Category Archives: Non Waitemata

The Sad Demise of Norwest

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The Sad Demise of Norwest

Back in early 2013 Zach Matich sent me the top photo of Norwest. Zach also supplied the details below.
This last weekend Jason Prew was mooching over on the West Coast and snapped the photos showings the final resting place of Norwest on the Kaipara Harbour.
“The Norwest was built in Whakapirau in 1909 by Arthur Forester. She was named the Kuaka, the Maori name for Curlew, and had “Kuaka” written on her port side and “Curlew” on her starboard side. She was built for a Mr Adams who had a pear orchard just down the harbour from Whakapirau on what is now the Cullen farm. She was designed so that Mr Adams crippled daughter could wheel her wheelchair around the deck, and was used for transporting fruit to Helensville for the markets. She was powered by a Union Standard single cylinder ‘Make and Brake’ motor and had a swinging cradle for 6 wet cell batteries. This motor is now in the private collection of Darcy Sterling at Maungataroto.
After lying idle for some years the Kuaka was sold to Mr Cliff of Paparoa in 1919. Mr Cliff took her to Pahi and re-corked and painted her and added a new piece to the stern post which was suffering from dry rot. he used her for taking picnic parties down the harbour and moored her when not in use up the Paparoa Creek behind what is now the Paparoa Pub. There was a huge flood in Paparoa in 1923 and the Kuaka was picked up by the flood, carried over the bridge and placed in a paddock on the other side with no damage to her at all. When Mr Cliff passed away in 1924 his sons sold her to a Dr Marshall, from, I believe up Port Albert way who in turn sold her to Mr West who owned West’s Timber Mill in Helensville. It was at this time that she was renamed the ‘Norwest’ after Nora West, Mr Wests wife. She was used for about the next 20 years up until 1945 towing logs all over the Kaipara Harbour, and then in about 1945 Harold Stanaway bought her, followed by Dink Jolly, and then Everard Judd bought her for $250.00 for towing barges. By this time she was in a terrible state so he employed Rodney Morgan, a boat builder to more or less rebuild the hull and cabin.
Everard Judd sold her to Murray Prictor of Port Albert in the late 60’s who is turn sold her soon after to somebody on the East Coast and the history is pretty vague after leaving the West Coast. We do know that some time was spent up the Clevedon Creek and we also know that she has been used as a fishing boat on that coast. 
She was brought back to the Kaipara by Stafford and Rosemary Hill.
Unsure who currently owns her.”
Update 11-07-2019. photos below taken in 2015 by Dave Stanaway
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Carina

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CARINA

Carina (previously named Old Glory) lives a long way away from the Waitemata harbour but her looks with that canoe stern get her centre page on WW.

I was sent a link to her 4sale listing by an Australian woody – Andrew Christie, who commented that he believed Carina had been on the market for 5+ years.
Some facts – designed by Fred D Lawley and built by George Lawley in 1918. Her specs are 58’9” long, a beam of 12’4” and drawing 3’11”. Carvel double planked (fir) on oak frames. The power is from a Caterpillar D333 140hp diesel. Asking price is approx. NZ$570k.
I’m not sure what colour she is – black / white, given there is only one black hulled photos, I would say its a safe bet – she is white.
If you want to buy her – here’s the link to the broker

Gay Dawn – Down Below

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GAY DAWN – Down Below

Gay Dawn has featured on WW numerous times, mainly because she is a very smart woody, but also to appease Ken Ricketts whose family owned her once.
Search Gay Dawn in the WW search box and you will get an extensive view of her past from construction to the present day.
In the past on WW we have seen a few photos of her cabin but now as a result of her trademe listing – we get to see her in her finest. Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up.
To recap she was designed and built in 1953 by Bill Waters, 35’ kauri carvel planked, 11’1” beam and a draws 3’3”. Powered by a 120hp Ford diesel, aren’t they all from that era 🙂

Miami > Queen Victoria

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Miami > Queen Victoria

I have a few questions re the above photos. To be honest, I’m a little confused so I have drafted the details below from info supplied ex her current owner and ask that those of you with more / better knowledge than me, give me feedback.

