Category Archives: Non Waitemata

Roamer

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ROAMER
I was recently contacted by Anita Friedman in regard to the launch Roamer, which was owned by one of her father-in-law’s uncles, Frederick Louis Pierce Friedman, possibly from 1919 and to late in WW2.
In the photos above, the top one shows Roamer moored at Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton Harbour.
The hauled out photo, dated Labour Day 1940, was taken on the slipway at Lyttelton. At the time Roamer was still owned by Fred Friedman.
Anita’s understanding is that Fred Friedman entered ocean races, probably to Akaroa, in Roamer. (Refer the April 28, 1930 press clipping above).  He also was a member of the New Brighton Powerboat Club and moored the Roamer there.  He lived on Roamer.
When Fred died Roamer was passed to his nephew, Maurice Friedman. After Maurice was killed in WW2 the Roamer was sold.
Can any of the woodys enlighten us more on Roamer & what became of  her?
Input ex Harold Kidd – George Andrews of Redcliffs built the 40 footer ROAMER in 1911-2, possibly at Millers in Corsair Bay. Andrews ran her commercially as a passenger launch until he went off on the Hospital Ship MAHENO in 1915 in charge of the two donated motorboats aboard. Lawrence Joyce took her over and passed her to F. L. Friedman by 1927. By 2003 she was still in Lyttelton owned by Noel Norris and in 2011was for sale on Trade Me. So she still soldiers on it seems..
10-09-2018 Update from Dennis Rule  – Dennis was in Lyttleton on Sunday (09-09-2018) and spotted Roamer, a live & well & looking very sharp.
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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)