Category Archives: Non Waitemata

PILAR – A Woody On Tour

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PILAR – A Woody On Tour

A little while ago woody Rod Marler was in Cuba, while there he visited the Ernest Hemingway museum & photographed –  ‘Pilar’, Hemingway’s 38’ sport fisher. Built by the Wheeler Boatyard, Brooklyn New York and launched in 1934.

Below is a great read on the history of the boat, published courtesy of the Hemingway Home website, as are the b/w photos below.
“Returning to Key West from an African safari in 1934, Ernest Hemingway stopped off in New York to take a few meetings. At one with the editor of Esquire, Arnold Gingrich, Hemingway was given a $3300 advance for some short stories. He promptly took himself out to Coney Island to the Wheeler Shipyard and used the cash as down payment on a customized yacht.
Wheeler was known and rewarded for producing exceptional hand-crafted wooden boats. It had begun producing a pleasure yacht called the Playmate in 1920 and been very successful (the model would be produced until 1939.) Hemingway’s modifications to the 38-foot version he ordered included a live fish well and a wooden roller spanning the transom to aid in hauling fish aboard. He also requested extra large fuel tanks so he could stay at sea for longer periods of time. The boat had two motors – a 75hp for traveling and a 40hp for trolling. And he requested a flying bridge. The photo above shows Hemingway atop that flying bridge as Pilar pulls out of Havana harbor.
The finished yacht cost $7500 and was brought to Key West and christened Pilar. (Not only the name of the heroine in For Whom the Bell Tolls, Pilar is also the nickname for then-wife Pauline.) Through Key West friend and hardware store owner, Charles Thompson, Hemingway gained permission to dock her at the Navy Yard (the Navy was barely using it at the time.) This put the ship at dock only a few blocks from Hemingway’s home on Whitehead Street.
In 1940, when Ernest and Pauline divorced and he subsequently married Martha Gelhorn (whom he’d met at Sloppy Joe’s,) they relocated to Cuba and bought Finca Vigia (Lookout Farm) the home on a hilltop overlooking Havana. Pilar was docked at Cojimar, a small fishing village east of Havana, which was the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
When he left Cuba in 1960 with fourth wife, Mary he knew he’d be back. But the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 cut off his return and separated him from his beloved Pilar. After Hemingway’s death in July of that year, his widow gave the ship to Gregorio Fuentes who had served as her captain. Fuentes also served as the basis for the character Santiago, in The Old Man and The Sea and passed away in 2002 at the age of 104.
Today, Finca Vigia is a museum where Pilar is on display atop the tennis courts with a walkway encircling her so visitors can view the interior.”

Flying Boats

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FLYING BOATS

I have been sent the above collection of b/w photos that John Bullivant found on a British seaplane site, it appears a lot of the photos are from our national library or similar.  They give a snap shot into the Teal flying boat history in Wellington. In them we see a large clinker launch, a work boat (Wild Duck which has an identical sister), a Civil Aviation flarepath launch (the dark stepped cabin launch to right of jetty) two different Teal launches (one from Auckland for some reason) Len Southwards Red Head racing one of the planes and a few views of the larger Teal launch.

The Teal launch appears to have the engine box towards the stern so may have had a v-drive (more room in the cabin / safety / noise perhaps?) The group of fine gentlemen in the Teal launch (pipes and all) are some of the 1951 All Blacks departing for the test in Australia.

Kaiurunga

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KAIURUNGA – Workboat Wednesday

Kaiurunga is a double ender solid kauri planked launch at 41′ long & built in 1935 by Ernie Lane.

She is an ex-Westport Harbour Board pilot boat. The name Kaiurunga means ‘highest cloud’.  

Rumour has it she has done a lap of New Zealand and often crossed the Cook Straight.  

Zoom zoom is via a 95hp Perkin diesel motor that has her cruising at around 7 knots.  

Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) tells us her current owner has had her for a year and is unable to finish the project.  While looking a little ‘work-in-progress’ there has been a lot of time & money spent on her & she would make a good low cost live aboard / tiny house-boat.
Home port is Mana, Wellington.

