding
Tucked along the estuarial shores of the Río Eo in Asturias lies a living relic of Spain’s maritime past—not in a grand museum, but in the humble home of Pepe de Pacho, one of the last true carpinteros de ribera, or traditional boatbuilders, in the region. Born José Félix González Vijande in 1946 in the coastal town of Piñera (Castropol), Pepe inherited more than a family name—he inherited a calling.
Roots in the Ría del Eo
Pepe’s journey into the world of boats began not in a classroom but at the workbench. His father, Marcelino “Pacho” González, established Astilleros Pacho in 1944—a modest shipyard that would become the heart of a multi-generational tradition. By the age of 14, Pepe was apprenticing alongside his brother Carlos, shaping timber and learning the rhythms of the tides and the wood grain under his hands. The workshop, later relocated to Berbesa on the Eo estuary, became a vital node in a once-bustling network of small boatyards lining the Asturian coast.
Throughout the mid-20th century, the Pacho yard built robust wooden vessels for fishing fleets from Galicia to the Basque Country. The craft they were most famous for were the handbuilt, Lateen sailed ‘Pacho’ boats. 6 metres long traditional Cantabrian sailing boats with a rounded hull and folding centreboard that have become the favourite class racing boat of the region. These weren’t just pleasure boats—they were lifelines for coastal communities and the main form of local transport carrying salt, wine and produce for centuries.
Reputation for Mastery
Pepe earned a quiet but steadfast reputation as a craftsman of integrity. Among those in the know his boats were prized and desired for being incredibly seaworthy and superbly built. He possessed an intuitive understanding of how wood moved with water. Colleagues often noted how he could “read” the timber—knowing by touch alone if a beam would flex too much under pressure or hold fast in a swell.
But it wasn’t just skill with tools that defined him. It was his dedication to keeping the traditions of Asturian boatbuilding alive in an era increasingly dominated by fiberglass and mechanization.
A Shift to Miniature, Not to Retirement
When Pepe finally retired from full-size boatbuilding in the 1990s, many assumed he would quietly fade from the maritime scene. Instead, he pivoted into an entirely new phase of artistry: the construction of model boats, each one a precise and poetic tribute to the vessels he once launched into the Cantabrian Sea as well as noteworthy craft from all over the world.
“I retired many years ago, and these are the only boats I build. All my life I worked in the shipyard founded by my father, Marcelino, known as ‘Pacho’. Now it’s my nephew Martín, who’s in charge of it,” explains Pepe as he shows us each of these scale replicas of ships that once left his shipyard, some of which can still be seen sailing the Eo estuary.
Using the same materials—local chestnut, pine, iroko—and the same techniques, Pepe began to produce handcrafted miniatures that mirrored real historical ships down to the finest plank and rivet. His first model, built in 1977, was merely a curiosity. But in retirement, he dove into the practice in earnest, creating over 90 unique pieces, many of them now on display in a personal museum in his home. The construction process is exactly the same as that followed in the construction of a real boat: it begins with the keel, placing the frames, fixing the stem and sternpost and nailing the sheathing planks, continuing with all the elements that go in the interior and from the deck upwards, especially the rigging and sails, made by the no less skilled hands than those of his wife Mirita
These models aren’t toys—they are scaled time capsules. From traditional fishing boats and rowboats to, English Tugboats and legendary schooners like El Industrial, Pepe’s work captures an exact scale model of history in each perfect centimeter of wood and rigging. Every curve tells a story, and every example is the result of countless hours of painstaking labor.
What a pleasure it was to meet Pepe who is understandably proud of his incredible body of work, and sustifiably so. But he was also so delightfully humble when I praised his astounding craftsmanship and meticulous work. Pepe is always eager to share his passion for boats big and small and anyone who wants to see his ‘museum’ here, at his home, just has to let him know before coming. Visits are free. Good luck.
A Legacy Beyond the Eo
Though he remains modest, Pepe has quietly become internationally respected in maritime heritage circles. His models have been featured in exhibitions, publications, and even cataloged in a book authored by his brother-in-law, Ignacio Vares. His daughter Aida created a website to showcase the collection, ensuring these vessels—both large and small—remain accessible to future generations.
