Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Gay Dawn – A Peek Down Below

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Gay Dawn –  A Peek Down Below
Thanks to GD popping up for sale on trademe, we get to have a peek down below. Her listing states she is 36’, if this is the case she has been stretched a tad because previous WW posts have her at 34’.
Search Gay Dawn in the WW search box to see read / see a lot more on this very tidy bridgedecker.

 

She was built by Bill Waters in 1950 in Auckland, kauri planked, hardwood ribs, kauri decks and glassed.
The zoom zoom comes from a Ford 120hp diesel underfloor in wheelhouse.

WOODY WEEKEND COMING UP – SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW

Woody Lake Boat Project

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Woody Lake Boat Project

I’m pretty sure this woody was a trademe listing for a very long time, so when I received a note from Rachel Jamieson from the Lake Rotoiti Classic & Wooden Boat group telling me Micheal Booth had bought an old wooden kauri 4 seater, carvel construction speedboat for restoration and attached the above photos –  I was so rapped that she had a new owner and her restoration would be completed.
 
I’ll let Micheal Booth tell the story 

“She  belonged to Andrew Lang the previous Harbour Master who now skippers in the Med. Andrew bought the boat in Rotoru and tracked the motor down in Rotoiti which he then restored. He had started restoration but because of his circumstances has elected to sell.

 I believe the boat was used by the Rangiheuia sisters on Lake Tarawera in the early days. It is of kauri construction and has an oregon ply transom. It is powered by an Austin 7 Thetis motor. Apparently the local historian knew of the boat but has unfortunately passed away. Andrew thinks this boat was designed by the  Logans and built by Lidgard. The boat is thought to be around 1934-36.
The boat builders I have taken it to aren’t convinced and wonder if the boat was of an American design but built locally. It measures 4850mm long, 1600mm wide and 1250 wide at the stern.”
 
Michael is wondering if anyone may some more information on the boat.
 

Pilgrim

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PILGRIM

Today’s woody is Pilgrim and the photo caption tells us that the date of the photo is 1939 and the boat was owned by Robert Murrell.
The lady on the left is Leila Black. (Thanks to Lew Redwood’s fb for the photo)
The location is Lake Manapouri in the South Island.
With the above detail we must be able to uncover more on the launch – design / builder / year etc and hopefully what became of her.
Input from Harold Kidd – Murrell’s PILGRIM was, I think, a rename of the Wanaka launch TINAROA which was in turn a rename of the Dunedin launch RALACO. A&T Burt were the agents for Ralaco engines and the likely builder is Jas McPherson of Dunedin in March 1910.
Kiwi Classic Featured on OFF CENTER HARBOR Website
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If you you have been hanging out for a good reason to subscribe to the offcenterharbor.com website – well its arrived – our very own woody – Pacific, has just made a quest appearance. The link below should allow you to see a 1:30 minute preview for the 10 minute feature video , check it out then hit the subscribe button.

Happy Days Launched

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WAY BACK PHOTOS

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HAPPY DAYS – LAUNCHED 

In early December 2018 Alan Craig, the Lake Rotoiti boat builder (Craig Marine) sent in a gallery of photos of Happy Days in the final stages of her restoration, I have been bugging Alan for some photos post launching and late last week he delivered. 
 
First some background – Happy Days had been in a barn on a farm in for the last ten odd years. Her build started in 1930 and she was launched in 1933, 24′ in length, to a USA Hacker Craft design.
She has been owned by Peter Davies and was his Fathers boat from near new. Her history looks like this – built in Picton by Vic & Clarrie Olson? (Scandinavian or Swiss?). Built for a Mr Stocker then brought by Tom Davies in 1937, it was sold a while later and brought back again by Mr Davies once the wool price lifted and in 1950 an old, but still new, 1938 Osco marine flathead V8 went in it and is still there now – but wow wait till you hear that motor today – check out the video below. 
 
