Category Archives: Non Waitemata

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.

Pontiac

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PONTIAC
I have been sent the above brilliant collection of photos by Paul and Valerie Somerville of their 1910 launch Pontiac, built by McPhersons, Frederick St, Dunedin, for a publican in Pt Chalmers. She was originally named Reremoana. Family history says in the 1920’s it passed on to a farmer at Moeraki who used it as a fishing vessel.
In the 1930’s the Gillies family of Oamaru took ownership and it remained with them for 3 generations, and was very well maintained, until the mid 1990’s when the Somerville’s purchased her and put it on it’s present mooring in Church Bay, Lyttelton Harbour.
At some early stage the Gilles changed the name to Pontiac. Maybe they had the Pontiac dealership and had installed a Pontiac engine. Still on the boat are other Pontiac marine fittings such as navigation lights cast in the shape of an Indian Chiefs head.
The boat is of single skin kauri, 10 metres long and with a 2.5m beam. The cabin structure and auxillary gaff rig seem to be original and there are many original fittings. The current engine is a BMC Commander 4 cylinder diesel.
Paul has no information whatever about McPherson the builder or of any other McPherson boats still existing.  He has seen similar looking hulls around the Otago Peninsular and further south, but that’s about it.
Paul commented that Pontiac is a wonderful sea going vessel and has given him family a lot of pleasure over the last 25 years, as he’s sure it did for the Gillies over their 60 years of ownership.
From top to bottom (L>R) the photo captions are:
1. Up the Lords River Stewart Island  c.1950’s/1960’s?
2. Helping out at “Scotts Own” sea scout regatta Oamaru. c.1960’s/1970’s?
3. In the Lyttelton haulout area 2017.
4.Pontiacs control panel.
5. The engineroom.
6. Heading down the harbour with the grandkids.
Paul & Valerie would love to hear any more historical information or anecdotes about Pontiac. Any Woodys able to contribute ?
Input from Harold Kidd – E.A.Gillies was indeed the Pontiac agent in Oamaru at the time when GM built them as one step up from the Chevrolet (even though they had a side-valve 6 or 8). McPherson was the foremost yacht and launch builder in Dunedin (not Port Chalmers) for many years. Pontiac did several offshore trips, for example to Akaroa in January 1939 and, in January 1940, to Stewart Island, which was probably when the top pic was taken..
10-07-2018 More input: Reremoana was at Moeraki in 1936; broke down, got blown out to sea but rescued. Gillies bought her shortly after. He had just got the Pontiac agency so was shouting it to the rooftops. (see dealer ad from paper past below)
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The Gall Of Some People
On Saturday I took Raindance for a jaunt to the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour – the John Wellsford Small Craft group were having a rally to the Riverhead Hotel & wanted to get some photos of the event for WW. 
One of the meeting points was the new public wharf alongside the Salthouse Yard, & while waiting for the JW boats to turn up > launch, I sat off the wharf in Lucas Creek. A gent with a camera walked down the wharf & took a few photos of Raindance.
Last night via a facebook post on the JW fb page I realised the person taking the photos was Paul Gilbert.
I sent him a private message & asked if it was him & if so I could have a photo of Raindance. I said I took 1000’s of photos of classic Woodys but had very few of my own boat.
His answer is below – I have never meet him but all his reply did was confirm everything I have heard about the man………………….
For the record I have never refused or charged any boat owner for a photo I have taken of their boat. But then, I’m a nice guy 😉
And if you read this Paul Gilbert, fyi – another 15,000+ people will have read it today as well 🙂
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Wiltshire Wreck

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Wiltshire Wreck
The above photos ex the NZ Herald heritage images files via Lew Redwood fb show the 1912 steamship, Wiltshire wrecked at Rosalie Bay Great Barrier Island in June 1922. You can read more about the wreck at the link below.
(The ships cat pictured survived)
Today Im keen to ID the small launch alongside the wreck in the first photo above.  Can anyone help? Its a tall ask, a lot very similar small launches were around back then, they were the equivalent of todays Toyota ute 🙂
Harold Kidd Input – My opinion is that she’s YORK built by Bailey & Lowe in 1913 for C R Pease with a 10hp Sterling Kid. She looks very like Capt. H D Heather’s 1914 ROTHESAY built by Bailey & Lowe with the same engine. Capt Tom Ryan bought her in 1921 when he was living on the Barrier so the timing is right.
 

The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

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The Re-Launch of Susan Jane

The restoration of the 1950 Chris Robertson built – Susan Jane, at Colin Brown’s Omaha yard was been well documented on ww – link below. Last week (21-06-2018) Susan Jane emerged from the shed & made the road trip to Gulf Harbour marina for splashing. Ken Ricketts was on hand to record the event.

I have seen SJ in the flesh & I can tell you that in real life she looks even better – that man Colin Brown does stunning work – so the big question is – who is next in the shed?

 

https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/10/30/susan-jane-sailing-sunday/

Update 13-05-2019 out at Gulf Harbour (photos ex Ken Ricketts)

Mystery Launch 03-07-2018

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MYSTERY LAUNCH – 03-07-2018

Short post today – other boating things distracting me 😉

The above unidentified launch is seen above in Fitzroy Harbour, Great Barrier Island. photo ex Lew Redwood fb

Anyone able to ID her?