Local efforts to preserve his legacy continue. The town of Castropol is preparing a new edition of the book chronicling his work, recognizing not just Pepe’s craftsmanship but his cultural importance as a living link to an endangered maritime tradition that fortunatley still lives on, in the capable hands of Pacho’s nephew at the same little shipyard on the banks of the Rio Eo where little has changed for one hundred years.
32’ MYSTERY CLASSIC BRIDGE-DECKER – Help Needed Identifying – WAINUI
Todays woody is another recent tme vessel (thanks Ian McDonald), no name but looks familiar.
What we do know is she is currently based in Wellington but previously ( 2 years ago) was in the Christchurch area. Before that Auckland was her home.
The seller has undertaken some updates to her exterior and general maintenance to the engine and drive line. Interior looks like it needs some TLC.
Forward motion is via a 3.6L Fordson 4 cyl. diesel engine.
Anyone able to put a name to the craft and hopefully provide an insight into her past.
29-07-2025 UDATE ex CARL – The 32′ bridge deckers name is Wainui originally from the Kaipara sent many years as a fishing boat. an then come over to Auckland around 2000 where she had a major refit and then was a much loved family boat.
MYSTERY CLASSIC WOODEN MOTOR LAUNCH – ZEPHYR AT WHANGAROA HARBOUR
Todays woody photo is another mystery launch that comes to us from the Far North District Library collection via Dean Wright. The photographer being Trevellyn Guest .
The location is Whangaroa Harbour and the date is unknown.
In the photo we see a straight stem launch with a tram top, the lack of a dog house may date the photo c.1910 > early 1920. Her unusual coamings window configuration may help with ID’ing the boat. That centre square (with curved top) window is a very distinctive feature.
Can anyone put a name to the boat and comment on its back story.
29-07-2025 UPDATE: As identified in the comments section by Fred Walker and latter confirmed via a phone call. It is ZEPHYR and was owned at the time by Joe Shephard who was managing the Whangaroa slip at the time.
I’m a big fan of the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club, they seem to have the mix right when it comes the wooden boating community. Recently I was chatting to Roy Jones (Roysie) who among other things pulls together the clubs newsletter. Roysie mentioned a project he had been working on and promised a story – and today woodys we get the enjoy that story – I’ll hand over to Roysie to tell it.
“Fifteen years ago The Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club was gifted a 14ft clinker hulk which came with a remarkable provenance. Built by Ernie Lane in 1920 for Mr John Brownlee, son of the timber tycoon, William Brownlee of Havelock, the boat was in a sorry state and owned by Club Member, Noel Johnson.
Noel’s initial attraction towards Ruru was that, when he lived in Havelock as a child in the mid 40’s, he can vividly remember Ruru resting in the creek near the present causeway, whilst owned by the Havelock butcher, Mr Johnny Buncombe. Playing in Ruru, he would often be chased off and Noel miraculously relocated the boat again in 2003 on the Holdaway farm near Blenheim.
The Holdaway’s had purchased Ruru in 1948, from Johnny Buncombe for 100 Pounds, and who himself, had bought her from the Brownlee’s in 1933.
Now in a very sorry state, Barry Holdaway gave the hulk to Noel who intended to restore her. Aged 80, he realised it was beyond him, and Noel wisely gifted the craft to the Picton Clinker & Classic Boat Club in an effort to preserve her, and it worked.
Ruru as restored in Jan 2010
Ruru is the Club’s flagship and is utilised on all the club runs as such. Roy had a little to do with the restoration and always admired her lines as created by Ernie, she was now available for all to view and admire. So last Christmas he borrowed Ruru for a week and after setting her up, took her lines off and drew them up on the computer. From these he created a table of offsets and after lofting out, began construction early in the New Year.
Ernie created a built-down style of deadwood almost a bustle, presumably to ensure the engine could be low as possible and with a fairly level prop-shaft, but this was difficult to recreate.
He must have steamed the kauri planks tightly to achieve the curvature around the stern deadwood rebate. Roy elected to use Meranti 9 mm marine ply rather than timber purely due to supply constraints. While gluing the lands removed the need for nailed and roved laps, it still required steamed American Oak ribs. This was the only job Roy required assistance with and co-opted a couple of retired members in the club to assist with the morning’s task. Peter Baker & Keith Henson willingly helped out and this is the norm amongst the Clinker Club members, advice and assistance is most often always freely available.
