Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Valerie

Posted on by
6

Screen Shot 2019-07-27 at 5.14.39 PM

VALERIE 

In the above 1963 photo we see the launch Valerie towing an ex Whangarei Harbour Board shed to Port Whangarei, at the time river transport was judged to be the best option.

Input from Robin Elliott and Harold Kidd (previous WW story) – Valerie was designed and built by the  Lane Motor Boat Co. in 1929. She is 35’ in length with a 9’ beam. For many years she was owned by the Reynolds family, close friends of the Pickmeres, who owned her up until the late 1960’s. Apart from a short period in Auckland during the 1960’s she has spent almost all her life in Whangarei and the far North. It is believed Valerie was sometimes used by H. Pickmere when he was charting the far north.
Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 11.00.51 AM

Launch day 29 August 1929 & Whangaroa 2013

I spotted her in December 2019 hauled out at the Opua marina getting a serious refit that included being re-powered with a Yanmar 115hp. Read / see more here
Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 10.59.41 AM

Clarionet – Sailing Sunday

Posted on by
4

_DHW4353

_DHW4360

Clarionet – Sailing Sunday

Today’s woody is the Chappelle designed schooner- Clarionet, seen here early one morning in Whangamumu, Northland getting ready to get underway.

The photo was taken in 2011 by Dan Wright.
I understand these days she calls Mahurangi home.
Update– more photos & details at this link
WoodenBoat Magazine Live Chat
Click the link below to join WB editor Matt Murphy in a live discussion with Reuben Smith. Reuben is boatbuilder and owner of Tumblehome Boatshop in the Southern Adirondacks town of Warrensburg, New York. The shop has restored some of the finest canoes, skiffs, guideboats, runabouts, launches, and one-design sailboats in the region. The conversation includes a ‘ walk-about’ of some of the shop’s past and present projects.

Shalimar

Posted on by
2

Screen Shot 2020-05-24 at 2.12.48 PM

Screen Shot 2020-05-24 at 2.12.35 PM

Screen Shot 2020-05-24 at 2.13.11 PM

Shalimar

I had Shalimar all lined up to be a mystery boat story and I received an email from Leane Barry advising that they had purchased the boat last week.
Shalimar’s past is a little cloudy as the previous owner (Andrew) purchased her off a deceased estate, with zero background on the boat. On board there is a small brass plate with the word ‘Jedda’, so maybe a name change at some time.
What we do know is she is 28’ in length, designed by William Atkinson c.1960. Powered by a Volvo 30hp diesel engine.
Check out the interior photos, at some stage she has had the hands of a good wood worker on her.
With some attention to the exterior she will be a smart entry boat into the classic wooden boating movement. I would paint the coamings a ‘varnished wood’ like colour, something similar to La Rosa (photo below) Or go all out and strip back and varnish which would look spot on.
Anyone able to shed some light on her background?
Harold Kidd Input – SHALIMAR was owned by KLE Upton of Merchant Ave Te Atatu South in 1973. He was a member of RNZYS. As far as the cutter at Okura is concerned, the Redvale Lime works were developed during and after WW1 by the Durey and (I think Pye) families. Driving home to Dairy Flat I drive along Durey Road to avoid the current road works bottleneck at the top of the Albany Hill. I haven’t been able to trace this vessel today.
La Rosa May2020

 

Mystery Work Boat Question

I have been asked by Ken Durey if we can ID the boat in the photo below – seen here landing lime in the Okura River in the late 1920’s. Behind the vessel, on the shed, is a sign ‘Redvale Agricultural Lime’.
Ken found the photo in a family box of photos belonging to his father. Ken’s sister (aged 89) suspects the boat may have been called ‘Joan Glide’.
Can we help put a name to the boat and any other details?
(nice looking clinker on deck)
Input from Ken Durey – Vessel was loading lime for delivery to Barrys Point Road gardens .
My Dad started Redvale Lime Co. from a small quarry 1km from the river.
He was also engineer on the Huia for a time and worked for Aspen Shipping Co. His first trip at sea was on the scow the Scot
Joan Glide?

Shandi

Posted on by
6

DSC_2155

SHANDI

I have lots of question re Shandi

1. Wood / steel
2. Work boat conversation or purpose but
3. Design / builder
4. Home port – Tauranga
5. Length, beam etc + engine
Update – Photo below appeared previously on WW, photographed by Dean Wright in Jan 2017, anchored at Mangonui – I was reminded of it by Craig Ogle
Screen Shot 2020-05-29 at 12.58.28 PM

Update  ex Ian MacDonald – Shandi is owned by the Sanderson family (Bruce & son Bruce Jnr.) Members of the Whangarei Game Fishing Club. Below is a link to a ’Northern Advocate’ article on Bruce Snr., check out the video.