 

Waimata

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WAIMATA

Resident Lake Rotoiti boat builder Alan Craig (Craig Marine), sent me the above photos of the 28’ launch Waimata. She has just been at Alan’s yard for a hull paint job.

Alan commented that while a resident on Lake Rotoit she is not always seen at the annual Wooden Boat Parade.

Her owners believe she is a Collings and Bell built in 1926 & bought buy the Corson family around 1939 to bring to the lake. They changed the name so we are not sure of her original name.

Her zoom zoom these days is via a Nanni diesel, prior to this she had a Grey Marine & previous to that, something much bigger that made her “really go” according to her owner.

Interested to know if the builders plate is original? – I have not seen one like that before.

Waimata is a very well maintained woody & with Alan’s input is looking very smart.

So woodys – what do we know about this boats past?

Input from Paul Drake –

The C & B builder’s plate in this morning’s WW post is of interest.
Below is a pic of SIR FRANCIS’s plate from 1916. Notice the slight difference in phone numbers.
Rather unusual to have a phone number on a builder’s plate, don’t you think?
These days one might include an email address!
Alan H Question – when did Auckland ph numbers change from 4 to 5 digits?
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Woodys on the Opawa River Blenheim

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OPAWA RIVER – Blenheim

The above photos come to us via Bruno Redwood’s fb, & show the Opawa River, Blenheim & are dated 1913.

The river, on which Blenheim is situated, is a tributary of the Wairau, & is navigable for small craft as far as Blenheim.

It is thought that the vessel in the ‘middle’ is Twilight. Photos ex A. McCusker

Harold Kidd Input – TWILIGHT was built by Ernie Lane at Picton and owned by Thomas A Smith who used her for fishing. Later he had the mail contract at Port Underwood with her. She was licensed for 35 pax and had a Dunedin-built Shacklock 10hp twin; her dims were 34′ x 8’3″ x 3’9″.

And below some eye candy – a wee video on the 2 year restoration of the 1926 N. Herreshoff designed NY40 MARILEE – its a great insight into the work of French & Webb in Belfast, Maine. Grab a cup/glass of something & sit back & enjoy 🙂

https://vimeo.com/275435272

 

 

 

Woody Lake Boat

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Woody Lake Boat

The owner of the above 16’5” speedboat believes the hull was built in the 1950’s, he bought her back in 2009. He has fully striped the hull back to wood and repaired it where necessary, built the seats and engine cover from scratch.

Recently she has been given a full paint job with marine paint (dark green). The zoom zoom is a mark one-zephyr petrol engine with a direct drive set up. A few minor details e.g. a windscreen & you would have a very smart woody. Or re-power with a V8 & have real speedster.

The reason she is for sale on trademe is that it only gets used once a year at the Lake Rotoit Classic & Wooden Boat Parade. Thanks to Tim Evill for the listing heads up.

Looking For A Gulf Harbour Marina To Rent (Long term)

Unknown 

A secure 13m waterways berth is available for immediate occupation. Comes with  close car parking for the purposes of loading up & unloading, & long term parking within about 2 minutes’ walk. Long term rental $650 per month.

Enquires can respond by email to kennetharicketts@gmail.com or phone  09 424 5505 or 021 988 919

 

 

Marion D > Joan

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MARION D > JOAN

I was contacted by Ray Russell the owner of Joan (previously named Marion D) the 1919 Bailey & Lowe launch to let me know he was in possession of a small 10 page booklet (diary/log book) on a trip made in 1932 by Marion D to the Bay of Islands for a spot of ‘sword fishing’. I have scanned the booklet & reproduced it below for your enjoyment.

Ray kindly posted the booklet to me & also emailed a selection of photos, seen above. Ray wasn’t able to date the photos to match the log book entries, but feels the 1st one above is the Whangeraei Town Basin, the gent with the pipe is most likely Jim Donald.

Ray commented that he was unsure when the tram top was removed, but was able to advise that the round cabin windows were replaced by Lanes at Panmure in 1938.

The colour photo shows her as Joan, a later name change. You can read / see more of Joan here https://waitematawoodys.com/2014/11/20/joan-2/

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Lake Taupo Wooden Boats

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Lake Taupo Wooden Boats

Right now Colin Pawson should have been in the USA & taking photos for me at a wooden boat festival, but a speed bump slowed him down a bit & instead he was mooching round the lake front moorings at Lake Taupo.

Most of the above have appeared on WW before but its always nice to get an update & who has been applying the TLC & who hasn’t 🙂

Input ex Paul Drake – below is a 1932 pic of the same two boats. It is regatta day at Taupo. ROMANCE has only recently arrived at the lake ex Napier and is still a flush decker. EAST WIND has already been on the lake for some years. Both boats came into Drake family ownership 46 years ago in 1972.

Now would be a good moment to seek opinions regarding EAST WIND’s origins. She was clearly built as an open boat with motor. She still has the original foredeck and coaming under the newer raised deck. Two clues – she has an external stern gland and has an X etched into her starboard forard sheer strake (see pic). No sign of lifting hooks though.

We would be really interested to discover when she was built and by whom. Her history prior to the mid 1920’s is a mystery. What do the Brains Trust think?

Also below is Paul’s favorite pic of EAST WIND, at Rotoiti, taken by me  (Alan H).

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