Propulsion System We originally installed a Stuart Turner P66 twin cyl. 10 hp engine in Ruru, but this was overpowered, so we swapped it for a P55 5 hp which proved more appropriate, however, the Stuart Turner became problematic for the numerous skippers in the Club. We have since settled upon a Lifan Chinese 6 hp and this has run well for 10 years, but is quite noisy. Roy considered this and, after speaking with new member, Tim Barton about his neat little electric 12ft’r, Billy O Tea, decided to also install an electric system in the Ruru clone.
With Tim’s advice on where to go for the Chinese supplier, Roy ordered a 4kw, 1000 rpm 48v dc motor and controller, which duly arrived about 4 weeks later without problem. At around $3,500 landed, he considered it reasonably economical.
Subsequent to that major decision, he continued construction, framing the deck and glassing same. Unlike Ruru, he made the top strake varnished with a sub belting along the bottom edge in a more traditional style. Lacking more traditional hardwoods for the beltings, standard Quila timber decking was utilised and machined to suit; merely because it is readily available and reasonably economical.
The dc motor is considerable, weighs about 30kg developing 39 N.M.
The universal is a CV joint from a wreckers, and the thrust bearing just aft. The motor output shaft is 35mm!
Having decided upon electric propulsion, Roy decided to throw the cat another goldfish and fitted hydraulic steering to enable comfortable curved seating in the stern without a the tiller interfering with guests seated there.
Once again, Roy went online and researched hydraulic steering systems. Having been quoted over $2000 locally, it cost less than $500 for a full set imported and landed at the door in 3 weeks.
The short S.S. rudder tiller penetrates the transom quite unobtrusively, to the ram below deck and can be disconnected from the rudder when removing for trailing.
The Electric system enabled a centre console with motor and battery installed beneath, leaving a huge area amidships, where an engine is usually placed. A forward curved seat fits neatly behind the curved foredeck coamings. The large 48v lithium battery required is situated under the front seat of the console, while the motor and drive train is beneath the foot level lid below the helm.
The 48v 100 amp hr lithium battery is the blue item & takes up the full width of the compartment. The silver item is the motor speed controller that came with the motor. The yellow lead is for connecting to the 48v HD charger.
Roy purchased the 48v 100 amp hour Lithium Ion Battery from Auckland along with the new trailer, driving up and back being cheaper than freighting both down to Marlborough.
He also installed a GPS Plotter & Sounder plus a Victron battery management system from Burnsco. This is a magic device providing a shunt in the neutral supply and thus determines the present battery voltage, the currently used amps & watts, plus provides a range in hours and minutes left in the battery. It is supplied with a 50mm gauge but the best method of readout is by Bluetooth to a cell phone enabling all the readings on one screen.
The greatest dilemma with electric boat propulsion systems is range anxiety, knowing how long you can actually cruise for, at the present power usage. Well, the Victron system diminishes this to a normal fuel level concern, if you run at full power then your fuel range will be minimal, but with sensible throttle use many hours are available. Roy intends to calibrate the range from GPS speed, Shaft rpm & amps drawn. These are shown further on.
Tim provided his figures, and for example at 3.3 knots Billy O Tea draws 5.2 amps, at 5 kts she draws 22 amps but at 5.4 kts, draws 50 amps indicating her best hull speed is just below 5 kts. i.e. 100 amp hour battery at 22 amps = 5 hrs motoring, and you can always slow down!
We used GPS speeds & digital tacho rpm figures with the Victron gauge providing the current drawn. Roy will do similar with Toroa EV, (her new name now she is completed.) Toroa means Salvins Mollymauk (and the EV is electric vessel!).
Ruru like most clinker hulls is a very seaworthy craft and it is on record that when Ernie Lane completed her, she was motored around from Picton to Havelock by a Mr Doug Pickering. This is a daunting trip for a 14ft Clinker, even today, and he is reported to have had fuel trouble near Cape Jackson, Doug simply tied Ruru to some kelp while he cleaned out the fuel line of shavings! Ruru was fitted with a Scottish Kelvin of about 5 hp from new and to have motored the 60 odd miles around the Cape was an impressive feat 105 years ago!
When one considers that she was built shortly after the First World War, it is remarkable that it was obviously intended she would have an engine from new. It wasn’t a retrofitted engine installation as is usually the case with this vintage. Perhaps this would indicate the wealth of the original purchaser, Mr John Brownlee?