Vanora

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VANORA
I was recently contacted by Doug Howard concerning the vessel – Vanora. Doug came across the above photo (ex MA Jenny) recently of Vanora, it was taken in Nelson probably earlier 1900’s.
Searching on-line, Doug discovered on WW a mention of Vanora in a Harold Kidd Rudder Cup Regatta 1908 article, it stated “The big Vanora was sold by Lindsay Cooke to Maurice O’Connor of the Thistle Hotel in 1912. He fitted a 30hp Auckland-built Twigg engine and sold her to the Government in late 1913. We do not know her subsequent fate.” 
Doug was wondering if anything has been found since – anyone able to help?
Harold Kidd input –  Logan Bros built HURIA in 1899 for Capt Mercer of Nelson. She was 45ft x 10ft x 4ft6in, schooner rigged and fitted with a 2 cylinder Daimler petrol engine. Mercer used her for passenger and freight service in the Sounds. M A Jenny bought her in Nelson in 1905, changed her name to VANORA and had her extensively refitted as a motor-yacht, fitting a 3 cylinder 30hp Gardner petrol engine in Wellington. This is the form she is shown in the image above.
Jenny sold her to Lindsay Cooke in 1906 and she came to Auckland. Cooke entered her in that famous Rudder Cup Ocean Race around Sail Rock in 1908. In 1909 he sold her to Maurice O’Connor of the Thistle Hotel who fitted a 3 cylinder Twigg engine.
O’Connnor sold her to the Government in late 1913 and she was used to transport goods during the 1913 waterfront strike. In 1914 she was overhauled by Bailey & Lowe and used to do works on outlying islands, based at Tauranga, skippered by Capt. Nordlinger.
VANORA then disappears.
But did she morph into Tim’s NAOMI? Jenny had several NAOMIs built by Bailey, the last one, a 38 footer, going from Wellington to Tauranga in 1927 where Mowlem used her for game-fishing but there’s no connection I know of between the boats apart from the name and the Jenny connection.
In my view HURIA = VANORA = Tim’s NAOMI. In that case Tim should enter his boat in the upcoming Rudder Cup race as the Logan VANORA, repeating her entry of 110 years ago.

Miss Brett Needs A New Woody Owner

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Miss Brett

 

Miss Brett Needs A New Woody Owner

I have been contacted by Donna Lewis, the owner of Miss Brett, who needs to offer the launch up for sale. Donna lives in Australia. Miss Brett was launched in 1927 & built by Dick Lang at Russell  for the Bay of Islands famous Fullers Cream Trip. She measures 40’ x 10’9” x 2’11” draft. Zoom zoom is via a 100hp 6 cyl. Ford Trader Lees Marine diesel. Renamed Knoxie II c.1928, the name coming from her 4 cya Knox engine, when launched.
Below is her edited call for help

“Regrettably I realistically need  to put MV Miss Brett up for sale. I am very aware of her historical significance and have been her owner … caretaker really since September 2015. I would hope in an ideal world that someone capable of enjoying her as we have and enjoys the maintenance  (as I do) might be interested in her.

The top photo above is a recent photo taken last month & shows Miss Brett moored on her own mooring in Kororareka Bay (Russell) Bay of Islands.”

Interested parties can contact Donna for more details, she has had an impressive amount of work done in the last few years – via email at              lewisdn@hotmail.com

Miss Brett features in the video ‘ NZ Marlin’ – at the 1′ 48″ stage & again at 7’24” – link below:
You can view more photos of Miss Brett here  https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/08/08/miss-brett/
Details ex Harold Kidd
Photos below of Miss Brett – Russell c.1960

Ti Point Wharf Waitangi Day 1934

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Ti Point Wharf Waitangi Day 1934 + Win A WW T-shirt

This is one of my favourite photos, it shows a great mix of launch styles & sizes, all coming together alongside the Ti Point Wharf, for a Waitangi Day celebration on 10-02-1934.
The photo comes to us ex Old North Auckland / Northland fb via Lew Redwood.
I included a recent photo I took of the same view, taken from the hilltop property of a woody, looking down on the wharf area.
I’ll give away a WW t-shirt (see below) to the woody that can ID the most launches in the photo – Nathan Herbert will be the judge of the winner.
All entries via email to waitematawoodys@gmail.com. Entries close at 8.00pm today (24-08-2018)
Input from Hugh Gladwell – “I don’t think that’s Ti Point. The tide goes in and out at 3 knots through the channel,the headland to the right is out of place and there is no sandy beach on the Ti Point side”
LR2016 ww shirts CM

 

Mystery Whangarei Launch

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MYSTERY WHANGAREI LAUNCH

The above launch is listed on trademe as a ‘Samsford’ – one would have to assume they mean Sam Ford.

What I can tell you about her is that is is 30’ in length, built of wood in 1965 & is powered by a 4 cyl. 72hp Ford diesel.

Home post is Whangarei. (thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up)

Anyone able to ID the launch & tell us more about her?

