Prema

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PREMA

Prema was built in 1965 but looks older, no mention on her trademe listing as to a designer / builder but I’m sure we can uncover that.

She measures 26’ & is kauri built. The zoom zoom is via a 48hp Perkins.

While she obviously needs some DIY repairs / maintenance, given that if her hull is sound, the asking price of $12k is a great entry point to classic wooden boat.

Home port is the Thames Marina & I just weep when I see that the rental is $30 per week.

Input from Cameron Pollard – Billy Rogers.( so we where lead to believe)
Original name was Raewyn.
We bought her from Milford marina some 25ish years ago. Very nicely built and roomy for her size.

Lady Ellen Restoration – Report 3

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Lady Ellen Restoration – Report 3 
I have just received in the latest update from Bruce Mitchinson on Lady Ellen’s restoration – As previous,  I’ll let Bruce tell you about the work.

“Skim coat done to topsides and foredeck, bottom sanded ready for the same.

Looking sleek again now you can pick up the waterline.

Duckboard extended by 250mm and reattached, beltings and toe rails are about to go back on.
Rudder assembly is back together on new bearings and rudder tube, and the propeller strut is being fitted this week so we can bolt it up while we have easy access, and then continue with the cockpit fit out.
Demolition complete downstairs in the head and the sleeping quarters and I am scraping paint and cleaning up oil soaked planking and frames so I can continue with the white paint to the inside of the hull.
Fortunately it gets narrower up this end and so there is less area to paint.
Engine bay looks much tidier after getting the treatment, just need the engine and fuel tanks to go in so we can start setting up all of the other equipment that lives in here.”
Eggemoggin Reach Regatta – WoodenBoat magazine take a cruise thru the anchorage
A great video (link below) spotting some very nice woodys at anchor, shades of our own Mahurangi Regatta 😉

 

 

JOHN BROOKE BOOK WINNER/S

The winner of a copy of the new John Brooke book is Micheal O’Dwyer (classic yacht Janet). Robert Brooke kindly donated 2 copies of the book, so I have decided to give the 2nd copy to Graeme Finch , you submitted the best reply / entry. Well do guys. I email you for your postal address. Remember its available at Boat Books in Westhaven & on-line at the BB website.

Genevere

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GENEVERE

Today’s story show cases the Lake Rotoiti launch Genevere. She was built in 1908, builder unknown, measures 30’. Her zoom zoom is via a 45hp Perkins diesel that pushes her along at 6>8 knotts.

According to her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald), she has had a reasonable amount of TCL & engineering work done on her, so presents well.

At an asking price of $15k, she would appear a good buy. Anyone able to tell us more about Genevere?

 

Charlie

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CHARLIE

From what WW can learn from her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald), all we know is that Charlie was built in 1927 by the Monk Bros (?), is approx. 27’ in length & her zoom zoom is via a 60hp Ford diesel.

Charlie has had some TCL in recent times & would make a nice entry point into classic wooden boating. Current home is Omokoroa, Tauranga.

 

Anyone know more about her?

 

 

Mystery Launch & Location

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Mystery Launch & Location

Todays photo is another from the fb page of Lew Redwood, & show a very fine looking launch nudged into the shoreline. The caption stated that the gent standing on the left is Richard Edgar Williams* & possible date is 1930.
The name on the bow could be Joan. There is an impressive number of people on-board, I counted 18, including children.
As to the location – I’m not sure, it looks very Whangaroa Harbour, but the ladder on the bow is a very lake set up. I’m sure someone will be able to shed some light on the name & location.
* from a quick google search – Williams was a Southern man, born in Dunedin in 1891. He had a keen interest I photography & mountaineering. So maybe the photo is located in Milford Sound?

Workboat Wednesday – Moata

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Work Boat Wednesday – Moata

Baden Pascoe sent me the photos above of the 1937 WG Lowe built Moata, owned by Fin Horder, who is doing some nice work on her. Baden commented that its nice to see a classic work boat still doing her stuff and being understood.

Extra cool to see the problem solved by not nailing ply over her decks.

Moata made a cameo appearance on WW back in April, click the link below to see a great b/w photo of her c.1960 on the Clevedon River.  https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/04/04/moata/

Any One Heard of ‘France Craft’, or better still own one?

The bronze bow fitting / boatbuilder’s plate below, is for sale on trademe – thanks to Peter Thorpy for the listing heads up.

A Spirit of Tradition Woody

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A Spirit of Tradition Woody

The above launch was built in 1983 but looks 50 years older, so she makes the cut on WW. Her trademe listing (thanks Ian McDonald) describes her as a 37’ Jorgenson Quicksley launch, with a beam of 10’7” & draft of 4’3’.

Hull construction is 1 3/8” kauri plank and the zoom zoom comes from a 100hp GM Detroit diesel.

Home port is Nelson so she comes with all the fruit, including the mandatory diesel heater 😉 Anyone able to put a name to the launch?

Input from John Wicks – Cna’t for the life of me remember her name, but Jorgensens built her for one Cdr. “Sankey” Critchley who lived just outside Blenheim and had a bach at a bay known as Longbeach in the Grove Arm of Queen Charlotte Sound.
Cdr Critchley had previously owned the Albert Strange yawl “Sheila II” which he bought from Adrian Hayter after the latter had sailed her out from the UK.