The likes below share some of her recent history :
 
The restoration    https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/12/10/happy-days/
 
Enjoy  – turn up the volume when you play the video 🙂
Photo below – as ‘found’
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Faith + The Milford Slipway opens

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Faith

FAITH

Woody Steve Horsley on a recent trip down south snapped the above photo of Faith on Lake Te Anau.
I recall seeing previous photos but can not find her in the WW library – can anyone tell us more about her?
Input from Cameron Pollard – Faith was built in Scotland in 1935. Sailed to New Zealand in 1980 after cruising the Med. Currently has a 6L3 Gardner.
I was told by one of her old skippers the late Bill Anderson that she was originally twin screw. Bill could certainly tell a good yarn so that info cant be held as gospel.
Input from Dick Fisher

“Faith was built for an English Lord I believe his name was Shalcroft ( I can be corrected on the spelling of this).. Faith was purchased in England by a Roy Ryan who was employed by me at the time of his arrival in NZ having motor sailed all the way from the UK with all their household furniture & belongings. The crew consisted of his wife & young daughter.
Engine power at that time was from twin screw P6 Perkins Diesel engines. Faith was next purchased by Peter McDonald & berthed in Whangarei, he then commenced a major refurbishment
wherein the 2 Perkins were taken out & a rebuilt 6L3 Gardner was installed. At the same time the wheelhouse was rebuilt along with much other woodwork most of which was done by Nick Rodokal
The Gardner engine was from an ex fishing vessel purchased from Happy Yovich in Hikurangi.
The teak single skin planking is fastened with bronze bolts.
I have seen Faith hard at work on Lake Te Anau where my step-son now lives .

Hope this fills in some gaps for you.”
Dick Fisher
MV Akarana
Whangarei

New (old) Railway Haul Out Boat Yard – The Milford Slipway
I’m very happy to be able to tell you that Geoff Bagnall’s Milford yard is now back in business and operating under the watchful eye of woody Jason Prew.
Its called The Milford Slipway and if your a regular reader of WW I do not have to tell you the benefits of hauling out on a railway slip + they offer just about every service marine to would need.
So whether you just want to haul out for a quick bottom scrub and anti-foul or you need a boatbuilder, electrical, or engineer – The Milford Slip can sort you out + there is a covered workshop for vessels up to 55’ – I will do a full feature on the yard soon, but in the mean time I would suggest you give Jason a call on 027 454 2490 to book a spot, I have already slotted Raindance in 😉
If you have been hauling out city-side you will be pleasantly surprised with the yards rates 😉
Ps If you are like Mark Edmonds on Monterey and a little apprehensive of coming into the marina via the creek, the boys will meet you and pilot you in.

Sterling

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STERLING
I have been contacted by Murray Wilson the owner of the 40′ ex workboat – Sterling, he bought her a couple of years ago and is in the middle of a ‘rolling’ restoration. Murray has been told that she was built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1926 to tow logs out of the Sounds.
 

It’s rumoured that Sterling was involved in an incident in Tasman Bay in the 1960s or 1970s that involved the boat being found with a scallop dredge in the water, engine running and no one on board. When the dredge was lifted the skipper came up with it. 

 
Murray is keen to confirm and learn more of Sterling’s history.

Input from Harold Kidd – This STERLING was built by Ernie Lane in Picton in 1925 for L.J. Steele as a passenger vessel to carry 60 pax and had a 1924-built 3 cylinder 27hp (rated) Sterling marine engine bore 4.5″ x stroke 5.5″, dimensions 34′ x 9′ x 3’9″. The engine was changed to 27hp Ruston-Lister diesel by 1940 when she was owned by N.A. Steele and converted to a fishing boat under No. PN29. There was a Marine Dept enquiry in 1946 when she ran on rocks in the Tory Channel with the loss of two lives.

That 34ft loa was the MOT Thames measurement length. She was a 40 footer really.
Historical notes below from recollections of Lex Wells, recorded by Mike Davidson
Preface
Lex Wells has lived all his life in the Marlborough Sounds and has worked on and owned
many working boats in the fishing, scalloping and mussel industries. Lex is now over 80 and
has extensive memories and knowledge of many of the working boats and launches in the
Sounds. Arguably there is nobody better informed about Sounds vessels than he is.
History of the Motor Launch “STERLING”
1. The “Sterling” was built by Ernie Lane in the late 1920s for Matt Steel and joined his small fleet of passenger launches.
2. Matt Steel sold his fleet to Queen Charlotte Launches in the late1940s. Lex is not sure if
“Sterling” went to Queen Charlotte Launches as part of that deal; she might have been sold earlier.
3. In the 1960s or 1970s, “Sterling” was sold again and used for fishing and scalloping out of Nelson. One day, in the 1970s, the “Sterling” was found drifting, unmanned, on the scallop beds. The skipper had been working by himself. His body was found in the dredge when it was lifted.
4. After this accident, “Sterling” was sold to a new owner and went fishing out of Taieri
Mouth and was based there for many years.
5. “Sterling” was then bought by Ronnie Wells (a cousin of Lex’s) in the late 1970s or early 1980s and he brought her back to the Sounds. He used her for quite a few years in the scalloping and fishing industry, operating out of Havelock.
6. “Sterling” had a Gardner engine in it when Ronnie Wells bought it. At some stage
afterwards that engine was destroyed when an oil filter failed. It was replaced with a Russel Newbury (RN) engine. That engine was too old and had been poorly maintained and it eventually died one day when “Sterling” was working at sea. Lex towed her with his vessel into Havelock where a four cylinder Ford engine was put in “Sterling”.
7. Ronnie Wells then sold “Sterling” to Sunny Sunbeam and his business partner (might have been his brother). She was taken to Picton where a lot of work was done on her, including new top planks on the hull and a new and much larger cabin on the deck. She was taken back to Havelock soon after.
8. Sunny Sunbeam later sold her and she was taken away from the Sounds by her new owner.