With the helmsman and passenger sitting in the stern sheets. Toroa EV rides high in the bow but with passenger forward she sits nicely to the waterline.
Roy advised that Toroa EV took 5 months to construct at old farts pace… i.e. 5 hr per day knocking off at rum o’clock. He takes great delight in creating clinker craft, believing if the boat is pretty, it will become a 100 year boat. (only pretty boats last 100 years because their owners love them!)
The Picton Clinker Club members own many small clinker & classic style boats and are committed to salvaging and restoring these wonderful small craft, often saving them from various scrap heaps or bonfires.
Toroa EVPerformance
Revs Speed Amps
350 2.1kts 2.4
450 2.6kts 3.5
650 3.4kts 6.6
800 4.1kts 11.7
970 5.3 kts 16
1070 5.4 kts 21
1250 5.9 kts 39
As you can see, any attempt to exceed 5 knots hull speed causes the amps load to dramatically increase, up to about 4.5kt is very economical indeed but a little more and range diminishes dramatically. Exactly the same of a combustion engine I guess.”
CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – LADY ALLISON NORLOCK + BOAT BOOT SALE
After yesterday bumper story on the 2025 Classic Woodys Boat Show at OBC Marina, I thought your eyes may need a rest, so a short one today.
The wooody launch NORLOCK recently popped up on tme, thanks Ian McDonald, in a previous life she was named LADY ALLISON.
The listing states that she was built in 1958 by Colin Wild, I suspect this isn’t correct as I’m told Colin Wild’s last boat was in 1955 and he died shortly after that.
What we do know she is approx. 33’ and powered by a 140hp Lees Ford engine that has her cruising at 8 knots.
Interior looks quite smart and she appears to be another bargain buy at $9k ono.
Can we learn more about the vessel and clear up her heritage.
CIRCLE THE CALENDAR – ONLY 10 DAYS UNTIL THE BOAT BOOT SALE AT THE SLIPWAY MILFORD YARD– AUG 2nd
We already have a great group of boaties looking to off load their treasure , details below. Still not too late to secure a spot, or just rock up on the day.
WW was sent a copy of the above ‘vintage’ postcard by Glenn Martin. The location is Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga.
It was tagged ‘ retro modern’ so maybe not as old as it looks.
Anyone able to put a name to the launch in the photo.
Last weeks book quiz – no winners, the correct answer was OIL LAUNCH. None of the emailed entries had that. Will draw a winner from the classic launches at OBC today 😉
Short story today , currently at OBC for the combined OBC / Woodys event. Get alONG if you are at a loose end.
THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA (TE KAWAU) – PART THREE
Following on from Mondays story on Sven Wiig’s classic wooden vessel – ARIANA, previously named GLENROWAN and TE KAWAU. Sven has just sent in Part Three.
Todays story takes us up to current and woodys we will have to wait for the final part for a little while, but rest assured there will be one 😉
And as highlighted in Part One Sven is looking for any intel on her past , and is very grateful for those that commented last week.
“Now I just had to make a new one and put it all back together. Hummm. My fellow boat owners all came to check out progress and I got the distinct impression that they thought I had killed her. If I am honest I was wondering this myself…. I was going to need lots more kauri. Fortunately Solomon came up with the goods, a couple of large beams that had once been part of a bridge (thanks Mate). One of these was sawn up to make a new inner. I sourced some beautiful bronze screws and fitted the inner back into the boat. I was most relived to see that the stern was now back in shape. All the seams had closed up and she had a nice round bum again. I clearly had done something right. Next up was to make up the new outer. Grown hardwood wasn’t an option so I decided that I was going to laminate one. I made a former and laminated up the new outer.
New Inner being fitted up.
Outer laminated and roughed into shape
New outer stem being fitted. The inner and outer where then bolted with bronze rod to new horizontal knees inside the stern and at the top of the bulwarks. Whew.
Now where were we. Bulwarks. I finished prepping for the bulwarks. Fortunately Olaf was back in the country for a Summer break. What better way to relax than giving his brother a hand fitting the new plywood? A couple of exhausting days later and we had the first layer on.
A second layer was added at both ends for added strength and a certain amount of flare.
Olaf went home to England and I finished the Bulwarks off with some trim and paint. The bronze rubbing strips were replaced and another milestone reached. The whole top half of the boat was now complete, well almost.