Anyone Looking For A  Winter Project?

I have been contacted by Mike Renner who inherited a pond yacht (photos below) from his father, who died over 50 years ago.  It’s 1.2 metres long & Mike suspect it belonged to his grandfather.  It’s been hanging in the garage for years and it needs a new home.

 Mike’s grandfather and father were very keen boaties.  His grandfather owned several yachts, including ‘Rogue’, and at one stage owned 32 parts in ‘Waitangi’.  He migrated to launches in later years, including Zane Grey’s ‘Otehei’.
Mike commented that the hull looks is good order & there is a mast included.
So Woodys – it would be a shame for it not to have another life somewhere? Mike can be contacted at  mike@merel.co.nz
 
Ps – looking at the photos I was relieved to see a good stack of firewood in the background 😉
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20-07-2018 Update – I understand the model has found a new home with Greg Lees at his boatyard – I look forward to seeing it finished 🙂

 

 

Wellington Whale Spotting on A Woody

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Wellington Whale Spotting on A Woody
I’m sure most of you will have seen the TV coverage of the Southern Right whale – nick named Matariki thats decided to adopt the Wellington Harbour as its new home.
The Uivel family, owners of the stunning 1928, Joe Slattery built, now Wellington based woody – Mataroa, ventured out last week for a peek, never expecting the close encounter they got, seems the whale likes woodys.
Also included above are some nice shots of Mataroa in Clyde Quay boat harbour.
Photos ex the camera of Sue Dorrington & thanks to Rob Uivel for the on-board video and Bryan Saul for the Drone footage (link below)
You can view more photos of the re launch of Mataroa at the link below. Or just WW search the name, there is a lot of photos / info on her. Named Kenya, when launched.
Big tides yesterday – I suspect this old woody in the Milford Creek has had a few tides thru her 😉 See WW comments section for info on the yacht (named Ra Kesha) ex Geoff Brebner (heyday photo added below)
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Mystery Woodys at Kawau Island

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Mystery Woodys at Kawau Island

The caption on the above Tudor Collins photo, ex Auckland Museum (via Lew Redwood fb) states that the photo is dated 1936 & possibly / probably Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island.
Interested in ID’ing the closest launch to the shore. At first glance I thought Tasman, then Rehia but the shape & number of portholes is all wrong – what say the Woodys?
The dark hulled vessel behind, could be one of the early pilot boats – Ferro?
And any clever yachties able to ID the small yachts – mullet boats?
Input from Robin Elliott

NOT Mullet boats but 18-foot V-class. See endless posts and publications over the last 20 years (puts hobby horse back in stable)

From what I can make of the name on her transom, the light coloured hull looks to be Vaalele, V-78, built by Charlie Hardman to a Ralph Goodwin design in 1936.She was one of the four Auckland 18-footers that travelled to Sydney for the first World’s 18-footer championship in 1938. Charlie Hardman kept Vaalele until 1939 when he sold her to S.H. Bailey.

The darker boat is a bit later and looks to be quite new. She’s marconi rigged and could possibly be another Charlie Hardman / Ralph Goodwin boat, Vindex, V-35 built in 1939. Marconi rigs were not common in the V-class but by 1939 the more competitive yachtsmen were moving away from gaff.

From other photos I have seen, she was painted a dark colour, either black or royal blue and was marconi rigged. Vindex was laid up in 1940 and In 1944 he sold Vindex to Keith Atkinson who was working at Lidgards with Hardman.

If this is the case then that would date the photo to the summer of 1939/40, with the two Hardman boats cruising in company, and also explain the patriotic display of the Union Jack from the wharf,

15-07-2018 Update from Steve Pople (current owner)

Steve sent me the 2 b/w photos below (ex NZ Herald) of RF as launched – what a stunner, just about perfect from any angle. Steve confirmed Ken Rickets comments re being lengthened (by 6′). RF is currently in the very capable hands of Dave Patterson of Leader Boats in Pakuranga undergoing a total refit. I will updated the restoration story with new photos.

Royal Falcon 1934 Martin boat 1

Royal Falcon 1934 martin boat 2

Maeve – Electric Launch

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MAEVE – Electric Launch
While I’m sure Maeve likes her Dunedin, Otago, home port, she would make a stunning addition to the Lake Rotoiti (Nth Is.) woody fleet.
Built in 1904, she was originally a North Otago fishing boat, & is a beautiful canoe shaped 26’ electric launch with a slipper stern.
Her wooden hull has been professionally fibre-glassed over, the wooden roof and window frames are in the style of a Thames River Boat & were added in recent years by a professional boat builder.
The motor is adapted from an electric golf cart & pushes Maeve along at a virtually silently at 6.5 knots for approx. 4+ hours.
Her current owner bought Maeve unseen several months ago under the misapprehension she was much smaller than she is & then discovered their standard boat trailer was too small to safely and legally take an 8m boat from Dunedin home to the Marlborough Sounds – so she is back on the market. Thanks to Ian MacDonald for the trade listing heads up.
Maeve has a long and proud provenance and was much loved by her previous elderly owner. With a little TLC, she could be a very smart lake boat.