 

Mystery Launch at Kawau Island

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Mystery Launch at Kawau Island

The above photo ex Lew Redwood’s fb is tagged 1900>1920 & other than the location, thats all we know.
Any thoughts on the name of the launch in the foreground ?
Harold Kidd Input – The launch at Kawau looks very like one of the Harrison Smith designs built by Bailey & Tyer at Hall’s Beach…….. MANUKURA, ELECTRA, but probably not KOTAHI now at Auckland Zoo.
Looking for a well priced classic woody?
The 1914 Lane built launch Rosemary M has featured several time on WW, in recent times she has been mainly used as a floating apartment, now for sale at what appears a very fair price of $19.5k ono, someone needs to save her from life as as an apartment & start using her again. Details below.

Neptune

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NEPTUNE

Neptune is a 39’ John Gladden designed ex work boat / converted trawler & is now a potential live aboard.

She was extended .6m eight years ago & has a 11’5” beam & draws 5’2”.

Her trademe listing is very light on details, the only other things I can advise is that she was built in 1982 & made of wood.

( thanks to Ian McDonald for the listing heads up)

 

 

Restoration of the 1936 X-Class dinghy Huia – X22

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Restoration of the 1936 X-Class dinghy Huia – X22

 
I have been contacted by Charles Pope who has begun work on the restoration of Huia. Charles is aiming to have the boat on the water in January at the Mahurangi regatta.
Huia has impeccable pedigree having won the Sanders Cup in 1939.
I have reproduced what Charles knows below. Charles is hoping to fill in the missing information between her Sanders Cup success in 1939 and the recent history I got from her previous owner, Rex, who sailed her at Mahurangi around 1998.That’s nearly 60 years missing
 

The photos above show her on the water in Torbay after Charles tightened up her planks and gave her a paint job. 

 
Any woodys able to help Charles out? I’m a little concerned use of the words – epoxy & glass fibre……………….
 
“Last year I spotted an old 1936 classic wooden boat for sale. Her name was Huia and she was one of the original X-Class dinghies that were sailed by very competitive teams vying for the Sanders Cup in the 1930’s. Huia and her Canterbury crew won the cup in 1939. 
 
Now she was on a rotting and rusting trailer, not under cover, damage from rain water and rotting leaves and badly in need of TLC. She needed someone with more passion than sense to save her from the landfill and that’s where I came in. I took her home, fixed her trailer and began the journey to get her back on the water. 
 
First I had to learn about clinker (or lapstrake) boat construction and I procured copper nails and roves and suitable pieces of kauri timber to match her original construction. After months of working every weekend I was ready to launch her on the local beach. It only took a couple of hours sailing her for me to see that Huia was a beautiful boat. Stable and forgiving, well balanced and stately in appearance – despite sails that had seen better days and gushing leaks between the planks that kept the bailing bucket busy, she was worth spending more time and money on to get her into top shape for a new life. 

I decided to bite the bullet and apply modern technology to give the old girl a new life. West Systems epoxy and glass fibre cloth will seal and protect the old kauri planks and some rigid framing will strengthen the structure so the epoxy won’t crack.”
And as a bonus, below, a mystery yacht, ex Ross Griffin’s post on Historic BOL photos page
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Input from Robin Elliott

“The Canterbury Huia was built by R. Tredennick in 1932, probably off moulds by Fred Dobby. She did little of note until Trdennick sold her around 1936 to R. Hendry and, with Fred Tissiman as skipper she won the 1939 Sander Cup at Bluff.

After 1939 she was sold to Bill Poole of Akaroa and he still owned her in 1947 racing with the Akaroa Sailing Club. My Canterbury contacts seem to recall that she was converted to a runabout.

However …. way up in Northland in 1952 an X-class boat named Huia owned by K. Bradley from Dargaville appeared at Paihia to race in the Northland Sanders Cup Trials. She was quite good and raced in Whangarei and at the northern regional regattas for the next 2-3 years. I have not seen any photos to see if she carried a sail number. Many regional yacht owners bought sails but never bothered registering.
Sea Spray Oct 1953, in mentioning the 1953 Northland trials, made a note that “Huia from Dargaville will be worth watching.”

At the Whangarei Cruising Club the X-class Huia won the Wilkinson Shield in 1953 and 1954.

Interestingly enough. The ex-Auckland yacht Tuoma (built for Bob Greenwell in 1946) in April 1952 was owned by R. Long of Taumarere, was racing at the Northland Inter-Port Yachting regatta up at Paihia.

Her sail number was X-22. She vanished soon after that 1952 regatta.

Perhaps Mr. Bradley of Dargaville got hold of Tuoma’s sails? OR… perhaps he bought Tuoma and renamed her Huia?”