A couple more of Sandi attached leaving Paroa Bay one morning, again ex Dean Wright
20100112-9442
20100112-9441
Thanks Dean Wright for sharing the photo  – and the last question is for Dean – when are we going to see Arethusa with her new wheelhouse? My spies tell me its very close to an unveiling 😉
BOAT SHED TO RENT or BUY
Screen Shot 2020-05-28 at 8.00.34 PM

Shenandoah

Posted on by
8

image6

Screen Shot 2020-05-25 at 4.59.44 PM

SHENANDOAH 
 
I was recently sent the top photo of the 1929 Chas Bailey & Son built launch Shenandoah, moored at Parua Bay, Northland. 
Sadly she appears to not be getting the TLC that an old lady of her pedigree deserves.
The last I heard of her she was still moored in the creek opposite the Te Atatu Boating Club,as seen in the 2nd photo above.
To remind us of how majestic she was back in the 1930’s I have attached a few photos below.
 
Message to the owner – if you want to move her on – I’ll find a buyer 🙂
 
Screen Shot 2020-05-25 at 4.24.47 PM

 

 

Update – photo below ex Bryce Strong of Shenadoah at Tutukaka in 1999

Lady Mellon

Posted on by
4

20071110-DSC_4259

20071110-DSC_4317

LADY MELLON
Bay of Islands woody, Dean Wright,  sent in the photos above of – Lady Mellon. Not your traditional row boat that we see on WW, check out the rower seat 🙂
I understand from Dean that her time afloat was short lived, these days she lives as a ceiling decoration in a grand Waipiro Bay home.
 
Do we know anymore about Lady Mellon – design, builder?
Input from Dean Wright – It was built by a chap in Russell Bruce Black
12-07-2020 More Photos ex Dean W
 
How To Not Sell Your Boat
The photos below recently popped up on two on-line 4sale listings – do people really believe that someone will view these photos and go “my god what a boat, I so want to own her”.
And then the seller wonders why the vessel remains unsold and they get bitter and twisted about the journey of ownership of classic wooden boats.
Well Presented Woody 4sale
Screen Shot 2020-05-25 at 8.55.23 AM
Screen Shot 2020-05-25 at 8.55.46 AM

Tangaroa

Posted on by
5

image2

image1

TANGAROA
 
The photos above of Tangaroa we sent to me by Alistair McRae who owns the woody Lady Margaret (the 38′, 1955, L. Deacon built LM – view link below). Alistair snapped the photos while he was (his words_ stooging around of Parua Bay, Whangarei, waiting to pickup guests for a inner harbour cruise today.
Alistair commented that he believes Tagaroa is a Logan and has recently had a very thorough refit and is in pristine condition inside and out.
Not wanting to comment too harshly on another woodys boat, but the three TV screens midships are a little OTT  😦
 
As always woodys, we are looking for more info on Tangaroa – anyone able to enlighten us ?
Input & photos from Craig Ogle
“Tangaroa was owned by Eden Axe and was the replacement for Pandora 3 as a longliner. She ended up out of the water is long time as Eden bought the long fin. She opened up big time and we had a hell of a time sealing her up with silicone so we could steam her from Houhora to Awanui Harbour and up the Mangatete river for haul out. Don Jackson’s son Jacko had bought her. 120 hp ford go’s like the clappers. Had a major overhaul by Don and was looking great when he was finished. Jacko steamed her to Auckland somewhere and had her for a number of years. Last I saw her she was hauled out at Parua still looking good. Obviously was before the current window set up.”

Reo Moana

Posted on by
6

Reomoana-1

REO MOANA

Talking with Bay of Islands woody – Dean Wright recently, he mentioned that John Gander had sent him a story on the work boat Reo Moana. I’ll let John tell the story –

“I am prompted to write a few lines about Reo Moana after seeing her coming through the Albert Channel and arriving in the Bay of Islands, she looks so different with the extra top hamper that has been added. Her current owners have recorded that she was built by Roger Carey, this is not correct, see below.