Kairanga – A Peek Down Below

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KAIRANGA –  A Peek Down Below
 
I have admired Kairanga each year at the Mahurangi Regatta and recently she popped up on trademe, so now we get a peek down below. It’s an interesting tme listing, no mention of design / builder, nor year. But she is a looker.
She is 32’, triple diagonal kauri, with a 90hp Ford diesel provide the forward motion. Appears well kitted out.
Chatting with Nathan Herbert, he recalls a mention of being a Bailey. This is backed up by Harold Kidd’s comments back in 2011 on the CYA Forum – HDK said “She is a pretty boat. I have no record of her before 1961 when she was owned by D E Jonas, a member of RNZYS. I’m certain she has been renamed. The cabin top, if original, is reminiscent of those that Charles Bailey Jr used around early 1914. 
Anyone able to tell us more about Kairanga?

Soul Survivor (Fairley)

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SOUL SURVIVOR (FAIRLEY)
Soul Survivor sold recently on trademe for $100 to someone from Thames. The listing stated she is 23’6”, double ended kauri carvel planked ex commercial fishing boat (named Fairley) and was built in 1927, by Miller & Tunnage (Port Chalmers, Sth Island) and She is pushed along by a ‘vintage’ Yanmar MX 8hp diesel.
She has spent the last 12 years on Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua, but the last 5 years on the hard. She made the journey from Dunedin by truck in 2006.
Anyone know who bought her and / or more on her past?

Corsair – Bridge Decker

Janet & Bruce Pullan, owners of the woody – Ann Michelle, came across an old bridge decker launch ‘resting’ in a paddock in the Waikato.
The boats name is Corsair, she is 34’ and the only information supplied by the owner was that she was built by a boatbuilder on the North Shore, started before WW2 and finished after the War. He believed the name was original.
I know its a big ask – but does anyone recall a launch that matches these specs?

SEA ROGUE – Why Is the Price So Low

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SEA ROGUE – Why Is the Price So Low
Question of the day – why are woodys so cheap in the USA compared to here? Is it a numbers game? Or is the cost of ownership (haulage, marina berth, insurance etc) make them unaffordable?
David Glen sent me a link to Sea Rogue a 54’ 1972 pilothouse, trawler style woody that was designed by naval architect Arthur Defever and built in 1972 by the Oriental Boat Company in Japan.
If you believe her 4sale listing she has been continuously upgraded by a meticulous owner. The zoom zoom is via twin Caterpillar diesels.
3 staterooms, each with head + captains berth in the pilothouse.
Currently located in San Diego – and the price? An unbelievable NZD$174,000.
Even if the motors didn’t go, that’s a very cheap waterfront apartment.

Lady Ellen Restoration Update – March 2019

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Lady Ellen Restoration Update – March 2019

Owner Bruce Mitchinson sent in the photos above & report below:

“About half way through the interior fit out so far.
Galley joinery is complete and has been shifted back to the workshop ready for paint.
Built in electrical and navigators consoles, and the new helm station in the queue for paint too.
Down below the new cabin soles and cabin partitions are all in, apart from the partition for the head, which is made, but out of the way while the space is being made into a wet room.
Hull lining and bunk slats all prefinished, ready for fitting.
Plumbing, thru-hull fittings and holding tank all set out, in the next week or two we will have a session with the hole saws to fit all these.
New exhaust pipe fitting will go in at the same time.
We have the engine in bits and all the parts have been stripped back and primed. 
Final coat of paint goes on this week so it can be reassembled and tested before it goes back in.
Electrical and fresh water plumbing coming up soon”
To see/ read more on this restoration project – enter Lady Ellen in the WW search box.
Photos below to show you how far Bruce has come with the LE project – very impressive.