In 1915 Dr. Rayner of Moose Lodge, Lake Rotoiti, commissioned the Bailey Boatyard in Auckland to build a launch named ‘Miami’, when Rayner sold Moose Lodge to Sir Noel Coles Miami was replaced with the 28’ launch – ’The Moose’. The Moose was built in Feb 1939 by Collings & Bell. The Moose is shown in the top photo being transported to the Lake. The next two colour photos I believe to be the same launch at a later date.
The next three photos show the launch Miami, now named Queen Victoria, that Lake Rotoiti boatbuilder Alan Craig is about to start a re-furbishment on, during this work her Yanmar engine will be rebuilt. Her current owners in 1985 replaced her Redwing engine with the Yanmar, this being her 3rd engine – previous owners, the Armstrong family of Gisborne Point, fitted the Redwing during their ownership period. Bob Armstrong is on record as saying the launch was hard to moor and had a history breaking away which resulted in the Armstrong selling her to an unknown person, who kept her on Lake Rotorua for approx. a year.
Miami was then purchased by the Lewis family of Te Puke and kept at Otaramarae near the Harris boasted. Many years later it was sold to Bert Goulding a Tauranga surveyor, who kept her in a boatshed in Te What Bay next to his lake house (house now owned by ex MP Mr McLean)
Miami’s present owners had always admired her and regularly enquired if Bert Goulding wanted to sell the launch – his wife always replied “not ready yet”. Then in 1979 at the grand old age of 93, Bert Goulding decided it was time to sell. Her present owners jumped at the chance and purchased her. In 1985 she was sent to a Tauranga boatbuilder (Bill Visser) and altered to what we see today.
So woodys – is the above story factual and can anyone supply photos and more details on the past life of Miami > Queen Victoria ?
Input from Harold Kidd – The top left pic is OKATAINA built by Sam Ford in August 1938 for Beamish-White of Okataina. (oops – since moved to the bottom of this story. AH) The top right pic is MOOSE; same Ford truck though!
As for MIAMI, I just can’t find her being built by Chas Bailey for Dr. Rayner although 1915 had a lot more news going on than pleasure boating! Gallipoli, for example.
The first mention I have of a launch MIAMI is in 1924 when she was owned by G W & E L Best of Tennyson St., Northcote. She appears to have been sold to Whakatane in 1927, owners H West, F Prideaux and D McKenzie. In 1937 -1940 she was owned by H Dunton of Bowentown. Maybe she gravitated to Rotoiti from there or maybe there was another MIAMI at the same time?
The Bests had another MIAMI themselves in the 1950s.
I suppose Dr Rayner would have used the name MIAMI for a launch as, apart from being an enterprising dentist with his “American Dental Parlors” in Auckland, he was a developer of resorts like Turangi, Rotoiti etc obviously inspired by the contemporary conversion of Florida sandhills into the resort of Miami.
Just the same I’m eager to establish his connection with the launch MIAMI.
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Knoxie III > Miss Ida

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KNOXIE III > MISS IDA 
I was contacted yesterday by Greg Philpott, up until recently the owner of the Opua General Store in the Bay of Islands. Greg is on a missions – I’ll let him tell the story.
“By way of introduction, my partner Margaret and I have recently sold the Opua General Store business after owning it for just short of 6 years. During that time I became immersed in the history of the General Store and Opua itself  (along with it forerunner Te Wharau, which was the town that grew up in the 1870’s/80’s to service the Loading Ground – the site where Kawakawa coal was trans-loaded to ships at anchor. In 1884 the rail line was extended to Newport (now Opua), many buildings were shifted from Te Wharau to Opua and as such the township of Te Wharau has now totally disappeared.) The reason for relating that little snapshot is that all manner of launches, workboats, ferries and tourist craft have been a part of Opua (and by locational connection, the Bay of Islands) for its entire existence.
And so on to my current project – The Boats of the Bay. This is looking at the history of the commercial tourist Boats of the Bay of Islands. Their origins, their working life and their final situation
 
Here’s where I need help – Knoxie III was built for A E Fullers and Sons by Warne Bros at Matauwhi Bay in 1939. She was renamed Miss Ida in 1949. Whilst built originally to enhance the Fullers fleet for the Cream Trip it appears that much of her latter days were spent as a work boat and as the back-up launch for the Opua Okiato vehicular ferry, photos above. I am looking for pictures of her carrying the name Knoxie III And when did she depart the Fullers fleet and what was her history post Fullers?”
Anyone able to help out?

Sterling Girl – Bailey & Lowe 1913 Bridge-deck Launch

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Sterling Girl – Bailey & Lowe 1913 
The above boat has a couple of features that ring my bell – a wood fire and a Ford Model T wheel / helm. On top of this she appears to be a very well loved woody.
Her length is 35’ with a beam of 9’6” and draws 4’. She was built in 1913 by Bailey & Lowe, from of course kauri.
Her engine is a 120hp 6cyl, Ford diesel that gives her a speed range of 8>11 knots.
As with most Southern boats she is very well fitted out.
And surprise surprise the broker (trying) to sell her, has again chosen to not list her name. Never mind one of our southern Woodys will supply that and hopefully more details.
Thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads-up.
Harold Kidd Input – STERLING GIRL was built for Robert Taylor of Birkenhead and was named after her Sterling engine, a high-quality American marine engine of the time for which Bailey & Lowe were the agents. When Taylor had the big schooner LADY STERLING built in 1920 by Bailey & Lowe he sold STERLING GIRL to Capt G H White and he sold her to Roy Henderson in 1924.