I worked at the Carey yard and in 1963 we commenced work on a Roger Carey design of a 51’x15’8”x 7’ fishing boat for John Buchanan of Cascade River. She was carvel planked in karri and launched in 1964 named “Compass Rose” The moulds of this Roger Carey design were then taken across to another Picton boat builder Bob Swanson. Bob’s yard was directly opposite the Carey yard at the southern end of the harbour, it was formerly the site of Ernie Lane’s boatyard.

Bob was commissioned to build a boat to this Roger Carey design by Bill and Sylvia Kenny of Red Funnel Launches and an associate. She was built multi skin and was powered by a 6LX Gardner. There was talk that the boat was to do a Pacific cruise that was to include Tahiti but the cruise did not come to fruition. She was put into service with the Red funnel fleet, it was also at this time that the pine plantations in the Sounds were starting to be harvested and with a substantial tow post Reo Moana was regularly used to tow rafts of logs to Picton. Her spacious after deck also proved ideal for work in and around the Marlborough Sounds.

In the above photo she can be seen in the Red Funnel colours, I was involved with salvaging the fishing vessel Ascot that had sunk in Cloudy Bay and we used Reo Moana as the salvage vessel to tow Ascot into Port Underwood to pump her out and then continue the tow to Picton.

Seeing her now, photos below, I suppose she is handy for charters in and around Auckland, but with the windage from the considerable extra top hamper that she now carries, I think she would be more that a handful going alongside wharves in the Sounds in some of the extreme wind conditions that can be experienced at times.”

RED FUNNEL LAUNCHES
While on the topic of Red Funnel boats- I was sent the photo below of Ramona by Liam Daly. Liam commented that Ramona along with Reo Moana, Rawene, Rongo and Rio Rita made up the fleet of  Red Funnel Launches operating out of Picton . The “Rio Rita” was the prominent mail boat in Queen Charlotte Sound for many years, later when sold, re-named – Resolution.
 
The photo of Ramoana shows her in Resolution Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound
Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbH

 

Aloha Kai

Posted on by
4

Screen Shot 2020-04-04 at 6.35.42 AM

ALOHA KAI

Today’s woody is the game boat Aloha Kai, seen above in a 1968 photo from Russell in the Bay of Islands.
On Lew Redwood’s fb, Charlie Baker commented that at the time she was owned by John Chibnell and that she was the fastest boat in the bay thanks to a Chev 454 V8 (petrol) engine. Her top speed was 35 knots, a step up from the norm of around 8.5 knots from the rest of the game fleet.
Douglas Burnage also commented that she may have been owned in 1980’s by Vic Otto and operated out of Houhora as a long-liner.
Can anyone tells us more about Aloha Kai eg design / builder and provide an update on what became of her?
Update 24-05-2020 Photo below of Aloha Kai in Raio Creek Houhora – January 1994. Sent in by Craig Ogle.
IMG_0793

Caravel + OCH video

Posted on by
7

DSC_0970

DSC_0958

DSC_0946

CARAVEL

The photos above of Caravel come to us via the camera of Dean Wright and are ‘lock-down’ discoveries. Dean commented that he wasn’t even sure if Caravel was a woody, but she is a looker and there is enough wood on show for me 🙂
 
Can anyone tells us more about Caravel?
 
GLASSING A WOODEN BOAT – Yes / No / Maybe
When it comes to the restoration of a classic wooden boat, one item draws the most discussion / debate / arguments and that’s the topic to splining and fiber-glassing the hull. Amongst the majority of woodys its long been considered sacrilege – but sometimes it is the only option that saves a boat from a ‘Beehive’ restoration (a box of matches).
Thanks to your friends at Off Centre Harbor, today we join expert boat builder and OCH co-founder Eric Blake explaining how – and more importantly, why – he fiber-glassed his 75-year-old wooden lobster boat, Charlena. LINK below to view video.
Screen Shot 2020-05-19 at 5.11.53 PM
 
 
 
And woodys, the WW special 8 weeks NZD$5 membership to OHC is still live – so jump at it below, the best $5 you will ever spend. Detail below –
 
Off Center Harbor has created an 8-week membership with full access to the entire website for just $5 NZD. They’re also including an optional upgrade to an annual membership at the end of the 8 weeks at 50% off.
So if you haven’t already joined, now’s definitely the time to jump aboard this premier classic boat video website to start learning from leaders in the field how to build, paint, or restore a boat… or step aboard some of the best boats in the world (including in NZ) and hang out with the owners (from the safety of your favorite chair at home).


See the details and get the membership here and enjoy full membership privileges for 8 weeks. That means you’ll have access to over 1,000 videos and articles full of inspiration and know-how.