To celebrate I made some bling for her. New nav light and dorade boxes.
Recently I passed another milestone. Four years on the hard. Every year I tell myself that this summer she will be back in the water. I have only a few more months now if that dream is going to be achieved. We will see. I have moved onto getting the inside back together. New tank cradles have been built and today I installed her new diesel and water tanks. Next up will be building a new sole for the wheel house and replacing the cabinetry that John the previous owner had made from trees felled on his farm. I am looking forward to that. Will let you know how I get on.”
THE RESTORATION OF THE CLASSIC WOODEN EX WORKBOAT – ARIANA (TE KAWAU) – PART TWO
Following on from last Mondays story on Sven Wiig’s classic wooden vessel – ARIANA, previously named GLENROWAN and TE KAWAU. Sven has just sent in Part Two.
Todays story takes us up to last week and we will run Part Three on Wednesday and then woodys we will have to wait for the final part for a little while, but rest assured there will be one 😉
And as highlighted in Part One Sven is looking for any intel on her past , and is very grateful for those that commented last week.
“Once the decks were fibreglassed the next mission was to get the coamings and cabin tops rebuilt. Cabin tops were given two layers of ply and clashed in solid.
The little doghouse extension got the same treatment.
I had hoped to find bronze portholes for the coamings but couldn’t find any in the right sizes and quantity. I decided to copy the detailing that existed in the wheelhouse windows.
Next were the doors which I repaired and modified.
The wheelhouse sides were repaired with new tongue and groove.
Once all this had been sanded and given a couple of coats of paint the cover could be removed and I could finally stand back and check out my work. I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t like my design choices once I could view them from a distance, but overall I was pretty happy with her.
Cover off after three years.
It had been more than three years now since she had come out of the water. Progress was frustratingly slow but with the cover now off it finally felt like I was getting there. Next up was to rebuild the Bulwarks. These had been cut away to gain access to the deck. I started cleaning off the old plywood getting ready to rebuild them. When I got around to the stern post I made a horrific discovery. I had always thought her stern wasn’t quite right I now discovered why. I dug out a large chunk of sikaflex and could see that her stem was cracked almost in two. All the screws holding her planks went straight into the crack. It appears that at some time in her past she suffered a trauma. Maybe she was crushed between another boat and a wharf, or hit from behind? Crikey what to do? All the others in the yard came and checked it out. There was lots of tut tuts and sucking through the teeth. A local boatbuilder suggested I cut the whole back off and put a transom on her. Humm… maybe not. It was not going to be an easy fix hence why it had never been fixed properly. Over the years more and more cotton had been jammed it there, more screws added then the sikaflex. This was why all the seams back there were large and the planks uneven, There was nothing for it in my mind I had to pull it all apart and repair it properly. I spent a good day just looking and trying to work out if I was biting off more than I could chew. Was there an easier way. Nope just had to go for it.
Dug out the putty and sikaflex to reveal the crack…
I cut off the outer stem which appeared to be a grown hardwood. Maybe pohutukawa? This revealed the full horror of the situation. Yep I was committed now.
I then carefully removed all the old screws from the planks, removed a knee on the inside and pulled the inner stem out. All that makes it sound easy. In reality it was several painful days where I questioned my life choices.
The inner stem removed from the boat. The crack when right though all the screws going into the cracked timber. To be continued in Part Three – on Wednesday.
Todays woody photo comes to us from the Far North District Library collection via Dean Wright. The photographer being Gary Strongman (Northern Advocate).
The location is Kerikeri and is dated March 1981 and is tagged ‘post Kerikeri Flood’.
In the photo we see ‘modernist’ launch coming to the aid of what appears to be a partially submerged boat. Both craft have reg numbers visible so probably workboats – the launch # could be ND 2524 and the submerged at a guess AK ?756 0r ?758.
Can we ID the boats.
INPUT EX GARY MATHESON– Hi, the vessels in the photo of the Keri Keri flood are the Chante and the Zita. Both were commercial fishing at the time. The Zita was a 28ft mullety and the Chante was owned by the Strongmans.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO NEXT SUNDAY (20-07-2025)
Come along to the OPEN DAY at OBC marina – details below.
Things to see, do, eat and drink:
Classic Boats – On berths and trailers, including visiting vessels from Waitemata Woodys.
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