Hawkes Bay Mystery Motorsailer

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Hawkes Bay Mystery Motorsailer

Todays photos come to us fro Lew Redwood’s fb, the name of the yacht is unknown, but we know it was owned by J.A. Louis Hay.
Again the location is also unknown, but the photo is tagged MTG Hawkes Bay which is – Museum Theatre Gallery, Napier – so that might be a big help ID’ing the location.
Interesting ‘funnel’ , I assume for a solid fuel stove. And speaking of wood stoves on boats (my dream) Mondays WW story ticks a lot of my boxes – wood stove + a Ford Model T wheel / helm.
Harold Kidd Input – I’ve scratched my head over this one before. J A Louis Hay was a well-known Napier Architect and amateur musician. Just a guess, he designed he boat himself and had it built locally at Westshore by R. Farquhar, very possibly the unnamed one he built in September 1915 before Hay went overseas to France, She was 26’6″x6′ with a 4hp Monarch. The “funnel” is probably a dry exhaust.
Bonus Read
I’m a big fan of the UK website Classic Sailor, it started out as a magazine, published by a past editor of Classic Boat magazine, but then after a few issues, went to a weblog format. They have some great articleds- check out this one on the restoration of the yawl – Wayward – see link below.

La Fayette

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LA FAYETTE
 
Today’s launch is one of the Kaipara (West Coast, North Island) woodys – La Fayette, pictured above hauled out at Dargaville for some very overdue TLC.
Photos sent in by Jeff Norris.
What more do we know about her ? – Zach Matich hopefully will chip with some intel 🙂
 
EILEEN PATRICIA
Nearly fall of my bar stool when I saw a classic woody gracing the cover of the Boating NZ magazine – fantastic to see a woody pushing the normal plastic boats off the cover. If you want to read / see details on the restoration and 50+ launch day photos of Peter Mence’s – Eileen Patricia – click the WW links below
 
RESTORATION PHOTOS  
 
LAUNCH DAY PHOTOS
 
To view even more type Eileen Patricia in the WW search box – enjoy 🙂
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Classic Wooden Boat Project

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Classic Wooden Boat Project

It’s been the week of project boats – for some reason they just keep popping up, thanks to Ian McDonald for the trade me heads up.

Today’s woody was built c.1930, carvel planked kauri and 26’ in length. She has a Nissan TD23 diesels engine, not sure of the condition. The listing says the hull is in good condition – but its a bit hard to tell, that grey undercoat is a bit like black stockings e.g. hides a magnitude of sins 😉

Currently hauled out in Kerikeri, Northland.

Keen to learn more about this woody – name?, designer / builder? – anyone able to help out?

 

Ruahine > Whizzbang SOS

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RUAHINE SOS
Ruahine, previously named Whizzbang is in need of urgent help / saving. The Taupo Harbourmaster has put the 26’ woody up for disposal (landfill) if no one acquires her before 21st July.
Ruahine was previously berthed at Nukuhau Marina, Taupo – where she was abandoned. She can be viewed on the hard at Lake Taupo Marina.
She was appeared before on WW (2013) but sadly she has ’slipped’ in terms of maintenance / presentation – hopefully someone will save her and return her to her previous state. Make sure you read the comments section. https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Whizzbang&submit=Search
Powered by a 4 cya. Isuzu diesel.
There must be a woody looking for a low entry ($) project. Photo below of her in 2013, looking very smart.
If no one steps up and she is heading to the landfill – I want the forward cowl 😉

Update ex Paul Drake

The photo below shows RUAHINE  in happier times (c.1970’s) at Waihaha, Lake Taupo.
On her foredeck is Ray Perry who saved her the last time she was abandoned.
Paul commented that he wondered how many boats have the distinction of being abandoned twice in their lives, nearly 50 years apart?
She is certainly worthy of saving, and can get along quite quickly with her Isuzu.
Ruahine c.1970 ex Paul Drake
UPDATE 29-07-2019 GREAT NEWS !!!!

“Well, now I’m the new owner of ruahine formerly whizzbang.
She was delivered to my driveway last Saturday 27/7/19.
She seems to be in good nick. I plan to strip the hull, repair and repaint.
There is rot in the cockpit and a bit on the gunnal. So after hull it’ll be replace and rebuild the top. Inside will be a new refit.
Engine appears to be in working order, will give that an overhaul in time as well.
My go is to have her back in the lake by summer…..

I am very interested in any of her history, so if anyone can provide me with some leads on getting further info I’d really appreciate it.
I’ll keep you all updated with my progress.
George”